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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) caucus in the House of Representatives has charged President Bola Tinubu to release the withheld Osun State local government funds to the councils.
The caucus also expressed support for the confirmation of Umar Damagum as substantive national chairman of the PDP, as well as other decisions reached by the opposition party at its 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Monday.
The caucus said the continued withholding of the local government funds by the Federal Government is illegal and undemocratic.
Leader of the caucus, Fred Agbedi, who spoke on behalf of the opposition lawmakers, after their meeting in Abuja, yesterday, said it was imperative for the Federal Government to obey valid court judgment on Osun local governments controversy.
“We want to also use this opportunity to ask the federal government to release, obey court, valid court judgments leading to validity or validating the local government elections that were held in Osun State.
“Osun State is led by a PDP governor, a successful government and governor who has proved that he’s in touch with his people and is delivering dividends of democracy to the people of Osun State.
“We are surprised that a supposedly democratic person, the president of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who himself encountered a similar situation, is holding the local government funds and local government administration of Osun State to ransom.
“This is anti-democratic and as a party caucus in the House of Reps, who are lawmakers, we insist that the right thing be done, due process be complied with, legal judgments be obeyed, so that Osun State and the people of Osun State and the local governments will enjoy the benefits of the creation and administration of local governments in Osun State.
“And so, we urge Mr. President to put a stop to this illegality that is going on by seizing the funds of Osun local governments in Nigeria and immediately release the funds to the validly elected administrations across all the local governments in Osun State.”
While calling on the government to ensure the security of Nigerians across the country, the group said citizens expect better treatment from the President Bola Tinubu administration.
It lamented that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has failed the country in all ramifications, in the 10 years it has been in government. “Not only killings, there’s a lot of hardship in this country and Nigerians are groaning in their pains daily. People are committing suicide because the government is not paying attention to them.”
