The one year record of Governor Ademola Adeleke far outshined and outpaced the lackluster performance of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola in four years, Spokesperson to Governor Adeleke, Mallam Olawale Rasheed has declared.
He affirmed that Governor Adeleke by any impartial assessment, has justified the confidence reposed in him by the Osun electorate who massively booted Mr Oyetola out of office using their ballot papers on July 16, 2022.
“As Osun people in a democratic process voted Governor Adeleke into office, it is a misnomer and a busybody venture to accuse an eminent Osun citizen and a global business icon , Dr Deji Adeleke of imposing his brother in an election that stands out as a model in Nigeria’s electoral victory. Is it a crime for Dr Deji Adeleke to support his brother’s political ambition in line with the constitutional right to vote and be voted for?
“Every Osun voter and citizen who actively supported and ensured electoral victory of Governor Adeleke are today happy to see the positive turn of events in the state, leaving only sore losers of July 2022 elections as classless wailers. An APC friend called me this Monday and said ” Demola has done so well but we will continue to attack him”. His reason- politics and partisanship
Responding to a statement credited to Ismail Omipidan, a former aide to Mr Oyetola, the Governor’s spokesperson described Omipidan’s statements as a compendium of lies and baseless assertions without any foundation in reality of today’s Osun state and a futile attempt to deny the self-evident sterling performance of Governor Adeleke in the last one year.
“No matter how painful it is to some people,including Omipidan, the last one year witnessed verifiable evidence and manifestation of democratic dividends across the sectors which conscientious members of the opposition defied politics to affirm and which non-partisan members of the public endorsed.
“If Omipidan is doubting that Governor Adeleke has surpassed expectations as well as his boss’s performance in one year, let’s ask him if Oyetola constructed 90 kilometers of road as Adeleke did under one year? Or is it not true that Oyetola was only able to commission a maternity centre during his one year anniversary?
“If Omipidan thinks appointing a transition committee implies a lack of governance agenda, ask him if Governor Adeleke’s five point agenda was not unveiled before and during the governorship elections. Or is the five point agenda till date not the governing ideology of the state government?
“When the former press aide questioned what investors has been to Osun or which investor the Governor has traveled to meet, tell him to come to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and read the list of investors interested in the free trade zone, tourism creative industry, agro-processing, mining processing and revitalisation of Osun airport among others.
“What law has the Governor broken by taking a break a year after assuming office? What is wrong in briefing the public about a Governor’s itineraries? If anybody is interested in investment inflow into Osun, why jump ship? Why not wait for usual annual returns?
“If the Ila man questioned Governor’s delivery on his electoral promises, ask him what best way to deliver on electoral promises than constructing 90 kilometers of road, creating medical surgeries and access benefiting over 50,000 residents, enrolling 23,000 pensioners in health insurance, completely reconstructing 31 schools under a year, rehabilitating four out of 10 small towns water schemes, drilling 332 boreholes, continuous rehabilitation of four major water works and more, all under a year?
“If Mr Omioidan still insists that Adeleke’s government is fraudulent, dare him to go to contributory pensioners and abuse Governor Adeleke. They will tutor him that under a year Adeleke paid five months arrears while Oyetola under four years paid only two months.
“He should go to John Mackay area in Osogbo, and tell them Adeleke did not build that almost three kilometer road and reconstructed the dilapidated school there. He will be lucky if he is not mobbed.
“Even when Oyetola left Osun with close to 90 percent infrastructure deficit now being fixed by Governor Adeleke, sore losers take ongoing construction of Osogbo ring road as final work and assumed others are like them who manipulated and violated procurement process as attested to by an investigative report of a media institute into a fake but fully paid for borehole project awarded by the Oyetola administration.
“When he mentioned state of insecurity, ask him to stop quoting false statistics, remind him security agencies are under the control of the Federal Government and that Osun is gradually getting rid of the elevation of thuggery to state assets as witnessed during APC reign in the state.
“As Mr Omipidan questioned the digital economy agenda in Osun state, let’s ask him if Osun under Oyetola had an ICT policy, Tech Innovation policy and a Startup bill? Today, Osun has a State ICT Policy, a Tech Innovation Policy and draft bill to domesticate Nigeria’s Startup Act.
“Is he aware of the Broadband Fiber Optic project? Ask him to look for those red,yellow and blue cords being laid along roads in Osun state. Those are broadband materials to deepen internet penetration in Osun.
“If the Ila man continues to assert that the Governor has no capacity, question him about the multi billion naira infrastructure plan just unveiled by Mr Governor. Such an ambitious, thoughtful and acclaimed programme is a product of an ingenious leader of Adeleke calibre.
“When he raised false claims over non-upward reviews of workers’ salaries, let’s ask him why Oyetola refused to pay the pension and half salary debt now being shouldered by the current government. Why did the past government not cash backed promotion arrears? Why did the former Governor bastardized the public service, destroying the careers of thousands?
“Failure in governance is simply a lack of capacity to deliver good governance to the citizenry. Oyetola failed in several areas where Adeleke succeeded as I listed above. Above are facts for fact checking as Governor Adeleke will say.
“No level of polemics, rhetorics, excuses and buck passing can cover up or rewrite that lackluster Osun state leadership of between 2018 to 2022, a tenure built on the stolen mandate of 2018”, the Spokesperson noted in the statement.
