Osun at 25: Why Osun is gasping for breathing under Aregbesola—Civil Society

As Osun people are marking the 25th anniversary of the creation of the
state, the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation for Osun
State (CSCEOS) has stated that the state is gasping for breathing
under the present administration of Mr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola due to
the mismanagement of its resources.

The group lamented that the State under Aregbesola has been a
reference point of bad governance, saying CSCEOS is dedicating 25th
birthday to the courageous and incorruptible judge of the State High
Court, Justice Olamide Folahanmi Oloyede who sacrificed her comfort of
office to give her voice to the millions of poor masses of the state
in the face of tyranny.

Besides, the group saluted the courage and endurance of the good
people, especially, the workers and retirees alike, of the State for
their perseverance on the present situation of the State while noting
that that the governor has displayed the highest naked of impunity
since he assumed office in November 27th, 2010 through the Court of
Appeal Division sitting in Ibadan.

In the civil society’s anniversary message issued on Friday and signed
by its Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi,Alimi Sulaiman, it stated that the
anniversary period call for sober reflection due to the present state
of the affairs of “our dear State under the watch of Aregbesola who
put the State into economic quagmire that made the once prosperous
state not to be able to perform its social obligation to her citizens
again”.

The group described the present administration in the State as a
monumental tragedy that happened to the State in the last 25 years,
due to the capital flight of the state resources to the Lagos State,
alleging that the governor has put the State into a debt regime under
the guise of putting infrastructures in place which the larger
percentage of the resources for the projects were siphoned into the
private purse of Aregbesola and his cronies.

It equally noted that the State government has subverted the real
essence of democratic values, particularly, in the area of human
development and good governance, insisting that Aregbesola‘s
government was the most secret administration ever adorned the shore
of the State since its creation in 1991.

According to the message, “The truth should be told to those who are
still living their lives in the comfort of lies. The 25th anniversary
celebration of Osun State today, under Aregbesola called for sober
reflection because the State is at low point of history by gasping for
breathing to survival in all ramifications. All policies of the State
government have somersaulted.

They used all the loan -attached projects embarked upon in the State
to catapult the meager resources of the State to satisfy their
godfather in Lagos State.

“Our heart grieves for the present situation of the prosperous State
under Mr. Rauf Aregbesola’s government .The sky is dark and bleak. We
salute the courage and perseverance of the good people of the State on
the present state of the affairs of the State as we are celebrating
the 25th anniversary of the creation of the State”, the statement
reads.

Aregbesola has single- handedly mismanaged Osun State Funds and empty
the state’s treasury under guise of putting infrastructure in place.

Signed:
COMRADE ADENIYI, ALIMI SULAIMAN