All past civilian governors of Osun State were on Saturday absent at a ceremony organised to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the creation of the state.

The state’s first civilian governor, Senator Isiaka Adeleke; Chief Bisi Akande and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola were absent but two past military administrators, Col. Theophilus Bamgboye (retd.) and Navy Capt. Anthony Udofia (retd.) were at the event.
Although the past governors were not present at the callisthenic display by 4000 pupils drawn from 17 schools, the event was colourful as the pupils treated those in attendance to breathtaking displays.


Bamgboye commended Governor Rauf Aregbesola for embarking on developmental projects in the state.
He said, “I can see that Osun State is working and there are developments. I have never witnessed a colourful ceremony like this (the callisthenics).”
The Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, who also spoke at the ceremony, urged Aregbesola to work towards reducing hunger and poverty in the land.
The monarch commended the governor for doing well but advised him to do more so that the people, including traditional rulers, would be taken out of poverty.
But the Peoples Democratic Party in the state said Aregbesola had brought untold hardship on the people of the state with his style of governance.
The factional chairman of the PDP, Soji Adagunodo, claimed that the All Progressives Congress-led government had impoverished the state.
He said, “Aregbesola should point to a project that he has done and commissioned. We are advising him not to point to the mega schools because they were done during the PDP-led Federal Government and it was funded by the State Universal Basic Education Board.”