Your Excellency! an exclusion and political partisanship is never the way forward on our shared pathway to freedom and justice in OSIN area of Ilorin East.
We want to draw your attention to the ongoing politics of exclusion being embarked upon by your administration. History will not be kind to us if we refuse to speak, especially at a time like this when conscious discrimination against the OSIN region in terms of political appointments and reaping dividend . As indigenous *Concerned Youths* from OSIN district, we know what exclusion looks like and it’s unexplained pains.
Speaking with a voice and as a body, (OSIN), we unanimously decided to make this an open letter to you in order to set the record straight for meaningful redemption, that is why we resort and take our case to the court of public opinion after all the entreaties made to your office by the elders of the region yielded no fruit nor hope. However, let it be noted that “WE WILL BE REMEMBERED MORE FOR WHAT WE DESTROYED THAN WHAT WE CREATED.” The OSIN people have never been so short-changed like the way your administration has done to our region.
For avoidance of doubt, Ilorin East is catalogue into two districts for administrative conveniences and equitable distribution of political positions. The districts are;
GAMBARI DISTRICT AND OSIN DISTRICT.
You may wish to note that Gambari district comprises of six political wards which includes Aree ward i, Aree ward ii, Gambari ward i, Gambari ward ii Ibagun ward and Zango ward. Osin district also comprises of six political wards which includes Agbeyangi/Gbadamu/Osin ward, Apado ward, Iponrin ward, Marafa/Pepele ward, Maya/Ile-Apa ward and Oke-oyi/Oke-ose/Alalubosa ward.
It is also politically and structurally known that there are three important positions that must go round the two zones in Ilorin East. The positions are: Council chairman, House of Assembly and party chairman respectively.
Considering this standing political sharing formula, when the council chairman goes to a zone, both party chairman and House of Assembly automatically goes to the other zone and vice versa. This is the way we have been operating over the years before your administration took up the mantle of leadership differently. You can make further findings on this claim.
As we speak, Osin zone has only the party chairman, while Gambari zone was blessed with Senator, Council Chairperson, Vice Chairman, House of Assembly seat and a Commissioner nominee. Under this administration Sir, it is safe to say we were totally excluded from your cabinet appointment list and we consider this not to be only marginalization but pure hatred with impunity to the sensibility of our noble region.
Today, our people are requesting for explanation on why nobody is qualified to be given any of the aforementioned positions in Osin area of Ilorin East local government. Of course, it has never been this bad since 1999 and even during the military era, we still have favourable political treatments. How come our people could not even get a slot while some zone get five appointments under the same administration that we all worked tirelessly to bring on board?
In addition, our people felt neglected in term of road projects and applauding developments. The only township road that was done in our region in the last administration was Oke-oyi township road. Apart from this, no any major road has been done or touched and all the roads that leads to our various communities are death-traps with no sense of socio-economic motivation for our peoples. Osin generally have been in darkness over 2years now due to poles and electric faults from Jebba and nothing has been done about it
In a collective thought of judgement, we all view these predicaments of ours as deliberate and an orchestrated attempt to undermine our region in order for us to remain under the perpetual dominance of other zone with growth decimation. If the fact must be fairly established and told, no government has ever shows this high level of discrimination against our people like we are currently witnessing under this present administration which is contrary to our expectations. Indeed, most of us from OSIN region, we are not partisan politicians and some us will not even be a direct beneficiary of any political appointments from your government. However, history will not forgive us if we keep quite at this matter of our right at this time.
It is on a longstanding record that our people equally voted you into power just like other zone did. Some of our people travelled all the way from long destinations mainly to cast their votes for you and other party flag bearers. Our leaders took risks and some of them were even part of the success story of this government today. Our people are known to be committed to progressive politics and not politics of opportunism. Our people remained committed and steadfast throughout many years of being in the opposition. We stood by Your Excellency despite all the challenges that we faced before, during and after the O’toge mantra.
These are known facts Sir and like Nelson Mandela said, “history will continue to punish those who use fraud and forces to suppress the truth and the aspiration of the vulnerable people”. Your Excellency Sir, the remaining sun out there as they say, is enough to get the wet clothes dried.
In conclusion Sir, this piece never aimed at shifting blames or cast aspersions on your person. We are also mindful of the fact that the political narration and structure of Ilorin East LGA might not be so clear to you as a person. Although you might equally be misled by those you think are in best position to guide you right on the custom and traditional rules adopted in sharing political appointments in our local government over the years. We shall appreciate Your Excellency if these irregularities in leadership allocation is addressed without further delay, and put into consideration by not choosing for us but throw it open for us to choose the best that we know will be loyal and serve our interests better in your administration. Thanks for reading.
God bless OSIN District.
God bless Ilorin East Local Government.
God bless our Governor.
God bless Kwara State.
God bless Nigeria
Signed by ✍️ Comr. Muritala Adekola Adekoya the chairman indigenous concerned Youths of Osin
