A group, identified as The Osun Masterminds, has condemned the killings of two residents of Osun State during the delegates congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, AMILOADED reports.
Two persons were confirmed dead in the state on Wednesday after the PDP delegates’ congress to choose those that will participate in the March 7 governorship primary election across the 332 wards in the state were disrupted by some armed thugs.
Confirming the incident, Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, said two persons were killed while some members of the PDP were injured.
The PDP has since denied involvement in the killing and appealed to the Osun State Police Command to “do a thorough investigation on the unfortunate death of a young man in Iwo yesterday”.
However, the Director of The Osun Masterminds, Dr. Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, while speaking at a briefing on Saturday, said the affairs within the PDP must henceforth be managed such that they do not constitute security threats to members of the public.
The group said: “We had followed the trajectory of events within the two major political parties in the State, that is the APC and PDP, before we delivered the January edition of our State of the State address. We had noted with concern, how clashes of interest had set both parties on the path to violent clashes as they both approached their Gubernatorial primaries.
“We note with relief, the fact that the APC was eventually able to execute its primary election without reports of any loss of life. However, the war of words still ongoing in the party calls for concern, as it has the tendency to turn violent.
“The PDP on the other hand, has gone beyond mere war of words and the internal ramblings within the party already registered a number of human casualties. More than two persons were reported killed during the recently conducted ad-hoc delegate congress of the PDP. If a supposedly routine internal party affair could turn bloody, one needs not imagine the sort of calamity that lie ahead when the PDP holds its gubernatorial primary election.
“We say unequivocally to the PDP, that affairs within their party must henceforth be managed such that they do not constitute security threats to members of the public. Innocent citizens of the State must never be subjected to fear because of the actions of a power-hungry few. Our people must never face any sort of risk to their lives and properties because a single political party could not discipline its members and run its affairs in a peaceful, rancour-free manner.
“If the PDP wants to be seen as a reasonable opposition party, it must stop acting in manners that will make the State’s people think of it as a party that thrives on violence and needless bloodletting.”
The Osun Masterminds, while speaking on the Olaiya flyover constructed by the state government, said, “We recall that at the time the Osun State Government commenced the construction of the Olaiya iconic flyover bridge, it promised that construction was going to be completed in 9 months from the date of flag-off. That duration expired in November of 2021 and the government had since appealed to the public to give it more time to do all due diligence on the project.
“Almost four months after, the project having been completed to the delight of the people of the State, is still not open to traffic. For whatever reason known to government but unknown to the public who suffers the consequence of road diversions, the flyover bridge has remained closed to traffic, forcing road users to continue experiencing the hardship of road diversion through routes that are barely motorable.
“We also recall that almost a month ago, the Governor while inspecting the project, directed that it be open to traffic before the end of the month of February. There are only two days left in February and the flyover is still closed to traffic.
“We are using this medium to appeal to the Osun State Ministry of Works and Transport and the Osun State Government to as a matter of urgency, open the Olaiya flyover bridge to traffic. Diversion through the MDS – Ebenezer Hotel and the Gbodofon – Aregbe routes have become really uncomfortable for motorists. We urge the State government to immediately open the flyover to traffic, even if not completely, to ease the discomfort presently being experienced on the alternate routes.
“We also want to state that once traffic flow is returned to the Olaiya route, government must immediately rehabilitate the routes presently being used as alternate routes. The present discomfort exposes the fact that Osogbo does not have many functional alternate routes if for any event or happening, government has to shut the main route that runs through the town.”
Speaking on insecurity in Osun State, the group stated, In recent times, the media space has been awash with news of violent clashes between rival cult groups in Ede, leading to the death of about five persons. We have also received reports of armed robbery incidences in Ile-Ife leading to the declaration of curfew.
“Over the years, there has been a persistent issue of land grabbing in Osogbo that is now spreading into other towns and even villages within the State. These daredevil land grabbers and Omo Onile are known to forcefully take over people’s landed properties or in the milder case, demand payment of certain amounts of money from land owners, failing which they will not be allowed to work on their construction projects.
“The Omo Onile menace has spread into other towns in the State, to the extent that recently, the Ogiyan of Ejigbo land had to make a passionate appeal to government to help curb the menace in his town.
“All of these security threats are threatening the peaceful living of Osun people and stunting the growth and development of the State. While we understand that the Omo Onile menace predates the present administration, remembering that the former Governor had almost instituted the menace under the “State Boys” appellation, the State Government has to act now to find a permanent solution to the problem.
“While working on security policies that will end land grabbing and Omo Onile problems in the State, government must also build better synergy with security agencies to end the increasing incidences of armed robbery and violent cult clashes. The people of Osun State should not have to live in fear in their own communities.
The Osun Masterminds, therefore, called “on members of the various political parties in the State, to as a matter of importance, thoroughly scrutinize persons who are aspiring for the Governorship seat within their parties, to ensure that they are capable of delivering quality leadership. Ensuring that the candidates in all of the political parties are seasoned is the first step towards placing Osun on the path of honour in the comity of States.
“We never should have a situation where Osun is made the butt of jokes in political discussions in the country. We never should have a situation where clowns, jesters and greedy hangers-on are allowed to lay hands on party tickets, thereby ridiculing Osun as being a State lacking in quality human resource.
“Governance, especially in a State like Osun, is beyond the theatrics of archaic politicking that is limited to singing and dancing. Governance in a State like ours should now be about a debate of ideas and the pitching of plans and programmes to the electorate.
“We also must note that the era of rice and beans politics should rightly be over and must not be re-entrenched. Candidates must be considered on the strength of their mental and leadership capacities, and not by the amounts of bags of rice that they have distributed. Leadership in the 21st century is now about wholesome sustainable development and not petty socialism.
“Our appeal is to members and leaders of the political parties participating in the Osun Governorship election to ensure that the candidates to be presented to the people are not carrying any mental limitations or moral burdens that may put Osun in bad light.
“We know of aspirants carrying such embarrassing burden of forgery cases; we know of aspirants that members of the public are suspecting to be incapable of mental coordination and so on. We think Osun deserves quality leaders, being a State people by quality men and women. When the people have a lot of quality options to choose from, getting quality leadership will be far easier and more realizable.”
One can categorically state that The Osun Masterminds are paid agent, we need neutral and independent group and organizations with genieu intention to speak on behalf of the good people of Osun. It is God that will choose for us not your own thinking for He knows better than we do.
Ademola Adeleke is the God choosen incoming governor of Osun State.