The Owa-Ale of Ikare Akoko, Oba Adeleke Adefemi Adegbite-Adedoyin, has condemned what he described as the corrupt practice of selling empowerment items meant for grassroots development by unscrupulous politicians in Ondo State.

Speaking at a public event in Akure, the monarch decried the growing trend where politicians hijack empowerment programmes and divert them for personal and political gain, rather than genuinely supporting their constituents.

“When empowerment items are being distributed to our local farmers to enhance food production, our politicians do not allow them to reach the intended beneficiaries,” he lamented.

Oba Adegbite-Adedoyin said many of the items, such as farm inputs, fertilisers, and tractors, provided by federal and state governments are often sold by politicians who acquire them for free, depriving the grassroots of their intended benefits.

He blamed the persistent underdevelopment in local communities on the failure to properly monitor the distribution of empowerment packages, stressing that poverty cannot be alleviated if such programmes continue to be hijacked.

“It now looks like the government is doing nothing to ease the people’s suffering, whereas these items are being diverted and sold by politicians. The real beneficiaries never get them,” he added.

The monarch called on the state government to take decisive action to ensure transparency in empowerment initiatives.

He also appealed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to enhance security at the grassroots level by fully equipping the Amotekun Corps to address growing security threats across the state. (The Nation)