Senator Ademola Adeleke, yesterday, took the oath of office and assumed power as the sixth democratically elected governor of Osun State.
Chief Judge of Osun State, Justice Adepele Ojo, administered the oath of allegiance and oath of office to Adeleke and his deputy, Kola Adewusi, at the Osogbo township stadium.
In his first official acts as governor, Adeleke, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), announced changes on a broad range of policies and issues.
He abolished the “State of Osun” appellation, which was promulgated by one of his predecessors, Rauf Aregbesola, froze all state accounts, reversed all appointments made by his predecessor, Adegboyega Oyetola, from July 17, when he was declared governor-elect, and promised to correct past injustices, corrupt acts, and bad policies of the immediate past administration.
Adeleke had beaten then incumbent governor, Oyetola of All Progressives Congress (APC), to win the July 16 governorship election in Osun State.
Oyetola, at the weekend, disclosed that his administration left behind for the new government a total of N14 billion cash in the state’s coffers. He also revealed that his government had successfully paid out some N97 billion from the total debt inherited in 2018, when he assumed office.
In his inaugural speech, Adeleke said, “Since Osun people elected me as your governor on the 16th of July 2022, which the INEC announced on July 17th 2022, the former governor, Alhaji Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola, maliciously started putting roadblocks to make things difficult and almost impossible for the new administration to serve you.”
Adeleke stated that mass employments were carried out without budgetary provisions for salary payments for the new employees, even when the state was struggling to pay salaries and deliver other services. He said contracts were hurriedly awarded without budgetary provisions, while some were criminally backdated.
The new governor alleged that appointments of several Obas were also hurriedly done without following due process, stressing that all efforts to get his predecessor to set up a transition committee and submit hand-over notes proved abortive.
“It is, therefore, this administration’s desire to ask for people’s patience and understanding,” Adeleke said.
He said his administration would in a few weeks review and sort out all actions and mischievous confusions the immediate past administration had created since July 17. He said those actions were vindictive measures against the people of Osun State for voting APC out of office.
Adeleke issued directives, which would be backed by Executive Orders, freezing all Osun State government accounts in banks and other financial institutions, and establishing a panel to carry out an inventory and recover all government assets.
He reverted to the constitutionally recognised name of Osun State, from the State of Osun, adding that all government insignia, correspondence, and signage should henceforth reflect Osun State rather than State of Osun, which he claimed was unknown to the Nigerian constitution.
Adeleke said he was aware of the fact that his responsibility as governor and chief security officer of Osun State entailed meeting the legitimate expectations of the people. He promised that the expectations of workers, traders, artisans, farmers, business owners, students, pensioners, traditional, religious leaders, and indeed, all residents of Osun State would be met.
He stated, “Let me state here that from the education, health, mining sector, agriculture, road infrastructure and supply of potable water, let it be known to all that it is no longer going to be business as usual. And I repeat, it is no longer business as usual.
“Our administration will demonstrate a high sense of urgency, transparency, justice and innovation to tackle and solve the problems of poverty, illiteracy, disease, and poor infrastructure.
“Your governor will be a people’s governor. I will be accessible, responsive, consultative and proactive in handling small and big matters of state governance. I know that as a product of the collective will of you, my people, there is a heavy weight of history on my shoulders and I accept the urgency of your expectations, the depth of your aspirations and your conviction in me to build a better state.”
Adeleke also listed his development agenda for the state, which included welfare of workers and pensioners, boosting the state’s economy, home-grown infrastructure policy, people-focused policy on education, affordable healthcare, security and social welfare, agro-based industrialisation for wealth and job creation.
On his priorities, he said, “It was disheartening to see our state at the bottom of the national educational ratings, especially, in public primary and secondary schools examinations. My administration will launch reform with direct focus on improvement of learning environment and outcome. Our target is to reverse the poor performance of students in public examinations within the next few years.
“To achieve this target, we will prioritise in-service training and welfare of teachers, enhancement of school environment, entrenchment of discipline in the school system as well as involvement of the Parents-Teachers Association in our school administration system.”
He said his administration would soon convene an emergency education conference to articulate its blueprint on the restoration of the state’s education glory.
The governor saluted the founding fathers of the state, all the past administrators and governors of Osun State, as well as everyone, who had contributed to the growth, stability and progress of the state in the last 31 years.
He promised development with a target on agriculture export earnings.
