By BONIFACE AKARAH

The Osun State Government has warned that individuals or groups obstructing the release of Local Government funds in the state are effectively punishing the grassroots and will ultimately face the judgment of voters.

The warning was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Osogbo by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, who said withholding Local Government allocations under the guise of political or legal disputes amounted to “an open attack on the welfare of Osun people.”

“Anyone punishing Osun citizens by weaponising the Local Government issue is not fighting the state government; they are fighting the people,” Alimi said, adding that “the people will respond appropriately when the time comes.”

The government rejected claims that court rulings ordered the reinstatement of former Local Government chairmen and councillors, insisting that no such executory order exists.

“Contrary to the loud propaganda being pushed, no court, including the Court of Appeal in its judgment of February 10, 2025, issued a direct order reinstating any Local Government officials,” the statement said. “What we are witnessing is an attempt to smuggle power through the backdoor.”

Alimi stressed that court judgments should not be turned into tools for inflicting hardship at the grassroots level.

“Local Government funds are meant for teachers, health workers, sanitation, traditional institutions and community services—not for settling political scores,” he said, warning that “anyone blocking these funds is declaring war on the Osun grassroots.”

The government also dismissed arguments about the need for a stay of execution, describing them as misleading.

“A stay of execution can only apply where there is a clear order to be enforced. You cannot stay what does not exist,” the statement noted.

On the role of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), the government said the body would not be drawn into what it described as political manoeuvring.

“OSIEC operates under the Constitution, not under threats, blackmail or partisan interpretations of judgments,” Alimi said, adding that elections would be conducted lawfully.

The Adeleke administration further cautioned that Local Government autonomy does not permit self-help or unlawful access to public office and funds.

“Autonomy does not mean anarchy. Democracy is not a jungle, and Osun will not be turned into one,” the statement said.

Reaffirming its position, the government said it would continue to stand by the rule of law and protect the interests of residents, warning that “those punishing Osun people today will be punished by Osun people at the polls.”