By Mallam Olawale Rasheed
Former Commissioner for Local Government under Mr Gboyega Oyetola went on Fresh FM yesterday to spew his usual lies and leveled unsubstantiated allegations against state government leaders amidst failure of the anchor and the station’s management to practice and enforce journalistic professionalism and the Broadcasting code as approved by the National Broadcasting Commission(NBC).
Instead of pushing for sanction against the station through NBC especially for forbidding balancing and fairness among others, it is important to dispel the lies from a former Commissioner reputed for his twisting of facts, his glorification of falsehood and his constantly and shamelessly insulting the intelligence of the well educated Osun people.
The premises for setting the records straight are as follows:
● The main essence of government is to impact positively and consistently on the people;
● Delivering on good governance is compulsory for any truly pro-people government;
● Rule of law, Fairness, Due Process and fear of God rule the Adeleke administration;
● Selfless service is the watchword of the state leadership as the Governor hails from an evidently blessed family;
● Current government deploys state assets and resources to GENUINELY serve the people, not some interests whose sole objective is to milk the state dry as the past reflected;
● The Adeleke administration completes abandoned and uncompleted projects as a sacred state duty, not for political considerations;
● The Adeleke administration earns people’s trust and confidence because of its transparency, programme delivery and accountability in governance.
Having laid the above premises, below are the truths in response to the fiction and fables spouted put from a delusional source:
1.Discrepancy in financial management: Management of state resources has never been more transparent in Osun than what we have currently. The current government reformed the financial system and threw out many Oyetola consultants who even got paid more than the state in their unproductive consulting activities. The state leadership plugs all loopholes and ensures the state fund is not hoarded in Lagos but deployed through a mixture of direct labour and well structured procurement process in service of the people. Osun will never go back to the era of opaque financial management which deprived the state of needed resources and opportunities.
- Salary, pension/half salary et al: Banik’s statement on the issue of salaries and half salaries reconfirmed the wickedness of the Oyetola administration on workers’ welfare. For those four years, workers suffered hell and what Banik’s postulation suggested was that it was deliberate. Governor Adeleke is not only paying salaries but also clearing half salary and pension debt which Oyetola refused to touch for four years. The Governor has also ensured the payment cooperative deduction from worker’s salary which Oyetola left unpaid. He has cash backed backlog of promotions he inherited which Banik is trying to deny. He has reformed the service by conducting and effecting promotion of civil servants who are due for promotions. Banik cannot wash away the evil legacy of Oyetola on workers welfare.
- Alleged Misappropriation of N7 Billion for road infrastructures: Banik was largely defamatory in his outburst but we will educate him out of his politically induced misrepresentation of facts. First, the said fund was expressly described as “infrastructure intervention” when the disbursement was announced. It was meant to support state infrastructure, not for sharing as Banik alleged. Secondly, the money was part of trillions of naira owed the state’s from Federation Account Allocation. Three, Mr Governor did not embezzle the fund as was the practice in the past, especially under the administration that Banik was an integral part of, but created a dedicated project account alongside other funds meant for bridging the huge infra deficit inherited from the Oyetola administration. Banik was unhappy that our roads and bridges are been fixed but would prefer the money being squandered as was their style in the past.
- N100 billion infra plan: false to assert that N25 billion was allocated to only Ede out of N100 billion. It is also false to declare that Ede has 12 or so roads. They are all concoctions of Banik to underplay the giant strides of the current government. The truth is that the infra plan is indeed multi-billion naira far above N100 billion. Secondly, the dualisation of roads at Ede are both fresh construction. Three, Ede like other towns benefited from the state local government joint projects from which the 30 local governments are beneficiaries. The road dualisation was one per Senatorial district namely Ede/Egbedore for Osun West, Osogbo for Central and Ilesa for Eastern Senatorial district. The overhead bridges and bridge bypass were also according to Senatorial districts namely Ile Ife for East, Owode for West and Ikirun and Osogbo for Central. Osogbo has two for its special status as the state capital. The West has the additional ongoing work on Iwo- Osogbo road which has economic and political significance for the three local governments making up the Iwo Zone. Let’s add that the current infra plan is phase one as another plan will be unfolded by midterm which will further expand the infrastructure expansion of our dear State.
Banik should be ashamed of the records of Mr Oyetola who left Osun with a 90 percent infrastructure deficit as confirmed by several reputable rating groups.
- Slow Work on Infrastructure: Banik claimed Ede road work started February 2023. This is a lie from the pit of hell. Let us educate the rabble rouser. Governor Adeleke had a 100 days programme which involved road and bridges rehabilitation and construction as well as water and school upgrades. The said Ede road was only given palliative work then to make it motorable as it had turned badly and construction actually began after the announcement of the infra plan late last year when the decision of dualisation was taken. Banik should know that the infra plan was announced in October 2023 but implementation began in December 2023 and so, it will be December 2024 before the project will be a year contrary to his lies. Even at that, the contractors across the infra plan are working to beat the deadline and even deliver before then. Osun people should note that Governor Adeleke is delivering despite the over 1000 percent increment in the cost of construction materials.
- Reactive or Proactive Governance: First, Governor Adeleke has been exceptionally proactive. At the same time, this is a listening government. Mr Governor accepts representation from various groups as a democrat. He operates within his five point agenda and focuses on delivering and serving the public interest. Mr Governor is a leader of deep thoughts, with an agenda and strategies for getting to the destination. But who will take advice from the failed squad of yesterday?
- Favoritism towards Ede: Data don’t lie. The cabinet and top appointments are evenly spread. Ijesaland has top commissioners– six in all with strong portfolios. His Royal Majesty, Owa Obokun of Ijesahalnd openly attested to the love of the Governor for Ijesa people. The first major water project contract of over a billion naira approved by the state executive council is that of Oke-Ila water works abandoned by Mr Oyetola throughout his tenure. Is Igbomina area part of Ede? The Governor also completed the Ikirun -Osogbo dualisation in record time. Is Ikirun part of Ede? Three bridges at Iwo, Ile Ife and Gbongan collapsed during Oyetola’s tenure and they remained abandoned until after his tenure. Today, Governor Adeleke had rebuilt those bridges. The royal father of Gbongon is eager to visit Mr Governor on a thank you visit. Governor Adeleke must have hailed from Adeeke area of Iwo. Mr Oyetola played politics with the University of Ilesa and delivered an audio tertiary institution to the Ijesa people. An Ede man came on the scene and commenced genuine work and today University of Ilesa is a reality with funding and an Ijesaman as a Vice Chancellor. Prof Taiwo Asaolu Olufemi is from Oke Gada, Ede.
- Companies handling Infra Projects: Firstly, the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke complied with all applicable and extant laws in the design and awards of the infra projects. No procurement law was violated and due diligence was done. Secondly, the companies are performing and the state is monitoring to ensure delivery. Thirdly, the companies are adopting local resources and local content. And more importantly, they are delivering quality jobs and the state is focused on quality control within an overall framework of monitoring and Evaluation. Banik’s real headache is that the opposition plan to stop the infra plan has failed. And on the cost of projects and roads, the best of experts even from the opposition acknowledged the correctness of Osun project costs within the context of national and global inflation rates. Maybe Banik should go and take a tutorial from the Minister of Works on valuation and costing of road projects.
- Extension of Service: Banik and his boss, Mr Oyetola extended the tenure of Mr Olowogboyega as Head of Service. Mr President just extended the tenure of Service of an FCTA Service chief. Is it illegal? No. Is it within their constitutional power? Yes. Does the constitution supersede public service regulations? Yes.
- On Monarchs’ Appointment: The administration has consistently complied with the law, hence there is peace since the implementation of the white paper on Iree, Igbajo and Ikirun chieftaincy matters. The government will continue to abide by the rules, custom and the law governing chieftaincy matters.
- Cybercrime laws: Governor Adeleke is a leader committed to due process , free speech as well as observance of all laws, both state and federal. The cyber crime law is a federal legislation which Mr Oyetola used extensively during his rule and which Governor Adeleke has never for once applied since he assumed office. To show Banik hypocrisy, Messrs Saheed and Ropo, two victims of Oyetola’s administration application of the Cybercrime laws will suffice. Or, Banik will feign unaware or he is just showing his trade in lying and twisting fact as usual.
And more importantly, the said law is being applied severally at federal and state levels. Yet Mr Governor insists on jealously guarding freedom of speech and fundamental human rights, all within the rule of law. So how come Banik did not campaign against the said law when his boss was applying it? What exactly does the law say? That if you called somebody a thief, you should be ready to show proof of the allegations. Does that not make sense or people should defame and assassinate characters without consequences?
- Action Committee on Sexual Violence Against Women: Banik is behind news. Let’s enlighten him. The Governor’s Forum in February adopted a resolution for states to set up committees and mobile courts on the subject. Banik is bitter that Osun is the first state to act on the resolution. Why is Banik so opposed to our womenfolk?
- Contract and Assets Recovery Committee’s report: Banik should not worry. The administration is a due process one. All diverted state assets will be recovered. The Committee is working. Banik and his people should just take note.
- Increase in state allocation: Report of increase in state earning should be a source of joy for Osun people including the opposition. When Mr Governor announced a multi-billion naira infra plan in December, even the opposition questioned where the fund will come from. Mr Governor designed a programme of spending even when the resources were not available. So when we had the resources, the state already had a plan of spending. The infra plan is a thoughtful agenda which confirmed Mr Governor’s preparedness for leadership.
- Associated issues: Imole Youth Corps is due for unveiling soon. It has better features and now serves as a transition job for participants. On O-Meal, Banik is ignorant of the programme being a federal one with the state as an implementing partner. The Federal Government suspended the programme due to a corruption probe and the state is using that gap to reform the inherited system to make it more functional.
- Osun is on auto-pilot: Banik and Ajibola Bashiru’s parroting alleged refrain of Osun on auto pilot misconstrued the real meaning of a democratic system of government. In a democracy, the President and the Governor are not autocratic, they hold and exercise power in trust and must govern through a consultative system which is the essence of democracy. Democratic government statutorily assigned responsibilities. The job of Mr President or a Governor is to ensure that the system works within the framework of his vision and agenda, like the five point agenda. If Mr Oyetola acted otherwise, Banik and Bashiru should not expect the same style from Governor Adeleke. Some old comrades have forgotten what democracy means due to pains of electoral loss. Governor Adeleke is a firm leader but with deep understanding of democratic system and workings Osun is not on auto-pilot, hence the many progress and achievements. Osun voted for a democrat and voted out a little tyrant. Today, Osun is a haven of democratic governance amidst delivery of good governance acknowledged at home and abroad.
FINAL NOTE
It is good to conclude on this note that the Adeleke administration is indeed fully prepared for fact based debate and engagement with the opposition.We only plead that fake news should not be the basis of interaction. Osun people expect both the government and the opposition to stick to fact based arguments.
No amount of distortion of reality can change the fact of incredible progress Osun state is recording under Governor Ademola Adeleke. We invite the opposition to be part of this success story. After all, this is our common state. We are all stakeholders.
● Mallam Olawale Rasheed is the Spokesperson/Special Adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke
