Osun: State of uncommon revolution By Femi Adeoti

Things are different now. Something good is happening. Old things are fast fading away. They are yielding to new things. Even by the second. What a fresh breath of life.

It’s everywhere. A new normal is speedily emerging. A complete turn-around, yes a new lease of life. Osun State is it!

This is coming from the background of deliberate efforts. The very reason issues are becoming clearer. Things are beginning to fall into pleasant places.

They are longer falling apart. That shoddy and shady era is gone for good. It’s good riddance to bad rubbish. Courtesy: Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.

The citizens are the better for it. They are no more victims or prey, but the ultimate beneficiaries. Oyetola is changing the narrative. And they are extremely grateful.

They are singing a new song, all over, in every nook and cranny of the state. They are evidently marvelled, overwhelmed. And they are not ashamed to flaunt it. You cannot blame them.

They never had it so good in recent times. Check it out: Oyetola is fusing and fixing things. The way they have never been done before. All at the same time. He is doing this with all the strength and courage he could muster. He neither minces nor mixes words.

He came with a clear vision. And he’s not losing focus: From education to infrastructure, health, mining, agriculture, culture, tourism, commerce, et al. The difference is crystal clear.

When he took over in November 2018, it was never with fanfare. The responsibilities before him were enormous. He was quite aware of this. He knew it couldn’t have been a tea party.

He took it in his stride. The task was Herculean. Where would he start? How would he best confront the monster?

With his team, he went to work. They were glued to their drawing board. They laboured. They burnt candles at both ends. They were of different shapes, shades, colours and sizes.

Their toil was not in vain. Rather, it paid off handsomely. The results almost three years after: Very pleasant tale to tell and showcase. It’s amazing, astonishing, astounding, stunning and stupefying. All rolled into one!

Oyetola’s footprints are legion. His feats are legendary. He overcomes uncommon hurdles. He forges ahead without looking back. He never jumped to conclusions in taking vital decisions.

Sampler: The reversal of education policies. This was undoubtedly the most vexed issue before he came on board.

In March 2020, he reversed the single school uniform, “reclassification” of the public school system and the abolition of single-sex schools. He returned the 6-3-3-4 education policy to the state.

On September 5, 2021, he explained why he did it in that manner. You would agree with him: “When we came on board, we decided to look at the totality of the activities of government. We went round to do a thank-you tour for the people who voted us in and decided to harvest all their demands.

“The first major demand from the people generally was the reversal of the single uniform policy. They believed that it was not something they wanted.

“They believed it was not a popular decision. And I was getting reports from security agencies that the policy was encouraging cultism and other vices.

“They were unable to know who and who committed what. In that case, everybody was wearing the same thing, so they committed crimes and disappeared.

“We then had the opportunity of the Department for International Development (DFID) who went round to do what they called Citizens’ Demands.”

He quoted American author, John C. Maxwell to drive home his point. It was succinct: “A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them and strong enough to correct them.”

Oyetola did not take the decision all by himself. A council was earlier set up to resolve the issues. Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mrs Funke Egbemode, provided the needed insight: “The council approved the recommendations to revert to the 6-3-3-4 structure, in keeping with the provision of the National Policy on Education. It agreed that government would do well to allow every school return to its old established and recognised public uniform.

“The council observed that the Omoluabi Education Services Limited is not performing the duties, roles and obligations expected; that its operation be wound up since it has not been fulfilling the mandates for which it was established.

“It was also agreed that Early Childhood Care Development Education (ECCDE), in line with the practice in the 35 other states in Nigeria be restored.”

The Old Students’Association, Ilesa Grammar School, could not hold back its joy: “We thought it would be much easier to convince the key actors of yesteryear. We could not. The advocacy, agitations and legal battles were painful and long-drawn. The issues and controversies were energy-sapping.”

They were happy it ended the way it ended: “Our school is back in name, in colours and in character.”

Oyetola touches lives positively like never before. And that is what matters most. For instance, the burnt Atakumosa Market in Osun East Senatorial District was a major campaign issue in 2018.

The market got burnt in 2015. But Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s government refused to fix it. Oyetola thought differently. He fixed it and the people are happy for it.

Not only that. The governor moved to Ipetumodu in Ife-North Local Government. There, he accelerated work on the 8.1km Moro-Yakoyo-Ipetumodu-Asipa Road.

The people of the area have joined in singing a new song. The road is the biggest in the LG. It was first constructed in 1976!

Of course, this is in addition to other 100 road intervention efforts. They were aimed at spreading amenities to villages and towns. They would also eliminate crime, unemployment and check rural-urban migration.

No sector is practically left in the cold. And no stone is spared in this regard. Oyetola said that much: “We have successfully done 41 public health centres (PHCs) in the entire Ifeland, while the rehabilitation of the General Hospital, Ifetedo, has been completed.”

In the emerging Osun, no more half salaries. It has gone with the ugly past. That has become one cracked old song trashed into the dirty dustbin of history. The state is not going back to Egypt.

And this did not hinder promotions and conversions.

Things are being affixed and pinned together at the speed of light.

Almost effortlessly but with determination, the state is being turned around for the best. Oyetola avoids controversy like a plague. He learnt early enough that it’s a distraction.

He wisely distanced himself from it. He won’t touch it even with the longest pole. That’s not in the character of a responsive and responsible government.

With his silent and uncommon revolution, he never went beyond bounds. It was a common knowledge that he inherited heavy debt. Some put it in the alarming range of N200 billion

This could instantly cripple any government, its good intentions notwithstanding. It could mess up a serious-minded administration.

But he chose not to be discouraged; a strength of strong character. Instead, he confronted the debt headlong. He had no viable alternative. Today, the game is favourably different. He has successfully changed the narratives on all fronts.

As we speak, he has cut the debt short by N67 billion. This is without any increase from the almighty federal allocation. He has not borrowed a kobo. And he’s not dreaming of doing so now and in future.

He is using what he has to get what he wants. He is making his uncommon strides from the same old allocation from which the debt was incurred. Shocked?

Any magic? No! It’s all about honesty, transparency, prudence, and above all, sincerity of purpose. That is the way to go.