Members of the Campaign for the Defence of Human Rights who staged a public protest against corruption in Osogbo, the Osun State capital on Wednesday, stopped the convoy of Governor Rauf Aregbesola on his way to the office.
Our correspondent observed that members of the CDHR, who were marching against corruption in the public sector, had blocked one of the lanes of the Gbongan-Ibadan Expressway while they were being watched by security officials.
The governor’s convoy met members of the CDHR in front of the Federal High Court but the group, armed with anti-corruption banners and leaflets, initially did not give way to the convoy until the policemen in the pilot vehicles came down and dispersed the protesters.
The protesters said the amount of money looted from the public treasury was enough to provide first- class infrastructure all over the country. They lamented the hardship and endemic corruption which Nigeria had been plunged into.
The Chairman of the CDHR in Osun State, Mr. Akin Asifat, said corruption was responsible for the current economic crisis the nation was facing.
The governor later received members of the CDHR, who dropped their letter with him at the Governor’s Office.
Aregbesola commended them for their efforts against human rights abuses, saying many Nigerians had benefited from their efforts.
He said, “As we are condemning corruption, so must we speak against low productivity, corruption is a scourge that must be stopped and low productivity is a curse that must be rejected.”
The governor urged them to continue to support the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.