Youth leaders from Igangan have denied insinuations that the youths walked out on Governor ‘Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Monday, when he held a Town Hall meeting in the area.
General Secretary of the Ibarapaland Farmers’ Association, Mr. Taiwo Adeagbo, who spoke on behalf of the community, stated that no one walked out on the governor.
He maintained that the people of the area wanted solutions to the security challenges and were appreciative of the fact that the governor and his delegation came to Igangan to address the situation.
Adeagbo stated this on Tuesday, declaring that there is no truth in the report that youths waked out on the governor during the interactive session.
He added that security challenges in the area predated the Makinde administration.
He stated that he had once come to Ibadan with 14 victims of herdsmen attacks during the administration of the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi, stating that nothing was done to address the situation or even take care of the victims.
According to Adeagbo, apart from promising to compensate families who lost loved ones and some of the affected people, Governor Makinde ordered that three victims of herdsmen attacks who are still being treated in Igangan should be relocated to the University College Hospital, Ibadan, on the account of the state.
He added that the youths only expressed their grievance when the member representing Ibarapa Central/Ibarapa North State Constituency, Honourable Peter Gbadegesin Ojedokun, was addressing the gathering and that when he (Adeagbo and others) appealed to them, they became calm.
According to Adeagbo, there was never a point when the youths walked out on the governor, saying that any news media that published such a story is guilty of fake news.
He added that such media outfits are guilty of contributing in no small measure to the problem at hand.
He said: “The problem that some media houses have caused on this matter is huge. I can tell you that, as far as all these problems are concerned, I am one of the persons that can talk authoritatively. I made them know that things have terribly gone bad before the governor came for the visitation.
“Truly, the situation had really gotten out of hand before Governor Makinde got into office. But the only thing we want now is a solution. We went to Osogbo and Ibadan as well, and there are different write-ups there. Some of them are with lawyers in Ibadan.
“During the last administration, they called us for a meeting in Ibadan and I went with 14 people that were macheted but the government did not give them a dime. I took them to the Ministry of Agriculture then.
“All of us did not sleep because we knew the governor was coming here. I sent the lists of all those that were killed, macheted, and injured to them. When he came, we discussed the things that have been happening even before now. And our people became happy when I told them that the delegation that came all the way from Ibadan to address our challenges should not be welcomed with unnecessary chaos. We are the ones who need something from them but not vice versa.
“But Governor Makinde has come here and he has said that the family of the people who lost their lives and other people will be compensated.
“We told the delegation that we know where the hoodlums always hide; there is an uncompleted building, which is about 76 bedrooms. That is where kidnappers, terrorists sleep and live and the governor has said that they will do something about it.
“So, where did they see the group of youths that walked out on the governor when he came? “He told us that the local government chairmen did not do well by not informing him of the situation promptly. The governor made us know that he did not get the report of what has been happening here.
“So, the claim that youths walked out on the governor is outright falsehood and news like this can damage one’s reputation. This means we should regard newspapers that publish that report as publishers of fake news. So, there was nothing like that.”
Packaged by Kunle Gazali
