Those who write their names in gold consider the unusual a necessity and that is the one thing they have in common, doing what to many is seeing as a waste of time. But as unpopular as this may though appear, it is by and large one of the prerequisites by which the works of great achievers are evaluated especially where sustainable legacy is the vocal point for consideration.
In the political clime of Oyo state, if I am not mistaken, hardly will you see any one since 2009 among our governors that gladly touched the unfinished projects of his predecessors no matter how beneficial such projects would serve the public. What we used to have is starting another one, deliberately leaving those already on ground to rot away together with all the resources that might have been put into building them.
The reason for so doing is mainly to outshine the predecessors, ensuring that the memory of their administration ends with them the moment they’re out of office, forgetting that the monies spent on all these abandoned projects are public funds that no individual can take glory of.
Let me use LAUTECH Teaching Hospital as a case study. Apart from the fact that the structure was why the College of Health sciences got their accreditation, the equipments that were purchased were also rated to be world class. Is it the 1,000 electric beds donated by the American Rotary we are to talk about? Or the facilities for perfecting surgeries without recording casualties? All these for years were abandoned to serve no purpose and at one point there was even an attempt to take them away to Osun state.
Around that same time in history also were agitations for full ownership of LAUTECH, yet all was laid to rest the moment the administration that initiated it ended.
Now, why is SEYI MAKINDE a difference?
It could have been nothing special or business as usual if he too had followed the suit on most things but he chose to be different. And even though he knew he was going to bag many sobriquets for willing to complete the abandoned projects the previous administrations left behind, yet he lost no sleep over name callings aimed at discrediting his moves but kept on happily doing his bit.
And if you critically look at the way things are today in LAUTECH, there is no way Oyo state won’t win the fight for full ownership of the said institution. Prompt payment of staff salaries without waiting for Osun state is one good thing working for us, while bringing back to work those sacked by the previous administration is another brilliant key. And going by the calculation of assets of both states in the said institution, Oyo state in my ratings has close to N90bn worth of assets. That’s though not the yardstick or the sharing formula but my own perspective if that is the way to go.
The inland dry port is one other project that this administration will for so long be remembered for. It was first located at Erunmu and over the years nothing again was heard of it. The beautiful thing today is that the Seyi Makinde led administration is willing to aid whatever the Federal government is putting on the table to fast track the completion of this project. And the Moniya-Iseyin road coupled with the intending street lights will turn the axis to a cynosure of all eyes. Now come to think of it, if Seyi Makinde had discontinued the road project in this area, what would have today been the lot of the people plying the road on daily basis?
Where people are considered first in a priority chart, what matters is not who starts what, the focus is ending it, let it serve the purpose it’s meant for.
And that is why with that singular act, Seyi Makinde is not only changing the face of governance, am sure by the time he is done the theorem would have become a template that many will be so eager to adopt.
If the advanced countries we are so proud of have clear engagements of duties and plans for years, why are we also not emulating same? America has plans of what to do years to come and that for whoever is there must be honoured because they have understanding that whatever you do with public funds in the interest of the people is not yours but in its entirety belonging to the people hence why sustaining it to continue being of use becomes a necessity.
It takes only those who are conscious of this fact to tow the Seyi Makinde path. Fame is bound to fade away with time, but your legacy will speak even when you’re no longer there.
(c) Ayantoye Christopher.
