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| Oyetola |
It was quit understandable that it was going to be a test for the entire state leadership the day the Governor of Osun State, Mr Gboyega Oyetola was making his watery case for the construction of a Flyover at the popular OLAIYA JUNCTION, Osogbo the state's capital city.
This was after the maladministration of the #EndSarsProtests which nearly resulted to calamity for the entire state, aside the concerned families that lost their able body youths to the state's evil of attempting to hijack and derail the protest with politically sponsored attacks against the innocent Protesters and eventual killing of the citizens by convoys on the day the governor made his unusual visit to the Protesters at the junction in question.
For the Flyover agenda to have flied in the first instance, and secured the approval of the state legislature which must also have scrutinized the proposal in the state budget for the year 2021 presented by the executive arm of the state government demostrated a clear indication of leadership failure to know and work with the realities of the cirmstances of how people are groaning under this current governrment.
For the Mr Oyetola led state exco to have conceived and tabled such a proposal in the first instance and for the state legislators to have given it express approval was another very clear indication of a total lack of instincts for good governance by the state led APC leadership.
As this evil trends of leadership short sightedness is not peculiar to Osun alone, the generally questions will include; why are Governors always likes to built flyover bridges, when there are other alternative routes to avoid traffics? where would IGR come from?
For Oyetola led administration; Does this mean going for another loan and Osun State debt continuity?
Even, if the project will be financed from the IGR, isn't it proper in this century to know that the taxes should be returned to people inform of employment of youths, considering all circumstances in the land?
If there are good leadership foresight in the state for genuineness of industrialising and moving the state farward, it will definitely not be OLA-IYA FLYOVER. Again, if with genuiness for good governance, with the nature of the state capital already with an uncomplicated ring roads and many other dilapidated routes, OLA-IYA Junction may not need any Flyover in the next 20-30 years, the existing ring roads are completed
But then what a state and serious Government with leadership instincts for development will do based on the nature of our crumbling economy, youthful population explosion, an aggravated unemployment and joblessness among the youths who are posited to be the strength of the nation (society) will do in the face of havock wrecked by already dilapidated economy, high indebtedness, Covid19 negative effects among many other inimical factors militating against us, will certainly not be Flyover at OLA-IYA Junction, but will primly and primarily be on economy recreation via establishment of viable industries that convert our raw materials to finish or semi-finish goods in strategic location of the state capital and other cities of the state. Strategic locations most especially in the capital will decongest the heart of the city, if for instance such industries are located along the ring roads or at the already acquired industrial lands.
The Chinese and other world powers are only leveraging on the strengths of their youths to maintain their hegemony as world powers as their leadership instincts for good governance enabled them to perpetually tap the energies in their youths in various fields.
But in Nigeria and many underdeveloped countries, the lack of such instincts for good governance but clear demostration of greediness and motives to remain in power at all cost by our leaders brought about misplacements of priorities, frauds, illegal diversion of public funds and all short of corrupt practices leading to multiplications of avoidable problems which have eventually resulted to the current nation wide challenges of state of insecurity, kidnapping, etc.
Following the first and second laws of thermodynamics, youths are the energies of the state, inability of our leaders to know that their primary duties are to tap maximally into them for all round development via creation of not only an enabling environment but by leading in industrial establishment to make our youths productiv, the failures which will make our society to continue revolving in an endless circles of dooms.
Instead of securing more loans or off setting the state treasury to erect another Flyover at OLA-IYA, let Oyetola led APC government in Osun State begin to build industries that convert cassava and yams to cassava and yams pasts along the ring roads in Osogbo and other cities within the state to decongest the heart of the capital or Osogbo as a city and at the same time employing thousands of our youths off the roads.
Other industries that can process palm products, Cocoa and any other raw materials in the state can also be looked into. Or the Government should consider other lot of proposals on ground for people and infrastructural development which will be more beneficial than construction of a flyover.
One thing that is undisputable currently is that the traffic in any parts of the state capital can never be compared to any other state capital in Nigeria, may be a new statistics can void this fact.
Non stoppage of such plans of unnecessary flyover at Olaiya junction will only bring about more economic sabotage to the state.
Insisting on a useless project like OLA-IYA Flyover will only implying that the incumbent governor want to recoup money to buy voters or votes in the next governorship election.
Oludele Abiola
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