Ede South Residents Protest as LGs Withhold ₦1bn Allocation for 5 Months

https://blazenewz.com/de-south-lg-allocations-withheld-1bn/

• Tinubu urged to act wisely, shun partisanship to end crisis

Residents of Ede South Local Government Area in Osun State have raised alarm over the non-release of their monthly allocations for the past five months, totaling more than N1 billion.

They accused state authorities of deliberately withholding the funds, a situation they say has crippled community development projects and left workers frustrated.

Blaze Newz gathered that the withheld of the allocations by the federal government which also affected other twenty nine council areas of the state has stalled service delivering and dividends of democracy at the third tier of government.

An Appeal Court sitting in Akure two separate judgements are what the Yes/No and PDP elected officials are laying claims upon as the authentic local government officials.

Meanwhile, BudgIT uploaded on it website report on Ede South Local Government’s withheld five months allocations that has raised to a total of One Billion, Seven Hundred and Ninety-Three Million, Six Hundred and Forty-One Thousand, One Hundred and Fifty-One Naira, Twenty-Four Kobo (N1,793,641,151.24).

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The breakdown as uploaded on BudgIT website revealed, February: 371,011,689.91, March: 361,829,075.44, April: 340,055,207.94, May: 354,192,807.26 and June: 366,552,370.69.

Speaking to Blaze Newz, the
Asiwaju of Ogobi-Ede, Chief Dr Ayodele Adeyemo, said he suspected that the federal government is using the withheld of the local government allocations as a ‘stick and carrot’ to cow the state government who are in opposition political party.

Chief Adeyemo wondered why a President Bola Tinubu led-government who was once victimized with withheld of local government allocations when he was governor of Lagos state could also be using this same method on Osun .

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According to the Asiwaju of Ogobi-Ede, “A similar thing happened to Lagos State while Asiwaju Tinubu was the Governor. President Obasanjo was roundly condemned. I wonder why the same person who was then a victim could now use the same rod.

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“I suspect a mutual deception by the stakeholders. It is much politics rather than legal tussle. It is unfortunate that the Federal Government is deliberately insensitive to the plight of the workers in the local government and the Osun State citizens at large” Chief Adeyemo said.

He, however , urged people of Osun, including residents of Ede city, to renew or obtain voters card, saying a performing government deserves continuity for more dividends and welfare to the people.

An Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ikram Haruna, urged all politicians to fear Allah and stop playing politics with the welfare and security of the citizens.

He reminded them that all power belongs to Allah and whosoever is given the power to lead, he will account for all his actions here after.

Sheikh Haruna called on the President and other stakeholders involved in the withheld of Osun local government allocations to release them now for the sake of the affected ordinary citizens.

A computer center operator who does not want his name mentioned told Blaze Newz that his business was badly affected with the closure of the council secretariat.

“I only come to my shop with little customers patronizing me because I don’t want to sit at home doing nothing” he said.

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He urged the federal government to listen to the plight of Nigeria citizens at the local government level of Osun by ending the crisis of who are the authentic council officials.

A food vendor doing her business in cottage area simply identified as Iya Salami urged President Tinubu to shun partisanship in addressing local government issue of Osun.

Iya Salami said as a true Yoruba man she expects the President to act wisely, listen to traditional rulers in the state by ending the more than five months problem.

“As a true Yoruba man, I expect the president to act wisely, listen to our traditional rulers and find a common ground to end Osun local government crisis.

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“Our president should please shun partisanship in this crisis because we business owners are seriously affected” she pleads.

When contacted, Executive Chairman of the local government, Hon. Lukman Afolabi (Abere Soose) urged all concerned citizens to continue to pray for speedy resolution on the withheld allocations.

He noted that leadership of the Osun chapter of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) is doing everything possible to ensure that operations of local governments in Osun return to normal.

According to Afolabi, “I want to appeal to all concerned citizens in Ede South Local Government to continue to support us with prayer on this issue of withheld allocations.

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“I want you to know that the leadership of ALGON Osun chapter is also working round the clock in ensuring that normalcy return to our local governments in Osun.”