On or about the 28th of November last year, and immediately you were elected the Governor of our State, I sent a congratulatory letter to you and also wished you a successful tenure. In that same message, I highlighted on behalf of Orolu sons and daughters in diaspora, whose Chairperson I am, some of the major plights of our people and our desire to see these addressed under your leadership. That letter was an advance notice from our people, and in anticipation of the belief that fairness and equity would be the hallmark of your government and tenure.
Sir, please allow me to reiterate and even copy directly from that letter. The same issues I raised then have now become a reality and a major source of unhappiness in our community back home. Over the past few days, I have been briefed and called upon to add my voice to the numerous chorus of discontent within the Orolu community. I would therefore plead with you to carefully read through the copied part of that letter, and in the hope that you would urgently look at ways to correct the anomalies and bring some happiness to the hearts of the Orolu people both home and abroad. Below are just two of the four points I raised in that letter to your Excellency:
• Orolu people of Ifon-Osun have been marginalize by successive governments of Osun State under the (now) opposition party (APC), for the past twelve years. This is due largely to our loyalty and support for the PDP. As a result, we have been denied most of what would naturally have come to our community as dividends of political loyalty to the government in power. Despite this, Orolu people have remained calm and unflinchingly loyal to the PDP in the belief that, the time would come when their loyalty would be rewarded. We are therefore glad that a PDP government has eventually emerged and hopefully, our people would no longer be treated as a pariah community within Osun State.
• Despite their dedication and loyalty, Orolu people have never been considered for any executive cabinet appointment in Osun State government over the past twelve years. It is probably the only local government whose people have no real representation in the cabinet of Osun State for this long. This is very sad and almost incomprehensible to the people of Ifon-Osun. Needless to say, we have worthy and ably qualified people, both home and abroad, whose skills, qualifications, expertise, and experience will make significant contributions to the State government at Cabinet level. But sadly, we have never been given any opportunity to present any of our people, nor have we been allowed to contribute our fair share of the high level of human and professional resources that we have in abundance.
The Circulated List of your Appointees for Commissioners:
Our attention has been drawn to the above list and the notable absence of anyone from Orolu community on the list. My initial personal reaction was that the list was fake. But as days go bye, I am convinced that it was not fake: we have simple been treated the same way we always have been. This leaves me asking on behalf of our people, what have we done wrong? Only your Excellency can help answer this question, and we do need an answer, Sir.
Our Immediate Request:
We, Orolu People in diaspora, on behalf of all our people back home, we would like to seek your personal intervention to redress the above issues. Our people deserve a better treatment, especially now that the party that they have ardently supported over the years is in government. As the Yoruba adage goes, “Bi a ba tori igi gba odi, a su ina fun ni ya”. We believe that we deserve better recognition and treatment, and we are confident that we will not be disappointed by your Excellency and your government. As of now, nothing seems to justify this implied confidence unless you kindly review and revisit the matter urgently. Let me put it in capital letters: OROLU PEOPLE DESERVE TO HAVE A COMMISSIONER IN THE ADELEKE GOVERNMENT.
Of major and immediate need for resolution is our yearning for at least one of our people to be appointed as an Executive Commissioner in your government. This will give us further assurance that your government will be fair to us and that we will receive the dividends of being loyal PDP supporters over the years. It is also in allocating us a cabinet position in your government that our people can continue to stubbornly rededicate themselves and reenergize their commitment to their much-loved political party, the PDP, and to the State Government under your leadership as the State Governor. We are therefore full of hope, even now at the eleventh hour, when all hope seems to be lost.
Your kind response to this correspondence will be shared with all members of Orolu People in the Diaspora, and with the Ifon Osun Progressive Union, representing the Orolu people at home. We will also share your response with the Traditional High Chiefs and the Olufon Royal Family, all of who support our request and have mandated me to write this letter to your Excellency on behalf of our community. By doing so, we are, in effect, sharing your response to the entire Ifon Orolu community, home and abroad. This will not only create a higher level of awareness, but it will also generate proper grassroots support and goodwill towards your government from our people. I am confident that the anticipation and high expectation of our people will not be disappointed by your good self.
Kindly send your reply to this correspondence to me at the community address below:
Professor James Oladejo
c/High Chief Babatunde Oyetunji
Olufon Regent & Eesa of Ifon Orolu
Eesa’s Lodge, Eesa’s Compound
IFON-OSUN
Professor James Ademola Oladejo
Chairperson, Orolu People in the Diaspora
Perth, Australia
