Gov. Ademola Adeleke’s One Year in Office: Call to Construct Muroko-Oke Ibode Road -By Femi Oluwasanmi

An English playwright, William Shakespeare says, “some people are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them”. However, putting into consideration the development and transformation that is on going at Osun State, it is obvious that Senator Ademola Adeleke is among the few whose greatness encompasses all. This necessitated the call for the construction of the road that links Muroko to Oke-Ibode at Atakunmosa West Local government Area.

Governor Ademola Adeleke took over the affairs of governance in Osun State on 27th November, 2022, after defeating the then incumbent governor, Mr. Gbeoyega Oyetola with over 28,000 votes in the governorship election held in July of the same year.

Upon the assumption of office, the governor rolled out agenda to reposition the Economy, Education, Health, Agricultural, Infrastructure sectors among others. This is aimed to increase the spring of joy, enhance development and improve the welfares of the workers and people in the State and beyond.

Prior to this period, there have been recurrence of protests by the workers especially, the retirees on the need for the payment of their gratuity, pension and over 15 months half salaries owed by the state government. For instance, on 23rd November, 2021, the pensioners shut the state government secretariat in Osogbo, the state capital, protesting the non-payment of their gratuity and pension since 2016. The same was the case on 26th October, July 27, 2020 to mentioned but few. No wonder the governor loss woefully at the gubernatorial election despite the power of the incumbency.

Osun is one of the states that are popularly known as civil servant states in Nigeria. A government that wants to succeed in the state must pay great attention to the welfare of the workers particularly, the civil servants. This seems to be the reason for the reduction in the frequency of protests by the workers in the State. Although, in September, there were reports of threat of protest by the retirees to force the government to increase the speed of the payment of their pension but it seems the issue has been resolved at the negotiation table, buttressing the point that Governor Ademola Adeleke is a listening Governor.

Unlike the previous administration where the unpaid salaries and pension left by the Aregbesola’s administration were unattended to, Governor Ademola Adeleke has since he assumed office built a mechanism through which the backlogs are being paid gradually without any interruption in the payment of the monthly salary and allowances of the workers.

Of recent, the Governor also disclosed plans by his administration to rehabilitate 345 health centers and start the phase two of portable water provisions in the 332 wards, renovate 31 schools and construct 45 roads across the 30 local government areas in the state, build five flyovers to ease traffic across the state within the next one year, without collecting loans from financial institutions.

Though, this has received mixed reactions from the public especially from those that believe that the projects are more of building a castle in the sky than cutting coat according to the available cloth. However, the performance of the governor within the one year in office seems to demonstrate that the governor has the capacity to bring water out from the rock.

Despite the economic challenges across the country, the governor has been able to developed different programmes with great impacts. For instance, the free medical aid for the people through the lunching of Imole Mobile Medical outfit across the three senatorial districts in the state.

The installation of borne holes in all the 334 wards in the first phase of Imole water installation programme, the renovation of schools across the 30 local government areas and the organization of education summits to know the challenges the teachers, students and parents face in their areas.

The rebranding of buses bought by the Aregbesola’s administration but abandoned by the Oyetola’s administration is the latest in the displays that show that the governor is a good manager of resources. This is not to talk of the restoration of life to the local government system with a promise to conduct free and fair election when the state independence electoral commission announces the date for the election.

The wonderful projects being carried out by some of the local government caretaker committees set up by the government to pilot the affair of the local government councils across the state has shown that the governor has good people that are able and capable to transform the State and alleviate the suffering of the people at all levels. This assurance necessitated the call for the government to construct the Muroko – Oke Ibode road.

Muroko – Oke Ibode road is a strategic route that serves as food basket gate to Ilesa from many villages and towns at Oke – Awo, Muroko, Oke Ibode, Oke Osin axis. It can also serve as an alternative route to the Oke Omi iru – Kajola road from Ilesa. It has been abandoned for decades.

Due to the bad road, many farmers have loss their profit to wastage while those that managed to transport their goods to the market are left with little profit because of the transport fare. While the transporters plying the road has become regular customers at the automobile shop because of the damage caused by the bad road to their vehicles.

To add salt to the injury, the area has been out of light for decades. Infact, it seems the area have become “a forgotten history while living”. Similarly, there is no drinkable water in the area while the students continue to suffer as result of brain drain occasioned by these conditions and dilapidated buildings at the schools premises.

That the people at Isale general, along Muroko – Oke Ibode axis, Ilesa are in need of a good road is not in doubt. That is why this anniversary is seized as an opportunity to call the attention of the able, amiable and indefatigable Governor Ademola Adeleke to the suffering of the pregnant women, children, elderly people among others suffocating as result of the state of this road and other things that have eluded the axis in the scheme of things so that the hope of the people can be renewed again.

Femi Oluwasanmi,
Atakunmosa,
Osun State.