Osun Youths Kick Over Conversion Of SDG Facilities To Football Training Camp

-Give Adeleke 21-day ultimatum to vacate players

-Want Government To Implement Original Purpose Of The Center

The Iragbiji Youth Development Association has given governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State a 21 day ultimatum to evacuate Osun United football team players from the hostel of the Sustainable Development Goals Skills Acquisition Center located in the town.

The Association also pleaded with the governor to immediately start the implementation of the programme that the center was meant for.

The calls were made on Thursday during a press conference addressed by the chairman of the Association, Dr. Jimoh Olorede, at the Iragbiji Town Hall.

They also appealed to President Bola Tinubu, to direct Osun State government to heed their calls by ensuring that the Centre is put into proper use.

“As a Community, we would not allow this happen. The mission of the SDGs as agreed upon by United Nations member countries, including Nigeria and other developed and developing countries to solve some of humanity’s biggest challenges must be strictly adhered to by governor Ademola Adeleke

“The aim of the SDGs is to end poverty and hunger, increase access to education, address migration and reduce inequality which necessitated the location of the Skill Acquisition Centre at Iragbiji is paramount to us as indigenes of Iragbiji. This is what we want governor Ademola Adeleke to know and understand,” IYA stated.

“The Skill Acquisition Centre is an SDGS project of the Federal Government facilitated by the immediate-past governor of the State, His Excellency Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola.

“The project was completed and handed over to the Osun State government the twilight of Oyetola’s tenure in office.

“Osun State government under the incumbent governor had taken the advantage of a 200 bed-space hostel at the SDGs skills acquisition center in Iragbiji to camp the Osun United football team players whose previous accommodation was termed inhabitable.

However, the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdulrasheed Olabomi was said to have, in January this year sent a letter to the state government reminding it of the need to make use of the Centre in line with the SDGs’ objectives.

The displeasure earlier registered by the Aragbiji over the occupation of the hostel facility of the centre by the footballers, led to the visit of the State Deputy Governor, Kola Adewusi to Aragbiji’s palace.

But to the youths of the town, the State government had reneged on the terms of agreement reached by both Aragbiji and the deputy governor.

The IYA said “The state government, as represented by the Deputy Governor, did well by visiting His Majesty. Aragbiji, upon his reaction. However, reneging on the promise to evacuate the building within seven days is worrisome and makes us wary of possible untoward mission

All youth of this ancient and great town are in support of Aragbiji’s position, and at this juncture, we urge governor Ademola Adeleke to relocate the occupants whose mission as obviously unrelated to the Centre’s, makes us suspicious of possible sinister agenda and consequently causes us to be apprehensive of their presence. ”

In a reaction, the state Commissioner for Information and Public enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi said government took the step of camping the Osun United football team players at the center to secure the facilities.

He noted that the whole place was initially isolated and bushy and having realised that there was no budgetary provision for the centre to come alive, it became necessary to secure the center.

Alimi however assured that the players were only temporarily camped at the center till the end of season come January, 2024.