The Senior Special Assistant to Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke on Renewable Energy, Mr. Funmiso Babarinde, has declared that Governor Ademola Adeleke’s record in office, rather than opposition propaganda, will determine the outcome of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State.
Babarinde made the assertion on Tuesday while appearing on Issues that Matter, a current affairs programme on City Mirror TV, where he defended the administration’s performance and highlighted what he described as significant achievements in infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture and workers’ welfare.
According to him, the Adeleke administration has delivered projects and policies that have directly impacted residents across the state, insisting that the electorate would base their voting decisions on visible development rather than political campaigns.
“People vote based on what they can see and what they can feel. That is what good governance is all about. This government is about the people, and that is why Osun people are clamouring for Governor Ademola Adeleke to return,” he said.
The governor’s aide dismissed criticisms from opposition parties as electioneering tactics, maintaining that the administration’s projects are visible in different parts of the state and open to public verification.
On infrastructure, Babarinde said the government had embarked on an ambitious programme of road construction, rehabilitation of critical roads, bridges and dual carriageways aimed at improving transportation and boosting economic activities.
He listed the ongoing Iwo Dual Carriageway, the Lagere Flyover in Ile-Ife, the Lameco Bridge in Osogbo and several rural access roads connecting farming communities as some of the administration’s landmark projects.
Responding to criticisms over the quality of some projects, he argued that technical assessments should be left to professionals rather than politicians.
“It is only engineers who have the competence to assess whether a road or bridge meets engineering standards. Political propaganda cannot replace professional assessment,” he stated.
Speaking on education, Babarinde said the administration had invested heavily in improving learning through increased funding, expansion of educational infrastructure and the recruitment of about 1,700 teachers.
He acknowledged that the University of Ilesa was established by the immediate past administration but noted that Governor Adeleke ensured its smooth take-off and continued development.
He also defended the institution’s tuition fees for programmes such as Medicine, Nursing and Law, explaining that such courses naturally require higher funding because of accreditation standards and operational costs.
According to him, the university has also secured accreditation for several academic programmes, including its MBBS programme, reflecting the government’s commitment to quality tertiary education.
Babarinde admitted that the teacher recruitment exercise experienced delays but attributed the situation to the prolonged local government crisis, which he said placed financial pressure on the state.
He also explained that the suspension of the state’s free school feeding programme resulted from financial constraints following the withdrawal of federal support and challenges arising from the local government impasse.
Despite the suspension, he said public school pupils had continued to excel in national and international academic competitions, while the Osun State Universal Basic Education Board had rehabilitated schools through the construction of classrooms and provision of furniture, toilets, perimeter fencing and other facilities.
Highlighting achievements in the health sector, Babarinde said more than 200 primary healthcare centres had been rehabilitated and equipped with solar power systems, potable water, vaccine storage facilities, hospital beds and essential medicines.
He added that traditional rulers, retirees, senior citizens and inmates of correctional facilities had also been enrolled under the Osun Health Insurance Scheme.
According to him, Osun recently secured two consecutive health grants worth 500,000 dollars each after meeting benchmarks set by international development partners.
“These are verifiable facts. If we had not done the right things, the state would not have qualified for those grants,” he said.
On agriculture, Babarinde said the government had revived mechanised farming by procuring tractors and making them available to farmers at subsidised rates.
He alleged that tractors previously owned by the state had been disposed of by the immediate past administration but said the Adeleke government had restored mechanised agricultural support.
Speaking on workers’ welfare, he said the administration had maintained prompt payment of salaries, cleared a significant portion of inherited salary arrears and introduced cooperative funding schemes for traders and market women to improve access to affordable credit.
Comparing the Adeleke administration with that of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, Babarinde acknowledged that the former governor executed notable projects but maintained that the current administration had achieved more within a shorter period.
“I’m not saying the previous government did nothing. Governor Oyetola did what he could with the resources available to him. But Governor Adeleke has done a lot within less than four years, and the people can see the difference,” he said.
The governor’s aide also condemned recent incidents of political violence in parts of the state and urged political parties and their supporters to conduct peaceful campaigns ahead of the governorship election.
He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a free, fair and credible election through the timely deployment of electoral materials and functional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines.
Babarinde further appealed to security agencies to remain neutral and provide adequate protection for voters before, during and after the poll.
He urged eligible voters to come out peacefully on election day and exercise their civic responsibility, stressing that the outcome of the election should reflect the genuine choice of the people.
“People should come out with their Permanent Voter Cards, vote peacefully and allow their votes to count. Democracy thrives when the people’s mandate is respected,” he added.
