Adeleke accuses FG of withholding Osun’s LG funds for political reasons

Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun, has accused the federal government of marginalising his administration for political reasons.

Osun and the FG have been embroiled in an ongoing dispute over the allocation and control of the local government funds.

The conflict centres on the federal government’s alleged withholding of funds meant for Osun LGAs, which the state says has significantly affected their operations and service delivery.

Represented by Kola Adeusi, his deputy, at the two-day southwest summit on democracy and federalism in Ondo, Adeleke alleged that federal power is being used to undermine his government because it belongs to a different party from the ruling party at the centre.

The governor described Osun as a “case study in how not to treat a sub-national entity in a democratic setting”.

He lamented the “wilful breach of the constitution” and the “politicisation of federal power” against Osun, saying the state has been denied its rightful entitlements despite efforts to engage constructively with the federal government.

“There is an ongoing wilful breach of the constitution to deprive a sub-national entity of its due rights simply because it does not belong to the same party with the ruling party at the centre,” Adeleke said.

Since assuming office in 2022, Adeleke said his administration has maintained open communication with federal ministries and agencies, ensuring prompt responses to federal correspondences, participation in national programmes, and hosting of federal events.

However, he alleged that partisan interests have overshadowed cooperation, with federal projects and initiatives being routed through party structures rather than the Osun state government machinery.

He also accused political figures at the centre of frustrating efforts to reconstruct federal roads and revive abandoned federal projects in the state.

Adeleke accused federal security agencies of shielding ruling party members even when they break the law, alleging that some party officials boast of using security forces to intimidate state officials and hijack political structures.

He also claimed that LGA funds were seized earlier this year without court orders and that elected officials were prevented from taking office.

“In Osun today, federal party officials boast of powers to deploy security apparatus to witch-hunt state officials,” Adeleke said.

“Worst still, they have security cover when making such provocative declarations.”

Despite these challenges, Adeleke said Osun has improved in education, health, debt management, and infrastructure.

He said the state leads the south-west in access to primary healthcare, reduced its debt by over 40 percent, and rose from 33rd to seventh in national examination rankings.

On regional development, Adeleke urged south-west leaders to rise above partisan politics and prioritise collective progress.

He called for the creation of a South-West Circular Cargo railway, establishment of dry ports, and strengthening of Amotekun as a regional security network.

“The south-west must elevate power applications beyond partisan considerations. We must never deploy federal power against ourselves no matter our political differences,” he said.