Adeleke’s Aide Wrong To Mislead Youths, APC Has Long History Of Youth-Friendly Governance — Former SA Counters Half-Salary Narrative

By Hamidat Olatunde, Osogbo

Former Special Adviser on Youth and Sports in Osun State, Hon. Lateef Adegboyega Adelabu Aremo, has countered the recent statement issued by Governor Ademola Adeleke’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, describing it as a deliberate attempt to distort history and mislead Osun youths for political advantage.

Rasheed had, in a statement titled “Presenting Chief Architect of Half Salaries as a Youth-Friendly Candidate Is Political Mockery”, accused the APC and its governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, of hypocrisy. He argued that Osun youths still remember the alleged era of hardship, unpaid salaries, pension neglect, family distress, and economic frustration, insisting that Adeleke’s administration has restored dignity through prompt salary and pension payment, implementation of minimum wage, economic stability, and empowerment initiatives.

But responding, Aremo said the spokesperson’s narrative was politically emotional, selective, and strategically crafted to erase the documented contributions of previous APC administrations to youth welfare, economic empowerment, and social development in Osun.

He insisted that the APC has historically been youth-focused and practically responsible for building the strongest institutional frameworks for youth engagement in the state.

According to him, the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) under APC governments provided structured engagement for over 20,000 youths, giving them training, income support, experience, and transition opportunities into permanent employment and entrepreneurship.

He stressed that beyond OYES, teachers were employed to secure the learning future of young people, while health workers were engaged to stabilize the healthcare system and strengthen family well-being.

“These are not propaganda claims; they are verifiable realities. Youth-friendly governance is not about emotional storytelling; it is about deliberate structures that give dignity, income, opportunity, and hope,” he stated.

Aremo said Osun youths are intelligent and cannot be deceived by political dramatization, adding that they are aware of who built sustainable empowerment structures and who is now attempting to rewrite history for political gain.

He challenged the current administration to present structured empowerment systems, sustainable job frameworks, and long-term youth policies rather than relying on publicity-driven gestures.

“If this government is truly committed to youth welfare, let us see institutionalized systems, not slogans. Let us see sustainable empowerment, not temporary excitement. Governance must go beyond propaganda,” he said.

He also cautioned government spokespersons to be responsible and factual in public communication, noting that desperation, misinformation, and revisionism do not reflect strength but expose anxiety.

The former aide urged Osun youths to remain discerning as political decisions approach, insisting that their future must be built on truth, competence, and credible leadership rather than emotional manipulation.

“Osun youths know those who invested in their growth. They know those who stabilized governance when it mattered. They also know the difference between genuine service and political theatrics,” he concluded.