OSUN Gov. ADEMOLA ADELEKE
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State said he continued Gboyega Oyetola, his predecessor’s project because it was in line with the commitment of the present administration to ensure accelerated development of the state.
Gov. Adeleke said this at the Grand Reception, Honours, and Induction organised by the Osun Development Association held in Lagos on Sunday, June 2nd, adding that his administration has ended half salary payment to workers.
In his speech, the governor said: “It is my honour and privilege to address this distinguished gathering of top leaders and professionals from Osun State, the state of the living spring. I cherish this opportunity to speak to accomplished Indigenous people of my state who are contributing in no small measure to local, state, and national development.
“I have commendable records of your association’s activities. Your passion for individual growth and your many additions to state developmental efforts are noteworthy. I say congratulations to you all. “Our government also adopted the mantra of government as a continuum. We live it and act it. I retained all contractors inherited from my predecessor. None of those contracts were terminated. No contractor was fired. My only insistence was that they must deliver on what they signed with the state.
“I am also completing most abandoned projects inherited from my predecessor. The Ikirun-Osogbo dualisation is completed and I am going to complete the road up to the border with Kwara State. The Osogbo ring road is being completed while the Osogbo-Iwo road is ongoing. In the infra sector, we insist on salvaging state assets without undue political considerations.
“Several external reviewers have rated our approach as highly successful. We also have our positive internal assessments. Within one and a half years in office, we have achieved what the previous administration could not attain in four years. We have constructed over 90 kilometers of roads alongside several bridges and channelisation projects.
“Another 80 kilometers of roads are presently under construction. The multi-billion naira infra projects which include four flyover bridges, dualisation of several roads, and rehabilitation of several schools and health centers are currently ongoing. Osun is indeed a huge construction site as attested to by many visitors
“We reformed the public service and ensured regular payment of salaries, and promotion arrears. In Osun, there is a nexus between the formal and informal workforce. For now, taking care of public servants boosts, enlivens, and strengthens the informal workforce in the state,” he narrated.
According to him, in this era of economic turbulence and uncertainty, non-governmental organizations are taking center stage to fill increasing gaps in national and global development. “In the northern part of the world, such groups play prominent roles in several sectors. They deliver a lot of programmes and projects in several societal sectors and strengthen the orderly growth and development of society.
“In the southern part of the world, such groups are also popping up with models and agendas that are complementing efforts of states to address the complex developmental challenges facing our societies. As most developing nations are in the southern world, the problems of poverty, infrastructure deficit, and imbalances in the social sector expand the dynamics of non-governmental groups.
“The emerging collaboration between non-governmental groups in the north and southern part of the world is however reducing the burden of such groups in the South in the area of technical and financial cooperation. That partnership between the new and old world explains the increasing prominence and significance of several development organizations in Africa particularly in Nigeria.
“As a state leader, I am convinced that non-governmental groups are important partners whose expertise, resources, and networking strengths are required to back up state institutions in health, education, economic growth, digital economy, and several other areas. We are therefore open to partnership to deliver on our five-point agenda as a state government.
“At this point, permit me to present a little detail about our strategies for delivering good governance in Osun state. Our first focus was to craft an unorthodox governance agenda, the five-point agenda namely workers’ welfare, financial inclusion, localisation, people-centered infra upgrade, social sector upliftment, and agro-industrialisation.
“To implement the above, we equally deviate from the many well-known pontifications on governance delivery. We put people at the center and cut most scraps that create a deep gulf between the people and state policies. We deliver by upstaging the traditional structures without breaching state laws and due process,” Gov. Adeleke said. The governor reiterated that his team is enforcing localisation in project design and implementation to enhance local skills and create jobs for our people.
He, however, insisted that effect drastic cuts in project costs to deliver more with little resources. “Our projects and programmes also evolved from strict need assessment across the three Senatorial districts. Our vision is holistic in terms of addressing developmental challenges from people’s aspirations and needs.
“To drive these plans and agenda, we demonstrate a very high degree of transparency and accountability. As a man of means before coming into office, I ensure our contractors have no kickbacks to pay and they work to deliver the public good. The zero tolerance for corruption is combined with an ambitious infra agenda that is accompanied by a soft infra focus so that as we are building the roads, we are also building the people.
“Ladies and gentlemen, our fixation on soft and hard infrastructure stems from our belief that we cannot grow Osun economically unless we address the huge infra deficit. We inherited more than 80 percent infrastructure deficit when we took over in 2022. Hence, we target a quick reversal of those sad statistics before the end of our first tenure. The positive results are there for all to see.
“We then injected a huge dose of soft social focus by the gradual repayment of half salary and pension debt inherited from the previous government. We are paying back the diverted contributory pensions of our senior citizens. Our pensioners are registered for a health insurance scheme with the state paying the bills.
“The state’s investment promotion agency moribund for a long is now up and running. A one-stop desk is being created to facilitate investment in the state. And of course, very soon, you can fly directly into Osun State as we are working to deliver a functional state airport, “the Governor said.
The governor concluded by saying that at this point Osun State government is open to collaboration in the various forms of public-private partnership. “As we have ambitious governance plans, we need indispensable collaboration with associations and groups like the Osun Development Association. Presently our government is working on the Alumni-Government Partnership Board for school development. We are restrategising partnerships to grow the state’s digital economy, education, health, and agriculture.
“I therefore extend hands of developmental partnership to the ODA and other related associations. Join hands with us to transform Osun for the better. Our doors are open,” he said.
–Benprince Ezeh
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