By Denrele Animasaun

“In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate – look to his character.” — Noah Webster

There have been some rumblings; in fact, it is more like a roar and sabre rattling. Some quarters in Osun State, believe that it is about time there was a change in the government house come the next election.

Rauf Aregbesola

Ok, to what do they base this summation? These supposedly, men of wisdom and of piety are of the view that the present governor being Muslim should give way to a Christian.

The war mongers and mischief makers argue that they are fearful that the state is becoming Islamized. Surely, they could come up with better game plan argument than the religion of the man. How do you respond to people like this other than those can’t do, always criticize.

What a crock, what bunkum, such mischiefs from those who should know better. Why do we play the tribe and religious card, even in the face of hard evidence; the record of his administration speaks for itself.

When would they realize that the improvement and progress made by the present administration has no bearing on the man’s origin or religion? Nigerians, we do have a problem.

You would have thought that they will applaud and embrace Osun’s exemplary good record and innovation rather than ply the road to corruption, mismanagement and mediocrity.

I digress; my admiration for the Ogbeni, Rauf Aregbesola’s administation is neither because, he is a Muslim nor because he is a Yoruba man.  And I am not from Osun state, though now I wish I was.

In the Ogbeni, I see a committed, dedicated safe hands, who is able and willing to work very hard to improve the standard of living for ordinary people of his state. The Osun state people are better for it. He has single handed transformed his state and its people. He has produced results for all to see.

Osun government spends more than N3 billion annually on its home-grown elementary school feeding, O’Meal.  N600 million was spent on about 3,000 community caterers as well as transportation fare to the various schools.

As result of the feeding programme, there has been an increase in the enrolment of children and decrease in absenteeism. The meal programme also employs local people; farmers, butchers, fishermen and trained women meal supervisors are all a masterstroke of why Osun is making massive strides while other states are doodling behind.

Making education free at the point of entry means more children are educated, but also feeding children free nutritious meals means that the children’s body is optimized for learning and development. School attendance has improved exponentially and they have recruited more teachers as a result.

The state has constructed over 50.63km of intra-city roads; built new schools and upgraded others, built several boreholes, distributed OPON IMO (Tablet of Knowledge) to high school pupils. The programme’s sublime quality considers every aspect of the health of the children and institutes the deworming programe and distribution of  free uniforms and school materials, means that every child is equal at the  point of  entry.

Ogbeni said of his motivation that, “the improvement of the lots of the people of Osun was therefore a strong motivation for my seeking office and a paramount object of the deployment of my talents. Thus, as a leader I constantly seek for ways of bringing about progress and advancement for my people in every area of their lives”.

This has led to the improvement of the standard of public education and it has benefited the children of the state. That is the fact. He defended his administration that the state enrolment figure of almost 253,000, O’MEALS is one programme that is worthy of every naira and kobo that had gone into it. There is no squabble there.

Ogbeni’s administration has invested in the best resources the state has got its children. It would do well for other states to look across to Osun and replicate this progress across the national level. He stated that the programme “is consistent with the goals of banishing hunger, creating work and wealth, creating functional education, restoring healthy living and engendering communal peace and progress”.

The O’Meals programme has been recognised and earned the international recommendation and support of the London-based Partnership for Child Development (PCD). And so it should.

The O’Yes youth programme has trained young people by providing and equipping them with employability skills. The principle of instilling good work ethic is highly motivational because it again, espouses pride, confidence, self-esteem, motivation and respect for the environment, good health and ownership in their state.

The young people have a stake in their future and I am sure that the young people in Osun have brighter future and direction than anywhere else in the country. The O’yes corps is trained and are deployed to productive services in identified areas of socio-economic life and paid a basic allowance to help cover basic needs.

And not only that, they are kitted out in smart uniforms and recognizable presence in the community. This means they are all working towards the same goal; a better Osun State.

According to the Governor, his administration has rehabilitated and remodeled schools from primary to tertiary levels, built many hospitals and empowered youths among others.

I have no doubt that Aregbesola will continue, if Osun votes him, for a second term in office.

They say imitation is a form of flattery, well it seems that other states now are willing to follow his innovative flare including the federal government.  So, while others talk jostling for the position purely for the heck of it.

They have missed the point here; the power lies with  the people and  I am  sure the people of Osun will vote with their conscience  but  also the experience  of having a better state and a hard working governor , who puts the welfare and standard of living of  the Osun  people  first. They say, the taste of the pudding is in the eating, the people have had a taste and they would like more if it.

Ogbeni puts his opinion of leadership so well:  “Indeed, it is my belief that leadership offers a golden opportunity to serve the people and bring improvements to bear on their lives and existence. I also do hold onto the view that leadership is a core pillar upon which a viable and successful human society can be built.

And he went on,” Indeed leadership is all about rendering service to the people and this. The plan, he added, had created a robust opportunity for the people in education, health, agriculture among this; putting smile on the faces of the people. You cannot argue with that, can you?

Aregbesola promised that he would not disappoint the people if voted for second term in office. He has tackled the child poverty and mortality rate, improved the state of education and technology.

There is a definitive redistribution of wealth and resources up and down Osun State. More women are employed by the states and more girls than ever before are at full time school because of the free entry.