By Solomon Odeniyi
Indigenes of Ifon-Orolu in Orolu Local
Government of the State of Osun have decried
the alleged continued marginalisation of the people and the community by the state government.
Indigenes of the community had last year, immediately after Governor Adegboyega Oyetola made his cabinet members appointment, lamented that the local government was not well represented in the current administration.
According to the indigenes of the community, Orolu local Government was the only one without a representative at both the executive and legislative arms of governments.
The community, in a press statement issued by the Publicity Secretary of the Ifon-Orolu Progressive Union, Prince Jide Akinyooye alleged the Independent National Electoral Commission of disobeying a Federal High Court ruling ordering it to create an additional constituency to avail them the opportunity of having a representative in the state house of assembly.
Akinyooye alleged the government of leaving out the community in its renovation, comprising rehabilitation of 322 Primary Health Centres across state, claiming that health workers in the PHC have threatened to desert the local government as a result of its poor state of health infrastructure.
He wondered if the community and the residents exist in the mind of Governor Oyetola, despite playing a crucial role in his emergence as the governor of the state.
Akinyooye said: “When there was need for INEC to conduct rerun of the governorship election that eventually produced Oyetola as the duly elected Governor of the State of Osun, the expected results from Orolu Local Government area was one of the major determinant factors on final declaration of the winner because there were three polling units: Ìdí-Iya, Egan-Áaj¹Ì, & Kajola, out of seven polling units in the state, where rerun elections were to be held.
“The question: ‘does Orolu really exist in the mind of Governor Oyetola?’ comes to mind when our people ponder on justification for neglect, failure and refusal of the Oyetola-led administration to repair the only PHC facility the government can boast of in Orolu Local Government, which is currently dilapidated and in total state of disrepair.
“The PHC is short-staffed and not equipped with drugs, beddings, and other necessary items. The PHC under the management of the local government itself needs attention.
“The community leaders concluded that Orolu Local Government is an exposition of total failure by a state government that claims that his major target is provision of qualitative health care delivery.
“The Governor celebrated his 100 days in office with purported rehabilitation of healthcare in all local governments in the state. Definitely, Orolu Local Government was excluded. Why? It is only Governor Oyetola that can answer that.
“The only major physical structure that the State of Osun can boast of is Ifon Comprehensive Health Centre at Ahoro Afin, Ifon-Osun and this was abandoned to the extent that the scanty staff who are working there have been threatening the community that they will all desert their respective offices because of rains.
“The physical injury that is saddening to the people of Orolu Local Government was the effect of recent flood that seriously destroyed buildings and about three or four major bridges in Orolu community.
