BY JOSHUA DADA, Osogbo
Some elders in Osun State have condemned the wanton destruction and looting of government and privately owned property across the state by hoodlums under the guise of EndSARS protest.
But they extolled the leadership quality displayed by the Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, in managing the incidents in the state, including the attack on him by hoodlums.
The elders, led by a former state Governor and the Pioneer Interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Abdul-Kareem Adebisi Akande, who were on a solidarity visit to the Governor, at the Government House, Osogbo, described the attack as unfortunate, unwarranted and alien to the Omoluabi ethos for which the State was known.
The former governor warned the miscreants and those who have participated in the breakdown of law and order across the state to refrain from such acts.
Other elders on the solidarity visit are former Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole; former Chief of Army Staff and Defence Staff, Gen. Alani Akinrinade and seasoned educationist, Prof. Olu Aina.
Akande acknowledged the Governor for systematically addressing the demands of the protesters in spite of the mayhem unleashed on him and his entourage.
In his remarks, the Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, appreciated the eminent citizens on their solidarity visit, describing it as an encouragement for him to be more dedicated, committed and determined to do things that will continue to bring genuine development to the people and the state.
Oyetola who narrated his ordeal on the attack on him, said “if not for God, I would have been killed by the hoodlums”.
He condemned the attack, which he described as a pre-planned attempt to get rid of him, saying the lesson he learnt from the attack was that there was no security but God.
Governor Oyetola who used the visit to clear the air on how the looted food items warehoused at Cocoa Processing Industry, Ede, were conveyed to the State, said the food items were procured and conveyed to the State by the Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID).
He added that “what we witnessed on Saturday was what I did not think could happen in our state. CACOVID is a private arrangement to support the government in the combat of COVID-19 by making provision for relief materials to cushion the adverse effects of the pandemic.
“It is mandatory that they must complete the delivery and then flag off. The state does not have the prerogative to decide on the distribution.
“And moreover, the most important component of what they wanted to give to the people of the State was not yet delivered — the rice component.
“Moreso, the food items were not procured with the state fund. So, it wasn’t the deliberate efforts of anyone to not distribute the palliatives”, he clarified.
