Governorship aspirant and National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, has criticised the administration of Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke for its intolerance of constructive criticism.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, Basiru decried what he described as the governor’s habitual attacks on those offering useful advice, insisting that he will continue to speak out for the good of Osun State.
His reaction follows a recent rebuttal by the governor’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, who responded harshly to Basiru’s criticism of the government’s handling of socioeconomic issues in the state.
Basiru, a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Osun State and current chairman of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), said Adeleke’s administration has shown from the outset that it craves praise, even for minimal achievements.
“I will not relent in offering advice. What affects Osun affects me and many others. Unfortunately, this administration seems allergic to anything that is not praise,” he stated.
The statement reads: “The reaction is yet another sad example of the administration’s inability to engage in constructive discourse. Instead of addressing clear failures, the government continues its descent into baseless abuse, theatrical name-calling, and hollow propaganda.
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“It is important to remind the Adeleke administration that governance is not about trading insults but about responding to accountability with facts. A government that has failed across critical sectors cannot hide behind slogans and solar lights that barely last a week.
“While the administration boasts of a 40 per cent debt reduction, it conveniently hides the fact that Osun’s federal allocation has increased by over 300 per cent. What the Adeleke government claims as financial discipline is simply the benefit of increased federal oil receipts, not strategic fiscal management and discipline.
“Governor Adeleke has denied the widespread reports of teachers disengagement since assuming office. Why did Adeleke sack about 5000 teachers employed by his predecessor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola?
“Two and a half years after, why has he not engaged them again?. Senator Ajibola Basiru once said in an interview that APC doesn’t mind if Adeleke replaces all the 5000 with members of his party. What matters is securing the future of our children. Besides, Thursday, last week, made it exactly a year that Adeleke announced employment of temporary staff at the State-owned media. No employment letter has been issued to them till date.
“The road commissioned with media fanfare was washed away within two days, a clear indictment of the substandard quality that defines this administration’s projects. The recurring cases of solar panel poles breaking within weeks and nonexistent borehole project across wards is a testament to how little value is placed on durability and transparency.
“In a shocking display of poor planning, the government had to start digging under the Oke Fia flyover, because clearly trucks could not pass under. Is this the infrastructural revolution they boast about?
“Osun people have yet to see any clear agenda for agriculture, water and sanitation, or market expansion. These are critical to livelihood. Yet Adeleke’s government has ignored them while focusing on showmanship and media stunts.
“Adeleke’s handlers have made it a habit to resort to street-level abuse when called to account. This culture of insults and diversion cannot replace transparent governance. No self-respecting administration attacks its critics with gutter language instead of facts.”
Reaffirming his resolve to continue to fight and promote the interest of the state, the Osogbo born politician said, “I remain undeterred. I will continue to speak out for Osun people and demand real leadership, not choreography, not excuses, and certainly not an abuse-laced response to legitimate questions.”
