Adeleke has survived political landmines APC planted – PDP chieftain

Diran Odeyemi once served as the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party. Odeyemi, who is currently the Chairman of the Governing Council of Osun State College of Technology, Esa Oke, in this interview with BOLA BAMIGBOLA, speaks on the first anniversary of the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke

The government formed by your party has been in office for about a year, how will you describe the experience of returning to power 12 years after it was ousted by Rauf Aregbesola of then Action Congress?

It has been pleasant and challenging; pleasant in the sense that the Peoples Democratic Party has a good track record of administration with a human face. If you recall, the party was voted into power in 2003 when Osun was on the precipice. Workers were sacked by the then AD government. Tension was already at its peak when the PDP government came in. The situation in 2022 was similar. People were simply fed up with the Adegboyega Oyetola administration. Workers were not promoted. The one done by the governor who was leaving office at the time was not cash-backed. No tangible developmental project was done for four years. So, the PDP was brought in by the people of Osun to rescue the state. Coming back to power, as I said earlier has been interesting because we have our track records and style of governance which put people first. All that our governor, His Excellency Ademola Adeleke did was to run on the track of massive infrastructural development without killing people who would use those amenities.

You also said it has been challenging,

I mentioned that because of the size of the problem inherited by Adeleke’s administration. Imagine a governor facing 36-month outstanding modulated salaries of workers, mountainous unpaid gratuity, workers not promoted, and roads across the state in poor shape, among other wicked problems. Also, the government that exited deliberately planted landmines. After losing the election, Oyetola recruited indiscriminately into the civil service. Imagine, someone who was in office for about four years, and didn’t appoint permanent secretaries, on the eve of his departure, appointed over 20 PS, and chose monarchs against the traditions, all in a bid to create problems for the incoming administration. But to the glory of God Almighty, Governor Adeleke has done well to navigate the delicate situation created by his predecessor.

Being in office for over one year, not much can be said to have been achieved by this administration. What is your take?

I disagree that not much has been achieved. If you go by what Oyetola achieved in one year of his administration, then Adeleke has done excellently well with the array of projects executed. If you were in this state during Oyetola’s first anniversary, can you recall any major project he was able to accomplish within one year? Don’t go outside Osogbo, the state capital. Think of any he did in one year within Osogbo. Can you recall any?

My job is to ask you questions, what tangible thing has the administration achieved in its first year?

Good, I will give you just a little because five pages of newspapers cannot accommodate all that this governor has been able to achieve within one year. Within three months, Adeleke completed the Osogbo/Ikirun end of the Osogbo/Kwara boundary road. That one is of standard obtainable even in Europe. The stretch that Adeleke completed within his three months in office, Oyetola didn’t do as much as that in 4 years in office. Within Osogbo, the current administration fixed major roads. Some of those roads are located mostly where the indigenous Osogbo people live. They were in deplorable state before this administration intervened. Some of the roads are; Oja Oba (Iso Isu/Iso Ata/Iso Eran/Iso Ewe) – First Baptist Model Academy with Spur to Oba Oyetona Street, Osogbo that road is completed, rehabilitation of Osogbo/Ilesa Road (Gbeja Jct) – John Mackay (Oke Ayepe) – Costain Osogbo/Ilesa Road, completed, construction of Bolorunduro Street – Ifelodun Street, Oke Agunbelewo, Osogbo almost completed, rehabilitation of Oloruntedo Community (Costain) -Oba Adesoji Aderemi East Bypass, Osogbo. The road is completed Dualisation of Osogbo – Ikirun – Ila Odo (KWSB) (Completion of 10.5km section from Machine Tools – Ikirun. As I mentioned earlier, the road is completed. We did more than what I mentioned here in Osogbo. But let me leave it to those I listed.

Going outside Osogbo now, I will give you a few projects executed across the state. Monday Market – Railway Station Road, Ikirun is completed, Iresi Township Road is completed,

Oke Oye- Oke Ita with Spur to Ogodogbo and Temidire Road, Ibokun, my hometown is completed, Ita – Ofa – Oromu – Araromi (Market Gate), Ilesa is completed, Atakumosa Market Road; Obiteni – Omo Ofe Road, Ilesa is completed. Also, Ademoroti Street, Oke Opo GRA road, Ilesa is completed, Enuwa – Oniyangi – Itaasin – Oke Atan with Spur to Egbedu – Ilode Junction, Ile-Ife is completed, rehabilitation of Otutu Road, Ile-Ife is completed. I will stop at that. I can go on if you want me to. Schools were renovated. 332 boreholes were provided across all wards in the state. The backlog of modulated salaries paid. Promotions done by Adeleke’s predecessor were cashbacked. Pensioners were paid their retirement benefits regularly. All of them were also enrolled in the State Health Insurance Scheme. Many more projects have been captured in the state’s over N100 bn infrastructure plan.