Subsidy palliative: Wickedness of the past and kindness of the present

The huge gap between the immediate past Mr Oyetola APC administration and the incumbent Gov. Adeleke PDP administration in Osun State is now clearly shown to Osun citizenry. 

In the last two weeks of public talks on the distribution and receipt of fuel subsidy removal palliatives (rice, maize, etc) from the Federal Government, many people of Osun State have been saying their views about the handling of the subsidy palliatives by the state government. So, I come up with this short piece to nail the opposition APC agents that destructively fault the uncommon transparent handling of the subsidy palliatives by the state government on social media. 

Many of us vividly witnessed the self-centered and poor manner that ex Governor Adegboyega Oyetola APC administration handled the distribution of COVID-19 palliatives in 2020 when Coronavirus pandemic wanted to filch the world.

There was no distribution of relief palliatives to citizens at all.

As a matter of fact, the state government under Oyetola APC regime hoarded packs of indomies, bags of rice, and garri from the reach of the citizens. We witnessed how angry citizens forced their way to many warehouses in the state to cart away hoarded packs of spaghetti, indomies and rice during EndSars protest in the late year 2020. At a point, in protest to the wickedness of the Oyetola APC administration on the hoarded COVID relief palliatives, angry youths attacked the ex Governor in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State where two innocent youths were unkindly killed by the ex Governor's security retinue and many got tear-gassed and wounded in the struggle to get their relief palliatives. 

Now, in show of the "far better" nature of Gov. Ademola Adeleke PDP leadership of the state to that of the electorally defeated leadership of ex Governor Adegboyega Oyetola APC, the state government under Gov. Ademola Adeleke has constituted a very hard to be influenced committee on the distribution of subsidy removal palliatives to map out a distribution template and to handle and monitor the process of distribution to residents of the state. This move by the state government represents impressive and uncommon transparency in the running of activities of government. This rare move, to my knowledge, happens to be first of its kind in the history of the state. 

Likewise, the membership of the committee cuts across various interest groups, from Muslim community to Christian community to Labour community to Student community, etc which makes side political influence on the committee seems impossible. All stakeholders in the state seem to have been duly represented in the committee. 

In affirmation of Adeleke administration's commitment to ensuring transparent distribution of the palliatives, the state's Information Commissioner, Mr Kolapo Alimi published the break down and details of the subsidy palliatives, the amount of the already received bags of rice from the Federal Government was announced (3,000 bags of rice). Also, the amount of bags of rice still coming was declared (14, 000 bags of rice), and so on. The delegation of the committee in charge of the palliatives confirmed the analysis of the state government to be true after their personal inspection. 

The analyses of opposition APC agents on social media about the receipt from FG and distribution of the subsidy palliatives are far from the truth and will not sell because Osun people have finally seen, after comparing, the huge gap between the previous electorally defeated Mr Oyetola APC administration and the newly enthroned performing Gov. Adeleke PDP administration.  

Cephas Ajayi, alias Abàmì Ẹ̀dá, writes from Oba-nla Compound, Oke-ola, Gbongan.

26th August, 2023