A civil society group, The Osun Masterminds, TOM, has accused the Osun State government of doing nothing to ease the lives of the people of the state.

The group made the allegation during the October State of the State press conference by its Executive Director, Professor Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, on Thursday in Osogbo.

He accused the Osun State government of building steps and arguing on the margins rather than pursuing accelerated human development policies.

Claiming that TOM has spoken extensively about the hardships in the country in the past, Professor Oyedokun-Alli lamented that there was no respite in sight as the price of fuel and cost of living continued to rise, leaving the people wallowing in poverty.

He called on the federal and state governments to step up efforts to free the masses from the shackles of poverty.

In his words, “We have spoken at length about the hardships biting Nigeria in the past but it seems there is no respite in sight.

“As the price of fuel continues to rise, the cost of living rises and people are left poor.

“It is deeply disturbing that while the federal government is doing little to alleviate people’s suffering, the state governments, which are now earning increased federal handouts, are doing nothing to ease people’s lives either.

“In Osun, here, instead of pursuing accelerated human development policies, we are busy building flyovers and arguing over fools.

“The people of Nigeria and Osun deserve a better life than the current hardships they are facing. Our people deserve to be happy and live in a society where their dreams and aspirations are allowed to thrive.

“We again call on the Federal Government and Osun State Government, more importantly, to urgently step up efforts to free the masses from the shackles of poverty. We must work quickly to eradicate hunger and create opportunities for our people to make a legitimate living.”

On the high cost of governance, the group also accused the federal government and politicians in the corridors of power of not showing enough concern for the country’s citizens.

He said: “We are amazed at the cost of governance in Nigeria at the moment and the seemingly uncaring attitude of people in the corridor of power.

“We call on every public office holder to become empathetic to the people, reducing unnecessary expenditure often characterized by unnecessary and avoidable travel, especially in the offices of the President, Vice President and State Governors.

“Reducing the number of official vehicles is not the only way the cost of governance can be reduced.

“The political class cannot feed fat at the expense of starving the people,” Oyedokun-Alli concluded.