By Banji Ayoola
The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State has charged Governor Ademola Adeleke to recall all sacked teachers and Health workers as confirmation of his pledge that his administration will be fair to all irrespective of their differences.
In a statement by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi, in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, its state acting chairman, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, said that the governor’s pledge to be fair to all is commendable if it is backed up with sincerity of purpose.
He said that Adeleke’s subsequent actions and inactions would be the worthy parameters to know the level of importance that the governor attaches to his pledge for fairness to all and sundry.
Adeleke had after the Supreme Court verdict on Thursday which affirmed his election, pledged to govern the state in the interest of all the citizens of the state irrespective of political, religious, or any other differences.
Besides, the governor, who also pledged to be fair to all during his tenure, said that he has forgiven all those who fought him and whoever might have offended him during the electioneering and the tension-soaked struggle to reclaim his victory at the governorship election.
He made the pledge during a thank-you-visit to the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olaonipekun, Larooye II; and the Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, Laminisa 1, on after the Supreme Court reaffirmed his election.
Adeleke said: “I have forgiven all those who might have offended me during the struggle to assume the leadership of the state. I am now governor for all. For those who didn’t vote for me, I have no grudge against them. That’s the beauty of democracy. I have forgiven all those that offended me in our quest to serve our people.
“The goal now is how to move Osun forward. We have the authority and power now. We will use it justly for the progress of this state and the welfare of the people.
“Even though some went overboard, engaged in an overbearing attitude, and were destructive towards the cause that we believed in. All those have now been left behind. The victory God granted us has overwhelmed whatever anybody might have done to me in the past. The goal now is how to move Osun forward.”
In the statement, the state acting APC chairman stated that the political will of Adeleke to reverse some of his alleged hasty decisions against the opposition APC and its members and supporters through his numerous executive orders borne out of alleged victimisation, oppression, and vindictiveness during his inauguration would go a long way in measuring the genuineness and seriousness of his post-Supreme Court’s verdict pledge.
Lawal said that it is one thing to promise to do something while it is another thing to do the opposite.
The state APC acting chairman stated that before it could be taken that Adeleke did not make his intended peace parley in vain and that such promises were made because he was allegedly intoxicated by the euphoria of his victory at the Supreme Court, he must instantly act same and not merely engage in talking.
According to the statement: “For us to know the seriousness of the governor with his promises to use his governorship justly, he must redress with dispatch the issue of the traditional rulers that he humiliated with one of his executive orders to keep away from their palaces henceforth.
“It is worthwhile to remind Governor Adeleke that he has no business with the intervention into the obaship institution in the state if he intends to make a success in his administration. He can take a cue from the past administrations in the state in this regard.
“The issue of the 1,500 teachers that were employed by his predecessor but laid off by him on the basis of victimisation when it is obvious that the state is faced with the dearth of teachers at both primary and secondary school levels should be urgently attended to.
“The malicious sack of the health workers employed by the Oyetola-led administration should form a priority attention to his government if truly he intends to move Osun State forward.
“Whatever name the former O’YES programme is called is not our business but the 20,000 disengaged workforce of the programme must be reabsorbed to justify concentration on the welfare of the people of the state regardless of their political persuasions.
“For us to further have unshaken confidence in his promised fair dealing with all and sundry, Governor Adeleke should fast track the payment of the November 2022 salaries and leave allowances of the political functionaries that worked till the end with former Governor Oyetola as there is no justifiable reason for punishing those who served their state meritoriously.
“It becomes expedient for Adeleke to pay the November 2022 salaries of the political functionaries that worked under ex-Governor Oyetola because the said salaries had been appropriated before the exit of the former governor.”
