Forcing State Workers To Welcome You Is Undemocratic, Shamefulv- Osun APC Lampoons Adeleke

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the latest directive from the officials of the Osun State Government, ordering civil servants to leave their desks and line up at the State Government Secretariat, Abere, to “give a rousing welcome” to Governor Ademola Adeleke, describing the order as nothing short of shameful. It is nothing but political manipulation. 

The Adélékè government, since July when the Osun APC rejected the backdoor defection of Governor Adeleke into its fold, has been distraught, struggling to prove to the public outside Osun State that the governor is popular and well-loved in the state. 

Not only has the government heightened its propaganda, it has equally institutionalized falsehood into statecraft, using political humpty dumpties to lie to the public and launder the impugned image of the administration. 

The latest in the round of the government's propaganda is the directives from the Office of the Head of Service where civil servants, teachers, National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), organized labour unions and some of the stakeholders in the state were mandated to attend a reception tomorrow in commemoration of the arrival of the state Governor Adeleke from the United States of America.

One strange thing about the development is that a similar reception was held for the governor by the reluctant and unwilling members of the PDP about a week ago. Does that mean that the governor has not resumed on his desk since his reported arrival from the United States where he spent about six weeks without any official statement?

Forcing hardworking men and women to abandon their duties just to clap and dance for a politician is an insult to the people of Osun State.

What exactly is Adeleke trying to hide behind this display? A government that is truly working for the people would not need to beg, bribe, or threaten applause. Roads, hospitals, schools, and workers’ welfare speak louder than choreographed cheers. 

The fact that this administration is now relying on intimidation to create a false picture of popularity shows just how disconnected it is from reality.

Osun workers are not slaves. They are not props to decorate the governor’s ego. Every wasted hour spent staging a fake welcome is an hour stolen from the public who depend on them for essential services.

It is high time the people rejected this shameful practice and demanded accountability from a government that prefers noise over results.

Rather than using compromised and cash-and-carry labour union leaders to contaminate the noble civil service, the Adélékè government should devote its energy on how to replace 1,500 teachers sacked by the governor on assumption of office in 2022. 

This is the time for Governor Adélékè to put smile on the faces of the over 32,000 applicants who participated in the teachers' recruitment exercise almost two years ago. Ghosting unemployed youths, after collecting job recruitment fees from them, seems untidy, creating an impression that the government has scammed the unsuspecting applicants. 

The government must address this unpleasant development before it gets out of hand.

Governor Adélékè should be more concerned about pressing issues in the governance than with being clapped for by sycophants and political merchants. This attitude of the government  is an insult to our collective dignity.

Just yesterday, a National Assessment Report was published, indicating performing states in Nigeria in 2024, and Òsun State was ranked number 30. Not only was Osun ranked 30th position, the state came last in the whole of Southwest. That poor ranking, ordinarily, should have enraged a serious government to action, but sadly the government of Osun is more concerned about creating facade and fake popularity in the media to mask the failure of the administration.

Unfortunately, Governor Adeleke cannot dance his way out of failure. He cannot stage-manage popularity through forced ovations.

The public must rise, speak up, and refuse to be deceived by these childish antics. Osun State deserves a government that serves, not a government that bullies workers into acting as cheerleaders.

The truth is clear: no matter how many civil servants are forced to clap at the Secretariat gate, the people of Osun see through the lies. Enough is enough.

e-SIGNED:

Mogaji KOLA OLABISI,                        Osun State APC Director of Media and Information.