BY KOLA ODEPEJU
Saturday, November 27th, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola clocked three years in office. Looking back, it’s just like yesterday that he was sworn in as the 5th Executive Governor of Osun. How time flies? Like opening the eye and closing it three years have gone in the life of his administration. For his admirers and the good people of Osun generally, especially those who like to call a spade a spade and who are guided by conscience, what gladdens their hearts is the fact that the last three years have not gone in vain; as tangible achievements have been recorded under his leadership.
It was the great politician and current Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, who once succinctly quipped “Good governance is putting people at the centre of development process.” So for this past three years that Oyetola has been in the saddle, nothing makes his style of governance more attractive than putting the people at the centre of his administration’s policy thrust. People’s participation in decision making has taken crucial and central positions in his administration while the welfare of the people has been of utmost concern to him. All these are evident in the pro-people policies that have defined his administration so far.
Followers of events in Osun in the last three years cannot but agree that not little has been achieved in terms of delivering dividends of democracy to the people by Governor Oyetola even with glaring paucity of funds. Of course, giant strides have been recorded without unnecessary noise. These achievements have earned Oyetola accolades from near and far as he has also received awards of recognition from the Media, NGOs and political groups across the country.
To start listing Oyetola’s achievements in the past three years in this piece again may be tantamount to undue repetition as the enlightened public is not unaware of those achievements which have also earned him endorsements for another term by well meaning individuals, reputable organisations, traditional rulers, professional bodies, religious organisations in the state including the highly reputable Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and more importantly, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Osun state chapter whose members’ welfare has been of paramount concern to Governor Oyetola.
“It’s a known fact today in Osun and beyond that Oyetola is not given to frivolous spending. Even his detractors concede that one to him. He sets his priorities right and he doesn’t engage in flamboyant programmes and white elephant projects that can affect those things that should come first
“
In all intellectual honesty these endorsements cannot be said to have been given out of sentiment but are based on reality on ground as far as good governance is concerned. Good work, they say, doesn’t go unnoticed.
It is quite important to mention it that all the giant strides that Oyetola has been able to record so far couldn’t have been possible but for his prudence and efficient management of resources. This statement of fact was corroborated by a social commentator and human rights activist of national repute, Mr Rasaq Olokooba, who came on a visit to Osun recently and who had expected that the state government would roll out the drums to celebrate Oyetola’s three years of quality governance. But against his expectation, no celebration took place. He then told me that he can now see the reason why Governor Oyetola has been able to achieve this much in three years; that it’s because he’s not the extravagant type.
As Olokooba rightly observed, were Oyetola to behave like some other leaders, a big party would have been thrown and millions of tax payers money would have been wasted in the name of celebrating third year anniversary.
It’s a known fact today in Osun and beyond that Oyetola is not given to frivolous spending. Even his detractors concede that one to him. He sets his priorities right and he doesn’t engage in flamboyant programmes and white elephant projects that can affect those things that should come first. As good economists do, the governor draws his scale of preference to determine which is most important, then next most important and so on before he now chooses what to do in order of importance. And this is one quality that has attracted him to many people; including some members of the opposition in the state.
Given the nature of our political culture in this part of the world; especially in our own country Nigeria, no matter how well an incumbent leader has done, it’s a rarity to see or hear members of the opposition applauding him. All they do is to rubbish his good work due to their desperate ambition to dislodge him from office. However, in the state of Osun today, we hear political opponents talking on radio stations and giving kudos to Governor Oyetola for his good work. This is little surprising because as unscrupulous as many politicians are in today’s Nigeria, there are still conscientious ones who are given to saying the truth. This writer cannot but commend a few members of the opposition who have summoned the courage to say the truth as far as governance is concerned in Osun today.
Three years in office, Governor Oyetola has done well enough – to earn him another term – though, for a leader of his ilk who’s not given to resting on his oars and who’s focused on leaving lasting legacies, work still remains to be done. He must therefore not look back or be discouraged by the ranting of his detractors. For no serious person listens to market noise, but only to the one with whom he/she is transacting business. Let the good work continue in Osun.
Odepeju is Senior Special Assistant to Governor Oyetola on public affairs.
CAVEAT: Views and opinions expressed here are those of the writers and are not in any way those of The Point Newspaper – Editor
