A civil society group, The Osun Masterminds, has accused political actors in Osun State of crippling grassroots governance through partisan battles over local government allocations.
Speaking at its monthly State of the State Address in Osogbo, the group said the ongoing dispute between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) was starving councils of resources needed to serve the people.
Executive Director of the group, Prof. Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, urged Governor Ademola Adeleke to convene a roundtable involving political parties, council officials, community leaders and civil society to resolve the crisis.
According to Oyedokun, “This is not about PDP or APC. This is about the survival of grassroots democracy in Osun. Denying local governments their funds is like strangulating the state from below,”.
“On the issue of Local Government Allocation, we note with concern the controversies surrounding their management and disbursement. It’s unfortunate that this matter has generated so much tension among political actors, with each of the political tendencies prioritizing self-aggrandizement over the interests of our people at the grassroots.
“An urgent round-table needs to be convened, bring together representatives of the State Government, Local Government officials, political parties, civil society and community leaders. Such dialogue will help bridge divides and place Osun above partisanship.
“It must be stated that convening a dialogue of this nature will require great that the State Government, under Sen. Ademola Adeleke, stays fiercely committed to peaceful co-existence among political interests. This, while being difficult in light of recent occurrences, may be the only way out of the current impasse.
“We also counsel that all unresolved legal interpretations should be pursued in court rather than political brinkmanship and self-help that has not just over-complicated the situation, but also made a mess of our image as a people”, he stated further.
However, addressing the killing of killing of Mr. Moruf Adebisi near a police station in Osogbo, the group condemned the silence of the state government and slow response from security agencies, while demanding urgent investigation and justice to reassure residents of their safety.
“We condemn this heinous crime in the strongest possible terms and call on the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to intensify investigations and bring the perpetrators to justice. This is not the time for empty assurances, and the Osun people deserve the reassurance that no life will be wasted without accountability. We demand that those behind the killing be brought to book through a transparent and made to bear the full weight of the law.
“We also demand that the Osun State Government prioritizes the quick resolution of this case to reassure residents of the State that the State Government is indeed willing and ready to secure the lives of its citizens. Beyond mere statistics, the nature, location, and manner of Moruf’s killing show that no indigene of the State can consider themselves safe, hence the need for thorough investigations, the group condemned.
On national issues, The group called for intervention by the Federal Government in the face-off between PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery, while reiterating that a fair and lasting resolution was vital to protect workers’ rights and sustain investor confidence in the economy.
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