Ilorin Emirate Youths Accuse Kwara South Forum Of Instigating Crisis

The Ilorin Emirate Youth Development Association (IEYDA) has knocked the Kwara South Consultative Forum over the latter’s opposition to renaming the University of Ilorin, the location of another university within the Ilorin Emirate and request that the Emir’s official portrait be hung in government offices and formal institutions within the Ilorin Emirate community in the state.

It will be recalled in February, The Kwara South Consultative Forum had at a press conference at NUJ Press centre Ilorin where they kicked against the siting of the major higher institutions of learning in the state capital and Kwara North.

It also faulted the appeal by the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union, IEDPU, asking the state government to rename the University of Ilorin, after an Ilorin Islamic scholar, Sheik Alimi, and hanging of the Emir’s portrait in government offices and other formal institutions.

The IEYDA, however, frowned at their choice of words in a statement signed on Thursday by the association’s National President and National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Abdullahi Babatunde Salaudeen, and Alhaji Muhammad Uthman Jagunmon, respectively

The youth wing of Ilorin Emirate described the stand of the Kwara South Forum as needless, inciting, and disharmonious in a state that has always cherished even development among all regions and senatorial zones.

It noted that the submission of the group was nothing but an attack on the revered Islamic scholar, Sheikh Alimi and as a result, an attack on the Emir and the Ilorin Emirate at large.

The statement read, “It is worrisome that a supposedly highly rated group such as the Kwara South Consultative Forum, will allow chauvinism and self-interest becloud its objectivity as to throw caution to the wind by kicking against an impeccable motive to accord honour on a deserving personality.

“Attacking the Alimi dynasty is a direct attack on the entire Ilorin Emirate and our revered Emir, who is the Chairman Traditional Council of Chiefs and Obas in the state.

“Just as the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union, IEDPU, has agitated, the Kwara South is also free under the law to seek the location of the school in their zone, without necessarily casting aspersion on any individual or group.”

[AD] Urgent: Download This APP & Get Instant Reward

---

“While the Emir of Ilorin and well meaning sons and daughters of Ilorin Emirate are making several efforts to relief many people from the hardship, hunger and inflation. The Forum abandoned this crucial focus of Ilorin Emirate and they prefer to engage themselves in an unnecessary cadence of division, rather than advocating for collective line of development of our dear State. More so, Ilorin Emirate have never reprobate or make any singular move to rubbish any traditional leader in Kwara South, then, Alimi dynasty should not be an object of ridicule for whatever reason.”

The Ilorin Emirate youths therefore warned the Kwara South Consultative Forum against stoking the embers of disunity that is capable of threatening the harmonious relationship being shared in the state.

“Kwarans have always lived together as one, with the interest of all at the frontline. We grew up to see our elders making crucial decisions for Kwara, devoid of traditional, religious, or ethnic divisions for decades. Such should not be allowed to start at this juncture.”

The group further backed the call by the IEDPU for the renaming of the University of Ilorin after Sheik Alimi as well as the location of the newly proposed University of Education within the Emirate and also the request for the hanging of the Emir of Ilorin’s portrait in government offices and other formal institutions.

“We want to emphatically state that we as youths in Ilorin Emirate stand by the request of our fathers under the IEDPU. We equally call on the Kwara State Government under Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, to passionately look into the appeal of renaming the University of Ilorin after Sheikh Alimi, hanging of Emir’s portrait in offices and citing the proposed University of Education within the Emirate based on the reason well stated by the IEDPU,” it said.