A human rights activist, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, has called on the Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke to emulate his counterpart from Borno State, Professor Babagana Zulum on the modality adopted to cushion the effect of current food hardship in the country, especially, in lives of the good people of Borno State.
Sulaiman who disclosed that the advise was ripped and necessary to Governor Adeleke who was currently touring the foreign land in search for foreign investors, urging him to stop the unnecessary wasting of meagre resources of the State under the guise of looking for any foreign investor.
According to the statement signed by the comrade while reminding the Governor that no investor either local or foreign would invest in an environment where the security of lives and property were not guaranteed and where there was no respect for the rule of law.
Sulaiman who is Executive Chairman, Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ), said that the foreign land became an admirer of every Nigerian, especially, the political class they were well organized by ensuring security of lives and property and also have respect for their laws by making their laws work that gave them good nation.
The rights activist disclosed that the security of lives and property, is the welfare of the masses as enshrined in the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which Governor Adeleke needs to be given priority by investing heavily as always done by Governor Zulum of Borno State.
He said this would entice the both local and foreign investors to come and invest their money in dear state, adding that there was no need for Governor Adeleke to look for respect for the State in foreign land but he must do something that would earn the State a respect among the foreign investors.
The Comrade further stressed that no foreign country calling on Nigerians to come and work in their land but we, Nigerians saw the greener pastures in foreign land to grab because we believed in their workable system that followed due process of law in their operations.
This statement was issued by the CHRSJ’S Media office in reacting to the huge food items distribution to the good people of Borno State by Governor Zulum recently and copies were made available to newsmen on Monday, recalling that previous Executive Governors of the State like Governor Adeleke now, had claimed in the past to be looking for foreign investors in the foreign land but no foreign investor came to the State to invest till eternity now.
The statement said, for instance, former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola during his administration, first came up with the idea of looking for foreign investors in the foreign land by also coming up with the idea of Free Trade Zone but Free Trade Zone becoming moribund till today and no foreign investor ever invest in the Trade Zone as everything becomes history today.
Also, former Governor Rauf Aregbesola was at a time of his administration, was using meagre resources of the State, claiming to be looking for foreign investors in the foreign land and the same idea went the same way of Oyinlola’s administration.
Instead of Governor Adeleke to be gallivating all over foreign land with meagre resources of the State now in search of investors that wouldn’t see the light of day, Sulaiman urged Adeleke to look inward on how to cushion effects of the current food hardship among the teeming masses of the State by adopting the method of Governor of Borno State in provision of food items for his people.
It further stated that currently, the good people of Osun State were wallowing in abject poverty, particularly, in the area of skyrocketed of food items due to the insensitivity of Governor Ademola Adeleke to emulate his aforementioned counterpart.
Adding that the current hardship facing the country was as a result of subsidy removal by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the last eight (8) months of his administration but the Government of President Tinubu had done his part by coming up with enduring policies and as well increasing the Federal Allocation to the State, Local Governments geometrically without no justification for the geometrical increase in the allocation of the State by Adeleke’s Government.
Sulaiman reminded Governor Adeleke that Governor Zulum was receiving allocation from the Federal Government like Osun State under Adeleke’s watch and same Governor Zulum was performing wonder and even, beyond expectations without galivating to the foreign land to be looking for foreign investors that were not available.
He submitted that Adeleke should know that he was receiving huge allocation from the Tinubu’s Government in the last eight (8) months without increasing in the payment of salaries and pensions to workers, retirees alikes and as well workers are retiring from the service of the State on daily basis since he came on board as Governor of the State on November 27th, 2022.