My attention has been drawn to the speech made by Hon. FunmiAfuye, Ekiti State Commissioner for Information. The speechwhich was reported in some national newspapers asserted, among others, that 'Ekiti is not his (Abacha's) creation. Ekiti has existed from time immemorial. That somebody carved it as a geographical unit is not enough for honour...'My reaction and those of many who have made phone calls across the land, can also be described as 'Ekiti State: Facts and fiction'.It is not my pleasure to join issues with Hon. Afuye. He is a young man for whom I have a deep respect. When things were hard, Afuye's voice was the lone ranger on the opposition bench, and there is no record he sold out. Now in government, he effectively sells government to the populace and vice versa. But he has allowed the aura (is it burden ') of office to weigh heavily on him to the extent that before our eyes, history is being wantonly' distorted.Abacha did not create Ekiti State, he only carved out a geographical area. Really'Some issues are being confused here. The issue is not that Abacha should be honoured. Nor that Ekitiland did not exist as a geographical fact. What we are saying, and what did happen is that the Abacha Administration created the political and administrative entity ealled 'Ekiti State'. That Ekiti obas and leaders for the period starting from May 1991 to October 1996, met on several occasions in Ewi' s palace and more routinely in the premises of this writer. That we presented over 20 papers to the Federal Military Governvent canvassing our position. That we as a group or as sub - committees made 13 trips to Lagos and more importantly to the core-North. That we met Gen. Abacha five times. That all Ekiti obas (except one) and most leaders believed that the solution to the underdevelopment or benign neglect of Ekitiland lay in carving out Ekiti from Ondo State. That many indigenes of Ekiti in diaspora made contacts with friends in other places and these friends helped to facilitate our requests. That in this category we shall always remember the assistance offered by Dr. Olusola Saraki, and a Northern Chieftain based in Ibadan, facilitated by Afe Babalola and visited regularly by the Ewi. That there were requests for six new states in the West - Ekiti, Ijebu, Coastal, Ibadan, Oke - Ogun and Oduduwa states. That because we presented our case in the various convincing memoranda, the visits undertaken by groups, the integrity shown by our obas and leaders, who would not sell out, and the fact that Sanni Abacha promised and kept his word, all made possible the declaration of Ekitiland as a separate State in October, 1996.Other places, particularly'Ijebu and Oke - Ogun which have strong personalities with great wealth and influence, and are today doning Ankara (Aso Ebi) and dancing round the Chambers of the National Assembly in an attempt to convince Assembly men of their desire for state, will not be amused by Commissioner Afuye's dismissal of the influence of Sanni Abacha on the creation of new states in Nigeria.As a sub-ethnic group in the Yoruba nation, we are noted for fairness and honesty. We do not claim what is not ours, but we also give to others what belongs to them. That is why we must remain grateful to Sanni Abacha for presiding over a meeting where Ekiti State, and not any of the other five contestants in the Western bloc was approved. No doubt Abacha had his problems in many parts of Nigeria, offended many segments of the Nigerian society and many did not wish him well. But here in Ekiti, we affirm 'history is the authentic records of past events.Fasuan, is the Chairman, Committee for the Creation of Ekiti State.
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