A week to the much anticipated inauguration of Senator Ademola Adeleke as the sixth executive governor of Osun State, residents have advised him not to pursue a vendetta against the outgoing administration of Adegboyega Oyetola.
They also demanded that the incoming administration should cast aside all politicking and hit the ground running.
On November 27, 2022, Senator Ademola Adeleke would be sworn-in as the governor of Osun State.
Speaking with DAILY POST, the residents asked him to take the issue of workers’ welfare as a top priority, maintain and improve on security.
They also asked him to improve on the health and education sector as these two were the most sought after by the masses and common people of the State.
Taking the lead, Isaac Oluwadamilare, a retired civil servant, demanded the improvement of the welfare of civil servants.
According to him, the past administration improved on what the Rauf Aregbesola administration left in November, 2018.
“The Osun civil servants did not find it funny during the days of half salaries though it didn’t begin like that.
“The half salary era was terrible. Most civil servants who depended on loans to augment their savings found it hellish. At the end of the day, there was nothing to bring home after half the salary was paid into some workers’ accounts and the bank made their deductions.
“We heard stories of civil servants who committed suicide or who died as a result of stress and pressure though we could not substantiate that.
“We heard the outgoing governor, Adegboyega Oyetola as Chief Of Staff was the brain behind the half salary policy in order to save money for government and lay aside staff retrenchment but the same man as governor did not pay such and he did not owe salary throughout his tenure.”
Femi Samuel, noted that security is utmost as the State has been adjudged one of the safest in the country for years.
He said, “Slowly, the insecurity issues plaguing other parts of the country began to surface in Osun. There were scattered cases of terrorism and kidnapping which was not heard of in time past.
“Unemployment too is adding to the state of insecurity in the State. Many unemployed youths became willing tools in the hands of corrupt politicians and cultism took over the streets and rival groups battled to gain notoriety.
“Motorparks in the State suddenly became unsafe and an arena for war between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters and those of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“It got to a point that the Nigeria Police was drawn into the display of madness by the politicians and in order to feel safe, some citizens felt comfortable having personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
“Even the Osun Amotekun was seen as a tool in the hands of the ruling party as no other political party could satisfactorily get their services.”
A serving principal, who craved anonymity, stated that education has been politicised as nobody has the actual data of the level of educational development in the State.
“The good thing about the outgoing administration is the reversal of the educational policy to the 6334 system and the reversal of the single uniform policy.
“Apart from these two, the administration spent a good remainder of their four years quarrelling with their predecessor. They did not improve on the educational structure.
“We want the incoming government to face educational development straight on because apart from agriculture, education is an industry on its own in the State.
“Senator Adeleke should be considering how to return schools to their owners. Some segments would not like it but it will give a big boost to education in the State,” she stated.
They all agreed that health has improved, especially with the introduction of the Osun Health Insurance Scheme (OHIS) and the infrastructural development in both the primary and secondary health facilities across the State.
