As Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State is about winding down his administration to give way to that of Governor-Elect, Dapo Abiodun, it is wise to run an audit of how well his government implemented the ‘Mission to Rebuild’ Ogun State, which he voluntarily imposed on himself.
According to Governor Amosun, The ‘Mission to Rebuild’ Ogun State was geared “To rebuild the dilapidated infrastructure, re-engineering the distressed finances (of Ogun State), rebuild the shattered confidence of the people in the ability of the government (to work for the people), to rebuild the dreams and aspirations of the good people of Ogun State, and most importantly, to rebuild the people’s sense of pride in what is arguably the greatest state in this great nation, Nigeria.”
The underlying philosophy of the ‘Mission to Rebuild’ is anchored on what Governor Amosun described as the “Ogun Standard,” which states that governance shall be carried out with the highest standard of practice; and a trademark of quality and excellence.
He affirms that the Ogun Standard represents world class facilities, close attention to details, and iconic projects and enduring projects. It is not just about quick fixes, but enduring legacies that anticipate the needs of present and future citizens of Ogun State.
But Governor Amosun articulated five planks that include Affordable Qualitative Education, Efficient Health Care Delivery, Agricultural Production and Industrialisation, Affordable Housing and Urban Renewal, and Rural and Infrastructural Development and Employment Generation.
This tall order resembles the Four Cardinal Points of Obafemi Awolowo’s Unity Party of the Second Republic, which were, Free Education, Free Healthcare system, Agriculture and Integrated Rural Development.
To enhance education in Ogun State, the Amosun administration gave free exercise books to primary and secondary school students under its free and qualitative education, equipped school laboratories, and embarked on retraining of teachers.
The government also paid off outstanding fees of West African School Certificate Examination candidates, rehabilitated dilapidated school buildings, introduced uniform examinations in secondary schools, provided more than N4billion subventions to revive tertiary institutions in the state.
To guarantee improved human capital, the administration upgraded the General Hospitals, renovated and provided boreholes, electricity and other equipment to the Primary Health Care centres in the local government areas, resuscitated the almost moribund Central Drug Store, and embarked on an aggressive deworming of children throughout the state.
To augment efforts at healthcare delivery, the government bought tipping trucks, hydraulic hook loaders, Difac tippers, and refuse compactors to evacuate and process solid waste throughout the state. In addition to control flooding, government introduced monthly sanitation exercise, and employed street sweepers to keep the roads and drainage free of waste.
To attract the young and educated into agriculture, the administration provided access to N1billion Commercial Agricultural Credit Loan Scheme to those who want to go into agriculture and agri-business, provided tricycles to move meat from the abattoirs to the meat vendors, and rehabilitated farm settlements that were established in the First Republic, but were neglected by past governments. Governor Amosun even established a brand new 125 hectare Model Farm in Ewekoro.
Governor Amosun has successfully made Ogun State investor friendly, first with the Investors’ Forum that he held on the 21st March 2012, barely one year into his first term as Governor. Some of the blue chip companies that have relocated to Ogun State are May & Baker pharmaceutical company, and giant cement companies Lafarge and Dangote.
Even as the Amosun administration is preparing to hand over to a new one on 29th May 2019, the government is developing new industrial parks, the most prominent one being at Onijanganjangan, which the government has massively supported with water, electricity and access roads. The government is also partnering with the Bank of Industry to make as much as N1billion loans to businesses in Ogun State.
The twin issues of affordable housing and urban renewal took a phenomenal turn when Governor Amosun took over the helm of affairs in Ogun State. To answer those who wonder why he is building bridges and flyovers in places that do not need such facilities now, he says he is looking into the future when increased population will catch up with those facilities.
He has also taken low cost housing to all local governments, established the medium housing scheme in Idi Aba in Abeokuta, the Makun Estate along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, and another such estate in the Ota axis, for outright purchase or mortgage.
Apart from the ambitious redevelopment of Abeokuta city centre to accommodate hotels, offices, shopping malls, and conference centres, Governor Amosun embarked on exquisite urban landscaping that includes widening of roads, construction of flyovers where necessary.
Apart from widening, rehabilitating, and even constructing new roads in other parts of the state, Governor Amosun did not fail to complete housing and road projects that were abandoned by previous administrations in Ajebo and Sagamu. And the icing is that many of the owners have taken possession of those properties.
To bring electricity to the rural people who are not on the national grid, the government purchased transformers with capacity ranging from 200 to 500 KVA. It also introduced a pilot scheme to generate “clean” solar powered energy in the Ado Odo Ota Local Government Area.
All these, of course, should translate to employment and small and medium-sized enterprises for Ogun State indigenes. Though the government has directly employed more than 11,000 workers, the focus of the economic plan is to engage the private sector to create enterprise that will employ workers and pay taxes into the coffers of the state.
Already, Ogun State’s internally generated revenue is the third after Lagos State and Rivers State. Within a short period, the state IGR increased from a mere N742 million to more than N2 billion per month. But more importantly, Governor Amosun has put his accounting background to good use by reducing expenditure, while increasing the revenue profile.
Because of its proximity to metropolitan Lagos and the porous border to Benin Republic, citizens of Ogun State must be protected by security agencies and agents at all times. Governor Amosun procured Armoured Personnel Carriers and patrol vehicles for the police State command. He was also able to get the buy-in of corporate organisations that generously contributed to the State Security Fund.
There is no doubt that any government that is able to achieve all these, and more, in just a period of eight years, has done a lot. But Governor Amosun is not even done yet. He has offered himself as a senator, to provide more services to the people of Nigeria, in the incoming 9th National Assembly.
But what greater acknowledgement can Governor Amosun get than the endorsement offered by his incoming successor, Governor-Elect Dapo Abiodun, who volunteered that “Government is a continuum. Therefore the next administration will continue the implementation of the ongoing projects (for the) upliftment of Ogun State and (of) benefit to the people.”
This shows that Amosun has raised the bar of governance in Ogun State, and it cannot be denied or easily discarded. It has become a template upon which successive governments must build on to make Ogun State the Gateway State for innovation, development, security, and peace.
BOLA DANIELS
.Daniels is a public affairs analyst, based in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State
