Opinion: Osun APC, blind but not blind

By Sola Isola

Sometimes ago I listened to a clip where a certain Uncle was asked if he can see the physical project of the Governor Ademola Adeleke-led Osun State Government and he said he can not see them.

You will think that’s ordinary, until you consider the fact that it is pretty difficult to admit that you are not blind but you can not actually see, it is at this point that experts recommend the use of glasses. Its not a problem of sight but a problem of hindsight.

Jesus in a parable in the bible, said “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

I remember seeing another clip where the same Uncle was telling his followers that now that they have accessed the money in UBA, they should go ahead and snatch other people’s wife and marry more women.

Indeed, blind leaders of the blind.

It is on this basis that we must choose wisely who we follow. Following a blind man posing as a leader is indicative of two things. One, you are going the wrong direction or two, you are going backwards, it is the second indication that we refer to as ‘Stagnation in Leadership’.

So then, the bombshell was dropped by Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, Secretary to the State Governor at the time when Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola was Chief of Staff and Bola Oyebamiji was OSICOL Managing Director and later Finance Commissioner, during the Aregbesola administration.

Only recently a document went viral where it indicates that the both Oyetola and Oyebamiji were part of the committee responsible for the implementation of half salary.

Then I flashed back to the BBC Yoruba Governorship Debate in 2022 when Senator Ademola Adeleke promised to clear the backlog of half salary, the immediate response of Oyetola who was then Governor in Yoruba is that, “let us not lie to the people because we want them to vote for us, let us not promise what we can not do”.

Alhaji Moshood Adeoti in his interview on Agidigbo FM then said, when they were in government and half salary was implemented, it affected everybody and the only people exempted were the Legislative Arm of government.

One thing stood out for me, immediately after the expiration of Aregbesola’s tenure, everybody in that government that later joined the Ilerioluwa of Oyetola has since distanced themselves from the half salary syndrome until Adeoti came again and said, “gbogbo wa la wa nbe”, meaning “we were all involved”.

Adeoti confirmed he is now being paid the backlog of his own half salary and stressed that even former Governor Oyetola, who was Chief of Staff at that time is also now receiving the backlog of his own half salary and even backed it up by saying it is not on record that Oyetola rejected the repayment of his half salary.

Now this is the implication, both Oyetola who was Chief of Staff and Oyebamiji who was OSICOL MD and later Finance Commissioner are now being paid the backlog of their half salary by Ademola Adeleke. Oh what a revelation!!!

Adeleke made the promise, Adeleke fulfilled the promise.

Let me help you connect the dots and tie it all up, there is often the consistent argument that Osun Allocation has increased and so what is Ademola Adeleke doing with so much money.

Adeleke is paying back half salaries of past politicians, owed by past politicians to past politicians while also paying back civil servants salaries owed by past politicians. That alone is a debt of N75.8billion and I will break it down for you.

As of November 2022; Salary: N29.9Billion; Pension Arrears: N45,4billion; Group Life Assurance Scheme: N554.7million, amounting to N75.8billion debt in salaries and pensions.

Do you even know that the Ademola Adeleke led Osun State Government have shouldered the responsibilities of local government in the state from the state fund since APC leaders using federal might have illegally taken over council secretariats and diverted its fund to private accounts they created in UBA.

Adeleke did not use this as an excuse, he kept doing his job. Remember that before him was his predecessors whose excuse for not being able to do so much included COVID-19 and EndSARS. For Adeleke the option for excuses are there, but his eyes is on the goal.

Before I even list a number of things Ademola Adeleke has done and his doing let’s talk about the sharp increase in the IGR of Osun State.

As of 2022 when Ademola Adeleke became Osun State Governor, the state revenue was N24.47billion, by 2023, a year after, it rose to N27.72billion. 2024 brought a reflection of the revenue reforms of the Adeleke administration as IGR increased by 97.31% to N54.7billion. We still await the 2025 Audited report but the government has projected a target of over N100billion.

Osun State Government under Ademola Adeleke for the first time in history, secured its 5% share of Segilola Gold projects from Thor Exploration Ltd.

Now, Ademola Adeleke is completing projects initiated by the Aregbesola administration, ignored by the Oyetola administration, without borrowing.

Adeleke is paying back both domestic and foreign debt and at the same time reviving the informal sector by injecting over 2bn into Osun Cooperative Societies Movement through the Ministry of Cooperative and Empowerment.

Adeleke is providing free healthcare to over 26,000 Pensioners, Persons Living with Disability with provision of life support gadgets, 1,200 Inmates, free eye test for over 450,000 students out of which 43,000 students were provided with free glasses. These are unprecedented happenings.

Adeleke has constructed a flyover in Okefia, is almost done with Lameco Flyover in Osogbo and Lagere Flyover in Ile Ife and has completed dualisation of Okefia to Old Garage to Lameco, dualisation of Ereja Square to Brewery Junction in Ilesa, dualisation of Akoda Junction to Oke Gada, Ede while still delivering dualisation of township roads in Iwo, Ile-Ife, Ila.

Adeleke is completing dualisation of Osogbo-Ikirun-Ila Odo to Kwara Boundary and he has just flagged off the reconstruction of the bridge linking Ilahun and Ere Ìjèsà as well as Ibokun/Ilahun/Ere Ijesa – Iwoye ìjèsà, and OtanIle – Esa Odo – Iwoye Ìjèsà Roads in Obokun Local Government area.

He has revived the corrupt–ridden Ilesa water project, while also rehabilitating urban water schemes in the state as well as the rehabilitation of Ora Igbomina Water scheme which costs N1.3billion. It is worthy to note that this water scheme has been abandoned for 13 years.

Adeleke launched the rehabilitation of non-functioning urban water schemes in towns such as Osogbo, Iwo, Ede, Eko-Ende, and Esa-Oke. The upgrade interventions included the replacement of Old Asbestos Cement (AC) pipes with High-Density pipes. Across these locations, damaged pumps have been replaced, refining systems cleaned and upgraded. In communities where there had been no government water access for years, boreholes and mini water schemes are now being installed.

Let me remind you that the Oyetola administration claimed to have renovated 332 primary healthcare centers with $20million grant given to Osun State Government at that time.

Fast forward to 2024 and 2025, Osun got recognized as the Best State in the Southwest in terms of primary healthcare, which is an indication that the renovations of over 200 primary healthcare centers by the administration of Ademola Adeleke is being followed and recognized.

The renovation drive covered structural upgrades, installation of clean water systems, proper fencing, roofing repairs, furnishing, and improvement of sanitation facilities as well as installation if solar-powered energy systems in the renovated PHCs.

All these without a grant or borrowing.

I do not intend to make this longer than usual, these are verifiable facts but it take people with functional sight to recognize it and like I have said in the opening part of this conversation, those are who are blind do not deserve to be in position of leadership.

So I cap it by saying this, what Ademola Adeleke has done are things that his predecessors didn’t do, things his predecessors said was impossible, things his predecessors left behind but the blind can not see it.

Indeed, Adeleke is the champion of continuity.

Sola Isola is a media aide to the Governor