Intentional Misjudgment of Oyetola's Intent as Sentiment (Part One)

_By Olatunji Sanusi, Osogbo_

Since inception, from his actions and inactions, announcements and pronouncements as Governor of Osun state, Oyetola's intent as someone with selfless developments' mindset is obviously not in doubt. 

Let me start with an anamnesis of Oyetola's first point of call as he assumed office on November 27, 2018. 

Not minding the limbo, judicial uncertainties occasioned by post election litigations instituted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and its gubernatorial candidate, Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke, Oyetola, in his non-vindictive, selfless  style of governance, chose Ede, the country home of his ardent opponent and unrelenting litigant in court, as his first place of work on road construction.

Only in Ede zone, more than 32-kilometer roads have been constructed in less than 24 months of Oyetola's assumption of office. This covers 4.8km Orita Cottage-Oke Gada road in Ede, 1km Oke Gada Ede-Army Barracks road, and 21km Ede-Army Barracks- Ara-Ejigbo Junction road, and other roads constructed within the zone. You would better appreciate this bold start with this kind of capital-intensive project, if you weren't oblivious of the fact that the incumbent government met more than #151 billion naira as debts on loans incurred by the previous government. 

Devastating though, as it cripples fiscal strengths of the present administration, personally, I don't blame the immediate past government, as Osun was more or less a glorified countryside before Aregbesola's vantage, who used the loans incurred and his position to turn the state around from aground; you can't have your cake and eat it!  

As a selfless and unsentimental person, Oyetola didn't choose his hometown, Iragbiji, as first point of work. I don't have the actual, updated figure, but I did know that the current administration has constructed more than 484 kilometer roads across the state within two years. Out of these, just only 16+km road, (10.15km Osogbo-Kelebe-Dominion Junction road, and 6+km Dominion Junction-Iragbiji road) linking Iragbiji to Osogbo, and not roads within Iragbiji, was constructed. But what is baffling is willful misjudgement of Oyetola's sincere intent as sentiment, accusing him of concentrating developments in Iragbiji. I perceive this as a political manipulation by some unscrupulous individuals who do not mean well for Oyetola, his country home and people.

What these evil-wishers should know or be reminded of, as some of them are not ignorant of it, but are just being insincere, is that as Chief of Staff to the former governor, Oyetola, for eight years, was unable to facilitate linkage/tarring of his hometown, Iragbiji, to its neighbour, Osogbo, the state capital, aside from the long existing federal Osogbo-Ikirun-Kwara state road. I learnt he made futile efforts, futile in the sense that the 16km Osogbo-Kelebe-Eleesun-Iragbiji road which was approved for construction a few months ago with accompanied much ado, was for a couple of times approved  for construction during the last administration, but the funds meant for the road were for the said times, diverted to other areas.

These unscrupulous political manipulators should be schooled regarding socioeconomic and commercial importance of the Osogbo-Kelebe-Elesun-Idi-Ogungun-Iragbiji road, one of which, among numerous others, is the fact that it allows access, and opens farm produces of more than 22 villages and communities for market and economic exploration; and not just because it links Iragbiji to Osogbo. 

In terms of infrastructure, if all Oyetola could achieve for his town in ten years in government, eight as CoS and two years as governor, is construction of a 16km road, and you want to sinisterly and intentionally stereotype him as being a sentimentalist, obviously, you're not just Oyetola's enemy, his development-yearning ancient town and people, but also a devil-incarnate!  

I know Iragbiji very well. And before writing this piece, I visited this ancient town and went round all its inter roads. They have all almost been rendered impassable by flood! Go to Popo Street linking Obaagun road; go to Eesade-Isale Oyo road; go to Araro-Otapete-Store road; go to Orita Alabiamo-Ologemo Compound linking Local Government road; go to General Hospital-Our Lady-Oke Aresa linking Aagba road, and others in pitiable conditions! 

There is also much ado about Oyetola's (human) development of his people. What offense has he committed here? On the state Executive membership, he has only one Commissioner and one Special Adviser to himself, out of over 38 Cabinet members!

For your information, I know of a governor in Southwest with 27 appointees from his hometown. Are you unaware of some governors who appointed their immediate family members (wives and children) as state Cabinet members, just to mention a few cases of favouritism? Apart from the fact that Oyetola did not indulge in any of this obvious nepotism, he would never consider someone unworthy for an appointment irrespective of his or her closeness to him. 

I think this very humble, gentle and tranquil governor has a shortcoming; he's too good a listener! But what the governor should always take cognisance of is that his position could be likened to a marketplace characterized by cacophonous distractions. For him not to be distracted, he has to be focused, feigning deafness to the cacophony, as those critics and others who take his humility, gentility and tranquility for granted, and who criticise him on the aforementioned, would be the first to ask him what tangible things he has done for his hometown and people at both micro and macro levels, thereby inciting and instigating them against him on his return to their mist after the end of his tenure as governor. 

*Sanusi* (Tel: 08111841887) writes from Osogbo, Osun state.