GOVERNOR Ademola Adeleke came from a wealthy and elite background from Ede town, Osun State whose father and brother have governed the state at one time or the other.
In this article, I am writing like someone with an independent mind without minding whose ox is gored.
I will write about what I feel has been the positive and negative sides of “the unusual Governor” known with dancing skills.
Many people’s opinions and mindsets have been “can any good thing come from Jerusalem?” when Ademola Adeleke begin governance of Osun State on November 27, 2022 with different Executive Orders, some are important while some are less important, some are reasonable while some are not reasonable.
Three years into Adeleke’s administration in Osun state had been eventful with many controversial policies including siting of the Airport, traditional institution interventions, non recruitment of teachers till date despite sacking the ones recruited by his predecessor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola.
What I see that is going for the ‘dancing governor’ is that he is a likable man whom the Yoruba would say “eni ti o ni eran ife ni ara”.
For such a man to be hated, it will take a longer time, no matter his abysmal performance.
You can give it to Adeleke that he is a responsive Governor who reacts to criticism with prompt action.
One of such was the street lights across the state capital, Osogbo, Ede, Ilesha, Ile-Ife.
This was implemented after a colleague, Insight Media Links wrote article on darkness experienced in the state. He took immediate action, there are street lights everywhere now, that is a good legacy likewise a road linking Alekuwodo and Oke-fia was tarred after the residents staged protests over dusts being experienced along the stretch of the road.
I can still remember complaints about the Erin Ijesha Waterfalls how pitiable it was when it came viral on the social media, the Governor was there the second day to see things for himself.
There are infrastructural developments in some major cities including Ilesha, Osogbo, Ede and Ile-Ife.
He would have scored above average on security with the Amotekun Corps performance in Osun, in spite of the recent incident at the Ife axis I will give his administration a 56% on security.
The incident of Amotekun is more of politics than natural. Some are bent on destroying Amotekun Corps but residents need them to come back as soon as possible so that we will not bite our fingers in regrets later considering the security challenges across the states.
There are still many things left undone in three years in office, this includes the Iwo-Osogbo highway left unattended to. Failed promises of mobilising contractors when in deed no contractors on site since three years.
Failed promises are an integrity issue.
Recruitment of school teachers after sacking the teachers officially employed by his predecessor, Oyetola.
Most of the unqualified Imole Youth Corps recruited have now down tools due to poor remuneration. The state’s education is in comatose.
This sector has been a below average for the ‘dancing governor’.
There is no clear transport policy in Osun State like other states in the Southwest States that has mass transit from their states to the others.
Housing policy is also lacking in the state especially the students in the state higher institutions who are passing through hell in getting accommodation at unaffordable costs.
His intervention into traditional institutions against the wishes of the residents is a gross minus for the Adeleke administration, examples of this includes, Ikirun, Esa-Oke axis, Igbajo and many other towns.
It should be noted that if you are not resident in the state capital, it will be difficult for you to locate where the State Assembly is situated in the State capital.
There is no visible signage to the State House of Assembly despite bogus monthly allocation received by the state.
Since the gate leading to Assembly was dismantled on the assumption of Adeleke administration, nothing was done to rehabilitate it including the official residents of the lawmakers.
Osun workers are enjoying the dividends of democracy under Adeleke’s administration to the extent that he did not find it difficult to pay idle Local Government workers who decided to go on strike under the influence of the State government for over seven months because their actions supported what he stood for at the detriment of finances of state.
Adeleke was able to put smiles on the faces of workers including the pensioners by paying outstanding indebtedness from the previous government, this a plus for him.
I will not delve into the upheavals in his political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that is presently in disarray but I have this advice for Governor Adeleke if he wants to be a hero or a godfather of politics in Osun State.
From my analysis above, it would be better for him to urgently complete all the ongoing projects before the expiration of his first tenure.
If he wins the second term election in August 2026 which I vehemently doubt, he might not retain the honour he is having in his first term.
It is good to leave the stage when the ovation is loudest like ex-Governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Gboyega Oyetola.
If Rauf Aregbesola had not gone for second term there would not have been the issue of half salaries or his daggers drawn issue with pensioners till date. Aregbesola’s performance was outstanding in his first term but his success was reversed in his second term.
Residents of Ede will never forget their son for beautifying their city that no one could have done in the next 50 years, to be modest.
I went to Ede, while others were criticizing him, I hailed and prayed for him for being a good ambassador of the town. When would Ede have such opportunity again? Only God can tell!
Lest I forget, I want to commend all health workers at the Primary Health Centres across the State for a job well-done, what the Adeleke needs to do is to upgrade the infrastructural needs of the workers in some of the centers I visited.
I am neither a soothsayer nor a prophet but if the Governor can take heed to this write-up, he would thank me later.
It is either Adeleke contest for a Senatorial seat in Osun West under any political party or jettison the idea of him contesting for a second term.
There won’t be any springboards for the praises he is getting now in his second term, those who are saying hosanna today will turn around to say crucify him in his second term.
•Adesoji Omosebi is the Publisher of SOJ WORLDWIDE ONLINE NEWS and Ex-Chairman of the Osun Online Publishers Association (OOPA), Osogbo, Osun State.