By John Dike, Osogbo
Osun State Council of Obas, led by the Arole Oduduwa and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene in the ongoing impasse surrounding the withholding of Local Government allocations in Osun State.
In a statement issued on behalf of traditional rulers statewie, the royal fathers expressed grave concern over the devastating impact the financial freeze is having on grassroots governance, community development, and the traditional institution.
The Council said, “We are not concerned about the politics or legal battles that may be responsible for the delay.
“As traditional leaders and fathers of the land, our priority is the wellbeing of our people and the effective functioning of local governance structures.”
According to the Council, the prolonged non-payment of Local Government funds has crippled operations at council secretariats, stalled development projects, and undermined the effectiveness of the traditional institution, which largely depends on the constitutionally mandated five percent allocation from LG funds.
“It baffles us daily to see secretariats become inactive because the funds meant for their smooth operation have been withheld for months — over issues that have nothing to do with the common people now suffering the consequences,” the monarch lamented.
Markets, local roads, and other community-focused services are deteriorating, the Council noted, adding that traditional rulers, as the closest authority to the people, are left powerless to respond to the growing needs of their communities.
“Without the regular allocations, our ability to serve our communities is severely hampered. We cannot pretend not to see the hardship,” the statement added.
Appealing directly to President Tinubu, the Ooni urged the Federal Government to break the deadlock — whether political or judicial — for the sake of rural dwellers and the stability of the traditional institution.
“We implore Mr. President, as the father of the nation, to hear the cries of ordinary citizens across our farmlands and villages who are bearing the brunt of this breakdown in local government administration,” he said.
The Council expressed confidence in President Tinubu’s leadership and his ongoing push to constitutionally empower traditional rulers, noting that resolving the crisis aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government.
“We believe in President Tinubu’s ability to restore normalcy and ensure that the traditional institution is fully able to complement the federal government in delivering democratic dividends at the grassroots,” the Ooni said..-
