The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has commended the state chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria(ALGON) over its suspension of transport union activities in all the motor parks in the state in order to checkmate the protracted violent activities in the state.
The announcement of the suspension of the union activities in the state at a press conference addressed by Honourable Lanre Balogun, the vice chairman of the state ALGON on Monday, was an indication that the APC in charge of the administration at the grassroots in the state is pro-active and prioritises the need for the statutory protection of the lives and property of the hapless people of the state.
It is glaring that the state government which ideally should be the frontrunner in the constitutional duties of preserving the lives and property of the inhabitants of the state has pungently abdicated its responsibility and resorted to playing unhealthy politics with the lives and property of the people.
Any responsible government must genuinely feel concerned with the verifiable incidents of the break down of law and order in Osun State under the administration of Governor Adeleke.
The suspension of the union activities in all the motor parks in the state by the ALGON was a right step in a right direction as it would be an act of sheer irresponsibility for the local government chairmen to watch the people of the state being unjustifiably killed by the state government-backed hoodlums.
It is more pathetic to observe that instead of the state government under the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke to strive to end the avoidable killings of the innocent people in the state, the development over the time has shown that the government has been shielding, aiding and abetting some of the dangerous criminals disturbing the public peace in the state.
It is bizarre to witness the harbouring of some of these dangerous political hoodlums in the Osun State Government House from where they come out to attack their victims and rush back to the state government refuge to evade arrest and prosecution.
Some of these political thugs who are executive members of the now suspended union activities in some of the motor parks in the state are on the payroll of the state government as Special Advisers, SSAs, PAs and are constantly seeing with Governor Adeleke at both public and private functions.
If the governor decides to choose political considerations over public safety, as elected local government chairmen, it would be wicked and disastrous for them to fold their arms and allow the facilities under their lawful authority to become threats to peace and security across the state.
The cynics who may want to challenge the authority of the ALGON to suspend the transport unions in Osun State including motor, tricycle and motorcycle unions in all the public motor parks with immediate effect, should endeavour to go through Paragraph 1(e) of the Fourth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution(as amended), which assigns the local government councils authorities relating to the regulation of motor parks and enhancement of public order.
e-SIGNED:
*Mogaji KOLA OLABISI, Osun State APC Director of Media and Information.*
