ISSUES AND POLICY: Oyetola: Giant Strides Without Noise

By Kola Odepeju

“What you do have greater impact than what you say”, – Steven Covey

When I think of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s creditable performance in the State of Osun, vis-a-vis his gentle and unassuming disposition, then the above quote by Steven Covey comes to my mind. Action, they say, speaks louder than voice. Success is also not measured by words but by deeds and actions. So in any human society, people – especially those at leadership level – are judged, not by their words but by their performance.

It is within the context of the above simple analogy that one is compelled to give a thumb up to Governor Oyetola for his developmental strides in the State of Osun; even with meagre resources at his disposal and the challenge of debt overhang he is contending with. For it takes only a determined and financially prudent leader to have been able to record the level of achievements Oyetola has recorded within this near two years of his administration.

Before I proceed further, perhaps it is important for me to send a word or two to those who might want to see this piece as praise-singing. For me and I think majority of the people will agree with me that there’s absolutely nothing wrong in giving honour to whom it is due. There is nothing bad in commending a good job. This is far from praise-singing. In all intellectual honesty, if we could be courageous enough to criticise bad deeds or poor performances in public office, we should also be able to summon the courage to give kudos to a good job. This is no doubt the reason that gave birth to statements like; ‘thank you’, ‘well done’, ‘I appreciate’ and other words that commend good deeds.

To praise good deed is normal and doing so will surely encourage the doer to do more. Even God expects appreciation from humans. When a doer of good is appreciated, then he’s encouraged to do more. A philosopher once quipped; “A person who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected”. Thus, to say kudos to a person who does well or a quarter where good work is sited, is not out of place but a way of encouraging more good works on the part of the doer(s). However, it is important for the person to whom kudos has been given not to rest on his or her oars. He or she must find the courage to forge ahead to the end. For like an adage says; “it’s not the beginning that matters, but how one finishes”.

I was privileged to listen to a group of people last week at Alekuwodo area of Osogbo whose discussion centered on Oyetola’s steady, progressive approach to governance. One of them said Oyetola is performing wonderfully but “he lacks ‘aroma’ like his predecessor”. He added that one hardly knows that there’s a governor in the state but only for his work. ‘Aroma’ in social parlance means gift of entertainment from a leader that proclaims his work more, just as condiments add to flavour to food. In response to this, another person amongst the discussants dismissed what the first speaker said as rubbish. “Is it entertainment or noise that the people need or what a leader is able to deliver to the people in terms of dividends of democracy? The man retorted. To him, Oyetola is a silent performer and he prefers that kind of leader. According to him, “only empty vessels make so much noise”.

I found the position of the second speaker quite reasonable and fascinating. For me, it is not how much noise a leader can make that matters but the amount of positive impact he is able to make in the lives of his citizens. What a leader does to uplift the living condition of his people is what is important. Unfortunately, most African leaders – especially in Nigeria here – make unnecessary noise about little or nil performance. Their stories are best encapsulated in William Baldwin’s quote: “As empty vessels make the loudest sound, they that have the least wit are the greatest blabbers”. This is the case with most African leaders. However, it should be mentioned that in the case of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, he combined ‘aroma’ with performance. His was not just noise without work like many others in Baldwin’s description.

Governor Oyetola is doing a great job in the State of Osun. There is no dispute about this. He is focused on building lasting legacies, just like his predecessor. He might not have ‘aroma’ in the thinking of the first speaker but his work is speaking for him. ‘Aroma’ is not part of governance. It is just like a side attraction to the main event. In fact, ‘aroma’ and good performance are not mutually inclusive. It is not compulsory that they come together. If a leader has it (aroma), all well and good; if not, it reduces nothing. A leader is elected to deliver dividends of democracy to the people and once he/she isn’t found wanting in this regard, then the rest is minor.

For lack of space, it is not impossible to roll out the list of Oyetola’s many achievements within less than two years of his administration for which he’s receiving applause from Osun people. But to mention a few, the feat he has attained in the health sector is highly commendable. For his administration to have renovated and delivered 332 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) is no mean feat. Consistency in payment of full salary to workers – even amidst paucity of funds – and also payment of pension arrears to pensioners and continuous payment of their pensions also deserve commendation. Road infrastructure isn’t suffering setback as his government continues work on the uncompleted road projects under his predecessor while new ones are being constructed and old ones being re-constructed across the state.

Oyetola’s impactful governance cuts across every sector in the life of the state. The economic summit he organised at the inception of his administration to chart a new course for Osun economic growth is already yielding the desired positive results as the state IGR is steadily increasing. Mention must be made of the education sector, which has also not suffered neglect. And in line with the demand of our present situation with respect to economic diversification, Governor Oyetola is making a great effort towards boosting agriculture, tourism and mining in the state. By the time his efforts in these aforementioned areas start to yield positive results Osun will no doubt be better for it.

By and large, given what Oyetola has done in the last twenty one and half months of his administration, one can aptly conclude that the governor has not disappointed in terms of fulfilling his campaign promises. The welfare of the people is paramount to him. The gains recorded in the last administration are being consolidated under him; while the state continues to witness improved development in different sectors.