At 25, Osun is in a state of coma —PDP •As Kwara Speaker canvasses good governance

AS the activities commemorating the 25th year anniversary of the creation  of Osun State commences with a calesthenic display today in Osogbo, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday said it is disheartening to note that Osun is in a state of coma.

The party lamented that socio conomic development of the state has been halted with poverty and deprivation ravaging the people.

In a statement signed by the chairman of the PDP in the state, Mr Soji Adagunodo, the party contended that, “25 years is significant in any life but that cannot be said about Osun State”, noting that a look at other states created alongside Osun indicates that the state had retrogressed through bad governance and huge debt profile, precipitated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.

According to the statement, “no infrastructure has been added to the ones the APC met, rather most companies have been folding up with no tangible presence of government in Osun State”.

The party, therefore, challenged Governor Rauf Aregbesola  to point to a project that he had commissioned while advising him not to claim glory over the construction of  mega  schools because it was done during the PDP-led Federal Government and it was funded by SUBEB.

The statement reads in part: “A cursory look at the last WAEC results  shows the abysmal performance of students in Osun State. Similarly a visit to our hospitals and health centres reveals a pitiable state of medical service, while our economy has been grounded”.

Adagunodo, however,  assured the people of the state of better days ahead, stressing that “2018 is just around the corner and PDP will send the foreigners out of Osun State. What we need now is prayers on everybody’s part so that the dry bones of Osun State can rise again.”

Meanwhile, the Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Honourable Ali Babatunde Ahmad, on Wednesday evening called for a strong relationship between the legislature and the media, with a view to engendering good governance.

He made the call while delivering a lecture titled: “The role of the legislature and media in democratic governance” during the celebration events of ‘Osun at 25’, organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Osun Correspondents’ Chapel, Osogbo.

According to Ahmad, the parliament and the media have critical role to play in ensuring good governance, saying the institution must be strong enough to ensure legislative processing and made accessible to enhance effectve reportage.

Represented by the majority leader of the House, Hon Hassan Oyeleke, Ahmad contended that the media should possess perquisite skills in view of the kind of textured and in-depth reporting that the new democracies entails to ensure consolidation of democracy.

Ahmad, who recalled that journalists in the past have succeeded in exposing abuse of power, corruption, human rights violations, and assorted malfeasance said there was need for the media and legislators to come together to perform their respective duties towards strengthening our democracy and good governance

According to him, “while the legislature at the national and state levels have the power to make laws for peace, order and good governance, the media through investigative reporting help to build the culture of openness, transparency through keeping the legislators accountable for their actions.”