“Ogbeni”, a word popularized by Rauf Aregbesola, Executive Governor of the State of Osun, simply means – “Mister” in Yoruba. But why does Rauf prefer to be called “Ogbeni” rather than “Your Excellency”?
Frankly, the word “Ogbeni” gives us a window into the soul of a man who sees his role as governor as one amongst the governed. As simple as it is plain, “Ogbeni” reflects the Governor’s character, his nobility, his humility, his accommodating nature and his unpretentiousness. Unlike previous administrations, intoxicated by the trappings, pomp and circumstance of power, he is more concerned with government making meaningful change in the lives and fortunes of ordinary people in the State of Osun.
That said, beneath his unassuming simplicity lies a steely resolve and unshakeable belief that it is not unnatural for the wealthy to be few. However, it is natural that prosperity is for all. Obviously, Ogbeni understands that you can’t solve all problems for all people all of the time, but governance means creating and sustaining conditions where all can prosper and poverty can be alleviated. This is indeed the hallmark of Ogbeni’s administration.
As many Osun indigenes will verify and acknowledge, our state is very different today. It is a more peaceful, prosperous and better place to live, learn, earn, rest and play in, than it was under the previous administration. That is not to say Ogbeni has won over all detractors and critics. To some, Ogbeni’s sterling qualities and progressive views are grotesque, defective and deficient. Some have accused him of always playing to the gallery. Some detractors would have people believe that the man is an enigma with a stigma. They distort and misrepresent his steadfastness for stubbornness, his tenacity for dogmatism, his vision for delusion, and his policies for extravagance. But above all Osun has risen; the beautiful ones are here in Osun, apologies to the popular Ghanaian author, Professor Ayi Kwei Armah.
Indeed, Osun ti n dara!
His first major decision was to set up the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (O’YES) employing 20,000 youths, in his first 100 days in office, to provide some essential services to the people of the state. Today, the first set of 20,000 O’YES graduates are now gainfully employed. The result is that Osun now has the lowest unemployment rate in the country as well as the second lowest poverty rate in Nigeria (Source; National Bureau of Statistics).
In creating a new state identity, new logo, state anthem and slogan, he has set a trend that is being followed by other Governors. Interestingly, the PDP Governor of Bayelsa, the President’s State of Origin, was one of those who have followed the trend set by Aregbesola in creating new identity for his people. This policy largely criticized but eventually copied!
In creating the Sukuk (Islamic) Bond in the state, he introduced a new affordable and manageable means of raising finance for capital projects. It was so successful that the Bond has been oversubscribed. The British Government recently decided to introduce Sukuk bonds. Need we say more about the islamisation intent? To add spice to it, the Sukuk Bond recently won an award in far away Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At the award night of world acclaimed Islamic Financial News magazine, Osun Sukuk won the ‘Deal of the Year’ award.
The introduction of “Opon Imo” (tablets of knowledge) to students in senior secondary schools in the state has propelled Osun into one of the leading states in ICT-driven education. Hundreds of millions of naira that would have been spent in buying textbooks for the students have been saved. Meanwhile, the state government has received accolades at home and abroad for introducing Opon Imo. This same e-learning educational delivery device won the United Nations World Summit Award as the best in 2013 in e-content and creativity. Need we say more about this endless list of proven achievements?
On transportation infrastructure, today, the reconstruction and dualization of the 47-kilometre highway to the border of Kwara State is ongoing; the dualization of 27 kilometre Akoda-Gbongan Road with a flyover is visibly ongoing; about 61 township roads covering 128 kilometres have been upgraded while 20 inter-city roads covering 294 kilometres are undergoing massive upgrading. Under this, the Governor recently commissioned 15 township roads in Ilesha covering 29.71 kilometres; in Osogbo, 21 township roads are being rehabilitated and constructed; in Ede, 13 township roads have been repaired; 79 kilometres of intra-city roads under construction in the state; while there are 20 other roads covering 294.27 kilometres are at advanced stages of completion.
The forward-looking educational policy is the latest initiative. The quality of education is a function of the facilities and inputs that go into teaching our kids. Hungry children do not learn as well. New school buildings are being built by government, pupils in public primary schools enjoy free nutritious lunch, students are given new and free school uniforms, the government has increased funding of education in the state while the government has been paying WAEC fees of students. The process of teaching and learning has taken a whole new dimension.
The school reforms programme of the Aregbesola administration has among others: raised primary education funding from N7.4 million a year to N424 million annually; secondary school funding has been increased from N117 million to N427 million annually; Opon Imo (tablets of knowledge) are being distributed to students of senior secondary schools in the state; public school students are being kitted with 750,000 free school uniforms; the government is building model elementary, middle and high schools respectively throughout the state; over 180,000 elementary school kids are fed daily with nutritious lunch which menu include fish and egg. Aside the improvement of the nutritional and health status of kids, this effort has stimulated a geometric increase in school enrolment and development of small and medium scale enterprises for those who directly provide these services.
Within three years of Ogbeni’s monumental revolution in the education sector, 1,724 classrooms have been built in 39 schools across the length and breadth of the state. The government has started commissioning the state of the art school buildings across the state. 100 of such buildings are meant for the Elementary Section, 50 buildings will be built for the Middle Section while 20 have been earmarked for the Senior School Section, all making a total of 170 modern school buildings to be built for students in the state. The modern school buildings will each accommodate 1,000 pupils at the Elementary and Middle levels while that of the senior cadre will accommodate 3,000 pupils each. In addition, each building has 28 classrooms, hall, sickbay, staff room, grassed courtyard, recreational toys, basketball court with an area fitted with children play swings, and other toys.
Perhaps his detractors in the opposition have most to lose. For them his ability to persevere and prevail time and again against their party’s formidable juggernauts in Osun- in the face of immense rigging, institutional opposition, intimidation, assassination of his closest supporters and attempts to assassinate him, incarceration and protracted litigation – is enigmatic.
In the final analysis, he survived all efforts to silence him and prevent him from taking up the victorious mandate the People of the State of Osun gave him in 2007. Victory in the Court of Appeal vindicated victory at the polls, albeit three and half years late. Stigmata rather than stigma come to mind as a more appropriate and arguably the more deserved metaphor! His detractors will have another chance to have their say at the polls in August 2014.
Paraphrasing the words of an Irish labour leader Jim Larkin- “Those we see today as giants may not necessarily be one, the difference between them and us is; while we walk on our knees, they walk on their feet”. Ogbeni surely walks on his feet! Let’s all rise and join him in a bid to finish the job he started just over three and half years ago. And, with God’s help, the will of the people of Osun will prevail and this simple, pious and dedicated man will be returned to the State House for four more years.
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