OBSERVATION: What Is In Nomenclature?

 

BY ADEMOLA YAYA

HAVING been sworn-in as the 6th elected Governor of Osun by the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Oyebola Adepele-Ojo, on Sunday, 27th November, 2022, at Osogbo Township Stadium, the new Governor, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 39th paragraph of his inaugural speech said, “Consequently, I hereby issue the following directives which will be backed up with appropriate Executive Orders:

“Immediate freezing of all government accounts in banks and other financial institutions. Immediate establishment of a panel to carry out an inventory and recover all government assets. An immediate establishment of a panel to review all appointments and major decisions of the immediate past administration taken after the 17th July, 2022. An immediate reversal to the constitutionally recognized name of our state, Osun State. All government insignia, correspondences and signage should henceforth reflect Osun State rather than State of Osun which is unknown to the Nigerian constitution.”

Since this proclamation by the Governor, especially with respect to reversion from State of Osun to Osun State, the social media have been agog with insinuations that Senator Ademola Adeleke of the PDP released the salvo to attack former Governor Rauf Aregbesola legacy in the state. Note that it was Aregbesola -APC-led administration that coined State of Osun between 27th November 2010 and 27th November, 2018. 

As far as I am concerned, Mr. Governor revert to Osun State is no big deal; it is simply a change of nomenclature just like the former Governor Aregbesola unusual government changed Osun State to State of Osun and invented state anthem among several innovations. As a matter of fact, the name change was very controversial and its reversion cannot be taken seriously as an attack on Aregbesola’s legacy. A political party is supposed to be an association of people with similar ideas to promote specific ideological or policy goals. As a matter of fact, the immediate past APC administration led by Mr. Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola did worse to attack his former boss’s legacies especially in the education sector. For instance, Mr. Oyetola cancelled Aregbesola’s single uniform policy, reverted to the 6-3-3-4 system with consequent return to old school names, rubbished mega schools and actually threatened to conduct integrity test on the buildings, suggesting that they were of low quality, threw into dustbin the table of knowledge – Tablet – (Opon Imo) for SSS3 school children among others. Despite the fact that his campaign was hinged on continuity of Aregbesola’s legacy, he refused to complete the Eastern Bypass ring road that encircles Osogbo, Ona baba ona, which Aregbesola couldn’t complete for lack of fund despite the fact that Oyetola’s administration received Federal Government refund of all federal roads project embarked upon by outgone Aregbesola’s administration, which Oyetola was part of. He refused to pay arrears of salaries owed by his predecessor during financial meltdown despite the fact that resources were available to pay.  How many Adepele’ teeth do I count? In fact, the name, State of Osun was hardly used throughout Oyetola administration. Perhaps, if he had won the July 16 gubernatorial election, Oyetola could have been more emboldened to further attack Aregbesola legacies including this very name change.

If same APC-led administration with its campaign and its flag bearer championed by Governor Aregbesola in 2018 could revert his legacy projects, how does a mere change of name by former opposition but now ruling party becomes a big deal?  

What should preoccupy any serious government at all levels is how to inject real education and skills acquisition required in this modern time for self and societal development as against certificated but useless education for the youth and our workforce. Majority of our young ones are hooked on drug with knowledge for crimes and criminalities as they have nothing positive to offer themselves and the society. Very few of them who make efforts to imbibe knowledge and skill get frustrated and find their way out of the country as a result of unfriendly socio-economic environment. What should be paramount to any serious government is huge investment in infrastructures like good roads network, functional rail system or waterways; quality healthcare system for the populace as only healthy people could be productive; creation of enabling environment for job and wealth creation; creativity in exploring, exploiting and industrializing our areas of comparative advantage for new jobs and development – agriculture and agro-allied industrialization. This alone has capacity to engage our teeming unemployed youths having been properly trained with modern skills and equipment.

Having rendered their mandates to a political party and candidate of their choice, what the citizens expect is a government that will guarantee their freedom, life and property and happiness. Most often, however, when the politicians get to power, they quickly forget the people who voted them to power and make their lives miserable. The power and lust of office over time, get into their heads and they start misbehaving, forgetting that the citizens and electorate will payback once every four year. But we cannot be waiting for every four year. The civil society groups and the media must rise up to the challenge of putting government and political office holders on their toes, alerting them of their responsibility to the people from time to time.  Changing a useless, miserable and bad government every four year in ten times is equal to forty years. If one is privileged to survive a miserable life of forty years of poverty and penury, his/her life span would have expired as hunger, starvation, unhealthy life, etc would have shortened his/her life span. Government and governance should not be entirely left with the politicians alone, non-governmental organizations and the fourth estate of the realm must be proactive in playing their historic role in the society.