By Sunday Oguntuyi, Osogbo
The Senior Special Assistant to Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke on Renewable Energy, Funmiso Babarinde, has said the outcome of the August 15 governorship election in the state will be determined by the administration’s performance in office rather than opposition criticism.
Babarinde stated this while appearing on Issues That Matter, a current affairs programme on City Mirror TV, where he highlighted what he described as the Adeleke administration’s achievements in infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture and workers’ welfare.
According to him, the government has implemented projects and policies that have had a direct impact on residents across the state, arguing that voters are more likely to assess the administration based on tangible results than political campaigns.
“People vote based on what they can see and what they can feel. That is what good governance is all about. This government is about the people, and that is why Osun people are clamouring for Governor Ademola Adeleke to return,” he said.
Babarinde dismissed opposition criticisms as part of electioneering activities, insisting that the administration’s projects are visible across the state and can be independently verified.
On infrastructure, he said the government had undertaken extensive road construction and rehabilitation projects, including bridges and dual carriageways aimed at improving connectivity and stimulating economic activity.
Among the projects he cited were the ongoing Iwo Dual Carriageway, the Lagere Flyover in Ile-Ife, the Lameco Bridge in Osogbo and several rural roads linking farming communities.
Responding to concerns raised about the quality of some projects, Babarinde said assessments should be left to professionals.
“It is only engineers who have the competence to assess whether a road or bridge meets engineering standards. Political propaganda cannot replace professional assessment,” he said.
In the education sector, he noted that the government had expanded educational infrastructure, increased funding and recruited about 1,700 teachers to strengthen learning outcomes.
While acknowledging that the University of Ilesa was established by the immediate past administration, he said the Adeleke government had ensured its successful take-off and continued growth.
He also defended the institution’s tuition structure for professional courses such as Medicine, Nursing and Law, attributing the fees to the cost of maintaining accreditation standards and programme requirements.
According to him, the university has secured accreditation for several academic programmes, including its MBBS programme.
Babarinde admitted that the teacher recruitment exercise experienced delays but attributed this to the prolonged local government crisis, which he said affected the state’s finances.
He also explained that the suspension of the free school feeding programme was linked to financial constraints arising from the withdrawal of federal support and the impact of the local government impasse.
Despite this, he said pupils in public schools had continued to excel in national and international competitions, while the Osun State Universal Basic Education Board had upgraded schools through classroom construction, provision of furniture, perimeter fencing and sanitation facilities.
Highlighting achievements in healthcare, Babarinde said the government had rehabilitated more than 200 primary healthcare centres and equipped them with solar power systems, potable water, vaccine storage facilities, hospital beds and essential medicines.
He added that traditional rulers, retirees, senior citizens and inmates of correctional facilities had been enrolled in the Osun Health Insurance Scheme.
According to him, the state recently secured two consecutive health grants valued at $500,000 each after meeting benchmarks set by international development partners.
“These are verifiable facts. If we had not done the right things, the state would not have qualified for those grants,” he said.
On agriculture, Babarinde said the administration had revitalised mechanised farming through the acquisition of tractors made available to farmers at subsidised rates.
He alleged that tractors previously owned by the state were disposed of by the last administration but said the current government had restored support for mechanised agriculture.
Speaking on workers’ welfare, he said salaries had been paid consistently, a substantial portion of inherited salary arrears cleared and cooperative funding schemes introduced to provide affordable credit for traders and market women.
Comparing the Adeleke administration with that of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, Babarinde acknowledged that the previous government delivered notable projects but maintained that the current administration had achieved more within a shorter period.
“I’m not saying the previous government did nothing. Governor Oyetola did what he could with the resources available to him. But Governor Adeleke has done a lot within less than four years, and the people can see the difference,” he said.
He also condemned recent incidents of political violence in parts of the state and urged political actors to conduct their campaigns peacefully ahead of the election.
Babarinde called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a credible poll through the timely deployment of electoral materials and functional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines.
He further urged security agencies to remain impartial and provide adequate security before, during and after the election.
The governor’s aide encouraged eligible voters to participate peacefully in the poll and ensure their votes count.
“People should come out with their Permanent Voter Cards, vote peacefully and allow their votes to count. Democracy thrives when the people’s mandate is respected,” he added.