Owo Terror Victims: Institutions Ignore Oyo Govt.’s Half-Mast Directive

Following the last week’s terror attack on worshippers at Saint Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, the Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde has declared three-day mourning with the national flags in the state flown at half-mast.

The directive was sequel to the resolution of southwest Governors at a virtual meeting held on the 10th of June that flags be flown at half-mast to honour those who lost their lives in the Owo attack.

However, our correspondent who monitored the level of compliance with the directive observed that most financial institutions and federal agencies with national flags did not lower the flag within their premises.

At the U.I., Mokola and Agodi areas of Ibadan, our correspondent saw that even faded and torn flags were flying high.

The announcement came after the Federal government had declared a public holiday to commemorate Democracy Day on June 12 and was issued during the weekend when most of the institutions had closed.

The situation was however different at the Governor’s Office, Secretariat where the flag was flying at half-mast.

Similarly, the directive of the Oyo State Government that flags should be flown at half-mast to continue mourning the victims of last week’s Owo Catholic church attack is yet to be complied with in Oyo town.

Radio Nigeria correspondent in Oyo town, who monitored the level of compliance, reports that most institutions have poles but no flags on them while others had tattered flags flying full mast.

Mostly affected institutions are local government councils, police stations, banks, and schools located in Atiba and Oyo West Local Government areas.

Meanwhile, some indigenes of Ondo State residing in Oyo town want state governors in the Southwest region to wake up to the realities of new dimension insecurity through proactive synergy.

They cautioned against treating security tips from people with levity, saying every information is worth investigating this time around to avoid a repeat of the Owo sad incident.

Rotimi Famakin/Kayode Oguntona