Aregbesola and The Legacy of Service, Transformation of Osun

By Fatai Akanji

Governor Rauf Aregbesola is the eighth governor of Osun State, counting from both the military era and the civil governments. All the past governors, including the military administrators, have record of achievements, though fading out in the memory of the people of the state. But one could not compare the achievements of the civilian governors to that of military; the gap is wide. Chief Bisi Akande, the first governor of Osun State in the fourth republic has an ending; unfading, laudable and unforgettable record of service. Baba Akande as fondly called was able to manage the meager resources of the state to put in place standard infrastructures in the state. It could be said that the development of Osun began in his era. Among the legacies of Baba Akande is the Osun State Government Secretariat, Abere which was built for less that N2billion (including the Bola Ige House). The secretariat was built at a cost of N1.1bn while the Governor’s office (Bola Ige House) cost N870 million, according to records. The construction of standard and durable roads in both the urban and rural areas of the state is an incontrovertible project of the Asiwaju of Ila-Orangun. The construction of buildings and offices for the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Osogbo by Chief Akande’s administration is a story that tells itself. Those projects are living in good shape years after the exit of baba Akande, attesting to his principle of prudency, standard and patriotism. It is on record that Baba Akande won the award of ‘Most Economic and Transparent Governor’ during his tenure because of his passionate and purpose driving governance.

Osun State University is a legacy of former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola who took over from Chief Akande in 2003. The people of the state craved for infrastructural development during the seven-and-half years reign of Oyinlola. Some people argued that Osun was retard, inert and underdeveloped because there was dearth of infrastructural development after the undeserved exit of Chief Akande. However, everybody is entitled to his/her opinion as a constitutional right. Notwithstanding, there are tangible projects to be traced to Oyinlola’s administration.

The sobriquet ‘Symbol’ was popular than the real name of the bearer and the party (Action Congress then) when Oyinlola was the governor. ‘Symbol’ could be politically ambiguous, but the bearer, the party and the people of the state cleverly and optimistically gave the sobriquet a meaningful, fascinating and purposeful meaning – the ‘Symbol of good governance’. This came as a result of their agitation for a government that would be people friendly and passionate about the development of the state. The people found solace of development of the state in the ‘symbol – Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. He contested the April 14, 2007 governorship election with Oyinlola and won, but the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in connivance with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) denied him of his electoral victory. He took Aregbesola three-and-half years of litigation to reclaim his stolen mandate.

November 26 interchange bridge of the Oba Adesoji Aderemi East Bypass Road, Osogbo

On November 26, 2010, Osun went agog and the entire state went into jubilation when Aregbesola was declared winner of the 2007 governorship election by the Appeal Court in Ibadan. The joy of the people knows no bound and this was traceable to their belief that the messiah that would unshackle Osun state from the bondage of underdevelopment has finally arrived. The people’s expectation was high on Aregbesola; they held the opinion that his administration would be a total departure from the past.

In retrospect, Aregbesola had campaigned with an enthralling manifestoes contained in his unique and popular green book titled ‘My Pact with the People of Osun’. The book contained the Aregbesola’s Six Integral Action Plan: Banish poverty, banish hunger, create work and wealth, restore healthy living, promote functional education, and maintain communal peace and progress. It was obvious that the people of the state dissect, understood and embraced the Aregbesola’s progammes, hence their staunch for him before and during his administration.

Aregbesola, who had served eight-year tenure of Commissioner for Works in Lagos state wasted no time in addressing the yearnings of the people; he hit the ground running with massive infrastructural projects that at a time became source of worry for some people who believed that the governor was biting more than what he could chew. Aregbesola has substantially proven to be the architect of the modern Osun State with his developmental project across the nuke and cranny of the state. No part of the state could deny the existence of government in the area with one or two project. Principally, the construction of roads and drainages cut across everywhere in Osun State.

With more than 300 kilometers of roads across local government areas of the state, Osun has one of the longest road construction records in Nigeria. This has been responsible for easy access for residents and others across the state. There are a number of intercity and other major road constructions linking Osun to other neighbouring states. Some of them are: a 74km boundary highway connecting Osun and Lagos through Orile-owu, ijebu-igbo, a 47km highway connecting Osun and Kwara state, the Eastern bypass axis of the intra-city ring road in Osogbo is being completed, with work rounding up on the three link bridges connecting the roads, a strategic trumpet interchange at the ever busy Gbongan junction of the Ife-Ibadan highway is also nearing completion, the Trumpet interchange bridge further connects another dual carriage road construction that links Gbongan town to Osogbo. Several other maintenance and repairs across the state are being handled by the Osun road maintenance agency. Besides, the popular 10km roads in all the local government of the state is an unprecedented project that boosted Aregbesola’s achievement profile and enhance good road networking for intra and intercity transportation. Aregbesola has tremendously turned around-fantastic road networks, education infrastructure, security, healthcare delivery, etc.

Now fewer than 50 modern school of Elementary, Middle and High schools have been constructed by the Aregbesola’s administration, while about 40 schools have been renovated. The schools are also equipped with state of hearth equipments. One of the modern schools, Osogbo Government High School was commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari. Commenting on the education programmes of Aregbesola, President Buhari lauded Aregbesola for his commitment to providing standard education, saying that the Governor’s innovative ideas and programmes on education were worthy of emulation. He maintained that Aregbesola achievement in education sector was an indication that the All Progressives Congress (APC) prioritise education and striving to make it affordable to Nigerians. He noted that the APC led governments at all levels usually give priority to education, just as he stated that “efforts are in place to make Osun achieve its desired growth”. President Buhari described the newly commissioned high school as an “educational monument” and a legacy project.” He said: “What we are witnessing here is a display of patriotism to the party’s manifesto by the governor. There should be a substantial commitment of energy and dedication to education by government at all levels.”

Ataoja Government High School, Osogbo

The Osun Youths Employment Scheme (OYES) is a programme that earned Aregbesola and Osun State government multiple international and national awards, just like the free school feeding programme, O Meal. No fewer than 40, 000 youths of the state have been absolved by the scheme, which has created wealth in some families and boosted the economy of the state. on healthcare delivery, aside the construction, renovation and equipping the hospitals with drugs and equipments, another laudable intervention initiative of Governor Aregbesola is the provision of ambulances for accident and emergency cases in the state. The ambulances are stationed at strategic places on the road in every local government of the state. A septuagenarian, Mr Surajudeen Akanji who was passively commenting on the Aregbesola’s administration in commercial bus said: “There are some of Aregbesola policies that any sane person will never criticise for any reason or under any guise. One of such is “O Ambulance”. I witnessed a motor accident along Ikinrun/Osogbo road yesterday and I saw the quick intervention of “O Ambulance” as they rushed to the scene of the accident and the Victims were rescued from untimely death.”

Osogbo, a once-upon a time regarded local government headquarter, has now wore a new look of a State Capital, courtesy of the beautification project of Aregbesola. Speaking on Aregbesola’s administration, a Media Aide to Chief Akande, Mr Adelani Baderinwa said: “The person who reforms the moribund finances of Osun State deserves acknowledgment. The person who raises the bar for teaching and learning should be acclaimed. The man who has taken the wellbeing of the people seriously deserves acclamation. Ogbeni Aregbesola is a man with incontrovertible record of good governance in the State of Osun. I, like several others, in and out of Osun, acknowledge his achievements. No patriotic Osun indigene/resident will deny these blessings wrought on our state through Ogbeni’s fertile mind and creative hands. To think otherwise is insanity. Ogbeni is an enigmatic character well appreciated by the high and the mighty, even from faraway lands.”

It is crystal clear that Aregbesola has raised the bar of governance in the state of Osun, getting a person to continue the development stride will be a herculean task going beyond pedestrian, sectional and nepostistic considerations.