Osun: 13 months after, Governor Adeleke still run state’s affairs from Ede country-home

By Waheed Adekunle

The continuous stay of the incumbent Governor of Osun, Senator Ademola Adeleke in Ede, his country-home where he has been administering the affairs of the state, in the last 404 days of coming into government, has not only become a subject of intellectual debate but an act considered to be an aberration and unprecedented in the history of the state, since her creation in 1991.

It is no longer news that Governor Adeleke has been running the affairs of the state from his Ede country-home since he took over the mantle of leadership of the state in November 27, 2022.

It is on record that the discharge of most of the constitutional responsibilities and government activities by the incumbent Governor since coming into office have been holding either at Governor’s office located within the State Government Secretariat or residence of the Governor’s elder sister, Mrs Modupe Adeleke-Sanni, at Ede or sometimes, the Banquet Hall within the Government House.

Recall that the Adeleke’s administration upon coming into office raised the false alarm that the Government House in Osogbo and Governor’s Lodges in Lagos and Abuja were in a deplorable state. But the false alarm has since turned out to be a political mirage, deliberately coined to tarnish the image of the erstwhile administration in order to earn undue public sympathy and score cheap political point.

Sequel to this falsehood, the government came out of its shell and announced that it has embarked on a massive renovation exercise on some of the official residences of the state government particularly the Government House in Osogbo, Governor’s Lodges in Lagos and Abuja allegedly met in deplorable state.

The renovation exercise, according to the government, would make the buildings to be habitable for the governor to reside in. But the pertinent questions to ask, are the buildings still under renovations in the last one year? Why has the governor not relocated to the Governor’s residence at Government House, Okefia, Osogbo?

Taking an inference from the bunch of lies ignorantly packaged by the PDP led-government to hoodwink the public, it is apparent that the renovation has nothing to do with the protracted staying of the Governor in his private apartments. It is equally safe to assert that the renovation exercise is a coverup deliberately created by the government to justify why the Governor abandoned the Government House for private residences in Ede.

The Governor’s dispositions, however, in the last thirteen months of being at the helms of affairs had shown clearly that he was not ready to relocate to the official residence (Governor House) in Osogbo despite the completion of the renovation exercise, but rather, preferred to continuously administer the affairs of the state from his Ede comfort zone for obvious personal reasons.

Meanwhile the use of the Governor’s private apartments in Ede for official engagements and government activities has been perceived by many as a political gimmick and deliberate effort to further entrench the concept of ‘Edenization’ agenda of the current administration in the state.

Recall that the incumbent administration had shown clearly to the whole world its penchant for the glorification of ‘Edenization’ concept as manifested in its inward and outward dispositions thus far.

Studying the happenings in the corridors of power in the State, one doesn’t need to be told before knowing the obvious nepotism, chauvinism and clannishness that characterized the entire system.

It is a known fact that the administration of Governor Adeleke didn’t only resuscitate the ‘Edenization’ agenda but also made it an integral part since the inception, judging from the lopsided appointments and skewed style of governance.

While it is not surprising that the Governor has been running the affairs of the state from personal residences which in anyway, is the least, expected from someone that has been sectionally skewing things in favour of his kinsmen since assuming power, there is an urgent need to hit the nail on the head by calling the governor and government to order.

It is unfortunate that in spite of the severe scolding calls from concerned citizens on the unending sheer display of impunity in the corridors of power and among the ruling class in the state, the latter remains unabated.

A chieftain of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Dotun Babayemi had earlier expressed displeasure over the continued stay of Governor Adeleke in private apartments in Ede.

Babayemi who frowned at the plethora of glaring anomalies in Adeleke’s administration, berated the Governor for administering the affairs of state and the party in private residences outside the state capital.

He said: “The administration in the state is almost a year old, yet, it is unclear if any of the government decisions has been taken in the government house or office, this is not good for the image of the state.”

The number of Ede-born bureaucrats appointed to various top civil service positions particularly the recently appointed Permanent Secretaries, Executive Secretaries, Directors who are Ede origin is a clear testament to the promotion of ‘Edenization’ agenda.

Also, the outrageous political office holders appointed from Ede by the incumbent government had further cleared the minds of the people to the resolve of the government to Edenise the state for selfish interest.

Recall that the state government, inspite of criticisms, accusations and counter-accusations challenging the rationale behind the self-serving mysteries in government coupled with the lack of moral justifications of the skewed appointments made by the Governor thus far, Adeleke still went ahead to appoint 7 Ede-born Permanent Secretaries as well as several Commissioners, Special Advisers, Board Chairmen; Media Aides among others to juicy political offices, whereas many towns and cities have little or none.

The heights of nepotism, tribalism, favoritism and cronyism in Governor Adeleke’s administration was noticed when the government went as far as appointing the second wife of his late elder brother, ex-governor Isiaka Adeleke, Mrs Adenike Adeleke, as the Commissioner for Federal Matters inspite of the severe media backlashes and tensed condemnations from the public. He also appointed the eldest son of the same late Isiaka Adeleke, Tunji Adeleke (Jnr), a 30-year old man, as the Chairman of Local Government Service Commission.

It was gathered on a good authority that inspite of the current socioeconomic realities vis-a-vis the inability of the government in the state to fulfill all the financial obligations to workers in particular and citizens in general, there are reports that, a lot of people mostly from Ede have been silently recruited into either Civil or Public Service so far.

Going by the irresistible documentary evidence and empirical facts within the ‘System’, no doubting the fact that Governor Adeleke’s administration had successfully institutionalized ‘bias and nepotism’ in the art of governance in the state.

Condemning the act recently, the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Bashiru, sometimes flayed the Adeleke’s government for its incompetence, ineptness and recklessness.

It is disheartening that inspite of the constructive criticisms to put government on its toes, hold it accountable to its constitutional obligations in order for it to brace up to reality, it is unpalatable that Governor Adeleke has been running the state as a personal business enterprise of the Adeleke’s dynasty since assumption of office.

It has been reported that the Governor has been living in his elder sister’s residence in Ede since he took over the mantle of leadership of the state, a notion, insinuating subservient of the governor to his sister’s whims and caprices in the day-to-day running of the state’s affairs in the last 13 months.

Though the Governor’s resolve to have been residing and performing official functions at his sister’s house since he became Governor has become a debatable subject of ridicule raising serious speculations at different quarters as many still wanted to know the myths behind the scenario and the quest to unravel the mystery in the interest of the state.

It is gathered on a good authority that the defacto Governor – ‘Adeleke’s sister’ hadn’t only institutionalized herself in the corridor of power despite the fact that she possesses no official designation, she has become an ‘unrepentant empress’ whose powers to ‘hire and fire’ has no restrictions or bounds. She even sends government officials to functions to represent her despite holding no official position in government.

The reports have it that nothing goes on in government without passing through the table of the de facto governor whereas, in many cases, such may not even pass through the knowledge of the governor whose office enjoys the people’s mandate.

But taking an inference from one of my write-ups where I pointedly challenged the PDP led-government in the state to formally unveil the face of the real person in-charge of the state’s affairs, though not responded to up until now, it is not out of place to opine that the ‘power-that-be’ had been conscientiously substituted and stylishly taken over from the incumbent Governor, reducing the coveted office to a mere ‘ceremonial entity’.

It is apposite to submit that the ‘State of the Living springs’ hitherto known for her viability, resourcefulness and vibrancy in all aspects of life has practically become a ‘centre of humour’ in the comity of states simply because of the caliber of hands managing its affairs.

It is not only ludicrous but satirical that inspite of the significant status of Osun in the comity of states, that could proudly boast of countless number of educated elites; frontline-successful entrepreneurs and religious leaders ever-produced in the country, the state has been subjected to ridicule going by the present manifestations of reality within the government circle.

Aside from the significance of Osun as a state with mythical peculiarities, the happenings around the government are not only antithetical to standards expected in government, but a clarion call for elders, senior citizens (living founding fathers), stakeholders among other noble minds to wade in, in the collective interest of advancing the cause of the state as envisaged by the founding fathers.

Although, there’s no section of the Constitution that forbids a Governor from running the affairs of the state outside the state capital, the courtesy and morality demand the latter to be upheld by any reasonable government especially where there’s no justification for same as being experienced in Osun.

While the action is also perceived by many as premeditated and a deliberate effort to further entrench the ‘Edenization’ agenda by the incumbent government, others saw it as a serious embarrassment capable of permanently denting the image of Osun in the comity of states in the country if not curtailed

No doubting the fact that the Governor had stylishly and practically converted his sister’s apartments in Ede to Governor’s residence contrary to the democratic ideals and moral standards expected from a sitting Governor most importantly an elected Governor of a state like Osun.

This is a state that was governed by Chief Abdul-Kareem Adebisi Akande; Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Ogbani Rauf Aregbesola; Alhaji Isiak Adegboyega Oyetola where there was no record of personalism in managing the resources of the state and administering it.

The questions to ask, therefore, are that, what are the stages of completion of the alleged renovations of Government House in Osogbo, the state capital and Governor’s Lodges in Lagos and Abuja, at the moment? Why did governor still reside in Ede up till now if truly government is genuine in its effort to refurbish the buildings? What is the cost of the said renovation? If truly the Governor’s residence in Osogbo is not yet completed, what has been the delay in the last 13 months? Does the said buildings really need the overblown stuff renovations as painted? Is it not another way of siphoning public treasury?

These and many others are begging for responses and urgently expected to be answered by the state government in order to save itself from self-afflicted ridicule.

May Almighty God heal our Land!