By John Dike, Osogbo
The Special Adviser to Osun State Governor on Public Health, Dr. Akindele Adekunle, has faulted claims by the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, on the state of the health sector.
He describef the opposition’s promises as misleading and disconnected from current realities.
Akindele spoke at the Annual General Meeting, Dinner and Award Night of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital branch, where he presented what he described as a data-driven assessment of reforms and investments undertaken by the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Reacting to Oyebamiji’s recent pledge to overhaul the health sector if elected in 2026, the governor’s aide argued that the claims lacked credibility, noting that the APC candidate served as Commissioner for Finance under the immediate past administration, which he said presided over years of neglect in the sector.
According to Akindele, health workers in the state were demoralised under the previous administration due to poor working conditions, salary stagnation and inadequate welfare.
He said, “Before the Adeleke administration, health workers in Osun State endured years of half salaries and unfavourable conditions of service.
According to him, it was contradictory for individuals associated with that period to now position themselves as reformers.
He stated that one of the first interventions of the current administration was the approval and prompt payment of improved CONMESS, enhanced hazard allowances and other entitlements, which he said helped to halt the mass exit of medical professionals from the state.
Akindele disclosed that the government had retained over 90 per cent of its health workforce, reversing what he described as an inherited brain drain.
On primary healthcare, he said the administration adopted a grassroots-focused strategy, rehabilitating over 200 primary healthcare centres across the state, with installations of boreholes and solar power to ensure uninterrupted water and electricity supply.
He added that reforms in the management of primary healthcare facilities had earned Osun State two consecutive leadership challenge awards, placing it among the top six PHC systems in Nigeria and the best in the South-West.
Addressing tertiary healthcare, the special adviser said Governor Adeleke approved the upgrade of key facilities at the UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, including intensive care units, theatres and call-duty rooms, alongside the installation of solar lighting within the hospital complex.
He also confirmed the approval and payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund, describing it as a deliberate investment in training, academic excellence and professional development of resident doctors.
Akindele further disclosed that the state government recently approved a tax waiver for health workers, a move he described as unprecedented and aimed at recognising their sacrifices and commitment.
“These are not campaign promises; they are actions already implemented,” he said, stressing that governance should be assessed based on verifiable outcomes rather than political rhetoric.
While urging health workers to sustain professionalism and dedication, he assured the Association of Resident Doctors of the government’s continued engagement and partnership in strengthening healthcare delivery in the state.
He congratulated award recipients at the event and reiterated the administration’s commitment to prioritising workers’ welfare and improving access to quality healthcare for residents of Osun State.
