Welcome to Osun State Ultimate Search, a reality show that began on November 27, following the swearing-in of Senator Ademola Adeleke as the state’s governor. What the People’s Democratic Party promised the good people of Osun was governance; one month down the line, the invisibility of that promised governance is such that no degree of illumination can search out.
In place of governance, an unending episode of drama keeps defining Broda Jackson’s every move, waxing stronger every day in his agenda of cluelessness and ineptitude, like a eunuch in the “other room”. The only promise he ever fulfilled was the pledge to wield his spending power and violent potentials (remember the pounds, dollars and fire-for-fire statement?) to gain access into the Government House. Getting in however, all “alaye” has done is to launch an endless search for who used up the methylated spirit in the first aid box before his arrival.
Sadly so, the same time Mallam Nurudeen has spent raising funny alarms about the official cars of former political appointees could have been expended on real governance but what more can you expect from one whose 52-paragraph inaugural speech was as empty as a detonated canister.
Let’s start with this: the present Deputy Governor, the present Secretary to the State Government and the present Chief of Staff were former Local Government chairmen who were given cars after their tenure of office.
For the information of the wailing wailers: it has been an established convention in the State to encourage serving officers to go with the official cars given to them after serving meritoriously in the State. From 2012 to date, all retired Permanent Secretaries were allowed to go with the cars allocated to them. All Heads of Service were allowed to go with the cars allocated to them. All Honourable Justices and Magistrates were allowed to go with the cars allocated to them. This is to encourage altruism and curb corruption in the service.
It will be recalled that Chairmen of Boards and Local Governments were allowed to go with their official cars during the PDP administration between 2003 and 2010.
The State Government engages in these courtesies to boost morale of public officers who by the nature of their services have been politically exposed. To allow these officers to return to hopping commercial buses after leaving office is not only demotivating but crude and uncivilised. The man whose catchphrase was “fact check” during pre-election debates should adopt his erstwhile mantra to save himself these needless hassles.
Osun is at a phase in its history where it cannot afford a mumbled-jumbled leadership. Unfortunately, the current show in the political space of our dear state of the virtuous appears like a quantum bewildering in the ruling party. Their star boy, ‘Broda Jackson’, does not even know his fate yet amid evidences of certificate scandal and over-voting against him at the Election Tribunal. This perhaps explains his reprisals and constant attempts to drag Mr Adegboyega Oyetola into his “rofo-rofo” battle.
Our learned friends have a saying, that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. But this nugget remains ever-elusive for Governor Adeleke and his co-travellers, who are yet to find the courage to respond to the call for accountability in the public space about the SURE-P local government funds that had been diverted for the purchase of Christmas goodies for PDP leaders and political loyalists of the governor. Yet, the ridiculous search for utensils at the Government House and writing materials at the Office keeps changing gear every passing day.
Like some monarchs have rightly counselled and discerning minds have continued to buttress, Governor Ademola Adeleke needs to face the business of governance and quit chasing his own tail. He needs to be reminded that time is ticking, and it would be a monumental disaster if after 100 days in office, the governor’s highest achievement is his search for NOTHING.
●Alalade wrote from Ada, Osun State