Why Osun Should Vote in Aregbesola
Looking at the campaigns and happenings going on in Osun state at the moment, it is pertinent that the electorates must vote wisely and make the right decision come August 9. Having watched the gladiators closely, my conclusion is that the major contest will be between Aregbesola and Omisore of APC and PDP respectively. The other political parties will no doubt be represented but will no doubt make no significant impact on the election per se.
To make fair judgement, apart from political party affiliations, I decided to go round the local governments in Osun state and have a chat with few people. Here are the summary of my findings.
a. Personalities: In terms of this, the people generally rates Aregbesola higher than his main rival. In fact, the margin is unbelievably wide that one wonders how the other person can raise his head to even aspire to the highest political office in the state.
b. Education: Facts revealed that Aregbesola’s education can be verified and concrete at Ibadan Poly and Nigerian Society of Engineers than the other with some degrees that are either unverifiable or acquired from some private institutions in the U.K., probably unrecognised one-man colleges, worse still on-line certificates.
c. Political Achievement: Here, Omisore has more standing as he had been deputy governor of the state and also a Senator of the republic for two terms. This compared with Aregbesola who had only been a governor for a term and a state commissioner for two terms, shows a slight edge. However in terms of people oriented projects in office and achievements, Omisore stands to score capital zero while Aregbesola stands taller. There are projects expected of federal senators to execute in their senatorial district, Omisore has never executed any. Aregbesola’s projects are innumerable to say the least.
d. Grouses: The civil servants in the state say they are not happy with Aregbesola because of their pay. So they opined that they would not vote for him. But when I asked if he was owing them, the truth according to them , is that the man Aregbesola is not owing them salaries but has cut off their various embezzlement and corrupt practices in the offices. An example is that he has stopped the payment of the share of public funds to the civil servants titled “Imprest” every month, which is unaccounted for by the recipient. By this, he has reduced the amount they get as extra from the state purse. My question to them is where do they want the government to get the balance to provide infrastructures? I remember that many of them replied that they were all thieves now since they were already used to having this unaccounted for extras throughout the previous PDP government in the state. It now means they will be spending their salaries instead of the fictitious petty cash allocations every month. I hope they have seen reason now, if they want to lay a good foundation for their children. Sharing unaccounted monies from the government coffers amount to stealing from the public purse and tantamount to corruption by the government that involves in such practice. I’m sure the civil servants want the state to progress which will in turn impact on everybody’s lives.
e. Infrastructures: I went round various towns from Oshogbo to Okuku, from Ile-Ife to Ilesa, from Ada to Ede, from Ipetu-Ijesa to Ijebu-Ijesa, from Iwo to Ikirun and Esa-Oke; there is one visible project constructed or being undertaken by Aregbesola’s administration in the towns. It is either a school is re-built or street roads are constructed. Oshogbo has assumed a new structural dimension to say the least. Primary school pupils had never been fed lunches before in the state except under Aregbesola’. There are even school buses for primary schools. Even PDP administration under Oyinlola which built a University turned it to a white elephant project by establishing six campuses ab-initio in a state that has no need for an extra University. But we all know why anyway. There is an attempt to construct a federal road between Osu and Ile-Ife that I, though not confirmed heard that it is being spear headed by the PDP federal government; unfortunately it has been abandoned now. Yet Omisore, a PDP Senator is the Senator representing that area.
f. Campaigns: I really do not know or understand the thrust of Omisore’s campaigns. He has not articulated his programmes but I guess its another bogus transformation agenda that has no elements or substance like the one we are witnessing at the federal level. I begin to wonder if the man is confident to speak publicly about his programmes except the vocals of his assistants like one Diran Odeyemi that we hear all the time. Perhaps he is planning to rule through proxies. He is so clever that he is not spending his money to campaign but our money, yes the tax payers money. The motorcade entourage he campaigns with are owned by the federal government, that is you and I, fuelled by us, drivers and companions paid salaries by us, wear and tear of the vehicles borne by us. Aregbesola as the incumbent governor still goes about in his official cars because as he campaigns, he is also performing official functions as the state governor.
In conclusion, it will be for reason to vote in for progress and development because of future generations. Osun state has not had it better than under the current administration. The government of Aregbesola is working, why change what is working in the first place? At least Orji Kalu told the whole world when he jogged in Oshogbo that the government of Aregbesola is working and there is no need to change it. Let Omisore wait for his turn after the next four years. He will agree that Osun is working and the state is greater than an individual’s ambition. He can try his in 2018, age is still very much on his side, so he has nothing to lose, at least he is not campaigning with his money. Osun people should vote wisely and please do not vote and go back home. Stay with you vote, let it be counted in your presence and recorded and signed. The most reasonable thing , considering the present circumstances is to vote for Aregbesola and defend your votes. Let the work continue; there is no need changing it.
