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Lots have been said. Lots have been heard . Lots have been raised and still raising about the glaring dichotomy between the life-changing legacies bequeathed by the previous administrations of the All Progressives Congress(APC) and the much touted cosmetic white elephant projects being embarked on by the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)-led government in Osun State.
Recall that the emergence of Governor Ademola Adeleke in the last gubernatorial election in 2022 put a sudden temporary pause to the 12-year rule of the progressive government of former Governors Rauf Aregbesola and Adegboyega Oyetola respectively, a development that launched the state into a different policy formation as many of the existing policies and programmes were obnoxiously discarded for no just cause or better still, personal reasons.
However, coming into government on the mantra of pseudo rejuvenation and uncertain renaissance by the current administration, Governor Adeleke, the then PDP governorship candidate, who assured and pledged heaven on earth to turn around the socio-economic fortunes of the state has been struggling to even offset the backlog salaries and pension arrears boastfully pledged to offset within six months of coming into government despite the crazy and humongous funds available to his government.
It is crystal clear that no one has been left in doubt that the Adeleke administration lacks the capability to effect any positive change in the affairs of the state.
As a citizen of Osun State who has been monitoring events across sides, it is an undisputable fact that many of the enduring legacies of the successive administrations of the duo of Aregbesola and Oyetola across all the sectors are currently suffering a serious setback in view of the unfriendly and personal-laden policies of the Governor Ademola Adeleke government so far.
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The education, health, agriculture, commerce even infrastructure, social and justice system are in shambles.
It is saved to say that virtually all sectors have ensued in one setback or the other. Is it education that is currently in shambles or justice system where the state government almost removed the Chief Justice in spite of hues and cries from discerning citizens and well-meaning Nigerians.
The eight years of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola witnessed the construction of over 900km of roads across the nooks and crannies of the state just as the forty-eight months of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola launched Osun State into the quality passable, motorable and pliable roads running into 600km across the nooks and crannies of the state.
Many of these roads are still solid and being enjoyed by the citizens of the state till tomorrow.
However, it is not the number of kilometres of road that matters but the quality nature of the roads. It is on record that many of the roads (too much to mention) constructed by the duo are still very solid and standard up till today.
While Ogbeni Aregbesola was known for his preference for quality service delivery, Oyetola is known for standard in all fronts no matter whose ox is gored. These traits were exhibited in the quality and standard of services rendered throughout the period their tenures lasted.
A typical example of this is the quality of the job done on the dual carriageway of Osogbo East bypass (circular road) which was initiated by the former Governor Aregbesola from Dele Yes Sir round-about and continued by his successor, Oyetola from Ilesa Garage to Stadium.
Passing a fair judgment on the job done on the road would further lay credence to the irrevocable commitment and desire of the two leaders to quality service delivery.
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It is quite unfortunate that the said road that had already reached over 80 percent completion stage before Oyetola exited office was commissioned by the Governor Adeleke government without completion as manifested in rush-hour finishing touches made after the said road was inaugurated by the state government.
According to the former State Commissioner for Works and Transport, now the current Executive Director, Project Implementation, Federal Housing Authority, Engr Oluremi Omowaiye while fielding questions from journalists recently, the circular road needed wearing layers on both sides, a situation that made the previous governments to delay the marking of the completed side.
It was made public that the 20 percent job done on the road by the current government was haphazardly done as it failed to lay the wearing layers before marking the road.
Anywhere in the world, construction of road by government is done by its socio-economic value to the state and people. Roads are not just constructed or reconstructed for the sake of it but rather by its necessity, exigency and socio-economic potential, and importance to the people’s welfare and general well-being. Anything short of this is nothing but outright misplacement of priorities. But this is not the situation as at the moment as many of the roads under construction can not sufficiently provide valuable information in this regard.
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Of what purpose or relevance are the much-touted five flyovers to the residents of the state at a time where several roads are in a sorry-state, deplorable and crying for rehabilitation? I will come back to this later.
In December 2022, shortly after the inauguration of the incumbent governor, the state government commenced reconstruction work on Akoda-Oke-Gada Ede road and many others, a development that reawakened the consciousness of the opposition to challenge the rationale behind the job claiming that the road was not captured in the 2022 budget and demanded Governor Adeleke’s government to show to the world where the said road was captured or tell the residents when the supplementary budget was submitted to the House of Assembly for appropriation. Up till today, nothing has been shown to reassure the citizenry of the government’s decisions on the budget review aside usual rhetorics.
Sincerely, nothing wrong in dualising the road for the use of the people but the question is that, where is the respect for due process and rule of law which are the fundamental objectives of good governance anywhere in the world?
Be it as it may, the fact remains that any project executed without due process amounts to outright illegality and an afront to principles of transparency, accountability, openness and probity.
It would be recalled that the state government claimed to have completed the Osogbo East Bypass circular road, whereas the road was incomplete as at the time it was commissioned likewise Old-garage-Okefia-Lameco road that the state government invited ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo to commission.
No doubt, government is a continuum, nothing extraordinary in completing ongoing projects since executive inherits both assets and liabilities, thus nothing to praise one for but what is essential and honourable, is rapt acknowledgement of whatever efforts of the previous administrations on the said project.
Recall that few months after the state government unveiled its phoney 100billion infra plan, the government started work on Old-Garage-to-Lameco road with little or no information as to expectations and rationale behind the decision, leaving the citizens in darkness.
Many were asking what the government intended to do, cost of the project, identity of the contractor and the prototype of the proposed project. Not until the opposition challenged the government, no one would have known anything about the project that the government was using public funds for, hence the disclosure of about N25billion being expended on the road and two flyovers (Okefia and Lameco).
In a statement issued by the state government after much constructive criticisms from the opposition, the government later awarded the 2.21km Old-garage-Okefia-Lameco road at the contract sum of N5.8billion whereas no tangible justification for the humongous contract sum.
Similarly, the ongoing Okefia flyover was awarded over N10billion and while Lameco flyover was awarded over N8billion. All things being equal, it would remain tasking for the government to justify the contract cost since it is not gold that would be used for the projects as it is on record that the former Governor expended just a total sum of N2.7billion to fix popular Olaiya iconic flyover while the current government is expending over 10billion naira on Okefia flyover. Anyway, this is discussion for another time.
So, of what importance or socioeconomic value are closed distance Okefia and Lameco flyovers? Are the flyovers really meant for the benefit of the people or for cosmetic and fancy effigy? Are the fancy projects for socioeconomic advancement?
Moreover, the questions to ask the current government are that, why splashing billions of naira on cosmetic flyovers at the expense of deplorable intra-and-inter-towns-cities roads? Why over N10 billion has been expended on a single flyover at Okefia? Why the state government is expending over N8billion on Lameco flyover? Why is the state government expending N14.9 billion on a single flyover in Ile-Ife to the detriment of many internal roads crying for rehabilitation and reconstruction within and outside the cradle of Yoruba race? Why did the Osun State Government award just 6.0km dual carriageway in Ilesa at over N16.5 billion at the expense of deplorable intra-and-inter-towns-cities roads wailing for intervention? A critical, technical and dispassionate look and assessment of the Old-garage-Okefia-Lameco road and twin flyovers at Okefia and Lameco is enough to justify the quality or otherwise of the job done.
These and many more are awaiting swift responses from the government and its media handlers. The end justifies the means.
May God heal our land!
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