THE Secretary to the State Government of Osun, Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye, speaks with OLUFEMI ADEDIRAN on the lingering controversy over local government administration, the opposition’s assessment of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s performance, the administration’s achievements, and why he believes the governor will secure victory over the All Progressives Congress by a margin of no fewer than 100,000 votes in the August 15 governorship election
Local government administration remains controversial in Osun State. What is the state government’s position on the lingering dispute over council leadership?
For us as a government, we have always made the rule of law our watchword in every action we take. Governor Ademola Adeleke has always insisted that no one should take the law into their own hands. We believe that the All Progressives Congress in the state invaded the local government councils under the guise of a non-existent judgment and decided to remain there just to provoke violence and make the state difficult to govern, thereby disrupting the peace and development of the state. But the governor saw through their plans and insisted that no one should join them in their shenanigans. We continue to wait for the court to pronounce its verdict on the matter. As a government, we decided to leave the APC with its violence-provoking stance. We believe the people of the state can see what the opposition is doing to stall development, starve pensioners and slow the wheel of development in the state. We hope the people of Osun will punish the APC in the August 15 governorship election. That will put an end to the ongoing illegality at the third tier of government in the state.
Opposition parties have argued that the governor is not serious about governance because of his dancing activities. How do you respond to that?
I don’t believe the opposition has the moral right to criticise the governor for dancing. The question they should ask is: Has the governor not outperformed the APC administration? Can the record the opposition left behind after 12 years in government surpass governor Adeleke’s achievements in about four years? Yes, the governor dances, but he is not just dancing; he is also performing creditably.
Early in the life of this administration, the opposition underrated the governor’s capacity to deliver because of his dancing. But today, they have stopped complaining about it because they now know that while the governor dances, he is also working seriously, much to their surprise.
Some of the complaints about Adeleke’s administration is that many government policies are announced with fanfare, but implementation is often slow. What measurable achievements can you point to as evidence that governance is improving the lives of ordinary residents?
Everyone has the right to their opinion, but Governor Adeleke has delivered on his five-point agenda. You can go round the state and seek the opinions of the people. The governor has delivered on his five-point agenda—infrastructure, healthcare, workers’ welfare, among others—that he promised the people. Some of the promises made by the governor at public fora have also been fulfilled. For example, he approved that pensioners would be enlisted in the State Health Insurance Scheme free of charge, and they are currently benefiting from it. He also pledged to screen public school pupils with eye defects and provide them with reading glasses, and that promise has been fulfilled. Most recently, he fulfilled his promise to offer permanent employment to health workers at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital. In terms of infrastructure, he spoke about the dualisation project in Iwo, which is almost completed. The same applies to Ilesa and Ila, among several others. The governor does not just make promises; he fulfils them. He is truly “talk and do.”
How has the Adeleke-led administration impacted Osun’s infrastructure?
When discussing Adeleke’s infrastructural achievements, it is always better to go round the state and see them for yourself. We cannot exhaust his achievements in just one discussion. However, what we did was make a paradigm shift from the usual infrastructure allocation within the annual budget by creating an Infrastructure Support Fund. In the first year of this administration, we launched a N100bn Infrastructure Support Fund. Under the fund, we started and completed the dualisation of the Old Garage-Lameco Junction road, completed the Oke-Fia and Lameco flyovers, and commenced the Lagere Flyover in Ile-Ife, which is nearing completion. We also completed the dualisation of the Akoda-Station Road-Oke Gada road in Ede. We have the Ejigbo-Iwo Road, many township roads across the state, including the Iresi Road, as well as the rehabilitation and equipping of over 200 Primary Healthcare Centres with solar-powered boreholes and solar generators.
The second phase has a funding provision of N159bn. Under it, the dualisation of Ereja Roundabout to the Akure Expressway Junction is ongoing. We also have the dualisation of the Ila Express Road and the Odo-Ori-Adeeke-Oluwo Palace Road in Iwo, which is almost completed. We also completed the Erin-Osun-Ede Junction Road. The lighting of the state was a result of the governor’s resolve to illuminate the streets of major towns. This initiative was inspired by his alias, Imole, which means light. When we assumed office, the streets of the state capital were mostly in darkness, hence the decision to light up the state. As of today, 13,500 solar street lights have been installed along about 250 kilometres of roads across the state. today, many towns in the state are a sight to behold at night. Many motorists now travel safely at night, while roadside traders no longer rely on local lamps to illuminate their businesses.
But many residents have raised concerns about some infrastructure projects executed by Adeleke’s administration as substandard. What is your response to these allegations?
It is an allegation, and it remains so. As a journalist, you can go round our project sites and see for yourself the quality and aesthetics of the work. I am not an engineer, but the contract agreements clearly specify the standards required by the government, and we cannot go below those standards.
Residents in some communities have expressed concerns over insecurity, including communal clashes and criminal activities. How is the state government addressing these security threats?
This administration inherited communal conflicts, and we did not shy away from the challenges. Today, the issues surrounding communal crises are being addressed head-on, with clashes reduced to the barest minimum. Insecurity is not peculiar to Osun State; it is a national challenge. However, it is being better managed in our state, which is why Osun remains one of the most peaceful states in the federation.
The governor recently launched the State Security Trust Fund to bring about a paradigm shift in the funding of security agencies in the State of the Living Spring. The fund, which already has several millions of naira in its account, will focus on training, technology, equipment, logistics and other operational needs of security agencies to enable them respond effectively to emerging security challenges. I can assure you that more corporate organisations that have pledged support to the fund will redeem their commitments soon, while many others are expected to come on board.
How confident are you of Adeleke’s chances of winning a second term in office?
Our administration is worker-friendly and our policies are people-centred. From the first day Governor Adeleke assumed office, his determination has positively impacted the people. For example, despite increasing pensions in line with the new national minimum wage policy, the governor also approved and ensured that all retirees in the state were enrolled in the Osun State Health Insurance Scheme free of charge. The implication is that these senior citizens now spend less on healthcare services. We all know that elderly people are confronted with different health challenges. Enrolling them in the health insurance scheme means they can access healthcare at a lower cost and no longer have to fear visiting hospitals when the need arises. The governor approved the free enrolment of all 20,000 pensioners in the scheme. Another example of the governor’s commitment is the vision screening exercise organised for pupils in public primary schools across the state and the distribution of free reading glasses to those with sight defects to improve their vision and enable them to concentrate better on their studies. Under the programme, 345,000 pupils were screened, while 42,000 reading glasses were distributed to those who needed them. These show that the governor is impacting all categories of people in the state, irrespective of their political affiliation. Don’t also forget that the governor has maintained a cordial relationship with the state workforce. Apart from these, we have completed about 300 kilometres of roads across the state. Three flyovers have been completed in Osogbo and Ile-Ife. Major roads have been illuminated in line with the governor’s alias, Imole. Over 200 primary healthcare centres have been rehabilitated and equipped. Schools have been built, teachers have been employed and there are many other achievements that cannot all be listed. All these resonate with the people and they are standing by us. Come August 15, Governor Adeleke will win again. The opposition has tried every possible means to ensure that Governor Adeleke is not on the ballot, but all their plots have failed. They are afraid of contesting an election against him because they know he will win convincingly. I am confident that in a free, fair and credible election, the governor will defeat the APC and other parties by a margin of not less than 100,000 votes. That is why we are seeking a peaceful atmosphere so that our people can come out and exercise their civic rights without intimidation.
Source: Punch