Ebun Francis|
Ademola Adeleke, Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Sunday failed to show up at the Osun State Governorship debate organised by Channels Television.
No reason was given for the absence of the Senator who is gunning to be the next governor of Osun state.
Adeleke’s podium with his name written on it remained vacant from the beginning to the end of the two-hour debate.
The event started at 7:00 p.m with three candidates present. They include Moshood Adeoti, Action Democratic Party (ADP); Iyiola Omisore, Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Fatai Akinbade, African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) later arrived after the national anthem had been recited and the three candidates have introduced themselves.
During the debate, the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Fatai Akinbade, who described himself as inordinately ambitious and self-driven said he should be given a chance to govern the people of Osun State.
Akinbade said, “I am a civil engineer by profession and politician by calling. I served three Military administrators as Commissioner for Works, between 1994 and 1998.
“I also served as the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Osun State, between 2001 and 2003 when Prince Olagunsoyelola emerged as the governor of this state.
“I served as the Secretary to the Government of that government. With all these experiences, you will agree with me that I am well equipped and prepared. I am passionate and service-driven.
“I’m not inordinately ambitious and that is why I am offering myself for the good services of Osun State,” he said.
A former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) under Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Moshood Adeoti of Action Democratic Party (ADP) promised to correct the lapses in implementation of policies if elected governor of the state.
Adeoti said he never described all the efforts of Aregbesola as wasteful in response to a question.
“During the time that I was in that government, we had some projects which were executed for the benefit of the people of Osun. Not all the projects are bad. Some of the projects we embarked upon were good while some others were bad.
“There was nothing bad in the policies of our administration but when it comes to the implementation state, that is when one problem or the other comes in.
“This is where I am ready to correct the lapses in the implementation of some of these policies,” he said.
He also stressed that his goal is to bring development and good governance to Osun State.
“My aim is to turn the economy of Osun State around. Regular payment of salaries, job creation, youth empowerment, and agricultural revolution.
“Before the discovery of oil in Nigeria, agriculture was the mainstay of our economy and in order to garner IGR for the state, we have to energise our effort towards rejuvenating the agricultural sector.”
The candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Iyiola Omisore, while answering questions at the debate said he hopes the Federal Government will search for and find the killers of former Minister of Justice, Bola Ige.
He said, “Iyiola Omisore went through a serious court trial for two and half years; me and colleagues. We were discharged and acquitted by the court of law.
“The Oyo State Government was asked to pay N2bn as damages. We are at the Appeal Court now. So that issue has been closed. I believe that it shouldn’t be an issue that occur every four years during campaigns. After elections now, (they won’t) ask that question anymore. It should be an issue that has been laid to rest.
“I pray the Federal Government will look and search for the killers of Bola Ige and others like (Aminasoari) Dikibo, Funso Williams and others.”
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gboyega Oyetola, said the government does not pay half salaries but rather pays modulated salaries when asked why several workers in the state don’t get paid.
Oyetola said, “I think there is a misconception, we don’t pay half salaries. We pay Modulated Salaries.
According to him, those who were not being paid in full, an agreement was reached between them and the government on the system of payment when the country experienced an economic downturn.
“Levels 1 to 7 have full salaries. We are not oweing anybody on levels 1 to 7.
“Levels 8 to 10 now earn 75%. It’s only 12 and above that earn 50% and like I said, when there was economic downturn, it was a joint decision between the workers and the government.
“There was a committee that was set up where we resolved that rather than laying off workers, we believe the situation we found ourselves was temporary and decided to let every worker still be on the payroll,” he said.