The Task Of Developing Osun Is Not For The Lilly-livered, Mediocre

The Bureau of Communications and Strategy in the Office of the Governor of Osun on Sunday said the administration of the state is an uphill task demanding creative energy that is obviously outside the reach of a mediocre.
The Bureau said the deployment of creative energy to proffer solutions to many of the challenges of transforming Osun especially in the face of very meagre resources have shown that only those gifted with the commitment to alleviating the conditions of the poor and ingenuity to think out of the box for solutions.
In its statement signed by the Director, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, the Bureau said those eyeing the governorship seat of Osun have certainly failed to examine the reality that credibility, transparency and doggedness and sincerity of purpose are the factors that have made the Rauf Aregbesola-led administration excelled to the admiration and satisfaction of the Osun people.
The statement said, “Governor Rauf Aregbesola had very clear understanding of what he wanted to do and that is what this government has been pursing in the last three and half years.
“The statistics on ground testify to the performance of our government. The empowerment for 40,000 youths; development of massive farm estates across the state; completion of about 2,000 new classrooms in 39 schools; are certainly not a little feat within the education sector.
“We have improved on the state self-reliance ability through enhanced Internally Generated Revenue by systematically increasing the revenue base from its paltry N300m monthly to N1.6bn monthly.
“This administration also established social welfare package for the elderly people through identification of 1,602 highly vulnerable people tagged Agba Osun for monthly stipends for their upkeep,” the statement added
Saying Osun remains the state with the kind of meagre resources that can boast of the harvest of achievements such as now available in the state, the Bureau said over 800 kilometres of roads across the state; provision of tablets of knowledge (Opon Imo) for secondary school students have all created a new state which the current administration is proud of.
The statement noted that the people of Osun were not surprised when the state’s economy was rated 7^th largest in Nigeria even as Osun boasts of least unemployment rate in the country.
The statement noted also that government’s swift response to environmental challenges at the beginning prevented flood in the state while many states were ravaged by intense deluge.
All these programmes and policies were made possible, according to the Bureau, owing to the creative ability of the government to source for funds for the massive projects going on all over the state in spite of meagre resources in the coffers of government.
Aregbesola continued: “All these programmes were possible to implement because we have prepared well ahead of coming to power.
“Those that have partnered with this administration could only have done so because they saw credibility, transparency, tenacity and sincerity of purpose. This is why we have said the task of developing Osun and maintaining the streak is not for mediocre.
“For a leader to achieve as Governor Rauf Aregbesola has done here in Osun despite the level of decadence, heavy debt burden and meagre resources, it requires strategic and focused thinking.
“This is why we said that to administer Osun, a courageous and clear-headed thinker is needed. Rather, what the people have been treated to is a consistent demonstration of capacity to unleash violence in order to gain power. It is gratifying to note that the people of Osun have moved beyond such old-fashioned thinking and can recognize consistently credible leaders who are committed to the welfare of the people from purveyors of violence.”