Tears, Gunshots As Pro, Anti Aregbesola Rallies Rock Osun

There was drama on Tuesday when protesters rallying for the removal of Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola were dispersed with gunshots and beaten up by suspected thugs.
Another group also held street rallies in support of the governor.
The anti-Aregbesola rally was organised by the Civil Society Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun, while his supporters operated under the aegis of the Osun Progressives Left.
The anti-Aregbesola group was led by Comrade Adeniyi Alimi, while that of his supporters was co-ordinated by Comrade Wale Adebisi.
The protesters, who had begun to converge around 7am at Ayetoro, we're seen running for dear lives at about 10am.
Before the protest, the State Police Command had stationed Armoured Personnel Carriers at strategic locations.
The Police Command's Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrs. Folasade Odoro (DSP), that the two groups did not obtain permit for the protest.
The anti Aregbesola protesters were supporting the petition submitted to the State Assembly calling for the impeachment of Governor Aregbesola and his Deputy, Mrs. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori over unpaid salaries.
The protesters stressed that the duo of Aregbesola and his deputy had breached constitutional provisions.
The pro-Aregbesola protesters, on the other hand, claimed that the petition written by the serving Judge, Justice Falahanmi Oloyede to the State Assembly was a ruse and politically motivated.
One of the pro-Aregbesola protesters, Amitolu Shitu, said: "To the best of our knowledge, the Nigeria Labour Congress has identified at least 23 states of the federation where salaries are not paid up to date. In fact, if you look at the local government workers, Osun is one of the states owing the least number of months with the payment local government workers up till February. We are aware that even that of March is ready. There are states with up to 8 months of unpaid salaries in councils.
"The same thing goes for state civil servants. Why then is this crazy stigmatization of Osun and its governor? We are here to say enough is enough."
Another pro-Governor protester, Comrade Adewale Adebisi, added, "It is beyond explanation how the anti-Aregbesola groups have carried their campaigns against the governor over the salary issue to a ridiculous extreme.‎"
The anti-Aregbesola rally, which started peacefully at the popular Olaiya junction in Osogbo was disrupted by thugs who stormed the rally and chased the gathering away.
Also, some protesters at the Igbona market along Obafemi Awolowo Way in the capital were stoned by thugs suspected to be members of the "state boys" a security outfit put in place by Governor Aregbesola.
The thugs who attacked the protesters with several types of weapons including guns, cutlasses, knives, charms and cudgels shot sporadically at the protesters, a situation that forced many of them to be scampering for safety.
In the process, several people particularly members on the Nigerian Union of Pensioners were brutally attacked and beaten up by the thugs.
It was gathered that about 20 protesters were injured and they are currently receiving treating at a private clinic as all the public hospitals in the state had been under lock in the last six weeks due to workers' strike.
Although, there was a heavy presence of security agents, including officers of the Nigeria Police and the State Security Service (SSS), who paraded the streets with armored tanks and other patrol vehicles, there was no report of arrest at press time.
The rally had kicked off at the Ayetoro junction of the state capital and was billed to be led through Igbonna, Olonkoro, Ajegunle, Old-Garage, Ile-Epo Olaiya, Fakunle, Ogo-Oluwa, Onward area and to the State House of Assembly's complex at Abere.
The protesters carried placards with different inscriptions such as "Slaver/Osinbajo return our money", "Aregbesola: Stop receiving N500m monthly as security votes", "Osun Assembly: Treat Justice Folahanmi's petition", "Our demand is that Aregbesola must go", "Treat the petition not the petitioner", "Aregbesola has destroyed Osun State" and so on.
The Chairman of CSCEO, Comrade Adeniyi Sulaiman Alimi who had earlier raised an alarm that Aregbesola was planning to disrupt the rally, explained that the group would not stop its protest until Aregbesola "is removed from office"

‎http://dailytimes.com.ng/tears-gunshots-as-pro-anti-aregbesola-rallies-rock-osun/

Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner