By Angela Nkwocha and Ochonogor Michelle
Osun State citizens are optimistic with Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in the saddle because of the strides his administration, which clocked one on Nov 26, has taken in the education sector, in tourism, the environment and “the world class initiatives to reduce employment”, according to Barrister Kunle Oyatomi, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Director, Publicity and Strategy in the state.

In comparative analysis, Oyatomi pointed out that what the governor has done “so far to save Osun State from the rot created by his predecessor could not be compared with what Oyinlola did in almost eight years of misrule.”

The ACN Director, Publicity and Strategy, in a statement, maintained that the “reality on ground when Aregbesola took over from Oyinlola was practically useless.”

“The state was bankrupt. Government could barely function except through loans and, by the time the court asked Oyinlola out, the state was already indebited to the banks to the tune of N18.3 billion.

At that time, over eighty percent of the total infrastructure in Osun State had either collapsed or were in advanced stage of decay,” he said.

Oyatomi went on: “More than 60 percent of the projects celebrated by Oyinlola had either stopped functioning or were never in place at all.

“A few of these projects included mini water works in Iba in Ifelodun local government area; Iresi in Boluwaduro local government and Esa-Oke in Obokun local government.

Apart from a few streets in Osogbo, every other important street in the state had collapsed when Aregbesola took over.

“Such was the magnitude of the challenges which the governor inherited, that they cut through into every segment of life of Osun.

“Most hospitals had collapsed. Many schools were in a state of unacceptable degradation and the hazards to life were enormous everywhere you looked.”

Immediately Aregbesola arrived Osogbo, the ACNdirector explained, he was forced to go to the banks to borrow a billion naira to be able to pay salaries. “He did that for three months,”Oyatomi said.

“He also had the task of dealing with the huge debt Oyinlola left behind which repayment schedule compelled the state government to disburse about half of its monthly allocation to debt servicing.

Not only did he succeed in rescheduling those debts, he then prioritized his rehabilitation schedule according to the immmediate needs of the citizens of Osun State.

“He recognised the need to prevent the youths of the state from letting loose through the pressure of poverty. So he created 20,000 jobs for the youths immediately.

Thereafter, he expanded agriculture in a way that had never been done by any government in Nigeria since Chief Obafemi Awolowo.