Residents of Inisa Community in Osun State have called for the establishment of a higher institution and an upgrade of infrastructural amenities in the town, lamenting that successive governments have often overlooked the community in the distribution of public projects.
The demands were made on Saturday during the 34th edition of the annual Inisa Day celebrations, held in the town, where funds were raised for community-driven development initiatives.
Speaking with journalists at the event, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, said most of the existing infrastructure in Inisa had been developed through communal efforts.
Oyedokun, who appealed to both the federal and state governments to support the community, said, ‘Even though Inisa town is developing, the community has not witnessed the impact of the state and federal government in terms of physical development’.
He continued, ‘This community is not only growing but developing. We have not been seeing the impact of the state and federal government in terms of development in this place, but we have that spirit of togetherness, and we have been doing things by ourselves.
‘In Osun State, you will see that this local government is the only one that has not been divided into two like many others. We have 15 wards here with a lot of people. All the secondary schools and health centres we have in this community are all through communal efforts. 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 impact of government here.
‘Particularly, we want tertiary institutions in Inisa. We are, therefore, seeking government support at the federal and state levels to complement what we are doing. We need federal impact in this place’.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Inisa Descendants’ Union (IDU), Prof. Olatunde Babawale explained that the annual celebration was aimed at showcasing the town’s rich cultural heritage and mobilising resources for community development.
Prof. Babawale commended indigenes and residents for their support and contributions, assuring that the union would continue to champion projects that promote growth and unity in Inisa.
‘Inisa Day celebration is to showcase our rich culture, and I am sure people will gain a lot of things here today. I want to appreciate our people for their support, and I promise that we will not disappoint you. We will always ensure that the development of Inisa town is our topmost priority’, he said.
Also speaking, the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, Prof. ’Labode Popoola acknowledged occasional government interventions in the town but appealed for more support, especially in the provision of quality public infrastructure.
‘We have our own 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 some monuments that we have in this town, they are community-driven.
‘We have been doing so much, but we will want to appeal to the government to come to our aid. Occasionally, they do, but it is not as much as we think we deserve’, Popoola said.
He added that the annual Inisa Day celebrations had continued to grow in popularity as a platform for raising funds to finance community projects and urged indigenes at home and abroad to sustain their support for the town’s development.
