The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has criticised Governor Ademola Adeleke’s performance, describing his administration as subpar in the two years since he assumed office.
The party also accused the governor of engaging in extra-budgetary spending and dismissed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s recent commendation of Adeleke’s achievements.
At a press briefing in Osogbo on Thursday, APC’s Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Kola Olabisi, shared the party’s midterm evaluation of the governor, alleging poor performance across key sectors such as education, agriculture, health, and fiscal management.
Olabisi claimed that Adeleke’s administration failed in education, citing the dismissal of 1,500 teachers employed by the previous government without providing replacements.
He described public school fees as exorbitant and highlighted severe staffing shortages, pointing out that some local governments, such as Atakumosa East, reportedly have only one Physics teacher.
“On Education, Adeleke’s government has proven to be an irredeemable failure. Ranging from the sack of 1,500 teachers employed by his predecessor without replacement yet, to satanic fees in public schools, it is obvious the government does not mean well for the people of the state.
“In the whole of Atakumosa East, for instance, there exists just one Physics teacher.
“The performance of the administration in agriculture and food security is also nothing to write home about. The government has also been a fantastic failure in health in the last two years. Rather than devoting resources to rehabilitating health centres in dire need, the government continues to pour huge funds into painting and decorating health facilities previously revitalised by the Oyetola government.
“Are you aware that law students are charged N1.5m in the newly established University of Ilesa? The Nursing students are charged N1.2m per session. Whereas their counterparts in Osun State University are charged N300,000- N500,000 for the same courses. Why should UNILESA students pay a cut-throat fee if the government truly and adequately funds the Institution?” Olabisi said.
The APC spokesperson alleged that Adeleke’s administration had sufficient resources, thanks to allocations from the Federation Account, but prioritises spending on personal welfare rather than addressing pressing state issues.
He accused the governor of extra-budgetary spending, stating that while the 2023 budget for the Office of the Governor was initially N6bn, it was revised to N16bn midyear, with actual spending reportedly reaching N19bn.
Responding to Obasanjo’s high praise for Adeleke’s midterm performance during the inauguration of the Old Garage-Oke Fia-Lameco Osogbo dual carriageway, Olabisi dismissed the endorsement as insincere.
“Obasanjo once claimed the Port Harcourt refinery wouldn’t work, but it is now operational. Whatever he said about Adeleke’s performance, he likely meant the opposite,” Olabisi remarked.
Efforts to reach Governor Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, for a response, were unsuccessful, as calls to his line did not connect, and he had not replied to messages at the time of this report.
