The National Association of Nigerian Students, Southwest Zone D, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to direct the release of statutory allocations withheld from the 30 local government areas of Osun State.
The students’ body made the call in an open letter to the President on Tuesday, two days after the August 15 governorship election in the state.
The letter, signed by the Coordinator of NANS Southwest Zone D, Adeyemo Josiah, said the conclusion of the election provided an opportunity for the state to move beyond political differences and focus on governance and development.
NANS noted that Governor Ademola Adeleke had been re-elected and congratulated by President Tinubu, arguing that the same spirit should guide the resolution of the outstanding local government funds.
“The election is over. Political differences should now give way to governance and development,” the students said.
The group urged Tinubu to extend what it described as the democratic spirit demonstrated during the election to the issue of the withheld local government allocations.
According to NANS, available public records indicated that more than N200bn in statutory allocations had accumulated as withheld funds by the middle of 2026, with additional monthly allocations expected to accrue.
The students said the issue was particularly important because local governments remained the closest tier of government to communities and tertiary institutions across the state.
“For us as students, this is not merely a political or administrative dispute. Local governments are the closest tier of government to our campuses and host communities,” NANS said.
The association noted that the financial capacity of local governments directly affected essential services such as roads, sanitation, healthcare, water supply, security and youth development.
It therefore urged the President to direct relevant federal institutions to resolve any outstanding legal or administrative impediments preventing the release of the funds.
NANS called for the allocations to be transferred to the constitutionally recognised local governments through what it described as a lawful, transparent and accountable process.
The students also urged the local governments to ensure that any funds released were used for visible development projects, particularly in communities hosting tertiary institutions.
The association stressed that the release of the allocations should not be regarded as a victory for any political party or individual.
Rather, it said the funds belonged to the people and should be deployed for grassroots development irrespective of political affiliation.
“Mr President, the people have spoken through the ballot. We respectfully appeal that the Constitution and the principles of grassroots democracy should also be allowed to prevail,” the students said.
NANS said releasing the funds would strengthen local governance and enable the councils to address pressing developmental challenges confronting their communities.
The association appealed to the President to act in the interest of Osun residents and ensure that the financial resources due to the local governments were made available for grassroots development.
