From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
A former governorship aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in Osun State, Dotun Babayemi, has cried out over the level of suffering of the people at the grassroots and the inability of the local government to rescue the situation.
He suggests that governments at all levels must look into the challenges facing the people at the grassroots and devise means to address their suffering.
Babayemi stated this in Iwo, on Thursday, while distributing cheques to members of the Atunto Cooperative Society in Olaoluwa, Iwo, and Ayedire local governments in the state.
Noting that the movement kicked off in Osogbo, in December 2023, Babayemi said, “We are coming back for the grassroots to understand some of their challenges, priorities, and how they expect to see economic development in societies around them. Governance is key, economic development is very important at the grassroots.
“I believe the authorities must allow allocation meant for local government to be released to that arm of government to allow it work for grassroots dwellers, especially in the present economic challenges,” Babayemi said.
Responding to a question on the purported deregister of the cooperative by the government, Babayemi said “None of the cooperatives that were duly registered has been notified in writing that their license has been withdrawn. What people are seeing is a purported unsigned press release. The cooperative is valid and standard.
“The members have put themselves together and N332m has been put together for the running of the cooperative across the state.
The president of the cooperative, Emmanuel Moye, said the decision to rescue the economy at the grassroots was necessitated by the poor economic situation of the country.
He said, “We know that the economic situation of the country is very bad and people have to cooperate among themselves to survive the present economic situation.
“They are voluntary associations of people, they are superb. For Iwo local government area we are going to give out a cheque of N10 million that will be shared among themselves to assist themselves.
They will come together and study each other for 90 days after which they will know what they can be doing jointly together,” Moye said.