The Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Citizens (CCNC) has raised fresh concerns over the prolonged withholding of Local Government funds meant for Osun State, warning that the development has pushed the state into what it described as a deepening socio-economic crisis.
Speaking at a world press conference in Osogbo on Monday, the spokesperson of the coalition, Comrade Raufu Sodiq, said the situation has inflicted widespread hardship on residents across the state. He said, “Osun masses are suffering, and the impact of this withheld fund is visible in every community across the state.”
According to him, the coalition carried out extensive investigations involving field visits, interviews with community stakeholders and assessments across major sectors.
He said the findings show that the continued seizure of local government allocations has crippled livelihoods and weakened essential public services.
He added, “Many small businesses that depend on local government workers for patronage have suffered declining income, high debt levels and rising health challenges caused by financial pressure.”
Comrade Sodiq said traders and service providers operating around council secretariats are among the worst hit. He said, “Most of those who collected goods on credit can no longer repay because sales have collapsed.”
He added that traditional rulers are also affected since many of them rely on local government funds for salaries and community support initiatives. He said, “Some traditional rulers who pay school fees for less privileged children can no longer continue because the funds are not available.”
He said the education sector has been thrown into distress, especially the School of Special Needs, which operates on a 70 to 30 per cent funding ratio between local governments and the state government.
He said, “Many of the students are now malnourished, and the school has accumulated debts owed to food vendors.” He added that the delay in recruiting teachers is also tied to the withheld funds, noting that “the primary school system cannot proceed with recruitment because it is funded by the local governments.”
On sports development, Comrade Sodiq said the deterioration of community sports facilities has slowed down the discovery of local talents. He said, “We are losing our young athletes because the facilities and support systems they need are no longer available.”
He also highlighted the collapse of the O’MEAL school feeding programme. He said, “More children are dropping out of school and returning to street hawking because O’MEAL cannot continue without funding.”
He added that 2,470 food vendors lost their jobs and nearly 204,000 children were affected when the programme stopped.
Addressing the state of public health, the CCNC spokesperson said sanitation officers have been unable to work effectively. He said, “Public health is getting worse because sanitation officers cannot enforce regulations and refuse is now being dumped indiscriminately.”
He also raised concerns about the security situation in the state following the closure of several Amotekun offices. He said, “Criminals have become bolder because Amotekun operations have weakened.” He noted that students and residents in Ife and OAU communities are among those affected by rising insecurity.
On agriculture, he warned that the sector is on the brink of collapse as farmers lack fertilisers, seeds and inputs traditionally provided by local governments. He said, “Over N500 million worth of agricultural projects have been abandoned, and this is a direct threat to food security in Osun State.”
The coalition issued a series of demands to the Federal Government, including the immediate release of the withheld funds and support for affected sectors.
He said, “We are giving the Central Bank of Nigeria a three-day ultimatum to ensure the funds are released and accessible to all local governments.”
Comrade Sodiq warned that the coalition will escalate its actions if nothing is done. He said, “If the Federal Government fails to act within three days, we will adopt more drastic measures, including nationwide confrontation, to seek justice for the people of Osun.”
He emphasised that CCNC is not driven by political motives. He said, “We are not a tool in the hands of any government. All we want is good governance, effective security and better living conditions for our people.”
He added that the Federal Government must not politicise the matter.
He said, “Osun should not be punished unnecessarily when other states have also not fully implemented local government autonomy.”
He reaffirmed the coalition’s commitment to defending the rights of citizens. He said, “We will continue to stand for justice, and we will not relent until this issue is resolved.”
