Oba Ismail Alebiosu, the newly crowned Olupo of Ajase-Ipo town in Kwara, has appealed to the Federal Government to establish its presence in the ancient city.

The newly installed king made the appeal when the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, paid him a congratulatory visit in Ajase-Ipo.

The minister visited the King at the residence of Baale of Ajase-Ipo, Chief Yahaya Yusuf, where the traditional ruler is undergoing a mandatory 14-day tutelage and cleansing before his formal coronation and relocation to the palace.

“On behalf of the community, I want to appeal through your office for Federal Government presence in the town

“It is a known fact that Ajase-Ipo is a very ancient town in the history of Kwara as a whole, but we have not been too lucky to feel the presence of the Federal Government in the town.

“I want to trust and believe in God that having a son of your calibre in the Federal Executive Council, we are going to feel the presence of the Federal Government in this community,’’ the king said.

”We want to appeal through your office to the Federal Government for youth empowerment because insecurity across the country is largely due to lack of employment.

“We know that the Federal Government is doing a lot in this area but we want to appeal that it should do more and come to our aid.

“We have very young and energetic youths, who are ready to work, if given the opportunity,’’ he said.

The traditional ruler also appealed for assistance from the government in the construction and rehabilitation of roads linking the community to other towns.

Earlier, the minister said he was in the town to pay homage to the king and congratulate him and the people of Ajase-Ipo on his installation.

“We are happy because there was no controversy over kingship succession like we do witness in many communities.

“We pray that your reign shall be peaceful and benefit the people,’’ he said.

The minister was received by members of the traditional council of the town alongside the new king.

It would be recalled that the Kwara State Government presented a letter of appointment to the new Olupo in June

Ismail is from the Alebiosu ruling house and was born on February 11, 1980.

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A law graduate from the University of Ilorin and a member of the United Kingdom Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Ismail succeeds Sikiru Atanda, who died in February after a brief illness.

Ismail was, until his appointment, the managing partner and Head of Chambers, Clarke (SAN) and Muhammed Legal Office, owned by Robert Clarke (SAN) of the foremost legal practitioners in the country,