OSUN STATE, NIGERIA: It was widely expected and rightly so, that the political atmosphere during the 2022 gubernatorial elections in Osun State, will be keenly contested by candidates of both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressive Congress (APC) and other opposition parties in the State.
While many political observers believe Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was the real DEAL, others saw an astute administrator, whose pedigree and track records, will consolidate on the purposeful leadership of his administration. Fondly called the ‘Dancing Senator’, Adeleke, polled 403,371 to defeat his old rival, the former governor, Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who secured 375,027. Out of the 30 LGAs in Osun, the PDP flagbearer won 17, while the remaining 13 went to the APC candidate.
While the State prides itself as the cradle of Yoruba nation, such claims are further lent with historical credence that the people are indeed, hospitable and open for business. By investing so much in infrastructure upgrades, the Adeleke led administration has laid a solid foundation for effective public private partnership in the State.
More importantly, the strategy of his five point agenda, under which aegis, his administration seeks to boost the local economy, the following specific measures were adopted:
> Local content in terms of sourcing of materials and workforce. These were key to transfer skills and economically empower the people.
> Infra plan that covers roads, health, water, schools among others was lunched to address the over 90 % infrastructure deficit his administration inherited.
He minced no words on assumption of office, to provide jobs, Peace-Building platforms aimed at Political/Social stability, Agricultural reforms, accelerated Industrialization, relevant health and Education within the State.
The infrastructural revolution taking place in the state has impacted on all sectors with over N45billion naira initiated for specific projects in the state. From the N14.9 billion flyover bridge in IIe-Ife, the 55 km of road spanning 30 local government districts and many others across the state, once completed, will bridge the infrastructural gap between the state’s urban and rural communities.
His administration has taken a pragmatic approach of phased project development to address the state’s infrastructure deficit, and that more would be done to keep his campaign pledges to the people. Like most sectors, the followings are some of the success story of his administration.
ONGOING AND COMPLETED PROJECTS
> Provision of Portable Borehole water in each of the 333 wards in the state.
>Construction of 20km of roads across the state.
>Presentation of N518m to 40 communities in the state for infrastructural developments;
>Imole Surgical and Medical Outreach:
2000 persons in each of the nine (9)
Federal constituencies in the state, making a total of 18,000 beneficiaries who received free surgeries for cataracts, pterigium, hernia and some swellings on the body.
Other medical conditions by the intervention are hypertension, diabetes, malaria, cough, tuberculosis, and other diseases.
>Construction of 20km of roads across the state.
>Rural electrification projects across the state. Provision of transformers and other electrical materials to ensure effective distribution of electricity to all the communities.
>Payment of salaries and pension arrears from January 2016 owed by the previous administration.
>Enrolment of 3000 Osun indigenes on the Osun Health Insurance Scheme (OHIS). It was set up to ensure adequate accessibility of healthcare for the people. >Construction of broken bridge at Bokusoro/Adeeke in Iwo.
>Resumption of construction of Osogbo/Ikirun/Kwara boundary road abandoned by the past administration. The road which stretched over 20km is wearing a new look and has eased movement of goods and services.
LIST OF ROADS AND INTERVENTION
PROJECTS
>Dualization of 10.5 Km Osogbo – Ikirun road with street lights.
>Oja Oba (iso isu/ iso ata/ iso eran/ iso ewe)- First Baptist Model Academy with spur to Oba Oyetona street, Osogbo.
1200; OSOGBO
> Enuwa- oniyangi – ita osun -oke atan with spur to egbedu – ilode junction ile ife 1230; IFE
>Ibadan/Ife express junction-islamiya okiti junction ikire 1165 IKIRE
>Alajue junction (Ojularide Street) bode junction-admus filling station/ oja oje ede 2890 EDE
>Monday market- rail way station road ikirun 1200 IKIRUN
>Iresi township road 3000 IRESI
>Ansaruldeen central mosque junction – kuti junction – hospital road iwo 1550 IWO
>Ita-ofa-oromu-araromi (market gate)
ilesa 770 ILESA
>Atakumosa market road; obiteni-omo ofe
road ilesa 400 ILESA
>Oke oye-oke ita with spur to ogodogbo and temidire road ibokun 1300 ILESA
>Rehabilitation of gbega junction – john mackay (oke ayepe costain) osogbo
(phase 1) 1 KM OSOGBO
> Rehabilitatiion of Oloruntedo Community (costain john mackay- east bypass Osogbo (phase 2) 1.5KM OSOGBO
>Rehabilitation of Aanuolu hospital- amadiya powerline (ede) 1KM EDE
> Rehabilitation of ogberin junction – akala –oloki junction – oluoboini iso ege ede 2.055 EDE
CRITICAL INTERVENTIONS
(1)Spot patching of lameco-station road
(2)Oke Fia – Dele Yes Sir
(3)Oke onitea failed section
.(4) Owode failed section.
CONSTRUCTION OF CULVERTS
(1) Construction of Shasha failed culverts
Uni Osun road.
(2) Construction of failed culvert (Adeeke Iwo) – IWO
(3)Construction of Owoope/Oke ola Ajegunle box culvert (Gbogan) – GBOGAN
(4) Construction of Allahu lateef saw mail.
Others are:
>Rehabilitation of 345 Health Centres in the 332 Wards in Osun State: Rehabilitation include, Provision of Potable water, new toilets, and bathrooms, beds, mattresses, bed sheets, renovation and painting of buildings, new curtains, and solar panels/inverters for 24 hours electricity etc.
>Phase two of Portable Water Provision in 332 wards of the State. These includes, overhead tanks, dispensing taps, generators, or solar panels. Under phase one, 332 water projects were completed and now functioning. Under the new plan, another set across the 332 political wards will be served with water projects.
>Rehabilitation Phase two of 31 schools in the 30 mother local governments of Osun and Area Council. This includes portable water, new roofs, new toilets, renovation and painting of buildings, and Provision of desks and chairs. As you have seen in phase one of the school rehabilitation, our approach is to take a school and completely rehabilitate the buildings completely with desks and other learning facilities.
>As a follow up to the completed rehabilitation of selected schools, the government has commenced the process of recruiting new teachers to address teachers’ shortage in our schools. Currently, a need assessment is ongoing to determine the teachers’ requirements across subjects and schools. This will help to determine the number of teachers to recruit.
>Construction/ Rehabilitation of 45 roads of at least one kilometre in each of the 30 mother local governments, making a total of 45 Kilometres. As you saw in the preview, we have earlier completed about 45 kilometres of roads across the LGAS. These new roads are fresh projects for phase two.
>Dualisation of Roads: In a bid to ease traffic jams and reduce road accidents, we are dualising some roads in some major towns to start with. The listed towns include Osogbo, Ede and Ilesha.
>Construction of five Flyovers to ease traffic accidents and traffic jams. The identified projects are as follows:
#Osogbo – two namely Okefia and
Lameco junction
#Ikirun- One
#Ife- one, Mayfair
#Owode Ede- One
>Street Lightning: We are to install street lights in all major towns, especially Osogbo as the state capital. This is important to enhance security surveillance and boost the night economy
AGRICULTURE: To push ahead with his administration welfare agenda, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Food Security Committee was directed to roll out action plans that will achieve the effective distribution of farm equipment, fertilizers and seedlings to farmers.. The Ministry was further directed to finalize plans on the multiple cultivation of hundreds of hectares of Land across the local governments under the Young Agropreneurs Incubation programme.
All these are in line with implement a comprehensive back to farm project that includes state assistance for farm preparation, tractorization and off taking mechanisms.
