By Sarafa Ibrahim
For a very long time, I have heard people talk about the tough job faced by indolent minds. But I can confirm it now after reading a piece authored by one Waheed Adekunle, in an apparent effort to twist the fact on the monumental progress that Osun state has recorded in the last three years under Governor Ademola Adeleke.
I give it to Waheed Adekunle, he did everything to paint a picture of gloom under Governor Adeleke, but the mistake he made was failing to recognise that the progress Osun state has made in the last three years are not just abstract as it was the experience under the past All Progressives Congress (APC) administration but visible things that the people could see and hold on to. It is even laughable, to say the least, that Waheed Adekunle, in his his ridiculous effort to downplay the significant turnaround that Osun has seen in three years, unconsciously assumed the role of the chief marketer of Governor Adeleke, highlighting some of the critical infrastructures that his administration has built.
To be frank, only those who have blocked their minds to the truth will contest the tremendous impacts that the Adeleke administration has had on Osun in three years. Contrary to the impression that Adekunle and his cohort have struggled to sell, Osun state has experienced remarkable turnaround under Governor Adeleke in three years. And you don’t have to look too far to see this.
Let’s start with the welfare of workers and pensioners. Before Governor Adeleke assumed office, hopelessness and uncertainty pervades workers and pensioners in the state. Career progression for active workers was a mirage and even when the Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola administration pretended to be interested, what it did was give a false hope as captured with the ‘audio promotion’ given to workers as the financial benefits was missing. It took the coming of Governor Adeleke to right the wrong by implementing the financial benefits of the promotion given to the workers as well as cash-backing it. By all measures, that is a progress and civil servants who are the beneficiaries always acknowledge it.
Beyond this, the Adeleke administration has seen to the payment of the half salary owed workers by the APC administration. Interestingly, the administration which Waheed Adekunle served in failed to pay any part of it through out its four years. To crown it all, Governor Adeleke implemented one of the best table for minimum wage in Nigeria, representing as much as 150% increase in wage of the lowest workers.
The story is not any different for pensioners, who has seen significant changes in the welfare under Governor Adeleke. Just like the active workers, Governor Adeleke ensured the payment of half salary owed pensioners, with most unbonded pensioners receiving their months of owed wages in full. In three years, Governor Adeleke has expended more than N50 billion on pension benefits, money that is far more than what was spent by the previous governments, including the one that Adekunle was a part of in 12 years. For context, while a total of 2,137 pensioners received bonds in the twelve years of the successive APC administrations, a total of 2,401 pensioners has gotten their bonds under Governor Adeleke in three years.
Obviously, Governor Adeleke outclassed the APC’s 12 years in just three years in terms of pensioners benefit. In addition to this, Governor Adeleke provided an expansive healthcare coverage for every pensioner in Osun state, shouldering the burden of managing their health at old age. It is worthy to note that Osun is the first state in the whole of Nigeria to embark on such expansive healthcare cover for senior citizens, easing not just their worries but ensuring that they are no longer lost to avoidable death due to inability to fund their healthcare.
In three years, Governor Adeleke has transformed the physical outlook of Osun state, building new roads and maintaining existing ones to connect not just communities but power businesses by enhancing accessibility. This much was acknowledged by Waheed Adekunle in his piece, although he veered off from this plain truth with his mundane critique of the cost of the projects.
It is a common knowledge that government, anywhere, relies on public fund to execute programmes and development initiatives. So, bandying figures, either real or fictitious, is a narrow understanding of what governance entails. Because what actually matters to the people is the fund held on their behalfactually serves them, not the pedestrian analogy that Waheed Adekunle entertain always . And, in the case of Osun, everyone can see and tell what Governor Adeleke is using the fund received on their behalf for, unlike the experience under the APC administration.
For instance, the Oyetola administration accessed a staggering ₦417 billion in four years (2019: ₦101.18bn, 2020: ₦99.01bn, 2021: ₦91.16bn, 2022: ₦126.48bn). This is aside the hundreds of billions of local governments allocation, which was literally managed by that administration then. By all indication, ₦417bn was a whole lot of money, especially at the time it was received. At a rate of a dollar to N420, the ₦417bn was worth $992,857,142.85 and if compared to N508.03bn (which amount to $349,161,512.03, at an exchange rate of ₦1450 to a dollar), that is the estimated receipt by Governor Adeleke in three years, it is glaring that Oyetola administration had more resources than the Adeleke administration.
It is quite obvious that Waheed Adekunle doesn’t understand the concept of money. Contrary to his ludicrous position, money is about value, not the volume or quantity, which appears to be the fixation of Waheed Adekunle and his cohort. While I’m sure Waheed Adekunle will struggle so hard to tell or show any tangible thing that public fund that was available to the Oyetola administration was used for, the arrays of deliveries under Governor Adeleke is well known to the Osun people.
In Oke-Fia, Osogbo, the Adeleke administration has delivered a first of its kind 10-span dual lane flyover, which connects a 2.2 kilometres dual carriageway Old Garage-Lameco also built by it while a four span bridge at Lameco is also under construction. The 10.5 kilometres Osogbo-Ikirun-Ila Odo-Kwara boundary road abandoned by the Waheed Adekunle’s government has been completed by Governor Adeleke and serving the people while the third phase of the road that will pass through Inisa is ongoing as we speak.
In Ede, Governor Adeleke has constructed the first dual carriageway for the town while another first dual carriageway in Ilesa is at the verge of completion. In Ile-Ife, the cradle of Yoruba existence, Governor Adeleke is building the first flyover in Lagere just as the administration is building the first dual carriageway in Iwo and Ila Orangun as we speak. In all, Governor Adeleke has built over 300km roads in Osun state, spreading across communities, towns, local governments, in three years. It is therefore lame and corrosive on the part of Waheed Adekunle to assert that the Adeleke administration has nothing to show for the time he has been in office.
In education, Governor Adeleke has invested resources into upgrading the infrastructures of public schools to make them conducive for learning. Before his assumption of office, public school buildings were in hopeless situation with broken classrooms and lack of furnitures, putting the life of students and teachers in jeopardy. So far, a total of 631 classrooms with offices in 125 basic schools has been rehabilitated while 323 new classrooms with offices, hall and laboratories in 96 basic schools have been built. Other infrastructures provided in schools across Osun in two years included thirty-nine new six-holes squatting toilets in 39 basic schools, forty-one boreholes with reticulations in 41 basic schools, thirty motorized deep well water with reticulation and the construction of 30 perimeter fences with metal gate in 30 basic schools. Construction and rehabilitation of schools and related infrastructure in primary and junior schools across the 30 local governments in the state and the area office while the upgrade of EMIS (Educational Management Information System) units in the 31 LGEAs with new laptops and new printers each for effective data collection and data processing for real time school data and information management.
Healthcare delivery as gotten better under Governor Adeleke. Prior to his assumption of office, healthcare service delivery was at its lowest web, denying the people needed healthcare. In the short term, Governor Adeleke initiated the Imole Surgical and Medical Outreach to provide immediate reprieve to the people suffering various health challenges. The medical intervention took place in each of the nine (9) federal constituencies in the state, rendering free surgeries for cataracts, Pterigium, Hernia and some swellings on the body as well as other medical conditions like hypertension, diabetes, malaria, cough, tuberculosis, and other diseases. No fewer than 50,000 residents of the state has benefited from this initiative, contributing significantly to a healthy population.
On the long term, Governor Adeleke embarked on the rehabilitation of 345 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in the state. The intervention, which is ongoing has delivered at least, 200 rehabilitated PHCs with the installation of a 24/7 power source and water facility, and the balance of 145 PHCs are undergoing rehabilitation. Regular distribution of drugs to the primary healthcare centres in Osun State is a common feature under the Adeleke administration in the 31 months, making it possible for patients to get drugs for basic ailment in health facilities across the state.
On human development, Governor Adeleke has done exceptionally well, reviving hopes and dreams with tangible supports. Under Governor Adeleke, no fewer than N4 billion was set aside to rejuvenate cooperative societies, which the misgovernance that Adebayo Adeleke was a part of nearly drained life of them. Cooperative societies in each of the 332 political wards were provided funding just as established cooperative bodies have received monetary support to provide capitals for their members. Last year, Governor Adeleke recruited 10,000 Imole Corps and each receive a stipend of N30,000– an upward that is more than twice what OYES received under the APC government. Even more, the Adeleke administration employed more than 1,500 Amotekun to reinforce security of the state.
Within three years, Governor Adeleke breath life to the agricultural sector in state, which had gone moribund owing to the neglect by the past APC administrations. 31 new tractors with full implements were procured and distributed to the nine federal constituencies to aid farmers in their operations. Through the Osun CARES RA2, a total of 8,060 farmers has received agricultural inputs and services, out of which 3,972 were females and 4,088 were males. The inputs distributed consists of improved seed varieties, fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides among others. At least, 80,000 hybrid cashew seedlings were raised and distributed to Osun farmers just as poultry farmers were empowered with several millions of naira through Osun Broiler Outgrowers Production Scheme.
By and large, Osun state has made remarkable progress on all fronts and the people, who are the ultimate beneficiaries have been consistent in acknowledging this reality. Only those averse to reality, like Waheed Adekunle, have chosen to fight the truth with brazen lies and progress with the illusion of failure. From infrastructure to welfare, health to education, agriculture to environment safety, Governor Adeleke has transformed Osun state to be a model of good governance, meeting past dispairs with hope and expectations with better service deliveries.
And, on the unfortunate situation of the local governments in the state, Waheed Adekunle is as usual, insincere. Every facts on ground points to an undisputable truth– Osun APC and their Abuja collaborators defied every known legal basis to try and force itself on the people through the manipulation of federal machineries. Contrary to the narrative of Waheed Adekunle, Governor showed extreme restraint, exploring the law to route of the illegality of the APC. The matter is pending before the Supreme Court for judgement and in the midst of the legal tussle, Governor Adeleke has been shouldering the payment of salaries of local governments workers, primary school teachers and primary healthcare workers, which the APC orchestrated crisis, was targeted to punish.
Democracy is about the people and Osun APC must bring itself to accept this salient truth. Osun state under Governor Adeleke has made so much progress and contrary to the false impression of people like Abegunde Oladipupo, he’s alleviating the untold hardships of the people caused by the misgovernance of the past administration. Salaries are paid as at when due while the half salary owed by Waheee Adekunle’s party were being paid by Governor Adeleke. Infrastructural renewal in Osun state under Governor Adeleke is unprecedented and that has warmed him deeply into the hearts of the people.
- Sarafa Ibrahim is a Special Assistant to the Osun State Governor
