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Category: General
“If anything, his efforts deserve to be applauded, and if Nigeria must develop quickly, men of ability and substance must never shy away from throwing their hats into the political ring just like what Ogbeni Aregbesola has done” – Quoted in Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (In the footsteps of Chief Obafemi Awolowo) Page. 105.
It has been said in several quarters that Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola is the greatest positive thing that has happened to the people of Osun State, since he was sworn in as the Executive Governor on November 27th, 2010.
This fact above manifested clearly again when I visited the State recently. It has been said correctly too that, no one leader or sitting Governor of the State of Osun has won the hearts of the masses overwhelmingly like Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, since Osun State was created out of Oyo State on August 27th, 1991.
Fact is sacred! When Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola invited me to join his campaign team to Ede, perhaps for me to see things for myself, I was excited to make the trip with him. What I saw as we made our way to Ede and when we got to Ede proper exceedingly warmed my hearts. It warmed my hearts because my more than two years research into the activities of Ogbeni Aregbesola which has manifested into a recent book on him, has turned out to be a worthy and well deserved venture.
What I saw in Ede has equally complimented the fact that Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s idealism and fiery temperament has given hope to many who has hastily flocked to his train of political redemption. This man is absolutely sincere with power and what he has done and what he still hopes to do is visible for any one that visits Osun State to X-ray.
Indeed, what I saw on our way to Ede clearly displayed that Ogbeni Aregbesola has attracted the attention of the lowly, the humble and the multitudes that have seen hope in his political proclamations. As we made our way to Ede, school children of all grades ran out of their school compound to shout and cheer Ogbeni; on their faces one could see exceeding joy and satisfaction.
After all, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is feeding them with hygienic food and clothing them as they go to school every day, using his popular programme of O’MEAL (reserved for pupil of between primary one-four). Women and men of all shades and the elderly people trooped out to dance and sing the praise of Mr. Governor of Osun State and waved the flags and broom of the All Progressive Congress (APC), as the Governor’s convoy drove slowly towards Ede.
As we moved closer to Ede, the entire town suddenly rose up to welcome Ogbeni Aregbesola’s campaign train. I will never forget the experience. People were recklessly cheering, dancing and singing on the streets. What awaited us at the palace of Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Lawal was quite unique. The mood at the palace was indeed emotionally irresistible as the orgy of celebration was total. The crowd that had gathered within the palace listened attentively and enthusiastically as Ogbeni Aregbesola addressed them on why they should return him to power on August 9th 2014.
The mood at the Seventh Day Adventist High School, Ede, venue of the Ogbeni Aregbesola’s re-election campaign rally was ecstatic, as people of all colours, the aged and the young, poor and the rich danced uncontrollably as Governor Aregbesola rode in .The spontaneous emotional outburst that gripped the venue of the campaign rally reached crescendo as Ogbeni Aregbesola made his way to the podium.
When Governor Rauf Aregbesola said “Our administration has treated the various political districts equally without sentiment…What we have done in less than 40 months, surpassed what they did in seven years both in quantity and quality”, he was saying nothing but the truth.
I indeed saw completed township roads in Ede and the inhabitants were happy with Ogbeni. It is clear without any shadow of doubt that Ogbeni Aregbesola came and prepared to lead the people of Osun to the glorious next level. 10 kilometer of roads are being constructed in every Local Government Areas of the State of Osun. The crowds in Ede were simply very large. The man is popular!
On Monday July 7th, 2014, a day before the mega rally at Ede, Ogbeni Aregbesola commissioned the Ayegbaju Modern International Market in Oshogbo. I have reliably gathered that a replica of this gigantic market will soon appear in all the senatorial districts of the State. There is something about the Ayegbaju Modern International Market, that I have not seen anywhere in this country before.
The Ayegbaju market, apart from the massive size of land it occupies in Station road Oshogbo, has facilities like Hotels, Medical Centre, Banks, a Mosque, Church, Filling Station, Police Station, and Car Park etc. It will be a miracle of the century if Senator Iyiola Omisore, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Osun 2014 Governorship election wins the race on August 9th 2014? The phase two of the market is presently being constructed.
With what I witnessed on Tuesday July 7th, 2014, in Ede, and what I have seen on the ground in terms of honest pragmatic implementation of formulated policies like OPON IMO (Tablet of knowledge) O’MEAL, O’Schools, O’TOURS, O’AMBULANCE, re-classification of schools, Agba Osun (scheme for the elderly), O’YES (Youth Employment Scheme), O’REAP etc, Ogbeni Aregbesola will clinch the baton of re-election on August 9th, 2014, in the State of Osun.
Apart from Ede, the tumultuous crowds that normally trooped out to welcome Ogbeni wherever he goes on a campaign tour, is an indication that the man is the tribune of the silent majority in the state of Osun.
Nowinta, Wrote OGBENI RAUF AREGBESOLA
(In The Footsteps Of Obafemi Awolowo)
The Osun Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Programme (OREAP) remains one of the most successful and laudable development and wealth creation programmes of the Rauf Aregbesola administration.
This was the position of the Bureau of Communications and Strategy Office of the Governor of Osun on Wednesday while reacting to what it called “another in the litany of the Iyiola Omisore lies.”
Omisore had claimed in some media reports that the state’s agricultural programme tagged OREAP was a fraud, alleging there is nothing to show for it in almost four years.
Describing Omisore’s position as ill-informed and an indication of the crass ignorance of the working of development programmes in government, the Bureau said Aregbesola had not come to come to power before recognizing the need for massive food production to grow an economy such as that of Osun; ignite industrialization and create jobs.
The Bureau’s statement signed by the Director, Semiu Okanlawon, said the allegation gave away PDP and its candidate as a lazy bunch of people who lack the capacity for simple facts-finding before going to the press.
“Farmers are among the happiest beneficiaries of the current administration in Osun. This is because of the prime place Aregbesola accords food production. The agricultural sector has been very strategic to the overall development of Osun. At least, the state’s massive food production programme is central to the realization of three of the six integral action plans of the administration. Only the nit-witted would conclude that agriculture has not played a lead role in banishing poverty, banishing hunger and creation of jobs and wealth,” the Bureau stated
Against the lies being bandied by the PDP that farm estates and settlements were supposed to be upgraded, he said land validation exercise and perimeter survey were done with latest technology in nine farm settlements which he noted is the first in the history of farm settlements in South-West of the country.
He added that over 3,070.3 hectares of land was cleared and 6,209 hectares tractorised across the State.
Okanlawon also noted that 20,000 Hectares of farmland were validated in the nine farm settlements, more 4,211 Hectares was discovered and reallocated to small holders.
According to him, “This is a programme that was well thought out to empower farmers. The Government procured 5000 metric tons of fertilizers sold to farmers at 50% subsidy over the last 2 years; 1,830 rural farmers in 61 local communities received farm inputs from the State in collaboration with UNICEF.
“It’s worrisome if the candidate of PDP can because of politics say Aregbesola has used O-REAP to fraudulently enrich himself to the detriment of the well-being of poor farmers when the present administration has empowered youth cooperative groups consisting of 40 youths and engaged in cattle fattening, as part of first phase of the O-Beef empowerment programme across the State of Osun.
“N40million has been given as loans to support Piggery Farmers in the State, 3,645 Farmers across the State benefited from the sum of N476,350,000 from the Government Guaranteed Agriculture Loan Scheme; 268 Farmers benefited from the sum of N45,662,065 from O-REAP Loan Scheme, N153.6m ($952,000) agriculture finance loan for 66 farmer cooperative group”. The Bureau pointed out.
The OREAP Academy, the statement explained, was established by the Aregebsola administration as a deliberate effort towards giving youths a sustainable career in modern agriculture, adding that 1,606 OYES Cadets have been trained in Modern Agriculture at the newly established O-REAP Youth Academies located in the 9 Federal Constituencies for increased food production.
The Bureau revealed that 40 youths were sponsored to Germany for intensive training in modern agriculture and 96 secondary schools assisted in arable crop production, fisheries and livestock production systems in 2013.
He said, “Government is in partnership with TUNS Farm Nigeria Limited to promote broiler production to empower poultry farmers and create jobs under the Osun Broilers Out-growers Production Scheme (OBOPS) with the sum of N539, 435,200. 578. Farms have been stocked with over 3,654,612 Day-Old-Chicks from inception in 2011 and Over N200 million have been made as profit by the Out-growers in the Scheme.”
He noted that all these Schemes supplies the Chicken and Fish to O-MEAL Food Vendors to feed the Grade 1 – 4 pupils in our public schools under the free school feeding.
“A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.” – Proverbs 12: 3.
I am not a politician but a ‘political animal’. I am also not a card-carrying member of All Progressives Party (APC) but a Rauf Aregbesola sympathizer; and an unrepentant one at that! If I am therefore tagged a politician because of my belief in the progressive credentials of Aregbesola, so be it! In the same vein, if I am labelled an ‘Aregbe wrapper’ as a result of my love for this great man of honour, I owe nobody any apology!
At a time like this, I cannot but remember my days at Ijebu-Jesa Grammar School (IJGS), Ijebu-Jesa when it was all fun traveling to towns and villages especially, within the-then Obokun Local Government Area of the old Oyo State for sports and related social activities. I can confirm that those were relatively good old days when towns were towns and schools were schools. At a time like this as well, one cannot but begin to wonder what became of our government that, for close to three decades, residents of my Local Government were at the mercy of the State Government. No thanks to the bad roads and absence of other social amenities that were naturally taken for granted in saner climes.
Specifically, between 1985 when I left IJGS and and 2010, when Aregbesola was sworn-in as Osun Sate Governor, schools in Osun State had become something else and hitherto passable roads had become such death traps that residents completely got cut-off from the rest of the world. People groaned in the rough of aches and moaned in the tumble of pains. Hunger begat hunger, poverty took the place of affluence and it was as if the gods were angry!
Entered the Rauf Aregbesola-led administration on November 27, 2010 and Osun State was again on the path to greatness. Within the first three years in office, Aregbesola saw to the training and empowerment of over 5,000 youths in Information Technology through the Osun Youth Empowerment Technology Scheme (OYESTECH); some thousands of the stand-alone, multimedia, e-learning Opon Imo Tablets were distributed to students while others are expected to benefit from the scheme through local production by a company already sited in the state. Within the same period, no fewer than 750,000 pupils and students were given free school uniforms, with over 3000 tailors trained and empowered to sow school uniforms. Primary School Funding Grants also increased from 7.4million to N424m a year while Secondary School Basic Funding Grants rose from N171m to N427m a year.
During the period under review, Tuition Fees in state-owned Tertiary Institutions got reduced by close to 30% even as 254,000 elementary students were fed daily with nutritious meals through government’s O’MEALS scheme, a project that also led to the employment, training and empowerment as cooks of 3000 people. Since the foodstuffs were sourced and prepared locally, the scheme brought about the annual injection of N4billion into the economy of the state. Aregbesola’s era also witnessed the inauguration of Omoluabi Garments Factory as well as Omoluabi Conservation Fund into which N4.2billion reserve has so far been injected.Also worthy of mention is Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) which has succeeded in taking off the streets and engagement of 40,000 unemployed youth.
Efforts to enroll more youth into the programme is also in top gear. State-of-the-art Police Stations were built and Patrol Vehicles, Armoured Personnel Carriers and related security equipment were also donated to Security Agencies towards the enhancement of security of lives and property. What about those ‘Stop! Ma P’ara e!’ Aregbesola-constructed roads that adorn the nooks and crannies of the State, in addition to O’CLEAN’s bi-monthly statewide environmental exercise and Agricultural Farm Settlements Project through which 1.765 hectares of land were cleared and prepared for farmers?
The State was able to build 74 Primary Health Centres and rehabilitated its 9 hospitals and 12 Comprehensive Health Centres, thereby aiding the provision of Sustained Free Health Services to all, irrespective of age, gender, political affiliations or religious inclinations. Through its Free Medical and Surgical Missions Programme, government was able to provide free treatment and surgeries to thousands of citizens; and, through its Osun State Ambulance Service Authority, not less than 400 youth have been trained as paramedics. 123 kilometres of waterways (streams, arteries and canals) were dredged to keep the state flood-free for three years and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) increased from N300m to N1.6b without any increase in tax payable by citizens.
In my personal opinion, the Education Sector seems to have been the most blest. Apart from those education-related dividends which I have enumerated above, Osun State Government, under Aregbesola, also embarked on the building of no fewer than 40 Elementary, Model and High Schools to cater for its ever-increasing population of pupils and students. Some have been completed and already put to use while some will be commissioned within the next two weeks. This is in addition to the 20 new sites which will also be opened within the same period.During the period under review, 7000 thousand additional teachers were employed; with all outstanding allowances paid and all entitlements settled. The governor also graciously approved the creation of four Permanent Secretary positions (that is, Tutors-General) for the Teaching Cadre. And, as we speak, over 30 brand new Omoluabi Scholar Buses are ready for distribution to the State’s High Schools. The number is expected to increase to 100 by September.
So, herein lies the essence of this piece. Of all the contenders for the Seat of Power in Osun State, two of them, that is, Aregbesola and Iyiola Omisore, former Deputy Governor and former Senator, are of interest to me. This is not to say that other contenders for the office are not qualified. Rather, it is because the duo have some things in common which others in the race don’t have – which stand them out.
First, Aregbesola and Omisore were born the same year: 1957. Both are from the same Senatorial District (Osun East) and both are qualified engineers. Both have tasted power – in their own rights and in different capacities; and both are still interested in aspiring to that highest office the Constitution allows Osun State to offer any of its indigenes.
However, while one has a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Mechanical Engineering, the other holds a Doctorate Degree in Procurement, Taxation, ‘and things like that.’ Not that alone, while one is an apostle of Due Process, especially, in Political Practice, the other is a man of scant consolation renowned for desperate and dangerous schemes that carry along with them avoidable violence. Again, while one is skillfully artful and gets fairly well with everybody, the other paints the picture of a man of fancy speculations and unstable whims who only politic for individualistic innuendos; one whose credibility baggage, in saner climes, couldn’t have earned them ‘aspirant’ status in the first place. But this is Nigeria!
Beautiful Denial! Shameless insincerity! Sickness of inaction! Wheezing vanities! Like Omisore, like Goodluck Jonathan: clueless; visionless; pretentious; mere men with narrow loyalty. In their dictionary, ‘power of performance’ and ‘forces of politics’ are of the same essence. Little wonder the country has become a wasting entity! But, if I may ask: what does Omisore want again? Maybe I should put it this way: what does Omisore want for the good people of Osun State and what does he want for a political party which was for close to eight years in power without any meaningful achievements to justify its rule? What does Omisore want his party to give to his people as democracy dividends and why is President Jonathan’s Federal Government bent on destabilizing the region that has all this while sustained a semblance of peace?
That Nigeria is sick and that the ruling party is responsible for her ailment has never been in doubt. Political Violence has taken the better part of Nigeria’s electoral process while ethnic competitions, religious tensions and struggle for power between the North and the South have reached an absurd peak. Once, her predicament was excused on the politicization of the military. Now, it is the militarization of our democracy. Once, its politics was tagged ‘bread and butter’; now, it’s been re-branded: ‘stomach infrastructure’. There’s chronic youth unemployment in the midst of get-rich-quick ‘yahoo yahoo’ mentality; Boko has spread its ‘Haram’ insurgency to the Southern part of the country and it is as if Nigeria has no leader.
In our clime; and, in our very eyes, politics has gone beyond being the survival of the fittest to being the exclusive preserve of the meanest and the crudest. Added to this is a satanic blend of “dumb horse-traders” and “perpetual complainants who do nothing about their complaints apart from moaning and moping.” That is why it has become practically difficult for the those who mean well for dear fatherland to challenge the status quo ante bellum. Threateningly, we are for the first time having as president a man who does not see himself as the Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria’s Armed Forces but one to whom perpetually remaining in office is the only strategic necessity.
But why Aregbesola again? The answer is simple! So far, so commendable! Aregbesola is an achiever who, within so short a period of time in office, has transformed Osun State into an attractive city, a state of aquatic splendor and a centre of tourist attraction offering superb views. A man of poise and panache, this small-in-stature-but-mighty-in-spirit Ilesa-born politician has changed the face of Osun into a state looking ahead to the future. No doubt about it: Aregbesola is witty, disciplined, teachable, responsible and passionate about leaving not only Osun State but also the world better than he met it. Little wonder he was described in Wikipedia as “the best Governor Osun State has ever produced since the creation of Osun State.” Of course, that’s why we all want him at Bola Ige House for another term of four years!
“If the plural of ‘man’ is ‘men’, why can’t the plural of ‘pan’ be ‘pen’?” So, why not Omisore? Here again, the answer is simple: Osun State has had its fair share of the few ‘ups’ and the many ‘downs’ of this ‘mere geographical expression’ called Nigeria. Left to this reason alone, the state’s democratic destiny should no longer be left in the hands of misfits and pretenders whose previous outings not only ended up polarizing our thinking with a sickening system but also turned our common patrimony into a ‘breakfast-in-London’ and ‘lunch-in-Ada, Osun State’ venture. And, if I may add: a man in whose eyes violence is not only justified but is also essential for the attainment of political objectives should not be entrusted with the destiny of a State as promising as Osun.
In the words of Oscar Wilde, democracy is nothing but the “bludgeoning of the people, by the people, for the people.” But how come Kigali suddenly became the epicenter for everything chaotic, tribalistic and genocidal? How did it gravitate into a metaphor for the sad, the bad, the ugly and the violent? How did it become a habour for hatred so much that, even, two decades after, Rwandans’ wounds remain practically and pathetically unhealed? If I may ask again: how did the “substantial” violence which characterized the fall of the House of Hohenzollern come to be and what was responsible for the rise of the Weimar Republic through the German Revolution of 1918–19? Coming back to Nigeria, have we as a country any lessons to learn from the ‘like play, like play’ predicament of Somalia, Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya, Kenya, Zimbabwe and, now, Central African Republic (CAR)? For God’s sake, who is responsible for our woes and how do we take back our destiny from the claws of political marauders, rapacious ‘jegudu jera’ and ‘alo k’olohun k’igbe’ politricians?
The beginning of the end! Or, the end of the beginning! The truth is; and, not unexpectedly, too, events in the coming days will be the ultimate decider of Nigeria’s direction.
May God save us from ourselves!
Komolafe writes in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State
Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, has said that era of unfit and dilapidated learning structures and schools had gone forever in the state.
He assured the people of the state that by the end of his second term in office, no school will be left with any dilapidated classroom.
Aregbesola said with the spate at which his government has been building new schools, the era of unfit learning environment would be history completely.
He spoke at the official commissioning of three elementary schools in Ikirun, Iragbiji and Ila-Orangun with fun fare.
Students in school uniforms, guardians and parents trooped out to witness the unprecedented commissioning of the new schools with state-of -the -art facilities.
The schools are Holy Trinity Middle School, Ikirun; NUD Middle School, Iragbiji and St Julius Middle School, Ila-Orangun, all in the Osun Central Senatorial District.
Built in this same structural pattern, the middle schools, with a capacity to accommodate 1,000 pupils, have 25 classrooms, one large exam hall. 16 toilets, one audio visual room, ICT room, recreation facilities among others.
Governor Aregbesola said with commissioning of the schools, government has raised the stake by putting education on a high pedestal.
The governor disclosed that government is targeting provision of conducive classrooms for over 100, 000 pupils before the end of the year.
He noted also that by the time all the new school building are completed no pupil or student in Osun will learn in a dilapidated and haphazard classroom again.
DAILY INDEPENDENT
Parents of primary school pupils and secondary school students in Osun State have declared their support for the second term ambition of Governor Rauf Aregbesola as they unanimously endorsed him for second term in office.
The parents under the aegis of Parents /Teachers Association (PTA) declared their support for Aregbesola during the presentation of awards to some select teachers in the state.
The parents, numbering over 10,000, who converged on the playground of Government Technical College, Osogbo, said they were convinced that Aregbesola would serve the state better than he has done if given the second term chance, hence their endorsement.
The state chairman of the PTA, Dr Ademola Ekundayo who spoke on behalf of the over 200,000 parents in the state said the parents endorsed Aregbesola based on his achievements in the education sector in his first term in office.
Dr Ekundayo who, highlighted the achievements of Governor Aregbesola in the education sector, noted that his government has set a pace which would be difficult to meet by any other administration in the state.
He assured the Governor that parents in all the 30 Local Government Areas in the state would mobilize support for him in all the nooks and crannies of the state, stressing that “it will be very easy to draw support for Aregbesola as he had already campaigned with his numerous achievements.”
He called on the people of the state not to jettison the future of their children, saying that ignoring Aregbesola for any other candidate would amount to jettisoning the lives of the students and pupils in various public schools in the state.
The PTA Chairman who cited the introduction of tablets of knowledge otherwise known as “opon Imon” for senior secondary school students in the state as a laudable achievement said the schools reclassification programme of the Aregbesola’s administration despite wide criticisms has become envy for other states in the country.
He enjoined all the parents of school children in the state to troop out en-masse on election day and cast their votes for Governor Aregbesola.
In his remarks, Aregbesola who expressed gratitude to the parents in the state said he would dedicate his second term in office to the development of the state, with special concentration on education sector.
He promised not to disappoint the people of the state, especially parents of public school children if given the opportunity to serve for a second term in office, stressing that his administration would remain committed to the course of good governance.
Professor Mojeed Alabi is a former Speaker of the State Assembly of Osun, presently a lecturer at the University of Ilorin and a leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state.
The Professor of Political Science, Adjunct Professor of Public Law, legal practitioner and policy consultant, in this interview session attended by thegazellenews.com reflects on the achievements of Governor Rauf Aregbesola in the governance of Osun and the reasons he should be re-elected.
Excerpts:
What makes your party, APC a progressive party and different from other political parties?
If you look at the development of party system in Nigeria, you will discover that there have always been difference between those that we regard as the progressives and the others whose interest is primarily in furtherance of business interest or private selfish interest. Unfortunately, for the greater part of post-independent Nigeria, these set of people that we call progressive have not been able to come together, except, perhaps for the very short period of Ibrahim Babangida transition programme when two parties were decreed. And it was that coming together of the Social Democratic Party that actually propelled the election of Chief MKO Abiola as the Presidential candidate, but eventually, the election was annulled. The APC now represents the first major post-independent attempt among the progressive to come together to rescue the governance of the states from the people, who simply have no idea about governance in terms of using the instrumentality of state power to further the interest of the downtrodden masses.
So, the APC, in the first history of Nigeria is a major attempt and first major dominant force to have successfully threatened the party in power, the PDP. Although, we have not taken over government, but this is the first time that the party is feeling threatened by an opposition party to ensure the need for a new way of doing things. That is what the APC represents and that is what differentiates it from others.
In Osun, will you say the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has been able to translate the ideals of progressiveness into concrete development?
One must appreciate the efforts of this government in turning around the state. The idea of governance itself is putting social infrastructural in place for people to be able to realise their individual self-development. Development is not about government distributing money to individual, because there is no way government can embark on such method and be able to satisfy everyone. In civilised society, governance is about putting in place appropriate structural, appropriate infrastructural, social, economic amenities that would enable us as individuals to realise the highest potential of our being and be able to say we can live the way a normal human being should live. That is what the present government of Osun has been able to do.
You will see network of roads through which people, who are based here and are involve in the production of things that could be useful in other states, could easily move their products to those states, while those things that are produced somewhere else and needed by the people of Osun can come easily. That is the law of comparative advantage. For example, we use to talk about Israel, Saudi Arabia as a dry land, but people who go there will tell you that they eat fresh fruit. They are not produced there, but they have the needed infrastructure to make sure they get what they want, even if those things are not produced there. And conversely, where they produce things in excess of what they need, there is also opportunity to transport it to where they are needed so that they can make added income.
Again, look at the education in Osun, I realise that this government has discovered that in any society, the development of individual is key to societal development. So, human resource development is also one critical area of development that I have seen in this government and that starts from the root of education. Before you can begin to build a sound mind in a sound body, you have to start from the foundation and that is why this government should be appreciated for putting in place structures, amenities and provisions that would make it attractive to children to want to stay in school. That is why every school that is being built now would have the needed furniture, the needed facilities that would make it attractive, the needed laboratory that would make students to want to grab the nitty-gritty of science for the development of the nation and well equipped library where students can bury their heads to increase their knowledge.
Apart from that, we have seen civil servants, especially the junior cadre, who are saying they have never gone on training, but under this government, several of them are going on continuous training. This is part of human development because it is only when humans are developed in terms of intellect that they or can see what is good in government and use his or her training to contribute to the development of the state. What makes people to struggle to travel abroad, in my view, Aregbesola has started doing it and that is development.
Look at agriculture under this government and see the way government has gone into massive production of fishery and reviving the concept of farm settlements. This is one of the area where Osun can reap the benefits of comparative advantage because a lot of our people here engage in agriculture. So, when you provide the needed environment to cultivate that, then, we can have excess. The essence of taking dual carriage way from Akoda to Gbongan and from Gbongan to Ijebu-Igbo is that if we produce at the scale the government want us to produce, there is tendency that we may not be able to consume everything, and the easiest market for us is Lagos. That road is the easiest way to Lagos and since we have good way of transporting what we produce, the production will be higher and the product will not be destroyed. That is what China is doing which is developing their economy. That is the idea I have seen in this government.
Also, look at Osun Youths Empowerment Scheme (OYES). Some critics are saying that how can you say a graduate should be sweeping on the road, and I ask, Is it not better to do something than to do nothing? An idle hand is the devil’s workshop. When you have something to do that is earning you money, is it not better? There is one aspect that some people have not seen, the OYES is not for you to just go there and graduate in two years, I have seen some youths in OYES, who have used the opportunity of the scheme to acquire other skills, through which they have become independent earners of income today. In any event, the OYES is not a full time day job, they spend between two to three hours and if you are productive as a beneficiary, you have the opportunity of using the remaining 22 hours to pursue something else. This is a programme that help youths to think on how to spend the N10,000 they are earning to making something big out of it. In fact, some of them have been employed into the civil service, some have stood on their own and some have gotten offer somewhere else.
Look at Agba Osun, some people are complaining that some elders are not getting, but they have forgotten that some elders don’t deserve it because they have children that are taking care of them. For instance my mother is 80 years and if you give her that money, it does not make any sense, because I even give her more than that in a month. There are some of them who don’t have anybody to take care of them. Though, the government cannot give to everybody, but the fact that some people are taking it is something and I am aware that others would also be considered in the second phase.
Therefore, it is a fact that Aregbesola has laid a good foundation for development and development must be cumulative and sustainable in the sense that when you spend your term, another person would come to build on it. But in a situation whereby a good foundation is laid and someone now comes to take us backward by so many steps, development can never be cumulative as we want it to be.
Like I said, development is not a day affair, it is cumulative and it is in that that we can begin to see the greatness of Osun. That is why the concept of “Osun Adara” is an elating one that is intended to make the people to be futuristic. That means you are continuously productive and prospective. It means that we have not reached where we are going no matter what this government has achieved and we must continue to improve and sustain that legacy until Osun becomes what we want it to become.
What will you say are the effects of those programmes and policies on the people and economy of the state?
Of course, we have seen very fundamental changes in the economy of the state. For example, through OYES, government is sinking N200 million into the economy of the state every month and the money is circulating within the state. Also, the concept of new uniform has attracted an investor into the state, through which many of our youths have also been employed. The fact that we have good road, travellers are passing through the state and they buy things on the roadside and many others. Even for those who are involved in property, there have been increase in their business, because every day, people are relocating to Osun due to the development that we now have.
Apart from that, as the roads are being constructed, bricklayers, labourers, people who are selling sand and gravel among others are getting job to do. It is when they get money from working that they also think of paying taxes and doing things for themselves. The issue is that, each individual has seen improvement on his or her living.
There have been several rumours, ranging from the fact that Osun owed N350 billion; that Opon Imo project was awarded to governor’s cronies. Do you see this as merely political talk?
On the debt, it is just a distraction and the government has been vindicated when a Federal Government agency, Debt Management Office, said Osun is not owing such debt. It is just political and those who are spreading such rumour have been disappointed and they should stop lying.
On the other hand, I am not in the position to talk about who a contract is awarded and who is benefiting from it, but my own is that I have seen what I want to see. I don’t know who is doing the Opon Imo, but the issue is that I have seen a product, an initiative that is useful for our children. I saw polytechnic students who are saying they feel like going back to secondary school to take the advantage of Opon Imo. I see these lies and rumours as just political gimmick to deceive the people and those that are spreading such falsehood should stop playing on the intelligence of Osun people. For me it does not matter who constructs the road as long as it is solid enough to last for so many years. It does not matter who is in charge of building the market as long as we have functional Ayegbaju International Market where our people have the opportunity of buying and selling. The question is: are we getting value for our money or not? There are so many opposition members who are gaining from this government, the opportunity which we didn’t have when they were there. Somebody was telling me that about 60 per cent of OYES cadets are either PDP members or their relatives and even in the just-recruited civil servants, they are many.
So, all those unfounded rumours that somebody did this and that are coming from people of little minds. People of great minds want to see what are the results of what the government is doing.
Do you think what Aregbesola has done enough to earn him second term in office?
In a normal and civilised society, he needs not campaign at all. In a normal society, not even many candidates would ever want to contest against him, because the issue would be, let us see where this man will end his tenure having started on a good note. I must not be oblivious of the fact that there are other factors we use in this part of the world to choose who governs us, perhaps, because of the level of underdevelopment. As a government, you have a choice of using public fund for the development of the people or you use it for the aggrandizement of the leadership. Aregbesola has not used the resources for the aggrandizement of the leaders and that is why you don’t see business as usual in Osun APC. Leaders of our party are the one that suffered for what the government has been able to do today and as for me, I am proud to be part of that sacrifice. What is important is not what is coming into my pocket, rather what I am able to see in terms of development.
Thus, for me, I don’t see anything that will stop the man Aregbesola from winning the election. Of course, there are other things that people are insinuating, like bringing soldiers, police, using photocromic voting equipment, rigging, violence and all that, but I think we have risen beyond that level. Our people in Osun are civilised and the kind of calamity that befell the people of Ekiti would not befall us in Osun by the grace of God. Come August 9, the people of Osun will show to the world that we can see the difference between a person, who want to make a positive impact on us and someone who want to milk us.
The issue in this election is development versus ‘chop-make-I-chop. And I know that the people of Osun are much more sophisticated to be able to see and read between the lines and know where their interest lies. I also know that their interest lies in continuation of our development, because I don’t want to imagine Aregbesola losing that election. Does it mean all these roads will stop? Does it mean OYES will stop? Does it mean school feeding of children will stop? Does it mean the construction of new schools will stop? The implication of his loss will be too catastrophic for the entire state and we may not get back on line for many years to come. So, I don’t pray for it and I believe that the people of Osun are not praying for that too. We are working hard to make sure that this dividends of democracy, which are pleasant to all of us, will continue for quite some time.
Ahead of the August 9, 2014 governorship election in Osun State, womenfolk have been admonished to assist in the propagation of the sustenance of the current peace in the state by preaching it in their household, preaching it in their communities, preaching it in churches and mosques, as well in market and across the state.
The rally was attended by all political office holders in the state, women party chieftains, female lawmakers, civil society groups, professionals, market women among others.This was the main thrust of the one-day rally on women in politics held at Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo organized by the office of the Wife of the Governor, Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola in collaboration with the State Ministry of Women and Children Affairs.
Lectures on how to achieve the needed peace before, during and after the election was also delivered by Mrs. M O Oluyamo who taught them what needed to be done to achieve the desired results.
The guest speaker, Oluyamo, called on government at all levels to make sure that women are giving more recognition in the governance.
She observed that women are known for peace and harmonious co-existence. Where you see women doing the contrary, engaging in violent acts, then it must be like a Yoruba adage that “eniyan lo kesinloro, esinoni ka ninu rara”, meaning it is the people that thought the horse how to be wicked, that horse is not known to be as such.
While noting that the important role of women in the peace process cannot be overemphasized, she said that “if there is any time the great contribution of women to the peace of our society is needed, it is now that the election is near.
According to her, “it is high time we forget about the sentiment of gender and make good use of the intelligent and positive contributions of women for a peaceable co-existence within the society.
The guest lecturer maintained that women suffer disproportionately when peace is lost either in the home or in the society. It therefore behoves on women to stop whatever activity they involve in that disrupt peace.
“The causes of breach of peace and insecurity in our land had been at one time or the other blamed on the failure on the part of women to bring up their children properly. While some people may view this as an unfair judgment, it may not be too far from the truth because several women hardly have time for their children in today’s competitive world. This is not limited to the educated working class, even petty traders, business women and politicians are more preoccupied with other things than the care of their children and wards. Such children are susceptible and vulnerable.
She explained that women are naturally not criminals, but driven to unscrupulous behaviour by many factors and likely to demonstrate remorse. They are also perceived as less dangerous and more amenable to rehabilitation, unlike men.
She further stressed that the role of women cannot be taken lightly in nation building adding that women are patient (though we have some who are impatient) they know what to say and how to act to maintain and sustain peace either in the home or society.
Mrs. Oluyamo noted that family responsibilities and child bearing are major hindrances for women participation in politics but advised that women must venture into active politics to balance male domination of the sector.
As women, we must go into politics and be the salt not by seducing men or destabilising fellow women’s homes or wandering aimlessly around men. As women in politics, let us demand for our rightful positions when we hold political meetings, let us ask and receive answer to pertinent questions from the male aspirants.
“My appeal is that women must be strategically sensitized and prepared not only for electioneering purposes but also for their full and quality participation in all political processes in Nigeria. This is even more urgent as get closer to August 9 governorship election in Osun and the 2015 general elections”, she said.
In her welcome address, the State Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Mrs. Mofolake Adetoun Adegboyega saluted the dutifulness and vibrancy of women in the state, saying “if we as women allow peace to reign together we will work assiduously to build a better society where people learn to love, tolerate one another live in harmony and foster development.
She appealed to all to rise up and take up their rightful position in political process and governance adding that this should be done in unity and peace.
While speaking, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, expressed optimism in women, stressing that his administration has been recognising their role since inception.
He said his harmonious relation with women has given him courage, promising that more slot will be given to women if elected.
Recounting his support for women in the last three and half years, Aregbesola said that the prayer of widow is enough to make him emerge in the coming election.
In her key note address, the wife of the Governor who is also the convener admonished women to unite for peace and ensure that the transformation agenda of the current administration does not suffer.
Mrs. Aregbesola noted that the only way to ensure that the on- going transformation continued unabated is to ensure that Governor Rauf Aregbesola emerged victorious in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
She called for re-election of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
She enjoined women in the state to always champion the crusade for peace by warning their children to shun act of thuggery and violence in the coming election.
Mrs. Sherifat, who appreciated the support of women for her husband, however appealed to women to support her husband by voting for him in the coming election.
She also called on women to participate more in politics saying that it was a better way of widening the frontiers of development in the society.
According to her, “the goal of encouraging our women to take active roles in politics is to widen the frontiers of development in our society. Development around the world has shown that women have very crucial role to play in any nation that desires to witness sustainable development.
“I therefore enjoin our women to rise up and fire the needed political passion to be able to mobilise more women for a common front in politics. This will balance the political arena and create opportunities for more women to be in the forefront of political process and development.
“The people of our dear state will soon step out on August 9th 2014 to cast their ballot for further development of our great state. I enjoy you all to make peace and harmony the key driving factors throughout the political process. You should step out to cast your ballot in a peaceful and orderly manner. After the balloting, you should also maintain peace while you wait for your votes to be counted right in front of you.
“As mothers let us preach peace in our household, peace in our communities, peace in our churches and mosques, peace to those in the market and peace throughout the state.
She however commended her husband for working tirelessly to improve the lot of women in the state. He has demonstrated commendable love for the women through the appointments made into government and various pro-women policies and programmes being implemented.
She also commended the tremendous support being given to government policies and programmes by our women. Let us ensure that this level of support continues to the greater good of our state.
Honourable Gbadamosi Okunlola Lawal was a member of the old Oyo State House of Assembly between 1979 to 1983. He was elected under the platform of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). Hon. Lawal has been a progressive since 1952. He had a stint as the chairman Ikirun District Council between 1959 to 1961. Since early fifties, the octogenarian politician has remained in the progressive fold. In this interview with him in Ikirun, he spoke about the progressive, his party; the Aregbesola administration and the forth-coming election in the state among other issues, here are excerpts.
Sir, you are known as a progressive in the politics of Osun, what differentiate the progressives from the conservatives and how can you relate that to your All Progressive Congress in Osun?
To start with, I have been in politics since 1954, I contested as a Councilor in 1954 and I won that election. Since then I have been in the progressive, I can never be in a party that is conservative in nature, personally, I like to serve my people rather go about collecting money for my own gain, I also hate a situation where people intimidate others, when I compare both side it became obvious that I should be a progressive. The APC for example in Osun is truly a progressive party, since Aregbesola got back his mandate, he has been doing a lot of things that we have not witness in this state, if it is for him to get money he wouldn’t have come to Osun at all, all what the governor is doing are pointers to the fact that he is a progressive. Within his 100 days in office, he employed 20,000 youths under Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES), that means a lot, because we have never witness such governor in the state, this scheme cost government 200 million naira in a month, after that is the O-meals programme where primary school pupils are being fed every day, there are some pupils before now who attend school without taking any meal from their house, but now, pupils are eager to go to school because of the free meal, it has also increased enrollment because most of these pupils live with their grandparents who can hardly take care of them, but government is doing that. As if that was not enough, through the feeding programme, government also employed over 3000 caterers who cook for these pupils, some of the caterers through the job feed their families, then O-REAP for farmers, O-SCHOOLS, where government is building new schools and renovating schools, some that has been built during the Awolowo era, even the standard of the structures that Aregbesola is putting in place now, some of the so called university that we have cannot boost to have what we have in Osun. The people in the state love this government and I am sure that if election is free and fair, we must get about 85% of the vote, even in this Local Government, we are working towards 95% now, because we feel the pulse of the people, that is why we can say all these.
People are saying much about what this government has borrowed, some say Osun’s debt is 350 billion Naira, what is your take on this?
I am sorry to use this language, they are mad, how can a government borrow over 350 billion Naira? I don’t think banks can give a state up to that amount, does their banking regulations allow for that? How can a government borrow 350 billion, when Olagunsoye Oyinlola borrowed 18 billion during the last period of his administration, people raised questions that what is he going to do with the money at a time when his administration was ending, was it not when Aregbesola came that he re-negotiated the conditions of the loan?. Let us now assumed that he borrowed money, we can all see what he is doing with the money, because in the olden days people were agitating for the non payments of tax and that was not general, but if people see what they are doing with the money, nobody will agitate. Like I mentioned if the state is saying to everybody that it has borrowed 35billion, we can all see what he has done with the money, there is development in Osun. The noise is the hand work of opposition, because they have nothing to offer and they have to discredit him, you listen to their campaign, do they have any manifesto?
There is another one which says that in every APC government, the shoe always pinches the civil servants and the teachers unlike that of PDP government which has cash liquidity in town?
During the days of PDP, there are many ghost workers unknown to the governor, which is the work of the civil servants; they have as many ghost workers as possible. When awarding contracts, they bargain with contractors to inflate contract sum, if they have grievances now, I want to belief that is normal because the leakages have been closed, that is why they are angry with the government. This has nothing of interest to the masses, the masses don’t benefit from the leakages, it is only few civil servants that enjoy from this, because it benefits their pockets alone after their salary. About teachers, during the PDP government, they introduced lesson for the student after school hours where they collect money from the students doing nothing is it what they failed to teach the student during the school hours that they will now teach them when they can no longer assimilate?. This is not in the interest of the students but for the interest of their pockets, because they levy them, but now the present government has stop that and made education totally free. How will they not be angry, because their pockets have been offended, and I want you to know that civil servants have no politics but their pocket is their politics?
What is your reaction as a resident politician in Osun that most of the people in Aregbesola cabinet are from Lagos?
No, they are not Lagosians, the person sitting next to you is an appointee and he is from Ikirun and so many of them, they may be living in Lagos, the Attorney-general is from Ikirun and we all know them. Assuming we don’t even know them at home, does that mean we should allow them to die in foreign land? We want to bring them home. I believe there is no point in that, they are all from Osun state, and they may be living in Lagos. What of Aregbesola himself, but people prefer his government to every other government they have seen in the state and that of people who have been living in the state, whereas he was in Lagos before, that should not be an excuse at all.
As the August 9 gubernatorial election approaches, what is your expectation?
We are going to win the election; the other candidates will lose their deposit because in those days if you want to contest election, you have to pay some certain deposit, if you score a certain percentage, you will get your money back, but if you score below that, you will lose your deposit. Sincerely speaking, after they lose that election, they will also lose their various deposits.
What gives you this confidence, there are insinuations that the state will be militarized and coming from the background of the Ekiti election where we have heavy military presence and that of other security agents, don’t you think people will be intimidated?
We have no fears as that is concerned, our people will be educated, we have been telling them should it be soldiers or police, they have only come to protect them and not to harass them and the party is doing much on that before the election. There is no compound in this state where you will not get a graduate, we will use them to educate people that soldiers are meant to protect them and we also advise every security officers that will be drafted to Osun to play according to the rules of the game.
What is your general assessment of Aregbesola’s administration, will you say it has affected positively on the masses?
I have said that before, is it the children that he is giving free meals to that you want me to talk about, go to town and listen to the songs on their lips, “daddy, mummy, uncle and sisters you must vote for Aregbesola” nobody taught them. We have no fear about the election, as far as we are concerned it is going to be victory all the way, because our people are not ingrate. The positive transformation of Osun by Aregbesola will translate to massive votes by our people, come August 9, victory is certain. Osun cannot be left in the hands of people who are going to set it back, the consequences will be so great that the children coming behind will suffer for it, and they will not forgive us, Aregbesola has brought genuine development and he deserve to continue his purpose driven government.