Osun Community Decries Neglect, Says Development in Inisa Is Self-Funded

Residents of Inisa, a town in the Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State, have lamented the lack of visible government presence and support, saying most of the community’s infrastructure projects were achieved through self-help and communal contributions.

Speaking during the 34th Inisa Day Celebration on Saturday, community leaders and prominent indigenes appealed to both the federal and state governments to assist in improving infrastructure and boosting socio-economic development in the area.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, noted that the community has relied on its own efforts to fund education, healthcare, and other facilities.

“This community is not only growing but developing. We’ve not been seeing the impact of the state and federal governments in terms of development in this place, but we have that spirit of togetherness, and we’ve been doing things by ourselves,” Oyedokun said.

He added that all the secondary schools and health centres in Inisa were established through communal effort, lamenting that bad roads continue to hinder development.

“Our roads are not good, but we hope that with the local government autonomy, this council will be able to take care of rural roads. We don’t have any government impact here. We need federal institutions to stimulate socio-economic growth in the town,” he added.

Also speaking, former Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, Professor Labode Popoola, said Inisa had continued to thrive through individual and community-driven initiatives, despite years of government neglect.

“We have our fair share of challenges, but something unique about Inisa is that we look inward for most of the things we do. If you look at the monuments we have in this town, they are community-driven,” Popoola said.
“We’ve been doing so much, but we will want to appeal to the government to come to our aid. Occasionally, they do, but not as much as we deserve.”

In his address, the Chairman of the Inisa Descendants’ Union (IDU), Professor Olatunde Babawale, said the Inisa Day celebration was organised to showcase the town’s rich culture and heritage while reaffirming the community’s commitment to progress.

Prof. Babawale commended indigenes and residents for their unity, selflessness, and financial contributions, assuring that the union would continue to push for developmental partnerships and ensure sustained growth in Inisa.

Opinion Nigeria News