Omisore has nothing to offer, Osun government says

Mr. Omisore has announced that he will stand in the state’s next governorship election.

The Osun State government has dismissed the Peoples Democratic Party, for the state’s forthcoming governorship election, Iyiola Omisore, as having nothing to offer the people.

The government said it based its assessment on Mr. Omisore’s planned line of action, unveiled at the launch of his campaign Saturday in Osogbo, the state capital. The Osun State governorship election will hold on August 9, 2013.

Mr. Omisore had stated that he had an eight-point agenda which seeks to restore the dignity of education, health, food security and youth development, gainful employment and wealth creation, infrastructure, science and technology and environmental sustainability amongst others.

He also told his supporters that agriculture and rural development, public service administration, monitoring and accountability, good governance, peace and security, will be at the fore front of his administration.

But the government of Rauf Aregbesola said the inability of Mr. Omisore to articulate a particular set of actions and programmes for the benefit of the people is enough reason to conclude that the candidate has nothing to offer.

The Bureau of Communications and Strategy in the governor’s office noted that the summary of Mr. Omisore’s speech was a “total reversal and discontinuation of the policies and programmes of the government which had been adjudged as effective for comprehensive development of our state”.

The bureau, in statement by its director, Semiu Okanlawon, said that all the people of Osun expected from the aspirant was a clear-cut articulation of programmes which could be an acceptable alternative to the progress and development already recorded in about three years of the Mr. Aregbesola’s administration.

“Alas! The few people who spared time to listen to what Omisore had to say ended with utter disappointment after the declaration as there was nothing to tell the people other than puerile, totally unsubstantiated allegations which had been the sing-songs on the lips of the PDP aspirants for months,” it said.

It also said Mr. Omisore’s allegations over award of road contracts, and the establishment of what is claims to be the biggest garment factory in Africa; the Omoluabi Garment Factory, and his condemnation of the Governor’s school reforms and other allegations had no substance.

“We must remind the people of Osun that Aregbesola promised that in less than 100 days of assumption of office, he would take at least 20,000 youth out of the endless search for jobs. He told the people he would restore peace; he would bring about functional education from its rotten state; he would restore healthy living; he would banish hunger and poverty.

“Today, beneficiaries of the various people-centred programmes of the Aregbesola administration can attest to the delivery of these promises and more. The Osun Youths Empowerment Scheme, OYES, Osun Rural Enterprises and Agricultural Programme (OREAP), OYESTECH, school reforms programmes, O’SCHOOL, adequate security throughout the state as manifesting through the establishment of an effective security outfit called Swift Action Squad (SAS); and numerous other programmes are there for people to see.

“As a matter of fact, the Peoples Democratic Party-led Federal Government had swallowed its pride to copy some of the programmes being condemned including the OYES scheme which it dubbed YESSO.”

The bureau said it would have paid Mr. Omisore to tell the people how many kilometres of roads he would deliver to them within a particular period just as Mr. Aregbesola has delivered at least 750 kilometres of roads in about three years with several more nearing completion.

The bureau said what Mr. Omisore laboured hard to do on Saturday was a failed attempt at discrediting the programmes of Mr. Aregbesola.

It said he failed because the many achievements as typified by the mega schools, newly constructed roads; dredged rivers and streams to avert flood; positively engaged youth; health reforms and security outfits are there for the people to see.

“Allegations of inflated contracts have not been proved. He has failed to tell the world what is wrong with the education reforms. No one knows what his grouse is with Opon Imo, the Tablet of Knowledge, conceived to give Osun children the best of education that technology can deliver,” the Bureau stated.

The bureau also expressed appreciation to the people of the state for their display of maturity despite all forms of provocations while the declaration event lasted.