Osun leading in good governance delivery, says Adeleke
By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday marked the third anniversary of his administration, stating that the state has become a national reference point in the delivery of good governance and democratic dividends.
In a state broadcast, Adeleke said Osun has recorded substantial progress across critical sectors despite the governance challenges met in 2022. He recalled that upon assumption of office, the state was confronted with unpaid salary and pension backlogs, collapsed infrastructure, poor health services, low student performance, and weak institutional productivity.
He said the administration confronted these problems head-on, rebuilding systems and addressing service decline across education, water, agriculture, finance, and public service management.
Adeleke listed reforms in the water sector, including the revival of the Ilesa Water Project, ongoing work on the Ora-Igbomina Scheme, rehabilitation of urban water channels, and provision of boreholes across 332 wards. He noted that communities that had lacked government water supply for years now have access under locally managed schemes.
The governor said the public service structure has also been repositioned, with the payment of close to N100 billion in inherited salary and pension arrears, the promotion of thousands of civil servants, and the clearance of backlog liabilities. He added that financial transparency has been strengthened through the adoption of IPSAS, improved auditing, and recovery of excess payments.
On education, Adeleke stated that over 120 public schools have been rehabilitated, while more are undergoing upgrades. He noted that Osun moved from 33rd position to 7th nationally in WAEC and NECO rankings, with teachers trained and welfare restored. He also highlighted the establishment of the University of Ilesa and the completion of abandoned projects at Osun State University.
Adeleke also referenced reforms in infrastructure, noting the construction of over 255 km of roads, with another 160 km ongoing, alongside multiple flyover and dualisation projects nearing completion.
In public finance, the governor announced a 94% rise in Internally Generated Revenue within one year, increasing from N27.7 billion in 2023 to over N54 billion in 2024. He added that domestic debt has been reduced from N148 billion to N83 billion, while external debt was lowered from $91 million to $75 million.
