Attack on Bola Ilori, Assault On Osun – Govt

Osun state government of Osun on Sunday described th‎e attack on its Commissioner for Regional Integration, Hon. Bola Ilori, who represented the state in Akure, the Ondo State capital as barbaric, reprehensible and an assault on the sovereignty of the state.

Ilori was part of the delegation that  presented the position of Osun at the All Progressives Congress (APC) public forum on true Federalism and Restructuring in its mission to get the views of the people of Ekiti, Ondo and Osun.

Media Adviser to Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Mr Sola Fasure, in a  statement signed and made available to CityMirrorNews in Osogbo, said the attack on Ilori by some hoodlums was reported to have been politically motivated and sponsored by top ranking cabinet member of the Ondo government.

Fasure noted that the attack was indirectly meted on Osun State that Ilori represented at the programme, calling on law enforcement agencies to fish out and bring to book perpetrators of the attack, no matter how powerful the sponsors could be.

He also wondered whether the comment of Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Yemi‎ Olowolabi, that the Osun Delegate was the aggressor who had come to the venue of the event to cause trouble, was diplomatic enough.

Fasure noted that such remarks was capable of causing disaffection between the two sister states, which have lived without any rancour towards each other for years since the creation of both states.

According to Fasure, Ilori represented the state and as such ought to be accorded all the respect and courtesy  due to the Osun state by both government of Ondo and the security agencies.

He said, “The statement credited to Hon. Yemi Olowolabi that ‘what happened is sad but it is avoidable. It is apparent the Osun delegates came prepared with thugs, charms, ammunitions cudgels to an event which was supposed to be an all APC event’ was highly undiplomatic and not expected from a commissioner of that status.

“This state of affairs was far from the truth as Olowolabi made people to believe. The Osun delegate simply went armed with their intellect to marshal the position of the state.

“Why would a delegate ‎go with dangerous objects to a conference on restructuring when Ondo and Osun are not at war or in confrontation over any issue.

“Ilori represented the government and people of Osun. Therefore, he deserved to be accorded the courtesy and respect due to the state. He deserved to be protected by the government of the Ondo as well as security agencies at the. Venue of the conference.

“All these safety measures were not put in place. Rather Hon. Ilori was exposed‎ to attack by some top government official, who reportedly had axe to grind with Ilori over election matters in the state.

“The attack on Ilori is barbaric and reprehensible, to say the least. It is no doubt an attack on the entire people and government of Osun, whom Ilori represented at the meeting. We condemn in strong terms this affront on the people and Government of Osun, which the attack on our delegate signposted.”