‘So that your name will be written in the black book like others’
I write this letter to you after all attempts to make your aides especially in the ministries of health, work and education develop sense of responsibilities failed. I would have opted for a private letter and use a courier to deliver my letter to your office or send it to you via WhatsApp or email but I greatly believe in open letters because they do not only pass informations but they also remain in the custody of the people and can be easily accessed. May I respectfully send in my warm gestures, delightfulness and appreciation to Allah that you were able to survive two stone attacks within a year.
Your emergence as the governor of the state broke jinx. You have excelled where other politicians have failed woefully. You served as a chief of staff for 8 years and later ended up as the governor of the state after you narrowly escaped electoral misfortune. Sir, you as a newbie or naive in politics may not know or understand what grace is all about but the likes of Peter Power, Akinade Akinbade, Moshood Adeoti, Iyiola Omisore and other top politicians in the state who have served the state in top positions but could not attain the highest political office in the state know better.
Your victory might not be resounding or reflect the wishes of the people of the state but the moment it was upheld by the Apex court in the country, you either become a tool of progress for the state or weapon of destruction and stagnancy. May I respectfully appreciate the grace of God in your life.
Mr. Governor, I know you are a Muslim but I do not know the level of your faith in the holy book of Allah. Muslims are mandated to honor and respect their leaders while in return, leaders are mandated to always work towards the improvement of citizens’ welfare and also provide solutions to challenges they face. You equally know that power is responsibility and transient. Nobody has ever wore the garment of power forever or wield powers for so long. They either leave it forcefully, voluntarily or die with it. Take lessons from your predecessor who was loved and appreciated by all but suddenly become a visitor in the same power house he lived for eight years and how he was deserted by close aides who were not only appointed but ruled the entire states for eight years. Some of his aides are in your cabinet, listen to what they say and be assured that they would say worse when you leave and the food spot changes. I have no doubts that you equally know that you will leave that seat one day. In all,I hereby crave for your indulgence to read through my letter with an open and unbiased mind.
I am writing this letter to inform you about the sorry, terrible and heart-breaking state of Osun College of Health Technology, Ilesa. This 42-year-old college is in ruins and situated in the same local government of your commissioner for works and transport and shares same district with your commissioner of education, land and housing among others. The college lacks every basic amenities needed to run a school. It has no water or power supply, failing infrastructures, untarred roads, broken chairs and tables. The worst of all is there is no functioning toilet; the same college where students are trained to be health workers and sanitation experts. Female students walk into bushes to defecate as baked feaces, used tissue papers all littered the grounds when I visited some months ago. I doubt if you would allow one of your wonderful children who schooled in overseers to spend 30 minutes in such setting but the college has more than 5,000 students mostly females who are children of the same people you are mandated to make provisions for.
Sometimes I argue with some of your temporary loyalists of the office you hold that your administration appears directionless and there’s absolutely no roadmap to know your plans for the state. I was tackled and they made me understand that health is a priority to you and that is why you have renovated 70 percent of primary health centres in the state. Why would an administration who takes health as a priority leave its only state college of health in ruins? This same college contributes to the internal revenue generation of the state. Students of this institution pay through their nose to earn a professional certificate yet the college knows no growth or progress rather it is an eyesore for the students and people of the state. This is a sad story.
I have forwarded an open letter to Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye and he paid a courtesy visit to the college. He was shocked at the level of decay. The speaker of the house vowed to construct public toilets and he was applauded for being kind and considerate but the promise is yet to be fulfilled. The visitation of the speaker to the college prompted and fast-tracked the autonomy bill. According to information at my disposal, the bill has been forwarded to you for months but you have refused to sign or attend to the bill. This makes me wonder if you truly take either education or health as a priority.
I have also notified the Honorable Commissioner for education, Folorunso Bamisayemi via social media and provided a lot of pictures taken as evidences that the school is in ruins but he was more interested in defense of the ministry he head than the survival of the college. He promised to inform his counterpart, Dr. Rafiu Isamot about the terrible state of the school but the present state of the school is no doubt a proof that he did nothing.
Your predecessor who happens to be your boss, leader and mentor faced primary and secondary education for eight years and he neglected the tertiary institutions. He did not only change policies but constructed massive buildings while no single block was laid in any institutions in the state. Our colleges and state polytechnic have continued to witness great degradation for years with no positive steps taken to rescue them. Your administration came in with no intention or innovative ideas to push the education sector of the state forward which was obvious with your commissioner nominees but have nearly reversed all policies of the past administration with no new inputs to grow education in the state.
Mr Governor, will you also complete your first term neglecting our state institutions? As a supposed brilliant administrator, I alongside other conscious citizens of the state anticipate your touches in the college of Health and other institutions in the state.
This I humbly appeal that you consider and work towards the resuscitation of our state institutions.
Thank you!
Yours faithfully,
Apagunpote Olayimika Chocomilo
Osogbo, the capital of Osun state.