Of Mess Political Appointments In Osun By ISAAC OLUSESI

In Nigeria, State of Osun, the political appointments recently rolled out are a public acknowledgement of Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s pragmatism in governance and administration of the state, a show of the coherence and cohesiveness of his doggedly brave political process and fundamental respect for democracy.

On the other hand, the appointments, a relieving tonic to the appointees in their waiting postures are a calculative development, not in any reverse, mess relations which rather lay high premium on fairness and justice to the political class, pointing up Oyetola’s morality and passion for sensitivity, most esteemed to the Osun diverse publics, with him brought particularly into warmth embrace of party men and women in the state.

For instance, the appointment of Hon. Israel Famurewa as Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Amitolu Shittu and Richards Tinubu, respectively, Director-General, Amotekun Security Corps and Bureau of Social Services (BOSS) as well as the appointment of the Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) across the state, all should be commended for Oyetola’s unparalleled ability to make haste slowly with tact and necessity in a society where cynics abound in terrifying proportions.

Oyetola is very much in the know that politicians are constantly struggling to get him to act in their own appointment interests, keeping the dynamics on their own terms or so it seems but he has also correspondingly firmed up his responsibility, altering the pace and stakes to suit the state wallets, treasury of the government. His strategic wisdom has been to avoid drifting the state into financial entanglements, crises from which there may not be any realistic exit, with the embroiling sequences of events, government-labour engagements or dialogues, public damaging comments and bitter conclusions reverberated which for oppositions is intolerable, running aground the state and his integrity, reputation in the process, held to ransom.

The waiting postures also of Oyetola cannot go for signs of weakness, horse-trading, compromise or opportunism but must be regarded as his best meeting point for political appointments and the till, purse of the state. That’s great, indeed! Greatness, after all does not demand that one does everything right, only that one should do the essential things right. The appointments, all of them should be hailed by lovers of progress of Osun government and unity of All Progressives Congress (APC), the governing party in the state, drawing distinctions between the long drawn and temporary, between the reality and illusion and between the significant and petty that cumulatively point up the various appointments as highly capable of creating the forces of a powerful ally, perfect preemptive stratagem for realizing the manifestoes of the APC government in the state; the goal is to advance the prosperity of Osun.

It is good that Famurewa, Amitolu, Tinubu and LGEA lords have long recognized that Oyetola is a leader who displays joy in being exemplary, always dissipating energy on the progress of Osun and doing what the appointees, all could emulate, contrastingly in the contemporary human society whose several other leaders across religion and socio-political-economy are moss gatherers, petty and freaks who cannot be taken as models. While the synopsis of Oyetola’s giant strides, generating industrialization, investments prompted, commerce strengthened, agriculture revitalized, primary health rejuvenated, roads constructed, rehabilitated and peace and security in the state rejigged are a profuse show of his responsibility in governance of the state for the collective good of Osun people.

Thus, Famurewa, ex-federal lawmaker is charged on the rights of children to education, obligations of the government and community to children, identifying with the goals of the World Summit on children education and committing both the budget and resources to translate the summit into actions, to keep children in schools and increase attendance, provide them with other opportunities and facilities to enable the children develop in freedom and dignity. I am sure that Famurewa, attentive, loyal and steadfast knows that children in Osun schools, now under his purview are the most fragile and vulnerable, yet vital members of the society who should be protected at all times.

I counsel Amitolu Shittu to think hard, dig deep and take a more penetrating collaborative look at the Southwest security to contain the diverse challenges to life and property, particularly in Osun, acting with speed and decisiveness to earn him respect, awe and irresistible momentum and letting himself dispassionately into reading his Corps to pick up signals they unconsciously send, an exercise both in sensitivity and strategic necessity; a friendly front, not taking appearance for reality, will let him watch them closely and mould them for useful information some of which could be decisive, indecisive and overtly cautious. Amitolu, consistent and devoted, not preachy, knows that information is power, power is responsibility and responsibility is dispensing actions.

And I recommend Richards Tinubu to always apply government discretions so that government’s efforts would pay off in favour of lasting democracy. From the triumph of Tinubu’s individuality, he is cheerful, useful and knows when to apply break or accelerate, and when ought, at all costs to avoid language that is static and overtly personal, but with his words become a spark for actions, not passivity as no structure can stand for long when it rots from within. While I recharge the LGEA Chairman and members to always draw sufficient lessons from the sociology of their past experiences with utmost sense of responsibility to Osun schools, reflecting at all times the Osun APC government thoughts and actions on education to enable the LGEA chieftains leave a good legacy behind by the time they leave office.

I heartily congratulate Famurewa, Amitolu, Tinubu and LGEA chiefs, all of them firm, sound minded and industrious as basic ingredients and whose performances known to Oyetola, are sufficient credentials that have shot them into limelight, a challenge to expand their vision, with implications for history in Osun where opportunities abound to set records for posterity. And Oyetola, a grand strategist who has developed positive political dynamics and become an unassailable reader of the mindset of political watchers, knows the value of the appointees, men and women value added, now found on the path where duty lies and he has not misread anyone of them.

By the recent appointments, Oyetola has rather strengthened the governing APC in the state, embolden the joints and links, crumbling intra-party issues or problems if any, into eminently no issue at all. Therefore, the appointments are not a mess, untidy as some opposition minimalists in the state argued themselves into intensity and impact, inside matatu, the intra-city minibus called _korope_ Wednesday, this week; same at some news stands, few joints in Osogbo, state capital.

OLUSESI is Assistant Director, Directorate of Publicity, Research & Strategy, All Progressives Congress (APC), State of Osun