Adeleke: I’m Optimistic of Winning Osun Governorship Poll
Yinka Kolawole,
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming governorship poll in Osun state, Senator Ademola Adeleke, in an interview with reels out his agenda for the state of the living spring and why he’s sure of victory during the July 16, 2022 election. Excerpts: ow prepared are you for the July 16 election?
HFully prepared. I’m ready on all front. I have been on the campaign trail for weeks now. I went round the local governments, meeting our people. I can tell you the reception has been marvelous. Every where we reach, the jubilant crowd of voters are overwhelming. I am the people’s choice. You remember how I was rigged out in 2018. Our people are now prepared to vote for me again and defend their votes.
What is your assessment of the mood of the state?
I will say the state is energised. The incumbent has performed poorly. The lack of good governance is visible. Just go round the state. You will see clearly the failure of governance, lack of capacity and governance by propaganda. Our people are eager to vote out Oyetola.
Is your party really ready going by reported infighting within the house?
There is no infighting within the house. We had disagreements; It is all about democracy. But we are today one big family. PDP is stronger now than ever before. On daily basis, we are receiving defectors into our party. In the last one week alone, many top leaders of APC have joined us. Within PDP, we have all agreed to work for the party. Across the local governments, our people are working hard, mobilising the people. On the other hand, APC is not ready. Governor Oyetola is afraid of the people. So APC and their thugs have been attacking our supporters across the state. Hope you read our recent press statement? We had to petition the IG of Police going by how APC go about unleashing violence on our people. Everyday, people are leaving APC to support me. The news is everywhere. So I am ready. My party is ready.
If you say you are ready, your manifesto will prove it. What is your agenda for the people of Osun state? We have not heard much of your plans and programmes.
Thanks so much for this question. I have a five- point agenda widely circulating. They include the following: First line charge for workers’ welfare, salaries, gratuities and pensions; boosting state economy through business loans to market women, youth and artisans; Osun money serving Osun people through home grown infrastructure policy; People-focussed social policy through skill based education, affordable health care, state security and social security support; and Agro-based Industrialisation for wealth and job creation for youths and women.
People will want more details. What in specific terms are we to expect?
Agriculture is to be the main focus of our administration for the creation of employment and eradication of poverty. We will create an agripreneurs programme. Here we will train and financially empower at least 200,000 agric entrepreneurs on quarterly basis. We will reform agric mechanisation programme to expand access and affordability for farmers. I plan to capitalise on my experience as a businessman to facilitate export market for our farmers. Osun farmers will earn dollars through our agriculture export agenda. We plan to use agriculture as a major means of job and wealth creation. Another area I am passionate about is making Osun an ICT digital economy hub. We plan to provide the environment to generate jobs and wealth and fight poverty. Osun youth are talented. I will convert their energy to ICT innovations and digital economy. Let me also share this with you and readers. Osun economy is dry. I mean dry as there is no money circulating within the economy. I plan to boost the state economy by injecting state fund into the local economy. Our administration will empower the cooperative societies to channel soft business loans to artisans, Iyalojas and Babalojas. I will upgrade the Cooperatives and link them with standard financial institutions. I will work with Chambers of Commerce in Osun to empower businesses in Osun state. I will equally discourage capital flight from Osun. Osun money will service Osun through local patronage of local contractors. As a lover of youth, another plan for job creation is to expand direct labor policy. Our infrastructure projects will have more than 75 percent labour intensive activities.
But it seems you have no agenda for the education, health and even sport sector?
First, let me assure you that I have a detailed manifesto. We are conscious of the need of our people. For the education sector, our plan incude emergency repair and upgrade of school facilities to commence within 100 days in office; emergency provision of school learning materials to enhance students performance; strengthening of PTAs to address crisis of cultism and lawlessness across the education system; encouragement of public private partnership in the management of our schools; this is to bring in private sector support for the education sector; reform and expansion of a robust scholarship and bursary policy for Osun students; new state partnership with owners of private schools to expand education access and affordability; and creation of private sector supported College of Digital Economy for Osun state University to be located at Iwo. For the health sector, our plan include a review of ongoing support programmes for the primary health care centres, immediate provisions of water and basic drugs in our general hospitals ; immediate upgrade of facilities at our general hospitals and proper attention to the welfare and needs of medical workers. I am also a great sport lover, so I believe Osun needs a befitting integrated international stadium. There should be good stadium for each of the senatorial district. I will personally ensure that Osun is well placed in at least 10 sporting games.
There is rural and grassroots poverty. What will you do to address this?
I read a lot about China and its anti-poverty policy. It was a huge success. But why was China successful in fighting poverty? Because its local government system is strong and functional. So to me, we need to restore the autonomy of local governments. There is no two way to it. Our local governments must be allowed to function. So as a Governor, I will strengthen the local governments through aequate funding and monitoring.
You have so many programmes but Osun is highly indebted. How do you hope to fund the agenda?
Yes. Osun is highly indebted. That is one of the legacies of Oyetola government. The problem now is that we don’t have the actual figures of the debt. As to your question, our government will first block all loopholes in the state finances. Secondly, we will be prudent, very prudent to ensure value for money. We will tap into donor and private sector support in the management of state finance. Our first 100 days programmes will set the
stage for the financial recovery of the state.