Palliative distribution: Osun govt releases names of C’ttee, insists on transparent, accountability

Blessing Akorowosi, Osogbo

The administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has been berated for not having separate palliative programmes like other states to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal in spite of the money accrued to the state for such purpose.

The Osun Civil Societies Coalition (OCSC) described the current administration in the state as directionless and unorganised in addressing issues that are of importance to the welfare of the people.

OCSC, in a release signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Comrade Waheed Lawal and Emmanuel Olowu, respectively, stated that the state government has not shown empathy and responsive governance for the residents of the state, especially the civil servants who deserved a structure palliative measure.

The statement reads in part: “While other states are showing empathy to their people and coming up with initiatives that shows the leadership thinks and plans for them, Osun state has gone into a deep sleep by having no serious plan for the people at a critical time like this in the history of the Nation.

“While state like Kano cuts down the school fees of state owned institutions by 50% and other states are either providing buses or cutting down the days of work in their states, Osun is doing nothing other than depending on what is to come from the federal government.

“This is grossly a sign of lack of plan or the state leadership does not care about the people by failing to make provision from the purse of the state for her people.

“While we don’t want to join issues with government on what was received or was not received from the federal government, a peep into the schedule of distribution of palliative received from the federal government calls for a lot of questioning.

“First, we demand that the state government make public the names of members of the distribution committee and not just the organisations they represent. We also demand to know what structure the distribution will take at the local government level since the state has decided to channel distribution through the local governments. We are afraid the palliatives will end in the coffers of politicians, thereby denying those that actually deserves it.

“Of the distribution plan is the mention of identified 12 groups. We demand to know the names of these 12 groups and how they were arrived at as channels for distribution of the palliative.

“On our part, we make bold to say that the civil societies coalition is in no way involved in the distribution plan and no member of ours is in any committee, except the government chose to drop names representing the coalition and such being unknown to us.

“We charge and demand from the government, a robust distribution of tangible things from the government of the state and not just the rice made available by the federal government.

“Osun state government should take a cue from other states and stop insulting our people by the back and forth on the issue of the palliative.”