….Fears the opportunity might slip away from Osogbo
An Osogbo social cultural group known as Oroki Elite Group has berated an attempt by one Alhaji Muniru Raji Adebayo to truncate the rehabilitation of a road within Oja-oba in Osogbo, the State capital.
The road which was said to have been facilitated by the Senate Spokesperson, Senator Ajibola Basiru who represents Osun Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly, was awarded by the federal ministry of Agriculture.
The official flag-off of the road rehabilitation to be performed by senator Basiru was said to have been temporarily distrupted on Monday by the police for an alleged breach of public order act.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday in Osogbo, spokesperson of the group, Dr. Akeem Adetunji said the group would by no means, allow any individual or group to prevent developmental projects from being executed in the town by politician of any political extractions.
According to the group “Osogbo Elders, Indigenes and Residents to rise up to sustain the Market Road Rehabilitation facilitated by Senator Dr Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru (SRJ); it must not be truncated by Alhaji Muniru Adebayo Raji!”
It expressed fears that if the project was eventually prevented to be executed, the opportunity would only be slipped away from Osogbo to any other town in the senatorial district since it has been awarded and the contractor has been mobilized by the ministry.
The group alleged “On Monday 9th of January, the contractor that is to handle the road had mobilised to the site very early when all of a sudden, armed policemen came and sent the contractors away; demanding “approval to do the road”!
“Gentlemen of the Press, people of Osun Central and Osogbo in particular; Approval for a Senator to carry out developmental project in his Constituency!
“The police did not stop at that, they descended on the rentals service provider of the canopies about to be pitched off the road and inside Iso Eran for a brief flag off ceremony and he was whisked away to detention for “breaching of public order act”!
“Senator Ajibola Basiru, APC Leaders in Osun Central and aged market women had to stay in the scorching sun later in the afternoon for the flag off.”
“A Muniru Raji who has always claimed to be apolitical and for the progress of Osogbo is reported to have visited the site immediately after the flag off and told the market women that APC is no longer in power, therefore, its serving Senator cannot rehabilitate the road! After his address, thugs were mobilised and they dismantled the map-lines and survey erections; carting away some light objects for geological analysis in respect of this said road!
“Muniru is reported to have stressed that his party would do the reconstruction in two months! The market women thereafter demanded that they would prefer the construction immediately and there are more kilometres of road that he can as well facilitate if genuinely he means progress.
“Furthermore, the market women retorted that the road be done immediately by whoever is ready, and in this case, SRJ!”
The group concluded that “It is now crystal clear that a man who claims to love Osogbo is the same man throwing clog in the wheel of the town’s progress.”
It however called on the Commissioner of Police, Mr Faleye Sunday Olaleye to ensure adequate provision of security for the contractors and other ad-hoc workers while the construction project lasts.
It also urged the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman, to call the State CP to be alive with the constitutional responsibility of maintaining law and order as well as protecting lives and property of citizenry.
