By Sola Isola
For decades, we have always heard or read that government is continuum. We hardly get to see it happen in terms of projects especially when government changes hand from one political party to another, unfortunately it has denegerated lately into government changing hand to players within the same political parties abandoning project left by their predecessors.
In the media space, several analysts have tried to argue this as a basis for failure of government at several levels. While some people argue that it is politics of hatred, some other people argue that it is basically about priorities and some others argue that it is about each Governor or President wanting to leave a legacy. In this case lets focus on the Governors.
The question then becomes if a project should be completed because it has already been started or because the new Governor feels the project is not priority, remember that scarce resources had already been expended on the project.
Purpose conversion is something Nigerian leaders may have to pay attention to because if a particular project conceived for a certain purpose failed or has outlived its purpose, the same project can then be converted and used for another purpose.
Let me state here that the fact that government is continuum has been extensively exemplified by Governor Ademola Adeleke and this is not because of the basic functions of government but also on the basis of project abandoned by predecessors he has completed and projects that are moribund that he has now revived.
On one hand, let it be on record that when we say Government is continuum, it means that every new government inherits both the assets and liabilities of the previous government and is duty bound to fulfill those obligations.
Take loan repayment for instance, its impossible for any government to come and then refuse to pay back loan on the basis that it was taken by outgone governments, the loan is binding on the state.
In this regard, Governor Adeleke in two years of his administration, has paid back #62.31billion as domestic debt and paid back $13.61million in foreign debt.
The Domestic debt of Osun was ₦148.37 billion as at December 2022 when Governor Adeleke was sworn in but it has now reduced to ₦86.06 billion as at June 2024. In the same manner Foreign Debt of Osun as at December 2022 was $91.78 million but it has now reduced to $78.17 million as at June 2024.
Meaning that the Domestic debt of Osun has reduced by 42% and also the External debt reduced by 15% within to two years of our administration.
This is said to be my understanding of a government that is continuum, this is a liability or burden imposed on the state government by outgone administrations but which must be paid back, that's one hand of the continuity of Government.
I say often that every leader must combine competence and character but in addition to this, every leader must be humane - showing concern for the pain or suffering of another, in other words, a Leader must be compassionate.
I remember that in December 2022 when Governor Adeleke was yet to move to the Government Secretariat and we were still operating from Imole House, he was being briefed by different agencies of government and then it was the turn of CSDA, while the Agency Boss was presenting her report she mentioned some communities that were disconnected from the national grid and also mentioned that the Agency had the fund but needed the Governor's approval which the immediate past Governor didn't give till he left office.
Governor Adeleke’s mood changed immediately and all of us present could tell that he was sad, so he got the microphone and he said he was sad, we knew that he was indeed sad and he gave approval for the kick off of the project immediately.
Going forward, Former Governor Rauf Aregbesola was famous among workers in the state for paying half salary and to be honest, many of the workers now retired had already thought the money had gone, Governor Adeleke again during the campaign period promised the workers of Osun both serving and retired that their welfare is his ultimate concern.
I am nostalgic about this because I have family members who were affected, in fact my mother and father had suffered the harmer of two former APC government both when it was AD, before it became, ACN and then its finally merger with CPC to become APC. I won't be talking politics in this piece for now.
Now for retired civil servants on contributory penion, Governor Adeleke as at June 2024 has paid back over N12.7billion and paid back N4.3billion in gratuities, which his higher than what the previous administrations in the state paid back in twelve years all together. Only recently, in October 2024, Governor Adeleke approved another payment of N3.3billion pensions and gratuities and presented a N1.9billion cheque to Contributory pensioners in the state in November 2024.
You may want to argue that this is not an achievement but whatever makes an administration impose a burden on the government, its becomes an achievement for whoever lifts the burden, in this case, the name Ademola Adeleke suffices.
What about half salary, Governor Adeleke had in 2 years paid back a total of 7 months half salary from the 30 months half salary debt inherited from previous APC administrations, as if that wasn't enough, Governor Adeleke cashed back the promotion of civil servants approved by the previous administration and left without financial implication.
Some people have gone about parading lies that Governor Adeleke had promised to pay the backlog in 6 months, I hereby challenge whoever said this to provide a video clip where he said that. At no time was such promised, he simply promised to pay and he has started, he has paid 7 months out of 30 in 2 years.
Now the highest ranking civil servants in any state is the permanent secretary, but for close to 10 years, Osun State operated without Permanent Secretaries because a government was trying to avoid the benefits of office and entitlements for the office holders then introduced “Coordinating Directors” instead, which the government of Oyetola that succeed it didn't reverse until it lost the 2022 Governorship Election.
The question in the school of public thought then became, if the Oyetola-led Government in the state knew it would appoint Permanent Secretaries, why wait until the loss of an election before taking such step, does it mean it wouldn't have if Oyetola had won his re-election bid?
Governor Adeleke upon assumption of office abolished the title of Coordinating Directors used in Ministries under the previous APC administration with the re-introduction of Permanent Secretaries to restore full confidence and right order in public service.
Now let me bring the conversation home, this conversation is so you can understand how Governor Adeleke has continued to clear doubts by doing things the previous administrations started.
In March 2023, while celebrating his 100 days in office, Governor Adeleke commissioned the second phase of 10.5km Osogbo Ikirun/Ila-Odo road which was abandoned by previous APC governments. The road was contract was first awarded in 2012.
On the 4th of December 2024, Governor Seyi Makinde on behalf of Governor Adeleke commissioned the the dualized Testing-Ground-Ilesa-Garage road in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
The 17.4km Oba (Sir) Adesoji Aderemi East Bypass was awarded in the year 2012 by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to Messrs Slava-Yeditepe Project Limited to ease the traffic congestion at the centre of the city and to serve as intracity link. The road passes through Egbedore, Osogbo and Olorunda Local Government areas. The scope of works consist of 4nos bridges: One over Rail Line and Three over River Osun, a full cloverleaf interchange and host of the another items of work.
The road project is divided into four segments with each segment connected with roundabout or interchange in Osogbo metropolis which are;
Osogbo / Iwo road – Osogbo/Gbongan Road
Osogbo/Gbongan road – Osogbo/Ilesa Road
Osogbo/Ilesa Road – Osogbo/Ibokun Road
Osogbo/Ibokun Road – Osogbo/Ikirun Road.
The road was left incomplete by the time the tenure of Rauf Aregbesola expired and still incomplete by the time Gboyega Oyetola was completed his tenure, which means that for 12 years the road remained abandoned and Governor Adeleke in his two years completed it, with solar powered street lights.
In December 2024, Governor Adeleke commissioned Otan Ayegbaju – Iresi intercity road, which was abandoned for 44 years. This 7.5km road was constructed and commissioned to mark the second year in office celebration of the Ademola Adeleke-led administration.
On the same day of the Iresi road commissioning, Governor Adeleke had commissioned Cooperative College in Ode Omu, Osun State which was abandoned for 12 years and has been reconstructed by his administration.
I have to admit that even as an aide of the Governor I often wonder how easy or hard it must have been for a man who was completely underrated before becoming Governor, he was even degraded by the opposition party. The opposition party keeps searching for documents to nail him that he may have obtained loans but each time they did, the propaganda fails woefully, even the one they got featured on Sahara Reporters.
To be honest, I believe that the model of Imole government is worthy of emulation, let's us the implementation of Minimum Wage as an example, the Ademola Adeleke-led administration started paying workers the 75,000 minimum wage with December 2024 salary, even when the federal government that approved 70,000 was yet to fully implement it. The salary scale of workers in Osun is now said to be second best in the southwest after Lagos. Nothing but commendable.
So what is it that Ademola Adeleke can not do? Against all odds, he continues to show to us all that he is here to do the job. According to Colin Powell, “A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” Adeleke has proven to us beyond reasonable doubt that he meant business.
I'll say this as I round it up, Oyetola-led Government told the people of Osun State it renovated Primary Healthcare Centres across the state, with that year in review, lets take 2023 for instance, Ondo emerge first in the southwest in the Leadership Challenge for Healthcare Delivery. This was announced in May 2023, 6 months into the government of Governor Adeleke. Where then is the result of the effort of Oyetola in the health sector. The challenge started in 2019, even when Oyetola was Governor, not once did Osun moved close to being a winner.
Fast forward to December 2024, 2 years after Ademola Adeleke became the Governor of Osun State, and took a bold step revamping the Primary Healthcare Centres in the state, Osun emerged Southwest Champions and won $500,000. There is therefore no doubt that the intervention of Ademola Adeleke is yielding results, its not a gimmick.
Osun in two years, under the leadership of Ademola Adeleke has seen tremendous improvement in the Health, Education, Agriculture, Infrastructure, Water, Sports and all other sectors, again I ask, what can Adeleke not do?
Sola Isola is a Media Aide to Governor Adeleke of Osun State.
