Aregbesola: One Year After

The Rauf Aregbesola administration clocks one year in office this weekend. This piece examines the achievements of the administration against the background of the expectations of the people.

OGbeni Rauf Aregbesola, will be one year in office as Governor of Osun State this Sunday. The question is being asked, what difference has he made in the lives of the people of the State of the Living Spring? The question is coming against the backdrop of the fact that the governor came into office with a lot promise having assumed office on the pedestal of ‘progressivism’.

He came into office on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). The last one year has been quite eventful in Osun State as the government has tried to put smiles on the faces of the people especially in critical areas such as agriculture, youth empowerment, education and tourism.


Aregbesola
Only recently, the state government organized a retreat for top officials in the state to see how far the Aregbesola administration has gone in terms of the implementation of its six points Integral Action Plan and chart the way forward.

Governor’s programmes

“The retreat delivered more than what we the organizers thought about”, Mr. Femi Ifaturoti, the Director-General of the Osun State Bureau of Social Services which is in charge of monitoring the implementation of the Governor’s programmes said at the retreat.

“The retreat afforded the executive arm of government and the top echelon of the administration the opportunity to share the vision of the governor. It was a melting point and battle of ideas during the retreat.

It created a robust opportunity for the people in government to know how programmes are being run in various arms, especially the O’TOUR, O’REAP and O’YES. During the retreat, people saw the passion of the governor for the state and people left the retreat fired up”.

Also speaking on the retreat, the vice chancellor of the Osun State University, Osogbo, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, said the major agenda was geared at driving the state forward.  “The government, through the retreat, planned for its success, planned so that there won’t be failure from any side of government”, the vice chancellor stated.  He pointed out:“The critical issue is just moving from planning to implementation and that is the challenge I am going to give the government.”

Assessing the achievements of the administration in the education sector, Akinrinade said:

“We must commend the intervention of the present government in the education sector, because things have never been done this way before.”

“The attempt to rehabilitate and remodel our schools right from the primary level to the tertiary level is something commendable. I believe that if the plans that have been put in place are aggressively pursued, they will change the education sector totally. The impact of these laudable efforts may not be seen in the next two years but, in the long run, the people of Osun State will see that a solid foundation has been laid for the education sector in the state”.

According to him, the model schools being built, courtesy of the Aregbesola administration, at the primary and secondary levels are efforts aimed at transforming the education sector in the state, and an attempt to put facilities and infrastructure that will match the aspiration to create an administrative system that could serve the purpose of the 21st century.”

Beyond the accomplishments in the education sector in Osun as testified to by Akinrinade are the land marks in the agriculture, youth empowerment and tourism sectors where the governor is using O’REAP, O’YES and O’TOUR respectively as the tools of revolution.

O’REAP, according to Ifaturoti, is a major programme focusing on food production in the state. “We have done much in the area of agriculture and food production in Osun State”, the director general of the Bureau of Social Services said.

He stated further: “We started in February this year and let me say O’REAP is focused on food production with much interest in food crops. Osun State strategy is to capture 10 percent of the food bill of Lagos State. By that I mean the foods that are sold and bought in Lagos State which by today is estimated at N3.5 billion.”

“The administration has made agriculture a good drive for economic transformation of the state. Mr. Governor said agriculture is over 50 percent of his promise to the people of Osun. All the six points Integral Action Plan of Governor Aregbesola centres on agriculture.

The whole aim is to use agriculture as the key engine for economic transformation in the state of Osun. We have fertile land in Osun, we have commodity areas where we can build national competitiveness and one of those areas is rice.

Research has shown that Osun can actually be a market leader in the production of lowland rice and not even upland rice. We also have competitive advantage on cassava, vegetable and okro and even live stock, because, if you look at Iwo, you will see that there are livestock development opportunities in that area.”

Ifaturoti sees Osun becoming the food basket of the South-west and indeed Nigeria courtesy of Aregbesola’s O’REAP

“This year alone, we have done about 7,500 acres of land, I don’t think there is any other state in the South-west that has done that ,”the director general of the Bureau of Social Services said.”We are 90 percent through with 49 kilometers rural access roads in the state.

“We have had over 300 co-operative societies registering for the O’REAP programme because the governor believes we must use co-operative as the major driver for the agricultural transformation of the state. Now, we have farmers gathering together to form co-operatives for food production and marketing. O’REAP programme is a business of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ministry of Commerce and other ministries.

“We had experts in the field of public administration and that is the paradigm for development globally. No agency can do things alone. We need a number of agencies working together. If for instance we need water in the farm settlements, we will go to the Ministry of Water Resources, if we need power, we go to the Rural Electrification Board, if it’s roads, we consult people in the Ministry of Works and Transport.

So, in the transformation of a state, the work cuts across the various parastatals and agencies of government. So, what is important is to have a very strong co-ordination of all these efforts and a sharp capacity in the ministries to drive the transformation agenda.”

Farmers, according to him, are at the centrepiece of the O’REAP programme. “Roads are constructed to the farm settlements and we are making life meaningful and comfortable for farmers. The road to Mokore farm settlement is now under construction and this road has been abandoned in the last 40 years.

So, farmers are to benefit more than any other people in the O’REAP programme of the state government”, Ifaturoti added.

For O’TOURS, it is built by the Aregbesola government on the strategy of drawing people to Osun natural heritages in the traditional festivals like the Osun Osogbo and Olojo in Ile-Ife. “We are ancient people and we work on history.

Osun State is the centre of gravity, of Yoruba history”, Engr. Abimbola Daniyan, Team Leader, O’TOURS, stated .Daniyan added: “Yoruba in all parts of the world, either in Brazil, Cuba or America, cannot do away with Osun State because of its rich cultural heritage.

Government intervention

On government intervention to take over Osun Osogbo festival fully, Daniyan said it is the duty of government to expand the economic and social space such that the benefits of culture can translate into economic benefits to a very large segment of the society.

During the last Osun Osogbo festival, the Team Leader of O’TOURS said the state government introduced toilets for sanitation and provided security at the groove and in all parts of Osogbo.

“We also have tourist centres like Jalumi and Kiriji war sites which are the results of our history and we are going to develop them to make them attractive to tourists. We also have Ayikunnugba water fall in Oke-Ila.

These are wonderful natural settings that already draw in people, but the point is to make it draw more people to the state, so we are going to develop them to international standards. We have the duty to satisfy our tourists and we have to be careful so that we don’t send wrong information to them, hence the need to develop them well.”

On O’YES, designed by the Aregbesola administration as a youth empowerment programme and to stem unemployment, one of the 2,000 volunteers who earn N10, 000 per month said, “The impact of O’YES is enormous”.

But he will like the state government to consider the volunteers for permanent employment rather than the status quo which affords them participation in the scheme for one year. The scheme costs the state government 200million naira every month.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/11/aregbesola-one-year-after/[b][/b]

One year of nothing but hot air and claiming the FG rail project as his own. It is a unfortunate that he is more of an Alimosho based Lagos politician than Osun state governor, even worse is the the fact that he he only appointed his commissioners a mere couple of months ago, while awaiting the dry season of his second year to commence governance.

Some more interesting achievements are that, while he is owing Osun states workers several months salary, he was able to organise a 19 bus aluta trip to sing praises in Abuja. They were arrrested.

Aregbesola is by far the worst politician on Nigeria's political terrain.

Beaf:

One year of nothing but hot air and claiming the FG rail project as his own. It is a unfortunate that he is more of an Alimosho based Lagos politician than Osun state governor, even worse is the the fact that he he only appointed his commissioners a mere couple of months ago, while awaiting the dry season of his second year to commence governance.

Some more interesting achievements are that, while he is owing Osun states workers several months salary, he was able to organise a 19 bus aluta trip to sing praises in Abuja. They were arrrested.

Aregbesola is by far the worst politician on Nigeria's political terrain.

Are you not ashamed of yourself?

emiye:

Are you not ashamed of yourself?

Why? Would that become an Aregbe achievement?

You could have listed some achievements if there were any, or countered my points if it was possible.
The truth is bitter, Aregbesola has achieved nothing and is unlikely to achieve anything. Osun states workers are owed several months salaries, while Aregbesola shows undivided interest to Lagos.

Beaf the Dunce for sure i know you will open your stinking mouth and say rubbish as expected,

You have lost it now i called you "Enemy of Progress"

I have always known that Aregbesola will succeed in Osun. Been following his activities ever since he was the commissioner of works in lagos (where he performed excellently). The people of Osun truthfully and indeed chose the right person to govern them.
Besides, a lot still needs to be done in the state, and i am imploring the governor not to rest at all in making sure the state becomes a model. Oyinlola was a disaster.

Secondly, its good to know that NLers arent easily falling for lies and baseless accusations any longer. Peddlers of such should kindly change tactics. Its simply doing them no good.

Thirdly, its also good to note that this report isnt from OsunDefender . maggots would have been feeding on that fact by now.

AREGBERASCAL, abegiii go on soun !!!!!!!!!

@Topic,
In summary,

In administration he achieved a - retreat.
In educating he achieved an attempt.
In agriculture he achieved a strategy.
In OYES, 2000 contracted grass cutters at 10000 a month.
In Tourism he achieved promises.
Overall he would lay foundation (perhaps for the next administration)

Aregberascal, carry go nothing do you. You are the best governor in Nigeria.

Aregberascal for president 2015!

PointB:

@Topic,
In summary,

In administration he achieved a - retreat.
In educating he achieved an attempt.
In agriculture he achieved a strategy.
In OYES, 2000 contracted grass cutters at 10000 a month.
In Tourism he achieved promises.
Overall he would lay foundation (perhaps for the next administration)

Aregberascal, carry go nothing do you. You are the best governor in Nigeria.

Aregberascal for president 2015!

Exactly the way I see it if this article is anything to go by. Guys I'm from Osun state I cant tell you nothing has changed except propaganda and persecution of perceived enemies.

lucom:

Exactly the way I see it if this article is anything to go by. Guys I'm from Osun state I cant tell you nothing has changed except propaganda and persecution of perceived enemies.

THE SAME PROPAGANDA WE WERE FED WITH IN LAGOS. WHY MUDDLE UP THRASH AND NOT LIST WHAT WAS ACHIEVED WITH BULLET POINT. AN AVERAGE BRAIN DEM SAY MAKE WE VOTE HERE CITIZEN WILL NOT READ AT ALL AND GO SHOUTING "WAOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WAT AN ACHIEVEMENT."

ACHIEVEMENT , MY FOOT.

Compare to oyinlola 7 and half year Aregbesola is still far better , this man is focus and know' what he's doing . If ‎​You like call him the most rascal governor ,this man is here to stay for good 8yrs .

I see nothing he has done in one year,

The article is full of future tenses.

In as much as i am a progressive (ACN) follower, and an Ekitite, i still find it hard for them to believe ACN in osun state can't achieve wot Imo state governor has achieved within JUST 100DAYS (If the media report and talks r true). Please we want more of Fashola, Rochas kinda people in the South-West region of Nigeria.


I could not just compare what Rochas achieved in 100days to wot Rauf has achieved in 1 year. Even tho' i know all fingers are not equal. But i know they are almost equal and not too far apart. Rauf, please step up your game, ejoor.


Long Live SW Nigeria.
Long Live Fed. Rep. of Nigeria.

Briz

@ Briz What has Rochas achieved biko?

@okija_juju,

well, google n check relevant threads and watch his 100 days documentary on AIT, and u'll see and hear. Av not been to the east b4 so can't say. okay? At least he shouldn't be lieing on National TV now?

Rauf aregbesola is a clown.A rascal of the highest magnitude.What has he done?All we are hearing in that article was just future tense.Someone who spends more time in Ikeja than in oshogbo,pays tax to the lagos state govt,incurs the wrath of the president on the state,witch hunting everybody and anybody who has a different idea,slaps with impunity,someone who asked graduates to start clearing grasses in the name of job creation e.t.c.He is the most archaic and backward governor in Nigeria,and u see I.mbeciles praising him.I laugh in yoruba.SMDH

I support you jor

Pls lagosians is Fashola still working cos i have not heard of any new project that has been commissioned in Lagos anymore, and the popular "Fashola is working,Lagos is working"slogan seem to have faded.was the slogan use to re-elect him for a second term or what.

what is happening to Lagos,is Lagos still working ACN??

I clicked just to see pictures of the trumpetted achievements but found none, i dont want to waste my time reading those scribbled deceptions. twelve years of lootocracy in Nigeria have given me enough of such that would last me a life time.

Aregbe has done nothin really, but dont forget we have PDP states like delta and bayelsa with 3 times osun's income and less to show for it.
The way i see is that politicians will always be politicians, whether under ACN, CPC or PDP. the ppl of osun shld act if they want result.

my state governor is just as good as his predecessor, . Don't let us just sit here and be making comment alone, go to Osun state and see for yourself.  NOTHING SEEMS TO BE WORKING EXCEPT POLITICS.

manchy7531:

Pls lagosians is Fashola still working cos i have not heard of any new project that has been commissioned in Lagos anymore, and the popular "Fashola is working,Lagos is working"slogan seem to have faded.was the slogan use to re-elect him for a second term or what.

what is happening to Lagos,is Lagos still working ACN??

Yes, Fashola is still working! He just approved another road that starts from NNPC @ Ejigbo linking Ajao Estate with a bridge, the 10 lanes with a light rail from Badagary to CMS  is ongoing and the second phase has just been approved. Also, Ago/Okota road is in pogress also, too many to be mentioned! Fash is working, Lagos is working!

Rauf just shot himself on d foot, since there r no achievements yet why make a mockery of urself by rushing to d press? I tot he was more smarter dan dis. Smh

Aregbesola is failure

I watched the live broadcast, and i felt nothing but disgust for this uncouth guy called gov, i never liked him , but i decided to listen to him that day, that probably i was biased, but all thru this guy said nothin but continued swipe at his predecessor and perceived enemies, he went on self praising trip like an egomaniac on the loose, at that point I felt only pity for Osun state.


Olumide

One year of endless promises. He claimed he's waiting for the dry season before he'll starts roads construction. I guess his dry season will start in January cause as at now, I can't see any construction going on except for the serious patching of oke-fia/dada estate road because he's having his one year celebration in an hotel along the route. We in Osun are not fooled by his press conference where people where selected to ask questions. And please I'll keep saying this, don't just stay in Lagos and think because Fash is an ACN Governor and he has tried that all other ACN Gov are also trying. Osun under PDP is a bit better than what we have now. The only "company" in osun state is the civil servant. Once their salaries are paid, then money circulate rounds . Our dear governor is now starving the company. Guess you can imagine how the state will be.

gregg2:

Aregbesola is failure

. . .Just like anybody owing the states workers close to 3 months salaries and claiming to have bought trains for the FG (alongside a million other tall tales). It is only a couple of months ago since he hired his commissioners.
His tenure is hope shattering and almost indescribable.

Osun is the seat of culture in Nigeria and deserves much better. What can be compared to the Ife sculptures and Osun Grove whose beauty seduced Suzan Weinger away from her native Germany, to naturalise as a Nigerian and citizen of Osogbo? The sacriledge Aregbesola and his likes are committing in Osun is a stack example of the general decay Nigeria has gone through.

Aregbesola has done far more than most PDP governors in Nigeria

In the Nigerian context, Aregbesola is a success

Beaf:

One year of nothing but hot air and claiming the FG rail project as his own. It is a unfortunate that he is more of an Alimosho based Lagos politician than Osun state governor, even worse is the the fact that he he only appointed his commissioners a mere couple of months ago, while awaiting the dry season of his second year to commence governance.

Some more interesting achievements are that, while he is owing Osun states workers several months salary, he was able to organise a 19 bus aluta trip to sing praises in Abuja. They were arrrested.

Aregbesola is by far the worst politician on Nigeria's political terrain.

Continue to show your disdain for Aregbe. You are just deceiving yourself. . It does not stop me from loving him. the more you attack him, the more i love the guy. Na so this life be. bad belle no go make honey bitter

Face your own GEJ problem and Uduaghan rubbish. I prefer Aregbe to those two men 1million times.

Activa:

Continue to show your disdain for Aregbe. You are just deceiving yourself. . It does not stop me from loving him. the more you attack him, the more i love the guy. Na so this life be. bad belle no go make honey bitter

Face your own GEJ problem and Uduaghan rubbish. I prefer Aregbe to those two men 1million times.

Your thoughts would be very different if you were one of those being owed several months salaries, while watching as your governor immerses himself in Lagos state and feeds you with high stories instead of taking care of issues at home.
When do you think Osun states workers will be paid? Do you think they will celebrate xmas and the new year?

What a sensitive question being asked there.

If someone is loving Aregbs, the question is on what basis? just love for no sensible reason?  Well it is only a matter of a little more time before such group of people would begin to express their love for Aregbs only in the corner of their rooms and never in public. When time reveals further his non performance. Remember, this guy was very popular in his fresh days as governor because of course he raised a lot of hopes, always in the media sweet and smart-talking about many incredible magics he was about to perform but over time, his popularity started to nosedive for apparent reasons. His magics are only in the media. civil servants no pay, students are idle at home school on strike, bad roads everywhere we are waiting for the dry season to come, bla bla bla. Are these not the same sh*t they criticised the PDP bitterly over? Here is someone loving them unconditionally, there is no smoke without fire, he must be part of em

Okay apart from the civil servants, the last thing I knew about their tertiary institutions is that they are on strike. Can someone tell me if it is settled or the situation is still the same?

Cold hard numbers and facts (before and current):

1) Unemployment?
2) Homeless?
3) Internally Generated revenue?
4) Infant mortality?
5) GDP per capita?

If the above facts cannot be produced and backed up then everything else is hot air!

ACN = PDP

JamesDoe:

Cold hard numbers and facts (before and current):

1) Unemployment?
2) Homeless?
3) Internally Generated revenue?
4) Infant mortality?
5) GDP per capita?

If the above facts cannot be produced and backed up then everything else is hot air!

ACN = PDP

Lol! Cold hard figures?

19 - the number of buses of aluta howlers arrested while on a useless and wasteful praise singing journey to Abuja
3 - the number of months salaries owed to Osun state workers.
9 - the number of months it took Aregbesola to choose ministers and set up a cabinet.
3 - the number of days in each month Aregbesola is estimated to spend in Osun state, while not living in Lagos.
2 - the number of high officials Aregbesola is alleged to have slapped.
4 - the number of months that Osun's tertiary institutions have been on strike and students at home.
2 - the number of times Aregbesola has publicly claimed that he was not elkected to pay workers.
50billion - the amount Aregbesola claims the World Bank will give Osun to cut grass and catch squirrels.
40 - the number of wagons Aregbesola claims to have bought for the NRC / FG in a high story.
40 - the number of rail coaches Aregbesola claims to have bought for the NRC / FG in a high story.
1 - the number of train stations Aregbesola claims to be building for the FG at Dagbolu.
1 - the number of railway lines Aregbesola has built for the FG in yet another high story.

etc etc.

Cold hard numbers ti poju!