Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State on Tuesday said that his predecessor, Gboyega Oyetola laid booby traps for him and expected him to fail.
Adeleke who spoke at the 2024 state inter-denominational prayer to usher in the New Year held at the governor’s office parking lot, said it looked like the state’s problems defied solutions when he assumed office over a year ago.
According to him, “My predecessor deliberately added petrol to the fire by laying several booby traps before he left office. Nobody expects solutions from us. The thoughts of detractors were the expectation of failure.
“In those turbulent days, we had sought the Lord’s help to calm the troubled water of state governance.
“We fervently prayed for divine victory as we then entered office under a deeply hostile environment.
“We cried to the Lord to rescue the state from those hell-bent on truncating the will of the people. Those were troubling days for our dear state.
“Today, I am overjoyed to stand before you to proclaim that our state is free from the bondage of the past.
“Through the prayers of the just, the people of God secure victory, salvation and redemption. A year after fervent pleas to our dear Creator, we all feel and experience the hand of God in our lives and in the governance of our state”.
He added that God not only answered his prayers but also guided his every decision on policy issues.
He continued, “My dear people of faith, I have personal confessions to make. In the last one year, I directly experienced divine guidance in making state decisions.
“On several occasions, God almighty was my instructor in deciding on key issues. When I told you I govern with the fear of God, it is not a joke. Our leadership is a product of divine plan and manifestation.
“We have a God who does not fail his beloved ones. Doors open where none exist. The governance space witnessed policy innovations and implementation, which provide answers to knotty state policy questions.
“Because we have a God who props up his favoured and chosen ones, our government successfully reset the button of the state public service.
“We frontally addressed workers’ welfare, put a smile on the faces of pensioners, restored local governance, implemented infra-agenda and set the tone for sustainable governance.”
