Shina Abubakar, Osogbo

OSOGBO – A coalition of Civil Societies in Osun state, The Osun Masterminds, TOM, has disclosed the palliative plans of Governor Ademola Adeleke is too shrouded in secret, urging the state government to be transparent on its measures.

Speaking at the September edition of its State-of-the-state on behalf of the group on Wednesday, the Executive Director, Professor Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli disclosed that the Ademola-led administration has not made public how it intends to alleviate suffering among the populace due to subsidy removal.

According to him, While the Federal Government has made certain palliative provisions, the Osun State Government has remained ominously silent on what it will be giving to the State’s people as palliatives even when it has confirmed the receipt of two billions Naira from Federal Government coffers.

“We request that the State Government immediately makes known its intentions as concerning palliatives, as Osun people are longing for support that most citizens of other States have enjoyed.

“We must also use this opportunity to condemn the secrecy that shrouded the distribution of the palliatives that were received from the Federal Government. For transparency’s sake, we encourage the Osun State Government to be more open with such distribution processes in future. Openness secures public confidence and the government cannot do without it”, he added.

Reacting in a statement, Osun Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi maintained the Adeleke administration’s resolve to transparency and judiciously administering any resource in its possession unlike the experience with the immediate past government, assuring Osun people that the N2bn is safe and will be applied in a transparent manner to their benefits.

“Osun people will note that the Osun State Government announced the receipt of the N2bn fund from FG, but to guide against the kind of experience of the abuse that featured prominently in the past, the Adeleke administration is carefully thinking through utilization of the fund especially when it is not a free gift”, it added..