OPINION: Osun and Aregbesola Palliative: Hypocrisy of a leader

By Hakeem Adisa

Covid-19 is a leveler of sort. Apart from afflicting the high and the mighty, those who at the beginning believed it was big men wahala have also had a taste of it. The pandemic has also brought out the best and worst of our politicians. Going forward, Nigerian public officials will now be viewed through the narrow lenses of Covid-19, by interrogating what they did, what they fail to do and why.

Therefore, my interrogation of the above topic will be squarely situated on the aforementioned yardstick. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Minister of Interior, is the immediate past Governor of the State of Osun, a position he held for eight years. By virtue of his position, therefore, he is supposed to be a statesman. Whether he is acting through to type is a different ball game and that may be interrogated another day.

But as a former governor and a member of the State of Osun 21 man Food and Relief Committee, whatever he was donating should have come through the government, if indeed he was sincere with the intention and the donation. His action has only shown that he has a sinister motive, which isn't in the interest of the people of Osun.

All former governors, who were members of the Committee, except Aregbesola, donated to the Committee. Even Akin Ogunbiyi, who was a runner up in the PDP Governorship primary in 2018, who is also a member of the Committee, donated to the government through the Committee. Ditto Hon. Wole Oke, another PDP member. What then is exactly the message Mr former Governor is trying to send?

Interestingly again,  the Presidential Taskforce Committee on Covid-19, which Aregbesola is also a member is yet to reach out to Osun throughout this trying period. Does the attitude of the Committee have anything to do with Aregbesola's disposition? Questions, questions and only Aregbesola can provide the answers.

Well, Covid-19 will go, The State of Osun will remain. What then will be Aregbesola's justification for his action?

I know he is a sweet talker. Regardless of what he would be saying, let it be on record that on this day and on this matter, this is my verdict: Aregbesola's palliative is hypocritical and unstatesmanly.