For A Prosperous Osun, Let K-Rad Lead

By Jide Afolabi

Osun state governorship election is just few months away while the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election is holding on a perfect date – July 7, 2018.

Number 7 is very significant even in the ecclesiastical world. 7 represents perfection. Of course, only God is perfect but God has given the world perfect creatures too. There is the axiom that ‘no man is perfect’. This is not far from the truth but God has in His infinite mercy and prerogative created a nearly perfect human beings. Of course, they are short in stock. And among the few ones is Barrister Kunle Rasheed Adegoke popularly called K-Rad.

K-Rad is not strange to Osun people. He is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC. K-Rad and his “Tiwa n’ Tiwa L’osun” campaign slogan has permeated the membranes of Osun people.

While his competitors relied heavily on the governor and several others on West Agenda, the legal guru has relied on Allah, the giver of power who gives to whoever pleases Him. While many resorted to mudslinging and calumny, his campaign has been issue based. While most aspirants jostling for the ruling party’s ticket are relying on godfathers and money-politics, K-Rad is relying on God and you, wonderful and patriotic delegates!

A critical analysis of each aspirant of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has shown the young Kunle Adegoke as the best. This is because Adegoke is not a career politician. He is a successful and accomplished attorney and solicitor. He has in his almost two decades of practice argued and won several cases not just at lower courts but even at higher courts.

K-Rad has and can live outside politics. In fact, he has never contested any political office or appointed into any political office before. This is not because of incompetency but because like the sons of Issachar in the Holy Bible, he understands the time. He is a brilliant and intelligent strategist.

No case of corruption act can be traced to Adegoke. He is a man of high integrity. Although a practising Muslim, he is religiously liberal. He always strives to contribute his quota to humanity. In fact, his governorship ambition is driven by genuine interest to lift the people of the state from poverty to prosperity.

K-Rad has marshalled a well thought out agenda for the people of Osun if given the opportunity to serve. His agenda is anchored on four major pillars – economic revatilisation, education, infrastructural development and tourism. He personally confessed that it took him six months to draft his blueprint. That is an aspirant that is ready to lead.

K-Rad has developed an economic blueprint to revive and reinvigorate the economy of the state. While declaring his intention at his party’s secretariat recently, Adegoke said, “What we will use to develop Osun is available in Osun and we will harness the potentials. The solution is not automatic. It requires painstaking effort, a great deal of commitment, cooperation of residents, patience and sacrifice. N10 billion Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) monthly can be achieved.”

With special focus on agriculture to revitalise the economy, Adegoke said, “We must revive the old farm settlements of the Awolowo era. We have the land. We should engage in food production and preservation. Lagos and parts of Ogun State closer to Lagos need our foods from Osun. Agriculture will fetch us money for development”.

He also identified tourism as a major area to exploit to boost the state’s internally generated revenue. He has even visited most of the tourist centres in the state with a view to getting first hand information on their status. In fact, he personally mobilised contractors to rehabilitate/reconstruct road leading to one of the heritage sites in the state. That is vintage K-Rad!

He once said, “Osun is naturally endowed as a vast tourist centre. In the Southwest, no other state can boast of the same tourist sites. Look at Olumirin Water falls; what about Erin-Ijesa Water Falls? We need to develop these sites and make them more income-yielding,”.

Deeply concerned about the rate of unemployment in the state especially among the youths, he promised to create 10, 000 jobs annually. He said, “How do we want to create jobs? 10,000 jobs annually for graduates are possible through investment in agriculture.”

His ambition is to take Osun through the path of industrialization by establishing the largest clay, ceramics and granite industry because the raw materials are available.

His passion to alleviate the ravaging poverty in the state is unparalleled. His economic blueprint is truly anchored on human development as highlighted earlier. He has designed the blueprint to cater for the needs of the poorest in the state without neglecting the rich. It is indeed an all encompassing economic blueprint.

Also, K-Rad though locally bred, he is globally exposed. He has travelled across the globe and exposed to modern day governance. His experience over the years is an added advantage to his ambition as this would eventually reflect on his governance.

Even without holding a political office in the state, Adegoke at a point in time took it upon himself to transverse the globe to secure funding for the government of the state to finance critical infrastructure in the state. He was not only looking for funds for the state abroad, he was in the same vein looking for investors to invest in the state. I do not know of any person, especially among the contestants that have gone that far in their quest to assist the state government.

Another added advantage to Adegoke’s ambition is his youthful age. He is not only young but young at heart. At a time when not-too-young to run bill was just assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari and the world clamouring for young and digitally inclined leaders, K-Rad is offering himself. He is less than 50 years old. Though young, his experience outweighed his age.

A husband of one wife, K-Rad is a strong supporter and promoter of women’s rights. He is a man that believes in gender equality. He has over the years campaign for women involvement in mainstream politics. With him as Governor, Osun women can be rest assured that their interests would be protected.

K-Rad being a Marxist-Leninist, believes in greater good for greater number of people. He believes that all Osun residents must live above the poverty line. He believes in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs that the primary needs – food, shelter and clothing – of Osun residents must be met. And his economic blueprint has rightly captured it.

The current governor, Rauf Aregbesola will bow out by November 2018 after he would have spent 8 years. At his departure, Osun people need a person who can sustain the progress made so far by the current administration. As a matter of fact, this is guaranteed if we secure our future with Kunle Adegoke.