Omisore ‘sponsoring fake rights activists in Osun’

Some civil rights organisations have raised alarm over the existence of fake non-governmental organisations (NGO) in Osun state.

The organisations said the “fake NGOS” allegedly sponsored by the likes of Iyiola Omisore, have been perpetrating falsehood and creating unnecessary anxieties in the state.

Omisore was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the August 9, 2014 gubernatorial election.

The groups making the claim comprise Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR); Committee for Democracy and Rights of the People (CDRP); The Group for Good Governance (Triple G) and Center for Voters Awareness (CVA).

Waheed Adediran, who signed a statement on behalf of the coalition group, alleged that there was a plot to create disaffection in the state.

“We condemn the role of some unknown bread and butter NGOs that suddenly came up within a week with the aim of causing confusion in the state,” the statement read.

“The anti-Aregbesola group is nothing but just deceitful vectors with which some disgruntled and inordinately ambitious politicians hide to cause disaffection in Osun

“We wish to state that the sponsors of the coalition against the Osun government are the same politicians who have lost faces with the Osun people; can no longer stand on their own to engage the people.

“The only strategy for them therefore is to create a seemingly pro-people organisation with which they can attack the government and thereby sustain their agenda of continual distraction of the government to face the real issue of governance and deliver on the goods for the people.

“It is a blatant abuse of freedom of association, where association is formed at the detriment of the peace and stability of any state.

“We have it on good authority that these politically engineered groups were sponsored by the rejected and embittered opposition parties such as the Peoples Democratic Party, the Accord Party and the Social Democratic Party to disrupt the peace and stability of state of Osun.

“It must interest Nigerians that the same sponsors of the so-called coalition such as Iyiola Omisore of PDP, Niyi Owolade of Accord Party and Segun Akinwusi of Social Democratic Party also sponsored the same ill-intentioned summit which failed in Osogbo on Thursday but was taken to Ile Ife, the home town of Omisore and Akinwusi. The third of the trio, Owolade, also hails from Ifetedo.”

Osun has been in the news in recent times over the inability of the government to pay civil servants salaries in the last six months.

The situation has led to protests and strike by labour unions.