Ondo Residency card: Court fixes hearing for Tuesday

An Ondo State High Court has fixed Tuesday for the hearing of a suit by an Akure lawyer, Morakinyo Ogele, challenging the government on the compulsory collection of residency cards (Kaadi Igbe-Ayo).

The state has mandated residents to have the residency card before accessing any government facilities.

The government, Governor Olusegun Mimiko and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice were joined as defendants.

The lawyer is urging the court to declare as unconstitutional the demand for residency card by the government from residents before having access to government utilities, infrastructures and amenities.

The suit reads: “A declaration that the demand for residency card (Kadi Igbeayo) by the respondents from all residents before having access to government utilities, infrastructures and amenities to Wit: Primary schools, secondary schools, secondary schools, state polythenic, state Universities, hospitals and maternities is unconstitutional, null and void, crude, unprogressive and retrogressive and contrary to Section 18 (1) 42 (1) of the 1999 Constitution.

“A perpetual injunction restraining the first and second respondents from demanding residency cards Igbeayo from residents before having access to public utilities and amenities and all category of hospitals maternities and schools.

“That the introduction of this card met with sundry of criticism from all residents of the state as they viewed this oppressive retrogressive and crude.”