What wrong did Governor Oyetola do?

In Nigeria, anyone who has the opportunity to be elected for once would dream of a second term. This is not peculiar to politicians because human beings are highly insatiable. It has become a norm for political office holders to always find any means to remain in power. That’s the nature of our dear country.

It’s no more a convolution that the Gboyega Oyetola administration has abolished the education policy of his predecessor, Rauf Aregbesola after constituting a committee led by Professor Oluremi Aina to review and look into the education policy in the state came up with a policy that is in tandem with the national education system.

The reversal of the past administration’s policy on education has been termed as an embarrassment by their political chieftains but I don’t see it as one. It is a brilliant decision ahead of the 2022 gubernatorial election.

Despite the fact that Aregbesola and Oyetola belong to the same political party and faction, I want to believe their ideology, policy and system of governance would be totally different. Sons and daughters of the same family or twins from the same womb would never act and operate in the same way. Aregbesola had his own ideology and system of governance; he applied it and implemented the policies he thought would best work for him. The same is apparently applicable to Governor Oyetola by reviewing policies and initiating the ideas that would suit his administration. Where did he go wrong?

• Makers of modern Oyo State

I still find it difficult to comprehend why people would consider the new education policy as a slap on Aregbesola’s administration. The ruling party should rather commend Oyetola for correcting a big mistake made by Aregbesola. It is beyond reasonable doubt that Aregbesola was one of the best governors in Nigeria during his era with physical projects, he transformed Osun State with jumbo achievements but two things caused him to face criticisms: half payment of salary and single uniform for all schools. The two errors in Aregbesola’s administration made the 2018 election to be tougher. Of course, it was a narrow victory for Governor Oyetola. If things should continue that way, with half payment and single uniform policy, his second term is in jeopardy.

Absolutely, the opposition party in the state will never be happy with the way the current administration changed the policy simply because that has been their selling point. What opposition candidate would use to campaign has already been done by the Oyetola administration; he has won the heart of many people in Osun by reviewing the policy. Many would like him more for dancing to the tunes of the masses rather than his party and would applaud him for the good job such as road construction, full payment of salaries and for returning the education policy to the normal standard.

Usman Issa,

Kwara State