BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
YOUTHS of Odo-Otin South Local Council Development Area of Osun State have attacked the chairperson and parliamentarians of the council for allegedly mismanaging public funds meant for the area.
The council area consists of four communities, namely: Oree, Inisa, Okua and Agbaye. The local council headquarters is in Inisa.
The irate youths had grumbled and protested what they described as underdevelopment and infrastructural deficit in their council since the inception of the administration of the LG chairperson, Bibitayo Folashade Ajala.
They accused Ajala, of the ruling All Progressives Congress, of squandering money meant for the construction of public facilities and infrastructures in the council area.
To this end, in the morning of Monday, October 26, 2020, the angry youths stormed the Local Government Secretariat to call out Ajala to give an account of stewardship and explain to them how she managed the money that accrued to the council.
The Point gathered that the youths did not meet Ajala at the Secretariat. They later gathered that the chairperson, alongside her parliamentarians, had fled their offices and had taken refuge at the palace of the traditional ruler of Inisa town, Olunisa of Inisa, Oba Joseph Oyedele Fasikun II.
Consequently, it was learnt that the young members of the council, mainly from Inisa, invaded the palace and demanded that Ajala and some parliamentarians be brought out by the monarch.
Oba Fasikun reportedly pleaded with the youths not to attack them but the youths insisted that they would see the chairperson and the parliamentarians.
Some youths were said to have vandalised the vehicle belonging to Ajala. While trying to force their way into the room that Ajala was kept, the youths were informed by the monarch that she had slumped.
Ajala was then rushed to a hospital in the town with one of the monarch’s vehicles. This development prevented the youths from venting their anger on her and other council parliamentarians.
Speaking with a prominent traditional Chief in Inisa who dis not want his name mentioned, he explained that Oba Fasikun saved the council officials from being mobbed.
He said, “It was a big crisis for us in Inisa on Monday. The youths protested over infrastructural deficit in the council. They said Ajala and her team did not have anything to show for their stay in office. They stormed Kabiesi’s palace and almost attacked her and parliamentarians but for the timely intervention of our monarch who prevailed on them to dialogue with the council leaders.
“They had almost gained entry into the room she and others were kept before they were informed that she fainted. She was immediately rushed to the hospital. But the youths vandalised her car and insisted she must give her account of stewardship.”
