Osun Pledges to Immortalise Victims April 14 Poll

The government of the state of Osun has assured the relations of all victims of the 14th April, 2007 Gubernatorial/ House of Assembly Election in the state of Osun that their death as a result of bravery will be in vain.

 

Speaking to reporters last Monday on the occasion of the 8th Anniversary of the bloodiest election in the history of the state, The State Commissioner for Information & Strategy, Mr Sunday Akere said that everything possible will be done to immortalize them as heroes and martyrs of democracy.

 

According to him, the memory of the harmless young men that were killed at various polling units across the state while defending ballot boxes from being forcefully hijacked and carted away will not rest until free, fair, credible and transparent election is entrenched as the order of the day not only in Osun but all over Nigeria.

It would be recalled that about twelve people lost their lives in Ikirun, Igbajo, Ila Orangun, Ile-Ife, Ilesa and some other parts of the state during the poll, while trying to stop thugs of a political party from carting away their ballot boxes in the party’s desperate bid to prevent the emergence of the peoples governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola at the election.

 

Speaking further, Akere said financial support, employment opportunity and educational scholarship has been provided to the families of these fallen heroes while no effort will be spared to ensure that they are immortalized and their names written in gold.

 

He also used the opportunity to admonish the people of the state to be wary of these desperate politicians who are lurking around the corner again to deceive the people with money and materials in other to keep them in perpetual penury and underdevelopment.

 

He said the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola will continue in its strive to make life better for the people as it is presently doing while also continuously building on the existing peace and tranquillity prevailing in the state.

 

He warned those promising to turn the hand of the clock back to the era of violence and instability to steer clear of Osun as nothing will be spared to defend the life and properties of all its citizens.

 

To those that suffered one measure of incarceration, harm and dislocation of economic activities, he promised that adequate compensation will be given to them as a committee is working on the financial details of the white paper on the Justice Uwaifo Truth and Reconciliation Commission as accepted by the state executive council.

 

“By the grace of God, the August 9th, 2014 gubernatorial election in Osun will be more peaceful and rancour-free than the April 2011 Elections as the principle of one man one vote would be upheld.