Aregbesola’s Second Term of Pain and Hope

By Olabode Abolaji

When he emerged as the candidate of the Action Congress in 2006 for the 2007 Osun Governorship Elections, many people saw him as a leading light and one with a vision especially as embedded in his manifesto, “MY PACT WITH THE PEOPLE OF OSUN STATE” otherwise known as the Green Book, political watchers and analysts saw in Rauf Aregbesola a visionary, goal getter and one with a mission for his state.

And with his record as a serving Commissioner for Works in the Bola Tinubu government of Lagos State, key watchers opined that maybe this is the man for the job. And no doubt, the wild jubilation that thronged the November 26, 2010 Appeal Court verdict in Ibadan which finally gave power to the “Symbol of Progressive Governance” as his followers and fans love to call him.

Perhaps, his first term was as rosy as what people would describe it with Osun residents anxiously waiting for what this man called “Akanda Olorun” meaning God’s Chosen will do in fulfilling his electioneering promises. As Rauf would have it, the first 2 years were used to carve out how the development plan would materialize with the inauguration of key projects.

Nevertheless, he completed some road projects, health facilities upgrade as well as the beautification of mega cities and others before the end of the 3rd year of the first term, financial troubles began for his administration which had outside the state’s resources, gone for credit facilities to finance the developmental projects envisaged in the manifesto.

But before the end of the first quarter of 2014 till August when the governorship elections were held, the nominal allocation to the state was less than #2b for a state that collected #4.6b two years before running the state to a position of borrowing to augment salaries and pension with other statutory expenses for government monthly, rolling into the elections and the eventual commencement of the second term on the 26th of November, 2014.

As fate would have it, the progressive revolution touched at the center early in 2015, and so, hopes were high, fingers crossed and minds open. Some were even of the view that as an APC government took over at the Federal level, so the pains of low revenue accruing to states would be over, as many of those governed by the opposition before May 29, 2015 had alleged the Jonathan administration of cash starving them because of political differences.

But then for Osun and other states, first was the bailout in September, 2015 to cushion the effects of non-salary payment that had hit most states and the unexpected Paris club loan refund to states. Despite that, Aregbesola’s government had endured the worst salary crisis in the entire South West region of Nigeria since 2015 as it has rather been paying “Half Salary” or what it calls “Modulated” as confirmed by the new Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Adelani Baderinwa on a radio interview last week.

According to him, civil servants on levels 1-7 earn full salary, those on 8-14 get 75% and those beyond 14 get 50% agreed by labour unions in August 2015 when the crisis was pervasive with same guidelines adopted for remunerating pensioners. And seven months into the second term, Aregbesola started paying half salaries that in a way brought down public sympathy for his administration. While some kept hope alive, others believed the government caused the hardship with its high credit status that has continued to hamper monthly allocations to the state making it less effective to cater for the welfare of workers.

One beautiful thing that characterized the government was it low key approach to issues from early 2015 to mid-2016 as well as the courage of the man in the eye of the storm to wither the pressure generated by several industrial action both at home and the joint-owned Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Governor Rauf Aregbesola continued his developmental projects unabated.

Of such are the nine bridges the government is constructing to network roads in Osogbo, the state capital with other numerous projects going on, new school infrastructure which is also key to its campaign has been consolidated on starting from the Osogbo Government High School commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari on September 1, 2016 to others that are on across the state.

What is going on in Osun State or rather the State of Osun is a conflict of development and welfare, the government is passionate about fast tracking development so as to boost the economy, the rather average indigene of the state is concerned about how food would be on his/her table at least thrice a day which many say would only come if salaries of the workforce are paid.

Many also believed that while infrastructure is needed, the welfare of the civil service which contributes to about 40% of the economy should be prioritized. With the ills of some policies introduced earlier in the administration, the recessive economy the federal government is trying to contain and the huge debt burden of the state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s second tenure as Governor of Osun State has been one with the most pains in the history of the state as attendant effects of the policies are written in the face of the average citizen.

An adage says “No Pain, No Gain”. So as the Pain Continues, there is still Hope, Yes! Because Human Beings Will and Never not be Hopeful that Things Can Only Get Better.

Whether the Pain continues and goes on, there is an undisputable fact, that is, 11.59pm on Monday, November 26, 2018 is fast approaching.