Rauf Aregbesola: 365 Days Of Progressive Revolution

Only recently, our beloved Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, celebrated his one year in office. Progressive Nigerians and Osun State people have every cause, indeed, to rejoice with him.

This is because of his remarkable measure of accomplishment even within such a short span of the inception of his administration.

But to those who knew him, particularly as a radical union leader, his eventful studentship in those golden era, when the Ibadan Polytechnic was at the height of its fame and glory, this could not have come as a surprise.

And, of course, it cannot be so easily forgotten that this dynamic achiever was a foremost part and parcel of the Tinubu administration which will go down in history for the appreciation of posterity yet unborn, as having laid down the foundation for modern Lagos.

As a dynamic commissioner for Works, this Ijesa-born student of Tinubu Political University undoubtedly made a conspicuously salutary mark on the infrastructure landscape of this premier state of the federation, which inarguably ranks also as the industrial and commercial capital of Nigeria and West Africa.

It is against this background that Aregbesola could be said to have made an indelible footprint on the sands of time whenever the evolutionary history of Lagos State to the mega city status envisaged, is eventually written in future.

It is also against this background that Aregbesola could be described as indeed a great asset to Osun and its people, who now have the unique privilege to be the beneficiary of the dynamic leadership and invaluable experience of this die hard disciple of Tinubu’s political school and his alter ego.

Looking back today, one could aver that Aregbesola’s struggle, right from those trying times, when he was regarded as a fugitive in his state of origin, could be described as a veritable study in courage and tenacity.

The Oroki Day assassination attempt on his life and his survival of that ordeal was simply miraculous for this man of indomitable courage, who could well be likened to a cat with nine lives.

This singular experience, coupled with the various acts of repression that typified the governance of Olagunsoye Oyinlola, were enough to discourage a lesser mortal, but not for a lion heart like Aregbesola, who soldered on until victory.

To be sure, Aregbesola’s success story is today visible all over the progressive landscape of Osun State; details of this, especially his super-human feat in turning around the state from the grossly insolvent entity of the Oyinlola era, to a remarkably buoyant one being witnessed today and within an incredible span of one year, is an achievement that calls for detailed study by political leaders of his silk to emulate.

If this icon of a reformer could accomplish such feat all within a year, then one could affirm, without any fear of contradiction, that by the end of his tenure, the entire people of Osun State and indeed, the progressive forces keeping tab of the unfolding reforms in a state governed by one of their own, will have cause for a resounding jubilation.

One cannot but conclude this without a mention of my one and great leader, the indubitable arrowhead of the progressive forces and one of the brightest hopes for a future, virile and progressive Nigerian nation. Of course, I refer to my great leader and that leader of all leaders, the one and only Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, not only for his discovery, but also his unwavering support of this Ijesa-born leader of lionic courage just in similar way in which he stood by Fashola in Lagos State and Governor Fayemi in Ekiti State, among others. I say forward ever and backward never. Bravo, Asiwaju.

•Adekunle Ademoye, a former member of Lagos State House of Assembly, lives in Lagos