An Osun State based Civil Society Organization (CSO), the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS) has dragged the state governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola before the United Nations (UN), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), United Kingdom (UK), United State of America (USA) over alleged repeal of democratic system in the third tier of government and illegal diversion of local government funds, calling for the intervention of the international community.

The group had earlier written a strong worded letter to President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly on the anti-democratic posture of Aregbesola, which they claimed has made negative impact on the lives of the affected masses of the State.

The group disclosed this in its four-page letter signed by its Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman and titled “Report of Repeal of Democratic System in the Third Tier of Government and Illegal Diversion of 30 Local Governments Monthly Funds by Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola”, which was forwarded to the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon and copied U.S. President, British Prime Minister and a host of others.

The letter dated Tuesday 28^th of June, 2016, which had copies of the relevant documents attached to it, was made available to newsmen on Sunday, stated that the action of the governor portends grave danger for sustainability of the hard earned democracy in the state.

The letter reads in part: “We are constrained to write your good office as one of the federating units of Nigeria that belong to the United Nations (UN) for urgent intervention in our democratic life as universally acceptable system of government, because, the office of the Executive President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), and the anti-graft agencies had yet to bring out their report on the illegality of our State Governor, Mr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola in the suspension of democratic system in the 30 Local Government Areas of the State as well as illegal diversion of monthly Local Government funds of the affected council areas, upon receiving our protest letters on the subject matter since all this while.

“Having understood the effort of the member countries of the United Nations (UN) to ensure that democracy as the best form of government is adopted by the members’ country in all their federating units in consonance with the General Provisions of part 1(2) of the Nigeria 1999 Constitution as amended and United Nations Charter.”

The letter further read: “Osun people, in respect of their political and religious affiliations, totally rejected the illegal suspension of democratic structure and continuing diversion of the funds accruable to the Local Government Areas of the state from the Federation Account, which is seriously affecting even development of the state. Our concern is that the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria must be seen as supreme and obeyed by all and sundry and any action that is inconsistent with the Constitutional Provisions must be declared null and void in line with the section 14 of the General Provision of part1(3)”

Comrade Sulaiman accused Aregbesola of refusing to conduct Local Government election contrary to the Section 7 of the amended 1999 Constitution, for almost six years of his administration in the state without any genuine reason, which according to the laws of the land, should be held in three (3) years interval, adding that this development was an affront of democratic ethos as being preached by the United Nations Charter.

“Lastly, it is our humble request from the United Nations and International Community to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari and other appropriate authorities to stop the monthly allocations to the Local Government Areas of Osun State until Governor Rauf Aregbesola returns the democratic structure to the third tiers of government in the state without further delayed in line with the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and United Nations Charter on democracy,” it submitted.

The government of Aregbesola has been under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offence Commission (ICPC) over an alleged diversion of Local Government funds from November 2010 to March, 2016 as a result of petition authored by the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS) to the anti-graft bodies.

•Photo shows Governor Aregbesola.

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