Kudos, Knock For Adeleke, Oyetola On ‘Omoluabi Scholar Bus’

• As Groups Frown At Personalisation of Buses By Adeleke

SOME residents of Osun State have berated former governor Adegboyega Oyetola for abandoning the Omoluabi Scholar Buses throughout his four-year tenure.

The Omoluabi Scholar Buses was purchased and commissioned by Oyetola’s predecessor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on Friday July 18, 2014 at Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo.

Its purpose was to convey Osun Public School children to and from their schools. 

But the Oyetola administration abandoned the buses for four years, leaving them to rot away. 

However, Governor Ademola Adeleke has refurbished 19 of the buses and renamed them ‘Imole De Bus’.

The buses have also been converted to palliative measure to ease transportation for civil servants in the state by Adeleke.

The development triggered residents of the state to condemn Oyetola’s decision on the buses.

They described Oyetola’s action as shameless, saying he played politics with all Aregbesola’s legacies by making them moribund.

A social analyst, Edafe Oghenebrume, said Adeleke’s decision to refurbish the abandoned buses was a welcome idea and coming at a time the residents need it most. 

Oghenebrume however condemned Adeleke for renaming the buses with his campaign name.

He chided Oyetola’s followers for criticising Adeleke on refurbishing and renaming the buses, saying the former government deliberately abandoned the buses to rot away because of his hatred for Aregbesola. 

He said: “It is so disgusting that followers of Ileri-Oluwa APC of Osun State can be fulminating like frustrated juveniles over hundreds of Omoluabi Scholar Buses which former governor Rauf Aregbesola bought and commissioned to convey Osun public school pupils to and from their schools which incumbent Governor converted to Imole De Buses.

“These are shameless conquered political slaves that failed to think and think deeply before ranting about a laudable and commendable educational project which their principal vindictively abandoned throughout his four years in office as governor.

“Oyetola of APC abandoned Aregbesola of the same APC’s Omoluabi Scholar Bus and Adeleke of PDP refurbished those buses and revived the scheme. Simple as APC!

“Yes, l am fully aware that Governor Adeleke has become too full of himself in some aspect, but on this particular project, l really commend him.”

Another resident of the state, Demola Owoade, lauded Adeleke on the buses, saying it is a welcome development. 

Owoade said: “Government is continuum; Adeleke has done nothing bad on the buses. If the immediate past administration of Oyetola had made used of  the buses, instead of abandoning them and telling Osun people that the buses were nowhere to be found, Adeleke would not be getting this commendation.”

A social media expert, Babatunde Olusola, said: “We expect APC to wail. Why do people use everything good done to play politics? Oyetola regime abandoned the buses among other good projects that Aregbesola started. 

“The changing of name is not important. What is important is the intention and right now, the Governor is about to roll out palliative to cushion the effect of subsidy removal and part of it is the buses.

“These are the same buses the immediate past administration abandoned to rot away without making proper use of them. Nobody came out to talk then or when the last governor was giving out food monthly and tagged it ‘Ileri Oluwa food’ then. So why complaining now?”

Group Frowns At Personalisation of Buses By Adeleke 

However, Adeleke’s decision to rename the ‘Omoluabi Scholar Bus’ to Imole De Bus with his picture, has generated condemnation from some members of the public.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, the spokesperson for Transparency and Accountability Group (TAG), Comrade Ayo Oloogun, said public officeholders have to overgrow the idea of accruing to themselves what belongs to the people. 

Oloogun said although it was commendable that Adeleke made use of the buses, the governor ought not to have labelled them ‘Imole Bus’ as if they were procured by his personal money. 

The TAG spokesperson also called for proper accountability on the cost of repairing and repainting the buses.

According to him: “While it is commendable that Governor Adeleke is not allowing the buses procured under the Aregbesola’s administration to go to rot, it is condemnable that he is using our common patrimony and what belongs to the state to advance his political idiosyncratic ideas.

“Those buses were procured with the resources of Osun State and they should be so labelled and not some Imole Buses as if they were procured by his own money or resources or goodwill.  

“This is one of the aberrations that public office holders have to overgrow, accruing to self that which is our common patrimony.

“It should also be said that accountability must be demanded from the governor as to the cost of repair and repainting of the buses lest we be duped in clear sight.”

A resident of Ikirun, headquarters of Ifelodun Local Government, Mr Taofeeq Omoniyi, while speaking with OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday, frowned at the action of the Governor on renaming the bus.

He said: “It is very sad and unfortunate that we find ourselves in this kind of situation. This is not the first time the Governor will do this. He also changed Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme to Imole Youth. 

“It is very wrong and people who do not know much will believe the programs are personally being funded by the Governor. He is just personalising everything as if it is not the state money he is using”.

We Spent N25m To Refurbish 19 Omoluabi Buses – Osun Govt

However, the state government has disclosed that it spent a total N25.2m to refurbish 19 Omoluabi buses which will serve as palliative to cushion the effect of petroleum subsidy for the people of the state. 

The state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, made this known in a statement made available to newsmen in Osogbo, on Tuesday. 

According to Alimi, the money was spent to ensure the vehicle’s roadworthiness to be able to carry out the new services of conveyance of people.

According to Alimi, five of the buses are officially assigned to Osogbo, the state capital for commuting people to the already earmarked routes.

“Ede, Iwo and Ikirun have two each while the people of Ife/ Modakeke and Ilessa have three each. The remaining two of the buses are kept on standby for other contingencies that may likely come up from time to time” Alimi explained. 

He stated further: “The public is to similarly note that the 19 buses, each christened “Imole Bus” are to specifically convey civil servants, students and the poorest of the poor residents of the state to their various destinations at a token amount, which in turn, will be used by the government from time-to-time for the smooth running and maintenance of the buses. 

“The government wishes to emphasise that virtually all the buses due to their almost grounded status and off the road conditions cost a total sum of N25,274,288.00 to ensure their roadworthiness so as to be able to carry out the new services of conveyance of people.

“The buses, it must be noted, are to work on two shifts daily as they ply all the officially designated routes, morning and afternoon of Mondays through Fridays.

“According to the arrangements, the morning services will be between 6:45am and 9:00am while the afternoon shuttles will be between 3pm and 5pm daily.”