Traditional rulers in Osun State, under the aegis of the Osun Council of Obas, have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to urgently intervene in the lingering crisis surrounding the non-release of Local Government allocations in the state.
The monarchs, speaking through their Permanent Chairman, the Arole Oduduwa & Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, expressed deep concern that the prolonged withholding of the funds has crippled governance at the grassroots and dealt a heavy blow to both the traditional institution and local communities across the state’s 30 Local Government Areas and the Area Office.
According to the Council, the development has paralyzed essential activities at the local government level, weakened community engagement, and left critical infrastructure such as markets and rural roads in a state of neglect.
“As purely apolitical fathers of the land, we are not interested in the politics, individual differences or whatever could be responsible for the seizure of the allocations,” the Council stated. “Our interest is in a functional society and a vibrant traditional institution that can serve the people, especially the vulnerable, effectively.”
The monarchs lamented that traditional rulers across Nigeria are largely sustained through the five percent statutory deduction from local government allocations, stressing that the continued blockade has made it “almost impossible” for them to meet their responsibilities to their people.
“It baffles us daily to see secretariats that have suddenly become inactive because the funds meant for their smooth running have been withheld for several months,” they noted. “Our markets, community roads, and other responsibilities of the local government are suffering badly, and we cannot pretend not to see these rots.”
Calling on President Tinubu to wade into the matter as a matter of national importance, the Obas emphasized that grassroots dwellers—particularly farmers and villagers—are the hardest hit by the ongoing crisis.
“Either political or judicial, we wish to implore Mr. President that resolving this crisis will benefit Osun State greatly, especially her rural communities, while also reenergizing the traditional institution to continue complementing the Federal Government in delivering the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’,” the Council appealed.
The monarchs further commended President Tinubu’s ongoing efforts toward assigning constitutional roles to traditional rulers, describing it as a bold step toward fostering rural development and enhancing civic engagement. They expressed confidence in his ability to swiftly resolve the crisis and restore normalcy to the grassroots administration in Osun State.