News, Politics

The Task Before Gov. Rauf Aregbesola  At 60

No doubt the era of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, the current Executive Governor of State of Osun will soon come to an end. As a patriot and realist who is very conscious of this reality, I am sure he must have been writing his handing over notes from day one of his second term in office. But after all is said and done, Aregbesola will without doubt go down in memory as one leader whose tenure would leave fond memories in the mind of people. Posterity will judge him as an uncommon governor who worked despite limited resources and performed so well regardless of several opposing forces.

Against impossible odds, Aregbesola challenged the limitations imposed by the financial state he inherited and had grappled with since inception. In fact, it must be said that his ability to keep Osun running in a season of recession, a hard fact that any lily-livered leader would have buckled under, clearly marks him out as a politician with extraordinary resilience and purpose.

One of the most talked about governors ever, whose fanatical and dogged commitment to his people-oriented leadership is sometimes misread as religious bigotry, Aregbesola has proved naysayers wrong by standing tall to make many positive leadership statements. There are many feats that would continue to linger in the memory of his people amongst which are the many road projects, the “ona baba ona” highways giving a new face to Osun, and his visionary educational advancement facilities. Even his opponents would not deny that since he mounted the saddle he has conscientiously pursued his renaissance mission. There are many futuristic things he has put in place today that the children of tomorrow will benefit from.

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At the moment his worries should not be too big. He must naturally be busy laying good foundations for his successor and praying for someone who shall sustain the tempo and ensure continuity, an economic wizard and articulator who is capable of sustaining all these noble achievements. To sustain Aregbesola’s lofty goal of rapid transformation in many spheres we need a successor who would toe the governor’s progressive line despite the fact that his huge shoes are damned too big to match by many of the gladiators.

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Osun 2018 of our dream should therefore be a simple contention for only those with reasonable call to serve and someone with sound ability to not only sustain the tempo but also surpass the present lofty records in many fronts. Osun at this moment is not operating in an isolated economy. The nation’s economy is not palatable at present and Osun state is facing similar fate like many other states of the federation. We shall therefore need a go-getter, an economic expert and not just a politician and noise maker.

The task ahead is certainly not a tea party. His Excellency, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Akanbi Aregbesola, while taking stocks of his life, his achievement, relationship, reconciling and appreciating his ancestor, must be very proud within his heart that God has been so merciful to him. He is today doing his best and still counting.

No doubt, his successor will have little or no challenges in some areas which include school structures, roads, agriculture, security, infrastructures. In setting good structures to jerk up the state revenue, Aregbesola has also improved security in the state considerably and so his successor will also enjoy relative peace while pursuing policies to further rejuvenate the state economy.

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Aregbesola is now 60 years. Not many were so lucky. And he is still waxing stronger. Having come, seen and conquered, we cannot but wish him many more years of greater service to Nigeria and the Yorba nation. He would leave behind very remarkable leadership qualities and footprints that will certainly have a place in Osun history and indeed in Nigeria.

Congratulations to my leader and mentor!

– Hon Rotimi Makinde

Former Member House of Reps.