Concerned Saki Indigenes have petitioned Oyo State Executive Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, to investigate the disappearance of the Saki Migatory elephant, whose strange death and whereabouts remain unknown.
The group, in her petition to the Governor, alleged that the University of Ibadan team and Saki West Local Government chairman’s involvement in the evacuation of the elephant was illegal and had some element of hidden agenda in such an act.
In her statement, the group said the local government and University of Ibadan went ahead to carry out the exercise without approval from the ministry of agriculture.
“Sir, on the 9th February, 2022 the Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture headed by Honourable Niyi Adebisi sent a letter to the chairman, Saki West Local Government instructing the latter to take charge of the animal and should, on no account release it to any person or institution while the Ministry was working round the clock to take the appropriate steps.”
“As part of the efforts, an inter-ministerial meeting was proposed involving the Ministries of Agriculture, Justice, Local Government Matters and Environment with an agendum of how to handle the animal matters without violating any laws and constituting threat to life and property.”
Unfortunately, however, the meeting could not hold because the elephant was mischievously evacuated before the meeting date. The group said.
The petition outlines the activities of other organizations that were interested in taking the custody of elephant before the chairman and UI team went ahead to illegally evacuate it.
“while the news on the animal was going round , the Forestry and Research Institute sent a letter to the Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture seeking the custody of the animal on a deal, but the Ministry did not yield.”
” Then, University of Ibadan wrote a letter to the Ministry of Agriculture seeking the evacuation and custody of the animal, but the Ministry declined. The University would not budge still as they came down to negotiate with the Okere of Sàkì, Oba Surveyor Khalid Olabisi on how they could have the custody of the animal.
“We have reliable information that the University offered the king a sum of #13,000,000, but the Oba rejected the offer and told the University he wields no such power. Committed to their selfish interest and hidden agenda, the University did not rest. They contacted Saki West Chairman, Engineer Sarafadeen Omirinde presenting to him the same request of having the custody of the strayed elephant on a deal.”
“The chairman agreed with the University to the disregard for the earlier instruction of the Ministry of Agriculture. He then conspired with the Ministry of Environment to get a predetermined permission from the same Ministry.”
Efforts to reach Saki West Local Government chairman still proved abortive as the chairman did not pick calls.
