Do not Let These Wolves Destroy Osun Through the Backdoor

…Hon Comrade James Onifade sends urgent Plea to Gov. Adeleke

Your Excellency,

I write to you as concerned citizens and stakeholders of Osun State who have witnessed your administration’s commitment to democratic governance and grassroots development. The current impasse regarding local government allocations, arising from ongoing legal battles, threatens to paralyze the very foundation of governance in our state.

The recent Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy, while intended to strengthen grassroots administration, has inadvertently created a constitutional crisis in Osun State.

The withholding of local government allocations pending the resolution of court cases has left our communities without essential services, stalled development projects, and compromised the welfare of local government workers and their families.

The Case for Bridge Financing

Your Excellency, I totally understand that the legal process must run its course. However, governance cannot be held hostage by litigation, no matter how complex or protracted. The people in our local communities farmers, traders, civil servants, students, and the vulnerable cannot wait indefinitely for justice to be served while basic amenities collapse around them.

I therefore urge your administration to explore legitimate financing options to sustain local government operations during this challenging period. This is not about circumventing the law, but about fulfilling the constitutional obligation to provide governance and essential services to our people.

It would be naive to ignore the political undertones of this situation. The timing and nature of these challenges, coming as they do in the lead-up to your re-election campaign, suggest motives that extend beyond legal propriety. The Federal Government’s position on local government allocations appears designed to create administrative paralysis in opposition-controlled states, thereby undermining your achievements and frustrating your development agenda.

However, Your Excellency, this challenge also presents an opportunity to demonstrate leadership, resilience, and unwavering commitment to the people of Osun State. By securing alternative funding to maintain local government operations, you will send a powerful message that the welfare of our people transcends political gamesmanship.

I respectfully suggest the following approaches:
1. Explore commercial borrowing through reputable financial institutions, with local government allocations serving as future repayment collateral once released.
2. Engage development partners and multilateral institutions that support sub-national governance and can provide concessionary financing.
3. Establish a State Emergency Local Government Fund through prudent reallocation of state resources to maintain critical services.
4. Mobilize internal revenue at the local government level through improved tax collection and innovative revenue generation strategies.

A Call to Statesmanship

Your Excellency, history will judge leaders not by the challenges they faced, but by how they responded to those challenges. The people of Osun State elected you to govern, to protect their interests, and to ensure that political machinations at the federal level do not translate into suffering at the grassroots.

I urge you to act decisively and creatively to secure the necessary funding to keep our local governments operational. Let it not be said that governance in Osun State was held ransom by legal technicalities or federal strong-arm tactics while you had the authority and capacity to intervene.

The courts will eventually deliver justice, and when they do, all borrowed funds will be repaid from the released allocations. In the meantime, our people deserve functioning local governments, paid workers, maintained infrastructure, and hope for the future.

Your Excellency, i stand with you in this difficult moment. We recognize the unprecedented nature of these challenges and the political forces arrayed against your administration.

However, i believe that with courage, innovation, and unwavering commitment to the people, you can navigate this crisis and emerge stronger.
The 2026 elections will be decided not by those who seek to frustrate your administration from Abuja, but by the people of Osun State who will evaluate your performance based on your response to adversity. Show them that their governor will move heaven and earth to ensure their welfare is protected.

I await your decisive action on this matter and remain committed to supporting initiatives that advance the interests of Osun State and its people.

E-signed: Hon. Comrade James Onifade
An Advocate for Good Governance and A Better Judicial System