Ondo: Disable People Protest Unfair Treatment by their Leaders
By Olusegun HOSEA. 24th June, 2024.
The people living with the disability , Ondo State Chapter has protested to the office of Mr Governor His Excellency Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa for unfair treatment received from their leader Princess Folasade Arise, who is the Chairman of the people living with the Disability Agency.
According to the letter of complaint written to the Governor Aiyedatiwa dated 23rd May, 2024 by this group which was jointly signed by the Chairman for Elders Forum, Mr Micheal Ben and the Secretary Mr Victor Oluyemi, which was made available to the Exponent Magazine News complained and alleged that they had been experiencing a lot of unfair treatment under the leadership of Princess Folasade Arise. Part of the allegations or accusations was manipulating of funds and resources meant for the benefit of people living with disabilities, Deceitful tactics to silence and intimidate critics and whistle blowers . Other allegation include neglect of duties, leading to a lack of progress and improvement in the lives of people living with disabilities.
Speaking further , the group said they are protesting because the chairman didn’t carry the people living with physically challenge along and that they don’t want her in that position again. Also , the group explained that the chairman had been missed used fund they gave to her for the development of the physically challenged . He said the money ranging from N60000 to N100000 respectfully.
The group alleged the Chairman that for the past seven years she had been in office, all the money government had been given to her to give to physically challenged people especially the blind people had not been released to them and that was why they are protesting that she should be removed and that they would not vote if she is not removed.
According to the Gideon Joseph, who is the State coordinator of disable APC Elders Forum said the governor said he would called them between 72 hours to attend to their grievances as addressed them by one S.A to Mr Governor on political matter Mr Smart ( He forgot his surname), Mr Fadairo Denis among others that addressed them.
Response from Hon. Folasade Arise
When contacted the Chairman or Chairperson Folasade Arise denied the group to be their members as she only knew only two people among the members . She said the groups are trying to discredit her leadership.
Hon. Folasade Arise and her group
In her response “ I don’t know them. I have never done anything like project relating to disability programs this year due to paucity of fund. If they come to me for any assistance I will attend to them. In fact there was a time they wrote letter for financial assistance and the letter has been sent to the commissioner for finance for proper treatment and I am not the commissioner that would attend to the letter”
Similarly, she said when she was serving as S A. to the former Governor Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu-SAN CON (Of blessed Memory) on disability ,the late governor gave them some employment slots of which her leadership was able to employed 38 people living with disabilities in the state then .
While speaking, Hon Folasade Arise who is board chairman of people living with disabilities in the state explained that “she was called this morning that five of the people living with disabilities were protesting against me which I didn’t know my offense and they have never given me any letter of notification that shows this is my offence. And that I want to tell you about what I have done in office and that is why you see me with file and pictures here” .
She said the Delta for people living with disabilities in Ondo State has been giving their money under her leadership immediately she assumed office.
Also, Hon Folasade Arise said she normally give them the subvention approved by the late Governor Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu-SAN CON for their association as she often give out the money to them anytime government gave them money like 2.5million naira .
Folasade who used the medium to roll out her achievements while she is in office to her followers that she had took them for a programme in Abuja and other sports activities programs organised by the association.
While responding to the allegations again Folasade said “I don’t know them. I don’t know them. They were just five in numbers. She said most of them write letters for financial assistance to her and that most of their letters are with the commissioner of finance.”
She said she always sent text messages to the commissioner for finance as a reminder to their cases. She said since the beginning of this year to this day she had never done anything that concerns the disability programs in the state .
She explained that she was not relenting her efforts of helping her people to get some assistance from the government as she had met with the Governor and that Mr Governor Aiyedatiwa promised her that he would do something with her brief for her group and that they should just have patients.
Accompany here were comrade Abiodun Olusegun, the Chairman of Joint Association of Ondo State disability, Mr Asafini, Oketubi Ayokanmi- Corpers and Mr Ahmed.
