The Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State has counselled Governor Gboyega Oyetola to ensure fair and equitable distribution of lockdown palliatives among the citizens and residents of the state regardless of their political inclination.
The party in a statement signed by the state Chairman, Hon. Soji Adagunodo on Friday described as crude, unrefined, obsolete, reckless and laughable, the subtle attempts by Oyetola-led administration and the All Progressives Congress in the State to constrict all cash and other palliative materials to be shared to only APC members in the state.
The opposition party asked the Executive Governor to double-check the contents of his oath of office and remind himself of his responsibilities as the Governor of Osun state and not that of Osun APC members only.
Adagunodo appealed to the Governor to pull over and think of his responsibilities to the people of Osun State after becoming the Governor.
He also advised Oyetola not to forget a crucial portion of his oath of office and oath of allegiance which warned him to “be fair to all manners of men” in order to avert the danger of crippling the state irretrievably if they ignore certain sections of the society because of their political beliefs or affiliation, reminding them that these people, naturally, may be forced to wander around wrongly in search of food if ignored by the Governor’s men in the distribution of the palliatives.
Hon. Adagunodo also called on all critical stakeholders and all well meaning Osun leaders who are members of the Palliative Committee that was constituted by the Executive Governor which is headed by Chief Tunde Badmus to make known their positions by protecting their names, ensuring that they justly supervise and see to the equitable distribution of all palliatives accruing to the state in form of money or food items equally to all indigenes of the State irrespective of their diverse political or religious affiliations. Hon. Adagunodo specifically called on the Palliative Distribution Committee members to remind the Governor that as a public servant, he owes the people of the state the duty of care and being accountable to them on all money and materials that accrue to the state and how it is distributed, to whom it is distributed and by this all doubts and fears of perceived injustices would have been laid to rest and the needed peace will not elude us in the state.
Adagunodo said “it is worrisome that Governor Oyetola who has been in the corridors of power for donkey years could have allegedly approved of diverting state resources to spoon-feed his party members at the expense of other suffering tax payers in the state.
While appealing to members of the public who have become justifiably agitated over the barefaced monopoly of State resources by the Governor and his political party members, to remain calm, Adagunodo said he has been appealing to the Governor and his helms men to be cautious and avoid whatever that can create unnecessary crises in the state, he said it is hoped that the governor will make a detour and ensure global standard practices of nondiscrimination and nonpartisanship during natural disasters to prevail.
“The least expected of an administrator at this global pandemic period facing humanity,” the PDP chairman said, “was nothing short of fairness, equity, justice and empathy to all and sundry.”
Adagunodo also advised the governor to remember that all forms of palliatives that may have accrued to the state through donations either from individuals or officially from the Federal or state governments are our common wealth, he insisted that they are not meant to be distributed as APC subvention, rather, they are meant to cushion the biting effects of the compulsory lockdown imposed on all the people of the state by the governor through his executive order, which according to him, has caused untold hardship to all strata of our society.
“Although the PDP sympathises with APC members in Osun as part of the most vulnerable population but the fact remains that being vulnerable has no religious or political demarcation and that does not confer the legitimacy of deliberate diversion of state funds to service the APC party members alone because of their larger number as the poorest of the poor in Osun despite their party being in government for over a decade,” the Chaiman noted.
Specifically, the PDP chairman accused the state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr Yemi Lawal of Cherry picking the APC members as beneficiaries of the N20,000 debit cards being distributed as palliative in the state, saying, such crude audacity of an appointee of the Governor at this trying time is very embarrassing, half thought, unpardonable ill-conceived, rude and fell short of a responsible public servant.
The chairman further informed that it is worrisome that he has been receiving several complaints about the open compilation of APC members across the local governments in the state as the sole beneficiaries of all accrued stipends to be paid to their bank accounts through the covers of the state from another round of palliatives. He said it is regrettable that the Osun APC and the Governor are not sensitive to issues that can ignite breach of peace in the state by allowing such dare devil moves of lawlessness and absurdity to thrive.
Hon. Adagunodo however, appealed to those who have bombarded him with calls, complaining about the daylight assaults on the collective sensibilities of residents of the state that was embarked upon by the governor and the APC government to remain calm and intensify prayers for our governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, the All Progressives Congress and his men to quickly overcome their arrogance in failure and corrupt tendencies, before it is too late for the state.
He especially, enjoined Royal Fathers as core conscience of the State to rise above any fear of sticks that may possibly dangle on their stool and speak the truth to ongoing recklessness the APC government is doing under the very nose of His Excellency, Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
The crude and unacceptable selective approach to governance according to him, is an ill wind capable of blowing nobody any good.
Watch the video: Osun residents cry for help as second lockdown begins
