The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Osun State, Southwest Nigeria says the State is making progress under Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration.
The State Chairman, Mr Sunday Bisi made the assertion in a response to criticism from the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC which accused the ruling party of stagnation and misrule.
He said in the last nine months, the Adeleke governorship has worked tirelessly to reposition the state.
Bisi explained that the repositioning is being done through rebuilding of the foundation of many sectors from infrastructures to health and education.
He said the governor was rebuilding Osun in close consultation with the people, stressing that the great performance of the administration was self-evident for all to see.
“From November 2022 to date, the PDP administration has been successfully multitasking, addressing deficits in roads, water, health, education, sports and agriculture. The newly appointed commissioners are settling down and building their submissions for the next meeting of the state Executive Council. The special advisers are synergising with their commissioners to strengthen the delivery capacity of the government.
“The caretaker committees across the local governments are creating the local version of the five point agenda to deliver democratic dividends to our people”, the Chairman said.
Opposition criticism
Meanwhile, the opposition APC had criticised Governor Adeleke-led government of his inability to hold the Executive Council meeting 54 days after the inauguration since July 19, 2023.
In a statement issued by the APC Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, in Osogbo, the chairman, Mr Tajudeen Lawal recalled that Adeleke’s attempt to hold the first state executive meeting was aborted following a statement that said the meeting would no longer hold due to undisclosed reasons.
Lawal called the stakeholders in the state not to treat the issue at hand with levity, saying the failure of government to hold executive meetings for about two months is strange to democracy.
Lawal observed that the laissez-faire approach of Governor Adeleke to governance is a confirmation that he is only attracted to the glamour of the office without tangible programmes for the development of the state.
The APC chairman wondered how Adeleke had been appropriating funds for the running of the state without holding the state executive meetings.
Lawal also criticised Adeleke for failing to deliver on his promises.
“How about the monthly feedback briefing of the Adeleke administration that the governor promised would start in June? This is the third quarter in September and nothing is in sight. Is Governor Adeleke operating a different calendar?” He asked.
He thus urged the governor to sit up to enable him perform his statutory duty to the citizenry, noting that all the Board chairmen appointed by the governor are without members which automatically make them the sole administrators of their parastatals except for one or two where there are vice-chairmen.
Lawal wondered why Osun State, under Adeleke is still thinking, for over one month, on how to disburse the N2 billion Federal Government fuel subsidy palliative.
Governor’s response
Meanwhile, governor’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, in another statement gave an assurance that the governor and his cabinet are working round the clock to expand the delivery of democratic dividends and correct the errors of the past administration.
He explained that the cabinet members, for the past three weeks, have been deepening the state sectoral agenda through rigorous brainstorming sessions with the establishment, in preparation for an elaborate and expanded state executive council meeting.
Confidence Okwuchi
