Members of the Ode Okun family of Ilepa, Ikare Akoko, Ondo State, have raised the alarm over what they described as troubling actions by the Chairman of Akoko North-East Local Government, Alhaji Olawale Mutiu, popularly known as Babanel, over the execution of a project in their community.
In a strongly worded petition made available to The Pivot, the family appealed to the Olukare of Ikareland to personally intervene by urging the council chairman to listen to the people and allow their son to execute the project properly and transparently.
According to the petition, the chairman allegedly claimed publicly that he had the “full backing” of the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, including the use of armed men, to push through the project. The community described the claim as alarming and intimidating.
The Ode Okun family further alleged that the chairman stated that the Ondo State Government had concluded that “no son of the soil has enough capital to execute the project to taste,” a remark they said undermined indigenous capacity and excluded qualified local stakeholders.
The petition also accused the chairman of promising a portion of community land to an individual identified as Kofo, said to be the elder brother of the owner of KSAB Filling Station. In another instance, a local indigene was allegedly asked to deposit ₦200 million, in addition to supplying full trailers of cement and iron rods, as a condition for land allocation.
The community claimed that despite earlier agreements, the chairman later announced that the project would be awarded to a non-indigenous contractor, allegedly of Igbo origin, against the wishes of the land-owning family and other stakeholders.
“These actions have created deep disappointment and a sense of betrayal,” the petition stated, warning of alleged abuse of office, ethnic bias, possible corruption, and intimidation.
The family called for an impartial investigation into the claims of federal backing, the alleged financial demands, and the role of state officials, while urging that the project be halted pending a transparent review.
Efforts to reach the Akoko North-East Local Government chairman for comments were unsuccessful as of press time.
