By Sarafa Ibrahim
If you are ever in doubt that the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is an abode of unequalled wickedness, a recent statement that mocked the situation of pensioners in the state should clear your doubt. Typical of him, Kola Olabisi threw caution to the wind by irresponsibly picturing senior citizens in the state as those incapable of making decisions on their own as he ridiculously asserted that they are being goaded to protest against the wicked collaboration between the Osun APC and the United Bank of Africa to deny them of their due entitlement from the funds that accrued to local governments in the state.
To start with, protest is a legitimate right guaranteed by Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and as such, it is illogical for Kola Olabisi to brand the exercise of such rights by Osun pensioners, assuming they are actually planning to picket UBA branches, as a ‘criminal act’. It highlights the lack of regard for the laws and constitutionality, which the Osun APC continues to flagrantly violate in Osun local government matters.
It is public knowledge that the Osun APC has no legal claim, whatsoever, to the Osun local governments, but maintains its illegal insertion, not just to the secretariat, but public funds, basically on the strength of the abuse of federal institutions and the Police. Aside the fact that no court ordered the reinstatement of the court-sacked YES or NO officials, there exists valid decisions of the Federal High Court in Osogbo delivered on November 30, 2022 and two separate decisions of the Court of Appeal delivered on January 13, 2025 and June 13, 2025, which invalidated their election and affirmed the February 22, 2025 local governments election.
Notwithstanding this fact, the Osun APC continues to impose itself on the councils and in contravention of the laws, draws funds that should serve the people, including the pensioners. It’s quite disturbing that the Osun APC could be this unreasonable and crude, particularly to senior citizens who gave most parts of their lives to the service of the state, by ignoring their welfare, which forms a part of the allocation that accrued to the local governments.
Perhaps it is important to emphasise that local governments’ allocation does not belong to the APC politicians, but the Osun people, especially primary school teachers, healthcare workers, local government workers and pensioners. This is what makes the position of the Osun APC absurd, because it is illogical to expect people affected by its illegal posturing to do nothing about their plights.
A few days ago, an audio recording of an outburst by a concerned pensioner, Alhaji Ayinde Toyin went viral, highlighting the unfortunate conditions that the Osun APC’s lawless acts on the local governments’ fund had imposed on pensioners across the state. What is very clear from the Osun APC actions in the last year, and what Kola Olabisi conveyed in the recent statement, is that the party detest pensioners and deliberate in denying them their due entitlements.
Contrary to the misreading of the July 11 Supreme Court judgement that Kola Olabisi usually hinged the illegal actions of the Osun APC on, the provisions of Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) are unimpeached. In Lagos State which is under the APC, the State Assembly recently began the process of auditing the accounts of the LGs and LCDAs in line with the law and a similar thing is underway in the Federal Capital Territory, where the House of Representatives is scrutinising the financial books of the councils there.
The truth, which is well known to everyone is that, the Osun APC is acting illegally and whether now or in the future, the violation of the laws guiding councils’ operations in Osun state will not go unanswered by political actors and the UBA. Because the law guiding the finances of the LGs is very clear and even logical, there is nowhere in the whole world where politicians are signatories to public accounts as the UBA allowed in the case of Osun state.
President Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s President is not a signatory to public accounts just as no Governor signs checks in their respective state. This definitely implies conspiracy as far as the Osun matter is concerned and significantly poses a big question on the UBA practices and ability to keep depositors’ funds safe. By its actions and inactions, the UBA has contributed to the pains pensioners are going through in Osun state, which in some cases, has caused their deaths, and it’s expected that they will be aggrieved.
It is the height of cruelty to make people who are in their old age go through the pain that Osun pensioners are going through. Instead of raising false alarms and insulting pensioners, the Osun APC should prevail on their collaborators to release the funds that will settle the benefits of the senior citizens. Since Governor Ademola Adeleke assumed office, he has prioritised the welfare of workers and pensioners, making it impossible for them to protest as it is common under the APC administration.
In what seemed as a strong rebuke against impunity, Ghanian inspirational writer and author, Laila Gifty Akita, admonished that “Stand up for yourself. Never give anyone permission to abuse you.” If the pensioners are standing up for themselves as provided for by the constitution, they have done nothing wrong to warrant the hostility from the Osun APC and the Police has a duty to protect them. At a point, the Police officers, particularly the Commissioner of Police, whom the Osun APC is invariably pressing to halt the exercise of lawful rights will also retire and who knows whether they will face similar oppression that the APC is visiting on the senior citizens for pure political reasons.
•Sarafa Ibrahim writes from Osogbo, Osun state
