OPINION: Osun 2014 – One Good Term Deserves Another By Yinka Ishola
The State of Osun under His Excellency Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola can be liken in this manner as a leader who turn the socio-economic and political landscape of the state for the greater good of the people. This has shown to Osun indigenes and Nigerians in general that, governance is not “abracadabra” but a systemic reality of developmental drive which places the present administration as best performing government across the country. The giant strides of Ogbeni’s government in Infrastructures, Environment, Healthcare, Education, Rural/Urban development, Agriculture and Security has placed the State of Osun as an emerging new order among the comity of states subject to preparedness, consistency and determination by Ogbeni.
The disgruntled of the Osun indigenes over the failure of immediate past government of PDP is imminent, having so much accrued to them but little or nothing could be seeing on ground. More than 7 years of wilderness-like experience the state went through during this period and its dwindling effects, had help to see governance at its best in just 3 years of the Ogbeni”s administration. They lavishly spent state resources on self-serving projects which cumulated in alarming infrastructural deficit until Ogbeni came to ameliorate the state. In 3 years of purposeful governance, Osun indigenes both home/abroad had witness unprecedented positive change in the state especially in education.
From the beginning of civilisation until now education has been the major propellant behind man’s voyage in all spheres of life. We all can testify to the spectacular jump in human knowledge and its applications particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries. No doubt, the future will continue to bring about new challenges and demand for higher levels of exertion as we endlessly struggles to convert the unknown into the known. This struggle is the basis on which we understand our world and our universe.
The rottenness witnessed in the sector before the emergence of present administration was an horrendous experience. But Ogbeni, through his doggedness approach to developmental drive set-up all involved stakeholders summit in education at the beginning of his administration to bring about solution to the rottenness experienced in the sector in line with great Awo’s tenets and to improve substantially the standard of education in the state.
In few years back, I was opportune to have my post primary education in one of the town in the state. Thanks to my parent who felt we all should not be left as an abroad Osun indigene but decided to send me home for my schooling. I was enrolled into Community Grammar School, Bode-Osi, in present day Olaoluwa LGA as J.S.S 1 student, since my grand parent stays not too far from the school town, whose assignment was to effectively monitor me while there. I did excellently at the school, even though the inadequacy of facilities was a prevailing practice then, but through hardwork and discipline, much desirous achievements was made. After my graduation and thereafter proceeded to the University, this time around in another state. I did not return to the state until early last year.
At my returned and subsequent visit to the Olaoluwa LGA, I found out that the council had been greatly developed. Curiously desire to know who brought this change to be, I visited my former school and found out a lot had happened just in the space of 17years but good to note that, the change seeing now is mostly achieved by the present administration whose love and investment in education is unparalleled. I remembered in those period, there were no enough classrooms, laboratory equipments, hi-tech Library, educational materials and adequate and qualified personnel but all those have become a thing of past now.
Comparative analysis of educational policies at the time I schooled there and now had shown that under the leadership of Ogbeni, education had received boost as educational materials are package into Tablet of Knowledge popularly known as “IPON IMO”, and shared among the students, the first of its type across the country. Building of over 25 new middle and high schools and reclassification of same across the state for effective development of age-grade levels of education. Free meal for the pupil’s at primary schools for brain alertness and nutritional value to increase their productivity. Also free fees and uniform for the entire primary and post primary education, especially payment of senior secondary examination fees. The government of Ogbeni has taken education sector in the state of Osun to an enviable one in which educational survey has taken the state from 34th ranking in the federation to the 8th position in 2012 and presently awaiting the 2013 ranking which must have taken the state to 1st position.
There is a saying that, “doing same thing, same way will ultimately bring same result. In order to stop things being done same way necessitated the need for reclassification of schools across the state, which had hitherto raised dust in some quarters believe to be politically motivated since is a season of election. But if the truth must be told, this policy is a positive one with utmost good intension by the government, to indemnify the future of education in the state and urges positive minded people to allow it run accordingly. Since, we all agreed that what we had in the sector before was an absurd rottenness, with infrastructural decadence across the state and inadequate personnel, thereby requiring holistic approach to salvage the system.
Today’s government has not only achieved landmarks in education sector but has also done remarkably well in the healthcare development across the state. It is absolute stands that, an healthy state is a state with future, under the watch of the Ogbeni, healthcare services have greatly improved as many healthcare facilities were built across the entire Local Government Areas in the state and with state of-the art equipments in place.
My testimony to this fact thus, sometimes in May 2013, I was involved in a road accident along Ibadan/Lagos expressway and was rushed to a nearby hospital in Sagamu but was later transferred to LAUTEC Teaching Hospital at Oshogbo, which is jointly owned by Osun and Oyo government. While at the hospital in orthopedic ward, I learnt and saw great need to have state of-the art equipments across our hospitals because if it had not been what was on ground at the hospital in terms of human and equipments prowess, I may probably not have had priviledge to once again pen down my thoughts about the happenings around us. Though the hospital is owned by 2 states but kudos must be given to Ogbeni for his unflinching support for the health services and workers across the state.
The achievements of this government is too numerous to espouse on the pages of paper. Less I forget the mandatory 10km road construction in the entire LGA’s of the state by the Ogbeni’s administration, with additional 3km each in the 30 LGA and 1 area council, which has consistently given the rural areas advantage for development. Also urban areas were developed with modern road infrastructures and drainages, which had averted the incessant flood experienced in other states across the country. Environmental degradation affecting other states has also become a thing of past in the state of Osun due to innovative approach dredging of Rivers across the state and planting of ‘Igi Iye’ which has been widely attested to, by both local and international communities. Moshood Abiola Airport under construction is another thoughtful project by the Ogbeni’s government to give people of Osun governance at its best, with the longest runway of 3.5km, and first of its type in the whole country. Agriculture has received a boost with thousands of acre of land for rice production across the state, increase support for the aged and people with disabilities and many more.
BIOREPORTS
The disgruntled of the Osun indigenes over the failure of immediate past government of PDP is imminent, having so much accrued to them but little or nothing could be seeing on ground. More than 7 years of wilderness-like experience the state went through during this period and its dwindling effects, had help to see governance at its best in just 3 years of the Ogbeni”s administration. They lavishly spent state resources on self-serving projects which cumulated in alarming infrastructural deficit until Ogbeni came to ameliorate the state. In 3 years of purposeful governance, Osun indigenes both home/abroad had witness unprecedented positive change in the state especially in education.
From the beginning of civilisation until now education has been the major propellant behind man’s voyage in all spheres of life. We all can testify to the spectacular jump in human knowledge and its applications particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries. No doubt, the future will continue to bring about new challenges and demand for higher levels of exertion as we endlessly struggles to convert the unknown into the known. This struggle is the basis on which we understand our world and our universe.
The rottenness witnessed in the sector before the emergence of present administration was an horrendous experience. But Ogbeni, through his doggedness approach to developmental drive set-up all involved stakeholders summit in education at the beginning of his administration to bring about solution to the rottenness experienced in the sector in line with great Awo’s tenets and to improve substantially the standard of education in the state.
In few years back, I was opportune to have my post primary education in one of the town in the state. Thanks to my parent who felt we all should not be left as an abroad Osun indigene but decided to send me home for my schooling. I was enrolled into Community Grammar School, Bode-Osi, in present day Olaoluwa LGA as J.S.S 1 student, since my grand parent stays not too far from the school town, whose assignment was to effectively monitor me while there. I did excellently at the school, even though the inadequacy of facilities was a prevailing practice then, but through hardwork and discipline, much desirous achievements was made. After my graduation and thereafter proceeded to the University, this time around in another state. I did not return to the state until early last year.
At my returned and subsequent visit to the Olaoluwa LGA, I found out that the council had been greatly developed. Curiously desire to know who brought this change to be, I visited my former school and found out a lot had happened just in the space of 17years but good to note that, the change seeing now is mostly achieved by the present administration whose love and investment in education is unparalleled. I remembered in those period, there were no enough classrooms, laboratory equipments, hi-tech Library, educational materials and adequate and qualified personnel but all those have become a thing of past now.
Comparative analysis of educational policies at the time I schooled there and now had shown that under the leadership of Ogbeni, education had received boost as educational materials are package into Tablet of Knowledge popularly known as “IPON IMO”, and shared among the students, the first of its type across the country. Building of over 25 new middle and high schools and reclassification of same across the state for effective development of age-grade levels of education. Free meal for the pupil’s at primary schools for brain alertness and nutritional value to increase their productivity. Also free fees and uniform for the entire primary and post primary education, especially payment of senior secondary examination fees. The government of Ogbeni has taken education sector in the state of Osun to an enviable one in which educational survey has taken the state from 34th ranking in the federation to the 8th position in 2012 and presently awaiting the 2013 ranking which must have taken the state to 1st position.
There is a saying that, “doing same thing, same way will ultimately bring same result. In order to stop things being done same way necessitated the need for reclassification of schools across the state, which had hitherto raised dust in some quarters believe to be politically motivated since is a season of election. But if the truth must be told, this policy is a positive one with utmost good intension by the government, to indemnify the future of education in the state and urges positive minded people to allow it run accordingly. Since, we all agreed that what we had in the sector before was an absurd rottenness, with infrastructural decadence across the state and inadequate personnel, thereby requiring holistic approach to salvage the system.
Today’s government has not only achieved landmarks in education sector but has also done remarkably well in the healthcare development across the state. It is absolute stands that, an healthy state is a state with future, under the watch of the Ogbeni, healthcare services have greatly improved as many healthcare facilities were built across the entire Local Government Areas in the state and with state of-the art equipments in place.
My testimony to this fact thus, sometimes in May 2013, I was involved in a road accident along Ibadan/Lagos expressway and was rushed to a nearby hospital in Sagamu but was later transferred to LAUTEC Teaching Hospital at Oshogbo, which is jointly owned by Osun and Oyo government. While at the hospital in orthopedic ward, I learnt and saw great need to have state of-the art equipments across our hospitals because if it had not been what was on ground at the hospital in terms of human and equipments prowess, I may probably not have had priviledge to once again pen down my thoughts about the happenings around us. Though the hospital is owned by 2 states but kudos must be given to Ogbeni for his unflinching support for the health services and workers across the state.
The achievements of this government is too numerous to espouse on the pages of paper. Less I forget the mandatory 10km road construction in the entire LGA’s of the state by the Ogbeni’s administration, with additional 3km each in the 30 LGA and 1 area council, which has consistently given the rural areas advantage for development. Also urban areas were developed with modern road infrastructures and drainages, which had averted the incessant flood experienced in other states across the country. Environmental degradation affecting other states has also become a thing of past in the state of Osun due to innovative approach dredging of Rivers across the state and planting of ‘Igi Iye’ which has been widely attested to, by both local and international communities. Moshood Abiola Airport under construction is another thoughtful project by the Ogbeni’s government to give people of Osun governance at its best, with the longest runway of 3.5km, and first of its type in the whole country. Agriculture has received a boost with thousands of acre of land for rice production across the state, increase support for the aged and people with disabilities and many more.
BIOREPORTS