Osun Workers Protest Under CESCO Leadership, APC Thugs Interrupt Their Rally

In the midst of impeachment threats against Governor Rauf Aregbesola, the All Progressives Congress (APC) of Osun State accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of being the chief sponsors of a mass rally of grieved workers in Osogbo, the State capital.

Osun State labor unions declared on Monday an all-encompassing total strike in order to broadcast the demands for their six-month arrears.

Because of the health, education, and food challenges they faced without their salaries, workers agreed to boycott all activities. Doctors, university professors, and laborers flooded into Osun streets to join the protests regarding the State's asset mismanagement.

In the midst of impeachment threats against Governor Rauf Aregbesola, the All Progressives Congress (APC) of Osun State accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of being the chief sponsors of a mass rally of grieved workers in Osogbo, the State capital.

Meanwhile, suspected APC thugs interrupted a Tuesday morning rally organized in support of Justice Folahanmi Oloyede, who has petitioned the State House of Assembly to investigate Governor Aregbesola for potential mismanagement of State resources.

The rally was organized by members of the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEO). At the Ayetoro junction, the thugs bombarded the protesters with water in a situation that quickly escalated.

Anti-riot policemen were sent to the scene in order to prevent further violence.

A statement released Monday by the APC's Director of Media and Strategy, Kunle Ayatomi, said that the Party was aware of schemes by Iyiola Omisore, the PDP governorship candidate, to bring violence into Osun State under the cover of supporting workers to obtain their salaries.  He pointed to Omisore’s threat last month that he would “make this State ungovernable” for Aregbesola.

"We are therefore certain that the whole crisis is to criminally seek to get what the entire people of Osun had denied him through a democratic process,” Ayatomi said.

The PDP, however, responded that the mass rally was orchestrated by the workers and did not involve them, saying, "It is unfortunate that the sinking government should still be engaging in buck-passing when he should be busy looking for money to settle paid salaries and allowances of workers."

About 20 civil and faith based societies under the umbrella of CSCEO mobilized to join this Tuesday's rally for the impeachment of Governor Aregbesola.