GOVERNOR ADELEKE WILL DELIVER ALL HE PROMISED OSUN PEOPLE BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT... GEORGE ALABI

GOVERNOR ADELEKE WILL DELIVER ALL HE PROMISED OSUN PEOPLE BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT...

GEORGE ALABI

HOW DID YOU GET INTO POLITICS 

Well, everybody is a political animal. I have natural flair for politics maybe because my father was a one time OBA for the whole Nigerians based in Cote D'Ivoire. During my childhood, I could see my father administering people from different tribe not now that people refer to themselves as Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa and the rest. Then we always see ourselves as Nigerians. I used to see him inviting people to the house, settling quarrels from inter tribal issues to other issues among Nigerians over there. That was when I decided to go into politics. 

COMPARISON OF THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION AND PRESENT ADMINISTRATION

I have the opportunity of serving 6 months with the previous governor, Ogbeni Aregbesola and I can say I know some of the ways they run their government in APC.  Politics apart, the current party is People oriented and we always have people's sympathy in our way of doing things in PDP.

 APC to me seems to be authoritarian. Hardly can you challenge them which is not like that in PDP. 

In PDP, everyone's opinion is valued. During Baba Akande's tenure, people were retired without any retirement plan or settlement and during the tenure of Aregbesola as well, Lagos based politicians benefited more than the Osun indigenes. Osun indigenes were like second class citizens in their own state. All the resources of the state were  transferred to Lagos State. So, there is no basis for any comparison as the gap is just too wide. It is what we all know that Osun indigenes were poorer during the time of Aregbesola.

WHAT IS PDP DOING DIFFERENTLY?

Immediately our governor was sworn in, workers that were being owed half salaries during APC tenure started getting their Arrears paid as promised by Mr Governor during campaigns despite the scarce resources in the state.

Secondly, Immediately Mr Governor came on board, he returned the local government back to their former position as he promised during the Electioneering campaign. In the next two months you will see the impact of local governments here in Osun State because it is the local government that is nearer to the people.

 

 During Aregbesola's  period, all the indigenous contractors were not engaged on any project in the state but I can assure you that that era is gone and our people will experience new things. We will empower our people.

WHAT NEW INNOVATIONS ARE YOU BRINGING?

When I reported here I met some challenges and part of it is that it is only in Osun State that I will see a government that will acquire land for housing and ask people to come and buy but they will not open it. In Osogbo the state capital, the government acquired land around State SIB at ring road and all the people that paid for those land could not have access to the land because the government refused to open it.

I am working with my Permanent Secretary and  when the new budget  starts operating we will open all the GRA sites so that people will be able to build their houses there. 

There is another one that we want to use as a reference in Osun State. We want to call it ADETUNJI ADELEKE GRA, and it will be a model. The difference between it and the rest is that we are going to construct roads with standard drainage as well as other amenities you can find at any standard GRA. The development there will be pre-designed in a way that those who want to build bungalows we have allocation where such is designed to be and those who want to build duplex will have their allocations too where such should be. So, there will be uniformity.

IS IT GOING TO BE FOR PDP PEOPLE ALONE?

No. When we start, people can apply and if you meet up with all the criteria you will get the land without you knowing anyone. It is meant for Osun indigenes but because of the standard of the facilities the amount maybe a little bit high but it is not high in the sense that it is like 4 plots of what they sell outside. So it will still be much cheaper than what you will get outside.

THE GOVERNOR APART FROM BEING A POLITICIAN, HE IS ALSO AN ADMINISTRATOR, WHAT KIND OF ADMINISTRATOR IS HE?

His Excellency, Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke is an excellent administrator because he makes himself very accessible to us. Anytime we have anything to discuss with him we are at liberty to talk to him and once your own argument is superior and people oriented, he is ready to bow and that makes him achieve things. He does not impose his will on us.

WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE FOR THE PEOPLE OF OSUN STATE AS HE CELEBRATES HIS FIRST YEAR?

The government just launched a N100 billion project plan targeted at developing infrastructure for one year. So, I want to appeal to Osun people to continue to have faith in Mr Governor and believe in his administration. Mr Governor is going to deliver his 5 points agenda beyond reasonable doubts. He is not out to make money but to make name for his family. He is not after what he can get from the state, he just wants to use the state Resources to make the state better. From everything seen since he resumed office things have changed for better. It is my belief that by next year Osun State will be a better state.