• Oyinlola urges Tinubu to intervene in withheld LG allocations
• Gov is confused about S’Court judgment on councils’ funds, Osun APC states

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, yesterday, said that his administration had implemented projects and initiatives that many classed as impossible.He stated this during the celebration of the 34th anniversary of Osun State creation, cautioning the political class against playing politics with peoples’ welfare.

However, Chairman of the anniversary celebrations, former governor of the state, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, represented by the House Speaker, Adewale Egbedun, hailed the developmental achievements of Adeleke’s administration and called on President Bola Tinubu to release the withheld allocations of the councils.

Adeleke, while addressing dignitaries at the event held in Osogbo, said the goal of governance is the welfare of the people and that “it is anti-God to hurt the public through state power.

“We task other political actors to respect the rights and wishes of the people. We must never play politics with the welfare of the public. Osun is our common state. It is not politics to wilfully punish voters and the public. We have a sacred duty to create red lines in politicking,” he said.

He reassured the people of his commitment to their welfare with a promise never to trade their interest for anything, saying: “As we have the people and God with us, our administration remains unshaken and undisturbed.”

The governor reviewed the trajectory of state development by commending his predecessors for their contributions to state building, adding: “Our government has implemented what many classed as impossible.

“I am proud to declare today that our administration has stabilised the public service by granting the civil servants and pensioners their due entitlements. Osun workers and pensioners appreciate our deep care and obsession with their welfare.

“Aside from human capital development, our administration addressed the major hindrance to Osun’s economic growth – the huge infrastructure deficit that stood at around 80 per cent when we took over in 2022. No society grows economically without a strong infrastructure. Osun cannot industrialise or exit civil service status without building its infrastructure.”

“Our government took up the challenge and targeted transforming our major cities and towns into economic and social hubs. We are building sustainable roads and bridges across the state. The goal is to open up the state to investors across the sectors.

“Our administration also reviewed the business climate to make it more appealing to local and external investors. We harmonised the tax systems. We ease the process of acquiring a Certificate of Occupancy. Our investment portal and agency were digitised.”

HOWEVER, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state has described the Governor Adeleke-led administration as confused and messy over its back-and-forth decision to seek Supreme Court intervention on the imbroglio over the councils’ withheld funds.

The party, in a statement by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, yesterday, described the back and forth of the state government as a sign of a “seriously confused and rudderless government.”

According to him, Osun State residents do not need to look around to know that the state is in a serious problem under the watch of Adeleke, as almost all things are in a state of disarray since the inauguration of his administration in 2022.