2023: ‘Osogbo Cannot Be Fooled Again’-Group

A socio-cultural group, Osogbo Sons And Daughters, has warned an Osogbo-based political contractor, Muniru Adebayo Raji, against casting aspersions on the personality of Senator Ajibola Basiru, Osun Central Senatorial Standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress.

The Group in a press statement described as a blantant lie, the assertion by the self-acclaimed political jobber that Senator Basiru did nothing for Osogbo in his eight years as a commissioner.

Setting the record straight, Osogbo Sons and Daughters clarified that Basiru was a commissioner for less than 5 years and not 8 years as Muniru Raji has been lying around. The group said Senator Ajibola Basiru spent 3 years and 3 months in the first term of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola administration and one year and six months in the second term, making 4 years and 9 months in all.

According to the forum, SRJ spent the first two years of the second term of the Aregbesola administration from 2014 to 2016, when the cabinet had yet to be constituted teaching law pro bono at the Faculty of Law, Osun Stste University and continued even after being sworn in as the Attorney General, charging Doubting Thomaes to confirm from the Vice Chancellor of the University. They described the effort as a great service not only to Osogbo but Osun in general.

The socio-cultural group stressed further that as the Attorney General, SRJ set up Osun Citizens Mediation Center, Osogbo which resolved over 200 cases for the less privileged free of charge and recovered assets worth several millions for people.

Also, as the Commissioner for Regional Integration and Attorney General, SRJ facilitated appointment of Osogbo indigenes as Senior Special Assostants in Ogbeni Aregbesola’s administration.

“We cannot forget in a hurry that Muniru Adebayo Raji was in the cabinet of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as Special Adviser on Political Matters. He should either show or tell us the minutest of his achievements.

“Muniru Adebayo led miscreants to disrupt the development of the new Osogbo Central Prayer Eid which SRJ joined other true sons of Osogbo to facilitate.”

The Group made it clear that Muniru Raji Adebayo did not only vigorously campaign for PDP in 2018 and 2019, but also personally singled out Senator Ajibola Basiru for his attacks and character assassination thinking he would succeed, but in the final analysis, Basiru won and Muniru failed.

Osogbo Sons and Daughters assured the people that by the grace of God, the political contractor will fail again in his business of character assassination against Senator Basiru.

The platform described as an elephantine lie a statement credited to Muniru that he was instrumental to SRJ’s Senatorial ticket in 2018. It wondered how somebody in the opposition could have helped a two-time commissioner to get a ticket in his own party.

“How can someone who openly campaigned in 2018 against Dr. Basiru claim he got him the ticket in a party he equally campaigned against?” The Group asked rhetorically, saying rhe whole story defied logic and common sense. They described Muniru is a shameless liar who is a certified Pull Him Down(PHD) campaigner.

Furthermore, Osogbo Sons And Daughters condemned as a grave insult to the person of the late Senator Bayo Salami, the claim that the opposition Tsunami wiped away the late Baba Adini of Osogbo. They asked if Muniru was happy and is still proud that he joined forces with others outside Osogbo to ensure the loss of Bayo Salami at the polls.

Muniru Adebayo Raji, according to the Indigenes of Osogbo, assisted in electoral loss of Senator Bayo Salami, at the second attempt at the Senate to install Chief Felix Ogunwale who did practically nothing for Osogbo. They asked Raji Muniru, another question, “Where is Ogunwale’s Senatorial legacy in Osogbo? Where is Simeon Oduoye’s legacy in Osogbo? Let him show us even the ruins of the legacies of the people he supported against our own Bayo Salami.”

Osogbo Sons and Daughters emphasised that people and indeed Osun Central are everyday witnesses to the projects facilitated by Senator Basiru including blocks of classrooms, Agriculture Entrepreneurial Centre for youths, maternity centre, solar lights at markets, Palaces and other public places, transformers besides boreholes in many locations.

They regretted that Osogbo contributed hugely to making Ogunwale (Iragbiji) and Oduoye (Ikirun) Senators with nothing to show for it, stressing disappointingly that Muniru is still going about telling lies he is known for to still sell Osogbo to outsiders and get paid.

They also punched another of his lies when he said he started politics in 1986 when SRJ was in JSS 3 saying he goofed, as SRJ is a product of “form” not 6334. They requested Muniru to show his modest investment in 32 years in Osogbo.

They highlighted that strangers who have filling stations, big restaurants, boutiques, hotels and shopping complexes employ school leavers and contribute to the economy of Osogbo.

Osogbo Sons and Daughters remarked that Muniru Raji Adebayo, a Muslim, gathered people in mosques to plot the downfall of a fellow Muslim, describing the move as sacrilegious.

“Are Senator Ajibola Basiru’s modest achievements in 3 years not more appreciated than empty promises from another stranger who will enrich Alhaji Muniru and leave Osogbo gasping for more developments.”

In conclusion, Osogbo Sons And Daughters described Muniru as a prized and priced liar who has to be told pointedly that Osogbo is not for sale.