A socio-political group under the umbrella of Oyo Global Forum (OGF) has reiterated that the advertorial recently placed in one of the major newspapers by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III praising Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s six-year stewardship does not represent the popular opinion of the people of Oyo town.
The group, representing worldwide body of the people of Oyo town observed with angst the advertorial, which bears the letterhead and signature of the monarch purports to praise Governor Ajimobi as a high-achieving, “excellent” chief executive in Oyo State.
According to a statement issued and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the group’s General Secretary, Mr. Hassan Adebayo, said, “this unfortunate advertorial is a slap on the face of long-suffering sons and daughters of Oyo federal constituency, who have endured untold hardships arising from misgovernance and mismanagement of the state’s resources under the leadership of Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
“As we speak, road infrastructure projects started by Oyo state government several years ago have been abandoned, public primary and secondary schools are starved of resources and left in derelict states, workers are being owed salaries of more than six months in various cases, and citizens are living in daily fear of their lives and properties.
“Only a few days ago, students at the state-owned Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, frustrated by lack of government attention and incessant closure of the institution, went on a demonstration that turned violent, leading to disproportionate and irresponsible use of live ammunition by the security forces.
“The good people of Oyo will not continue to take the pains of bad governance lying down. The era of “suffering and smiling” has ended; the age of “arise and fight for your rights” has come. Given the extent to which Oyo State is blessed with abundant natural and human resources, the level of poverty and squalor in Oyo federal constituency, in particular, is unwarranted and inexcusable. This is by no means a call to violence, but a call to vigilance, a call to citizens to awake and fight for transparency, accountability and good governance”, the statement continued.
The group, however promised to intensify its efforts to work with, and for, the long suffering constituents.
