Open Advise to Governor Adeleke: Osun Needs Employment, Not Empowerment

Dr. AWOFADEJU Peter Olayinka 

People of Osun State have commended governor Ademola Adeleke for his achievements so far within the last two years of his administration which ended on November 27, 2024.

The achievement touching on construction and repair of roads at different towns and senatorial districts, electrification, mechanized farming and aiding the farmers with fertilizers and chemicals, primary health centers, etc.

Yet, during the campaign that proceeded last governorship election in Osun State, People's Democratic Party (PDP) used failure of All Progressive Congress (APC) to conduct general and open employment rather engaging youths massively in "Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme, (OYES)" and secret employment of Iragbiji people and their promotion to campaign against the government of former governor Oyetola and previous APC government led by former governor Aregbesola for their worst twelve years government (November 2010 to November 2022). This massive use of empowerment rather than employment led to failure of APC completely in Osun State.

This is an advise to governor Ademola Adeleke to start employment first and in time, he can later look into empowerment after the employment is done. There are vacancies at almost all the government offices including government Secretariat, Abere. Using of contract or part-time workers shows that there is a lacuna to be filled by capable hands.

These people working under whatever name is given, either part-time or contract should be given full employment. Mr. Governor, at our higher institutions in the state, Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Osun State College of Technology (OSCOTECH), Esa-Oke, College of Education, Ila-Orangun and many departments are short staffed within Osun State University too, we have people who have been working under these part-time or contract that management of these institutions paid between N30,000 to N35,000 monthly as lecturer.

Looking at primary health centers, many of our health centres need permanent staff, many of them have very small numbers of staff that couldn't allow them to do night duty. Talking of primary and secondary schools, we need teachers, these show that we need real full employment and not empowerment within the state.

Sir, since November 2010 that governor Aregbesola came to power, people have been retiring, some died on duty while some were dismissed due to use of fake results to get employed. Till November 27, 2022 that PDP started rulling, there was no real employment in Osun State rather than empowerment. 

Sir, these people (retired staff, dismissed staff and people that died on duty) need to be replaced, we don't need empowerment for now Sir. This is the time for the government of Osun State to fulfill the promise made regards employment during the campaign. Employment is not limited to teachers, but should touch all other areas in Osun State. Yet, some Commissioners and political appointees came on radio to promise that next two weeks the applicants who qualified and interviewed for teaching will be issued appointment letter, it is more than two months now, non of them has been issued appointment letter.

Sir, renewing appointment of retired civil servants while youths are jobless is a bit wrong, our higher institutions in Osun State are producing graduates yearly that we can't employ and the tuition fee is unbearable, are we fair to ourselves? Youths should be engaged and allow retired people to go home and rest.

Mr. Governor, another information which filtered out is that there are underground employment for the indegene of Ede, if this is true, it is bad. It wasn't only votes from Ede that brought you into power, but votes from the whole Osun State people. Sir, you should stop Ede agenda if there is anything like that.

I want governor Ademola Adeleke to critically look at this employment and see how he can employ youths and suspend empowerment till after the real employment. We should remember that campaign will soon start and these neglected youths who can't be employed but are good for empowerment will be needed to campaign and vote for you Sir.

Thank you, Sir.