Tension built up recently in Osun State ahead of the November 27th grand finale of the second anniversary of the Osun State Governor, Mr Gboyega OYETOLA, as the minister of Interior and former Governor of the state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesọla was said to be coming the same day to celebrate 10 years of progressive governance in the state as if the history of the state started with when he became governor.
I was in secondary school when Chief Bola Ige governed Oyo which Osun was part of and we saw the implementation of the cardinal programmes of the Unity Party of Nigeria(UPN)
I was the secretary of the Afenifere visitation panel to Osun state in 2001 headed by Chief C O Adebayo and we scored Chief Bisi Akande high in progressive governance within limited resources. Those years don’t make the so-called progressive years?
When opposition to the not-well-thought out programme of Aregbesola mounted, the media aide to the minister told an untruth that the programme was in fulfillment of a presidential directive that ministers shoukf go and interact with their constituencies. Did he ask them to go and cause worse situation than the ENDSARS crisis in their states?
Another aide of the minister caused so much hysteria, sounding war drums of their readiness to crush any opposition to the event.
It was my friend, Tony Iyare who once wrote that if a Lawrence Anini was given the privilege of writing his epitath it would read like “Here lies Chief Anini, a great and accomplished businessman.”
We cannot forget in a hurry what happened in those 8 years of Ogbeni Aregbesola in Osun state.
I remember this classmate of mine in secondary school who is an official in the State service I ran into about four years ago.
As he stopped and greeted me, I bent to greet him because I could not recognise him as he looked so old until he mentioned his name. His ears were the hangers that did not allow his cap to fall off.
I asked him what was amiss and he told me he had not received eleven months salaries!
While the sabre-rattling lasted, the former Governor of the state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola made the intervention of a statesman. “It is common knowledge that Mr Aregbesola took over from me, and, despite the circumstances of his coming to that office, I did not do anything to undermine his authority throughout his eight years in government. That is the spirit with which I appeal that the Interior Minister (Aregbesola) avoid doing anything that will suggest a plan to make the state ungovernable for Mr Oyetola.
“As a former governor of that state, I plead that we give peace a chance. The state has witnessed enough unnecessary crises in recent weeks coupled with the Coronavirus pandemic which has affected people’s economy and general wellbeing. Our people are suffering; they deserve a respite from all forms of crises as they struggle to make ends meet.
“As leaders of our people, we all have a stake in making Osun State to work for the good of our people who have had to deal with one hardship or the other. We will be seen as doing that when we avoid making the job of the incumbent governor difficult for him. May God help our state and its people in this difficult time.”
That is a mature mind at work and it is good wise counsel prevailed and Osun was not thrown into unnecessary crisis through inward punches.
and then