EDITORIAL: Closing On A High

The Ogbeni governor Rauf Aregbesola hit the ground running and started on a firm footing after a tortuous, long day’s journey into office. The gains of his preparation have borne fruit. Not least a widely acclaimed and initiated social intervention thrust which is directed at attacking the roots of poverty. Like any sensible manager, with just about a year of his administration left, he must do careful, succession planning.

A succession planning must include handing over a revamped administrative mechanism to a successor in the spirit of the continuity of the programmes he initiated which has made a positive impact. This thoughtful process has commenced with this week’s appointment of Dr Festus Olowogboyega Oyebade as the Head of Service in the State of Osun. A key appointment is what is becoming a process of transition; it has been very well received.

The multi-dimensional Dr Oyebade certainly fits the bill of the modern technocrat and public servant.  Dr Oyebade is well read. He graduated with BSc. Education at Obafemi Awolowo University of Ile-Ife with specialisation in Geography. He later obtained higher degrees of Masters in Educational Management and Peace and Conflict Studies as well as a Doctorate (PhD) in Educational Management, all from the University of Ibadan. He also bagged LLB and LLM degrees in Law from Obafemi Awolowo University and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2005. The conventional wisdom within and outside of the state is in convergence, that he will put in a memorable tenure in office.

Characteristically, the Ogbeni governor did not just put the right person for the job, he has worked out a clear road map to follow. In line with the principles of modern management, Ogbeni Aregbesola has correctly pointed out that the era of partitioning of departments in civil service is gone and should be replaced with organic network and fluid movement from one office to the other, from one department to the other, from one ministry to the other.

This is a reflection of the complexity of, as well as the need for dexterity in navigating the course of modern governance. The bureaucracy in the state has to be more flexible and nimble footed because the machinery of the government now has to be retooled to cope with a more diversified and complex economic structure. The appointment of Dr Oyebade and the brief he has been mandated to carry out is a reflection of this.

The summation of the raison d’être for the new appointment and what is envisioned for the future is very succinctly  spelt out by the Ogbeni Governor – “Nevertheless, the ultimate goal is to be productive, the objectives of governance must be realised and the government must generate the resources needed to run it.” The imperative for a scamless transition of a re-invigorated Osun state to a new administration has begun. Having as it were refreshed the bureaucracy, it is now imperative that a rancour free process is put in place to produce a worthy successor to continue and consolidate the progressive thrust in Osun State.