From the look of things, Osun is going through a strange socio-political phase, which, if care is not taken, may be moving the State, ultimately, towards the emergence of the reign of the Saraki-type of dynasty in Ilorin, Kwara State. Its politics is not only becoming more ‘prebendal’ in nature and content, the operational driving force of political decisions are also based, mostly, on the extracts from the fountain of imperatival injunctions rather than objective and rational considerations.
The other day, I stumbled on a revealing article, ‘Before Osun goes down the valley’, written by one Mohammed Yacoob and my heart bled for the State some love to remember for its uniqueness. Though it was a thought-provoking piece, one or two things may still need to be added.
Let’s start with the excuse that made Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke the Senator representing Osun West Senatorial in the National Assembly. Without doubt, the option of giving it to him because Isiaka, his elder brother, had just left the position without completing that term in office was based on the cultural injunction of the respect for the dead rather than merit. Official public affairs are sub-summed under non-rational considerations; and Ademola became Senator. Now, it is a settled matter a la B. J. Dudley; even if the issue in question was predominantly public. The question, therefore, is: as Senator, what benefits have come to Osun; even, Ede, his home town?
Let’s get it right, that Ademola emerged and won the senatorial seat in 2017 was never on the basis of merit. Rather, it was just to allow him complete his late brother’s term. Not that he would present a better Bill or suggest something positive to the development of the State. Loaves of bread bloated with N500 notes did the job; and willing voters sold their future, so cheaply. Is it not curious that politics in this part of the world is not yet based on sound reasoning?
When the time for the 2018 gubernatorial election came, the same phenomenal issue of entitlement syndrome and socially-induced sentiment of the respect for the dead still came up, such that it’s either Ademola or no other person. But it’s an insult to the spirit of civilization that Ademola – a man, who, at over 60 years, could not defend his possession of secondary school certificate, nor yet able to sway the allegation of forgery of his basic qualifications – is the kind of material the Adeleke family could afford to offer the hardworking people of Osun State. This same man who has never function as the CEO of any company is now being asked to man the goalpost for the over 4 million well-educated, industrious and sophisticated people of the virtuous state. Isn’t it time Nigerians began to ponder this premise? In any case, such sociological trappings and negative attachments to public office can only go as far as the people of Osun are willing to allow.
A society begins to help a dynasty develop when the people take away their eyes off salient issues of public concerns and allow themselves to be influenced by the sentiments and transient benefits offered by the political gladiators and looters of public treasury. Historically, wherever this trend prevails, comparative government suffers! For example, there were more qualified Nigerian citizens of Ede descent, and within the Adeleke family. One of them could have been presented; because the demands of the office of the governor are so enormous that they require its occupier to be able to think spontaneously on his feet. Pathetically so, that may be the challenge for Osun after November 27!
Part of what Adeleke said before the governorship election was that he has brought enough money, in different denominations, to prosecute the election; not that he has brought ideas about how Osun would grow. Also lacking were Ade Dancer’s views of; and panaceas to the security challenges of Osun, especially now that we are told the Hausa-Fulani bandits are already in the Southwest; plus his plans to mitigate the unemployment challenges facing the youths and the employable. Well, it is a fact that ‘one cannot give what one doesn’t have. Taken together, it is yet to be proved that the man who is being prepared to head the State even went to, and completed regular school.
It is time we rescued Osun State! So, let us reclaim the State from the impending social fixation so that our children will know that there’s no known society that can advance beyond its intellectual capacity. If the intellectual capacity of our governor-elect is within the disputed secondary school certificate, then, he has lost the moral fibre and requisite inspiration needed to run an efficient government. Besides, experience has shown that it is a psychological trauma for people with higher degrees who will always have to stoop compulsorily before ‘Mr. Governor.’ The social status of education will take a hit. Even, parents will also be discouraged to send their children to school. After all, those who went to school have only ‘graduated’ into ‘yahoo boys’ and ‘runs girls’, while the less qualified persons are making headway.
If the choice of Ademola Adeleke was to ‘punish’ Governor Gboyega Oyetola, then, it is bad politics and apolitical miscalculation. Aren’t we surprised at dear State being seen and taken as a possession – a private property – by some people? With this decision, won’t the policy initiative of Osun State tend towards private interests? Yacoob was therefore right: since the gamut of government parastatals exists to serve the parochial interests of the few, parliamentarianism and their concomitants will amount to a ruse under the personalization of the entire institution, because it is what the interest of the governor depicts that will survive the day. Under such a situation, errors that are capable of producing other errors will also attain the level of permanence. They will become the norm. The danger in it is that the poor masses who think there is an institution called the State are on their own.
Well, while nobody is questioning who makes money or ekes a living from politics, it’s a matter of what the people brings into politics. If a man must earn the kind of the humongous salaries and allowances given to Representatives and Senators, so be it! Don’t waste your time: these politicians cannot be defeated on the basis of their monthly emoluments, for they can do anything to protect their pockets. So, what we are saying is: let us begin to scrutinize what each of those members brings to the table. However, scrutinizing the concrete contributions of our political office holders can never be wrong. That’s the only way to stop unqualified people from contesting.
To discerning minds, the Adeleke dynasty is evolving; but let it learn to domesticate the public realm wisely. Failure to do so is a veritable invitation to chaos. BTW, let it be noted that the present ‘awa-la-wa-n’be’ syndrome is not according to the logic of the institution but according to the fancies of those occupying those positions. As establishing logic of institutions are being rubbished, so also is corruption being allowed to creep into the entire system because, once the system can no longer run on its logic of existence, it will have to adapt to an irrational logic that will not make it run up to its optimum capacity. When the society doesn’t have a clear vision of what the social structure should look like, it embraces adaptive measures. And, when they do that, what is obtained is a caricature of the original stuff.
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© Tayo Adigun, Ibadan, Oyo State.