Violence: Adeleke should call his allies to order – Osun Mastermind

A Civil Society Organization, the Osun Masterminds has called on the newly sworn in Osun state Governor to call his allies to order and stop promoting violence in the state.

This is in reaction to the Monday morning indiscriminate attack on different motor parks across the town by hoodlums.

It was gathered that the attacks were launched simultaneously around 8am at Oke-Baale, Old-Garage, Ilesa Garage and Aregbe Garage, attacking members of transport unions at the parks.

In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, the group call on the Governor, through the appropriate channels of his office, to immediately call these elements to order and if unable to so do, work with security agents to immediately bring the perpetrators to justice.

The group also condemned the government for its silence over the attack since the early hours of the day, silence could mean that it has a hand in the attacks.

Read Full Statement Below

TEXT OF A PRESS RELEASE BY THE OSUN MASTERMINDS CONDEMNING THE NURTW LEADERSHIP CRISIS THAT ERUPTED IN OSOGBO ON MONDAY, 28TH NOVEMBER 2022

Gentlemen of the Press,

Our attention has been drawn to the unfortunate string of events going on in Osogbo metropolis and which commenced in the early hours of Monday, 28th November 2022.

Per our findings, we have discovered that the crisis going on in the town, is connected to the resolve of certain elements close to the new Executive Governor of Osun State, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, to forcefully take over the motor parks in the town and establish their own leadership on the State Arm of the NURTW.

We have it on good authority that their actions have the backing of certain powerful elements within the political structure of the Governor and they have also procured the backing of some elements within the State’s security architecture.

We do understand that every new government desires to assert its own style and personality of leadership, but we dare say that such assertion need not come with violence or any threat to the lives of the people within the society, whose security is supposed to be guaranteed by Government and her agents.

This style of forceful, violent takeover of the NURTW infrastructure led by one Nurudeen Alowonle, is unnecessary, barbaric and projects a bad image of the Sen. Ademola Adeleke government, which is just in its first day in power.

The silence on the part of the new government also leads us to believe that it has a thing or two to do with the current conduct of the persons leading these actions that have become serious threats to public peace. A responsive government that has no hands in attempts by non-State actors to throw the society into chaos, would by now have issued strongly worded statements condemning the act and would have swung into action to call the perpetrators to book and bring them to justice.

We are bothered, that these elements are being allowed to go about unchecked. We are bothered that our otherwise peaceful society is being thrown into chaos on the first day of a new government. We are bothered about the foundation that all of these will form.

We call on the Governor, through the appropriate channels of his office, to immediately call these elements to order and if unable to so do, work with security agents to immediately bring the perpetrators to justice. Then, the Governor must immediately call his allies to order, to stop promoting violence in the name of wanting to consolidate the Governor’s control of power.

We reiterate that Osun is a peaceful State and must be allowed to function as such under this government. The government must also ensure that it delivers its promises of development in an atmosphere where people can function without risks to their lives and properties.

Thank you.

Dr. Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli
Executive Director, The Osun Masterminds