*Photo: Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State*
As a Muslim and journalist, I have always made conscious effort to avoid conduct that could be perceived as religious bias or discrimination. I recall my days in Kaduna when some Christians accused me of being biased towards late Governor Patrick Yakowa, while some Muslims simultaneously accused me of playing the Christian card because of the faith of my publisher. Such contrasting accusations reinforced my belief that I had remained fair and balanced. And over the years, discerning Nigerians have always appreciated my objectivity on issues relating to religion.
While I do not seek validation from anyone, regardless of their faith, I believe I have a responsibility to correct misrepresentations and false claims, particularly when they concern a government I served diligently.
It is in this light that I wish to address some of the false claims made yesterday by our governor, who asserted that his administration’s achievements for the Muslim Ummah in Osun surpass those of his predecessors. To support his claim, he cited the near completion of the Osun Hajj Camp as a key reference point. He also listed issuance of Islamic marriage certificates, and constitution of Hajj Welfare Board as evidence of his achievements.
Before I proceed, one part of the governor’s remarks, as contained in the statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Olawale Rasheed, caught my attention. The governor was quoted as saying: “You all know my principal officers and many members of my cabinet are Muslims. I ensure Muslims get their fair share in almost all areas…”
My first observation is that for the first time the governor has told us in plain language that he is not a Muslim. For if identify as one, he probably would have counted himself as part of the Muslims in the government. Secondly, I am not aware anything has changed with his cabinet. If the list of his commissioners which I analysed in 2023 is anything to go by, a ratio 17:7 cannot in any way be regarded as a fair share by whatever standard of measurement.
That said, let us consider the issue of the Hajj Camp. If the government is genuinely committed to advancing the welfare of Muslims in Osun State, as Adeleke claims, then the Hajj Camp should not still be at carcass level barely four months to the end of an administration that now claims to have done more for the Muslim Ummah than the administrations of former Governors Rauf Aregbesola and Adegoyega Oyetola.
But nothing could be further from the truth. The Aregbesola administration had intended to build a befitting Hajj Camp. However, the Public Service Muslim Ummah insisted that it owned the proposed site, leading to a prolonged dispute over the land. In the end, the government resolved the matter by supporting the Muslim Ummah to construct the Abere Central Mosque instead. Construction commenced under the Aregbesola administration but was not completed before it left office. The succeeding Oyetola administration provided the necessary support to complete the project, and the mosque was inaugurated in 2021.
Following the 2019 Hajj exercise, the first under the Oyetola administration, a post-Hajj review was conducted. One of the key recommendations was that administrative blocks should be constructed within the mosque complex to support Hajj operations. All arrangements including the Quantity Surveying aspect were completed. But COVID-19 struck and so there was no hajj in 2020 and 2021. The recommendation for the construction of the Administrative blocks was based on the fact that the mosque already served as the orientation centre for intending pilgrims, while only a small number, between 30 and 50 pilgrims who travelled from distant parts of the state, usually spent the night there before departing for Lagos, where pilgrims from Osun boarded their flights to Saudi Arabia. Those pilgrims were provided with adequate security, while the majority simply assembled at the mosque on the day of departure before proceeding to Lagos. In other words, there was no pressing operational need for a large, purpose-built Hajj Camp at the time. Such a facility may become necessary when Osun eventually begins international Hajj departures from its own airport if and when completed.
Consequently, the priority of both the Aregbesola and Oyetola administrations was not the construction of a massive Hajj Camp but the welfare of Osun pilgrims throughout the Hajj exercise. Their focus was on securing quality accommodation, efficient transportation, proper feeding arrangements, and the overall well-being of pilgrims in the Holy Land. And for twelve consecutive years, Osun earned recognition and accolades for the exemplary conduct of its pilgrims and the welfare services provided during the pilgrimage.
It was when Governor Adeleke took over that our pilgrims protested in the holy land over poor quality food served to them by the Osun State Pilgrims Welfare Board. The protest was captured in a video that went viral at the time. I deliberately do not want to go into the composition of the board for now because of respect for the deputy Imam of Osogbo Land. But the point is, nothing has been done by Governor Adeleke that would dwarf the achievements of Aregbesola and Oyetola combined in this area.
On the issue of the issuance of Islamic marriage certificates, I must confess that I struggle to understand the point the governor was trying to make. As a member of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society, I know that our organisation issues recognised Islamic marriage certificates. I am also aware that several other Muslim organisations do the same. If the governor was referring to something fundamentally different, then perhaps a fuller explanation would help the public better understand the significance of this purported achievement.
I am making this intervention because I am desirous of seeing Osun grow and develop like Lagos, Enugu, and Borno among others. But I knew from day one that a Senator Ademola Adeleke-led administration would lower the standard. Recall that shortly after he was declared governor-elect, he inaugurated a transition committee with an 18-point Terms of Reference. One of those terms was to propose actionable programmes for the administration’s first 100 days, first year, and subsequent years in office. To me, that raised an important question: if an incoming administration was still asking a committee to determine its immediate governing agenda after winning the election, how prepared was it to govern?
Logically, a government that came in without an idea of what it wants to do will continue to falter and lie to the public to cover for its ineptitude and incompetence as getting empirical evidences to back up their dubious and fraudulent claims will continue to remain a daunting task for them. Apart from ‘dance craft’ and their flair for public spectacle and entertainment, I have yet to see convincing evidence that this administration possesses the vision, competence, and policy depth required to transform Osun State in the way its people deserve.
If anything, the last 44 months has further exposed the administration as one lacking in character, content and capacity. All well-meaning Osun indigenes must see Osun State beyond party lines.
The future of Osun is bigger than any government or political affiliation. If we truly care about the generations that will come after us, we must demand leadership that is defined by vision, competence, accountability, and measurable results. It is time to insist that governance be driven by substance rather than spectacle, and by meaningful action rather than empty rhetoric. The time is now!