Shittu spoke in Osogbo on Monday at an event organised by a group, the Committee for Democracy and Rights of the People, in commemoration of the annulment of the June 12 presidential election.
The rights activist, who is the president of the group, alleged that civil servants have turned June 12 celebrations into an avenue to make money by refusing to release funds, most times given by the Osun State Government to civil society groups to hold events in commemoration of the day.
He demanded an immediate end to the government’s funding of June 12 anniversary celebrations in the state to end the corruption associated with the exercise.
He also advised the president, Bola Tinubu, to remain steadfast in the pursuit of a just and egalitarian society, being the main agenda of late Bashorun Moshood Abiola, the winner of the June 12 Presidential Election, which endeared him to the generality of Nigerians that voted for him as president.
He called on Nigerians to keep the spirit of the June 12 presidential poll alive by keeping a close watch on the people in power, and by being responsible citizens through their support to the government to achieve success.
He said, “I have been fighting against the commercialisation of the June 12 anniversary. The government and civil servants don’t have anything to do with June 12 celebrations and should not be providing funds for such.
“We have been organising June 12 anniversary since 1993 without taking money from anybody. It was when former governor, Rauf Aregbesola came that they started commercialising June 12 anniversary celebrations, by giving money to civil servants to disburse to the organisers.
“Millions of naira will be approved, but the civil servants will not give the money to the organisers. They will circumvent the money. This is corruption and all of us must rise against it.
“The government, especially the Osun state government, must stop financing June 12 anniversary celebrations. It is wrong. It is corruption. They will approve a large sum of money while the organisers will be given a meagre sum.
“If we call for the probe of the account of June 12 anniversary celebrations in Nigeria, a lot of people will go to prison. The civil servants should know that they don’t have any business with June 12 and it should not be an avenue for them to steal public funds.”
