Nigeria - Osun Security: Another First In Rating Indices
09 May 2018By
Abiodun Komolafe
State of Osun is Nigeria's most peaceful state. This impressive feat,
according to a report on Nigeria Peace Index (NPI), couldn't have come at a
more auspicious time than now in the sense that Nigeria is bogged down by
serious internal security challenge on all fronts: provable Boko Haram and
'ISIS in West Africa' terrorism in the North East; violent herdsmen/farmers
clashes in the North West and North Central; armed banditry and kidnappings
and in the South East, militancy and piracy in the South South; and violent
crimes and ethno-religious upheavals in parts of the South West geo-political
zones of the country.
Gratifyingly, the ranking, based on the research findings of the Foundation
for Peace Professionals (FPP), came less than a month after the Joint Tax
Board (JTB) commended the Rauf Aregbesola-led administration for spearheading
a process that has consistently led to a year-on-year improvement in
Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and tax remittances to the state, the
latest being the N11.9 billion generated as actual full year IGR for 2017,
representing more than 30% increase over the previous year's
N8,884,756,040.35. The award could also be described as a soothing balm for a
country that has just been treated one of the cruelest forms of armed robbery
attacks in its recent history. The incident, which took place in Offa in a
neighboring state, left no fewer than 17 persons dead and a large amount of
money carted away by the bandits.
Yes! This is not the first time the state will be so honoured! Remember: Osun
ranked Nigeria's13th crime-free state in 2016, a height attained "through
various interventions by the government in beefing up the security of the
state." It is even more than that! Osun is, as we speak, Nigeria's 2nd richest
state. Currently, it is 2nd on the Human Capital Index and has maintained the
2nd position in four years in a roll in the global Multidimensional Poverty
Index (MPI). In Agriculture and Food Security, dear state is now 2nd only to
Oyo State in broiler production and its forestry sub-sector ranks 5th in the
country.
Osun is now Nigeria's 5th largest economy with its GDP growing at 7.3% per
annum. Its position (between 1st and 3rd, since 2013) in the Joint Admissions
and Matriculations Board (JAMB) matriculable students in Nigeria has not only
rubbished the premise that "WAEC rankings" of states should be the only
yardstick for measuring states' performance in education, it has also gone a
long way in demonstrating that government's transformational investments in
the education sector have not been in vain. In Sports, the state also came 9th
in the recently-concluded National Youth Games, a feat that has for a long
while eluded the state.
For the sake of clarity so as not to be left in the ambience of ambiguity,
this government is reputed to be the first in the country to have led a new
understanding in parliamentary Local Government administration in Nigeria. It
is also the first in the country to replace books with computer tablets called
'Tablet of Knowledge' aka 'Opon Imo' to further stimulate the interest of
students to learning as well as completely turn learning into play in schools.
While other states were wallowing in the cesspool of salary conundrum,
courtesy of the national economic dislocation, Aregbesola's government became
the first in the country to creatively adopt a robustly-designed salary
apportionment model which "makes workers from grade level 08 and above collect
between 75 and 50 per cent of their salaries."
However, while its ranking as the state with the highest prevalence of female
genital mutilation in Nigeria, courtesy of the United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA), demands the attention of all, facts are that Aregbesola's
parliamentary gift to Osun will in no small way help in expanding the
potentials for accountability, transparency and societal capacity building.
Though by no means a great feat, Aregbesola's administration's latest cap did
not come as a surprise. Certainly, it is one of the expected results of his
administration's renewed efforts at fostering, especially, a secured, virtuous
state. Prior to his assumption of office on November 27, 2010, Osun was home
to all kinds of security challenges which no doubt compromised the people's
lives and diminished their influence. Though sitting on a sea of
possibilities, the state was broke, with its IGR at the time standing at a
paltry N300 million monthly average. Put in strict terms, Aregbesola took over
the reins of power when the state was in an economic dilemma as a result of
structural deficiency, gross misrule and mismanagement of resources.
Aregbesola became governor and the narrative changed! Without being
sycophantic, Ogbeni's commitment to security of lives and property remains
unimpeachable as he has consistently maintained that no state, not even
country, can reach its full potentials in an atmosphere of violence and
insecurity. It was against this backdrop that government set up the Swift
Action Squad (SAS) as a dedicated a crime response team to compliment the
efforts of the regular police in securing the state. It also procured and
distributed 125 security patrol vehicles and 25 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs),
in addition to provision of other logistics, to security agencies in the state
for the purpose of ensuring peace and communal harmony in the state. Vigilance
and neighborhood watch groups were also encouraged to provide support for the
regular security agencies.
Another area that demands commendation was the administration's fostering a
"co-existence blueprint" in resolving herders/farmers crises in Osun, a
situation the Sale Bayari-led Gan Allah Fulani Development Association of
Nigeria (GAFDAN) said has been responsible for a "silent and peaceful" state.
Talking about Aregbesola's administration in the eye of history, this, again,
is why Nigeria's tribe of Pharisees who always hunger for the wrong reason
needs to wake up from its hatred-infused slumber. Rather than engage in
needless spleen-venting or muscle-flexing wiles that take nobody nowhere,
present challenges should unite actors in the Osun political landscape to look
beyond political sentiments and needless emotions in the choice of
Aregbesola's successor. Jokes apart, one pathetic paradox of what Kingsley
Moghalu referred to as 'politics of vested interests' in this clime is that,
in spite of all that Nigeria has been blessed with as a country, she's still
rated as the poverty capital of the world, with more than 80 million Nigerians
now live below poverty level and over-3.7 million currently faced with food
insecurity which, if care is not taken, may increase to 5.2 million by August
2018. Nigeria, interestingly, Africa's most populous country and largest
economy, is now world's 125th poorest country. The sad side of it is that, of
the world's poorest countries, 18 of them are in Africa; and, Mauritius, which
currently serves as Africa's best, is world's 45th.
Less than 3 years of President Muhammadu Buhari's government, Nigeria's
external debt, already considered as the biggest in all of sub-Saharan Africa,
now stands at over-$18.91 billion (over-N5.787 trillion). And, as if
difficulties are gender-sensitive, Nigeria currently ranks worst in women's
participation in politics, courtesy of Nigeria's unhealthy political
environment. On the World Happiness Index, she is 91st. In Industrial Gross
Domestic Product (GDP), she has the lowest on the continent, beaten by
less-endowed countries like Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Cameroon and Ghana. In
Budget transparency, she is world's 90th; and 23rd in Africa behind Rwanda,
Zimbabwe and Liberia. Even, the best university in Nigeria can only fit into
1099th position globally. To make a bad situation worse, Nigerians, according
to International Monetary Fund (IMF), are now poorer than they were three
years ago!
Without being immodest, Nigeria is in troubled times and Osun as an integral
part of the country is not immune from her many predicaments. According to
information, 34 states can't pay workers' salaries without running,
cap-in-hand, to Abuja for monthly handouts. The trials being faced by
Nigeria's crude oil in the international market are yet to abate even as dear
country is yet to smart out of its mono-economy status. It's in the midst of
these threats that the incoming governor will be expected consolidate on
Aregbesola's achievements, win the confidence of his people, improve on the
payment of workers' salaries and perform wonders along the line of
infrastructure development.
Looking at Nigeria's current political and socio-economic dynamics therefore,
those who truly love Osun will have to do more than debating, counter-debating
and panting with polluted affinity on the colour or size of the next
governor's ethno-religious garb. In my considered opinion, Aregbesola's
successor must be a personality who has all along been partaking of the many
surgical operations aimed at healing the wounds created by the enormity of its
challenges. Failure to incorporate this into the DNA of our choice process may
be likened to deliberately preparing dear state for doom. God forbid!
*KOMOLAFE writes in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk)
abiodun KOMOLAFE,
O20, Okenisa Street,
PO Box 153,
Ijebu-Jesa, State of Osun.
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