By Kunle Oyatomi
There isn’t a shadow without its substance. When you sight a shadow, afar or close by, you won’t need to go too far to locate what is presenting the spectral image. The substance and its shadowy partner walk together; they are inseparable; they are identical twins.
That is the way most observers view the current spate of accolades being heaped on Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the State of Osun. His feats in office are drawing laurels and commendations from all sectors of the society both from within and outside the state.
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His achievements represent the substance while the encomiums and honours emerge as the inevitable shadows that follow the governor. So, the praises Oyetola is getting as the 2022 Osun governorship poll approaches, are the unbreakable components of the governor himself. In effect, they are being cast into the future to determine ballot, because they will influence the ballot.
For instance, why would the electorate in July 2022 not factor in the current avalanche of critical applause for Oyetola when considering the options before them at the ballot? Would they be expected to dismiss the award just given to Oyetola by foremost broadcasters, DAAR Communications as Outstanding Leader in Public Service (Citizens’ Welfare) for 2021?
The governor bagged the prize at the 4th DAAR Awards in Abuja, the nation’s capital. Justifying the award to the Osun governor, the organisers said Oyetola has paid his dues as a result of ‘’his outstanding performance and unprecedented achievements recorded in the area of citizens’ welfare”.
They were, in effect saying, that Oyetola has lived up to his constitutional responsibilities, since, as irrevocably and inviolably decreed by the Nigerian Constitution, the primary duty of government, its functionaries and institutions, is to see to the security and welfare of the people. Thus, a government would be seen as a failure when it slips in that respect. It cannot expect to be returned to office at the poll if it seeks reelection.
Oyetola, the accomplished professional and politician that he is, reflected on these political sensitivities as he received the award. While he saw the honour as ‘’an endorsement of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun and the current leadership’’ under him, he pledged to continue with what he called ‘’a responsive and responsible administration”.
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“In Osun,’’ Oyetola said, ‘’the people are at the heart of what we do. Our workers for example get their salaries in full as and when due. We may not be that buoyant but we pay minimum wage. We pay pensions and gratuities regularly just as we are paying the arrears we inherited…We enrolled the vulnerable, including the aged and people living with disabilities into the Osun Health Insurance Scheme at free premium…We feed 30,000 vulnerable persons on monthly basis through the Osun Food Support Scheme. We will soon be rolling out other specific support programmes for the elderly and widows before the end of the year”.
These are moves not only benefiting the present, but also intended to make a deep impression on the future. And it’s not only apolitical corporate bodies which have noticed their impact on the people and the society. Key figures, among them politicians and traditional rulers, are also hailing Governor and urging the people to consider him for a second term in next year’s ballot.
When the governor inaugurated the 20km Ejigbo-Ara-Ede road and the 2.1km Ede township, an impressed Timi of Ede, Kabiyesi Munirudeen Laminisa1 declared: ‘’Once a government is performing and spreading the dividends of democracy, there is no point to contemplate changing such a government”.
Elsewhere in Ejigbo, after the Oyetola’s administration had reconstructed long-abandoned roads, the Ogiyan of Ejigbo, Kabiyesi Omowonuola Oyesosin enthused: ‘’I have never seen a Governor like you…You are indeed a lover of infrastructure development. You have fixed one of the roads giving us headache…a death trap”.
A former Speaker of the Osun House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adejare Bello would not be left out of the throng of those who have witnessed the remarkable strides of Governor Oyetola. He was at the inauguration of the Ejigbo-Ara-Ede road and the flag-off of the 3.8km Ejigbo and was moved to go into history to situate the place of the governor. He made a roll-call of the past Speakers of the state and concluded: ‘’What we could not facilitate in our 20 years of cumulative service as Speakers, Governor Oyetola (did) it for us within two years of his administration.’’
These remarks are not sycophantic adulations without a basis or foundation in reality. They flow as the shadow of the substance of the palpability of Governor Oyetola’s achievements. As I said at the beginning, you can’t have a shadow without its originating (causative) substance. In the case of Oyetola, today’s performance is casting its shadows into next year to sway the vote to his favour.
…Oyatomi Esq is the Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy of the APC in Osun State.
