Oxford advanced learner’s dictionary expressed satisfactorily that the phrase “next level” is a symbol of promotion from one stage to another stage. It connotes that an examination has been passed, it is congratulatory indeed that next level is required, having travelled through processes of engagement by antecedence in given birth to a more promising dividends. The coincidence of the campaign slogan of the All Progressives Congress in the exchange of leadership baton from the hands of former Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola put the Next Level of Osun State in antecedence and futuristic perspectives within the ambit of democracy in Nigeria.
Interestingly, Osun State has been in the news for years due to challenges of limited resources. The poor state of economy that has made salaries to be half paid due to embarrassing federal allocated revenue must be examined within the context of next level syndrome. The exchange of baton must be scholarly interrogated and finetuned in addressing the federal allocation and the need to creatively address Internally Generated Revenue [IGR] to put dividends of democracy in admiring perspective in Osun State. It is on the eloquent display of franchise by the electorates in ensuring Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, a product of the prestigious University of Lagos, be at the helms of affairs of that state in marrying the voice of intelligentsia in solution providing mechanism to the challenges ahead in the next level. Sound economy is the locomotive engine of ideas. It is the tree with other branches needed to fuel the wheels of modern dividends of democracy in the state of the living spring.
The educational policies of Osun State must be addressed. No doubt, in the seven years and more, policies on education in Osun State has been rolled out by the outgoing administration. I want to be objective and pragmatic, consolidation must be juxtaposed with the reality of things. Scale of preference must be established in the educational policies of Osun State.
It is on record that it is substantially a service state and that should determine prudent investment. You do not become more brilliant with uniformity of uniform rather a more common equipped library and laboratories in our public schools. An identity must be established in distinctive colouration in various public schools.
The Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola admitted during the gubernatorial debate with Seun Okinbaloye on Channels’ gubernatorial mock examination before the September 22nd election in Osun State, that some policies will be examined. State common uniform must be changed to one of distinctive identity of students. Common uniform has no academic input value. A sense of identity promotes identification, recognition and reward for excellence. A goat owned by everybody will die of starvation.
State government should have nothing to do with uniform ideally in contract and execution. A uniform is the flag of a school Alumni. It is a symbol of bond now and in the future among the students. A case study of academic gowns of schools. There is no precedent for uniformity of uniforms in any school in Nigeria. Therefore, such policies should be ignored for a common well-equipped library and laboratories of schools in Osun state.
The perspective of challenges arising from federal allocation should be addressed. Thankfully, Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola studied both insurance and finance at the university if 1st choice and the nations pride. A good soil been established by electorates franchise to plant a seed. The state government should begin to engage in policies that will attract local and foreign investors especially in the area of the state natural endowment. It should be noted that the massive presence of agro-allied industries and mechanized farming industrial reference will boost IGP and promote essentially the dividends of [C.S.R] Corporate Social Responsibility.
Our location is of good advantage in terms of land, good security and friendly co-existence of our people. The IRAGBIJIs where the Governor comes from has demonstrated a great sense of adventures in farming beyond the shore of their environment. This gesture will enhance employment, reduce poverty and hunger and add to the IGR of the state. The ministry of agriculture should be promoted and encouraged for growth and development in the state. A government that wants to reduce crime and poverty must invest in the area of her strength in terms of natural endowment in accommodating next level approach to dividends of democracy in governance.
Admirably syllogistic, the theory of separation of power connotes that there are three arms of government. Osun State legislative arm must be peopled with productive, proactive, well-informed and engaging state House of Assembly in propelling the wheels of socio-economic Engineering of Osun State to a more beneficial one in advancing dividends of democracy for the electorate. It must be noted that bills that will influence the direction of positive development and check executive excesses can be addressed with a state House of Assembly that in my definition is a consortium of intellegentsias. Iron sharpens iron.
Redundant and ineffective House of Assembly lacks locomotive democratic credentials to fly sound initiatives towards achievable three basic necessities of life (food, clothing and shelter). An ineffective House of Assembly is an antithesis of democracy. It is indeed a clear message to Osun State electorates that if they genuinely want the realization of dividends of democracy in Osun State a vote for intellectuals to the state House of Assembly representatives across the state is an invitation to breakthrough in the scheme of governance of that state. It is a negation of democratic values, anti-clockwise to democratic ideal next level, if honorable members of Osun State House of Assembly are not well-informed and creative enough to engage, scrutinize, stop if necessary anything that is of no economic value to the state in theory and practice.
Any honourable member that is suffering from grammatical virus is a minus to the hallow chamber. A well-informed state House of Assembly members will fuel the wheels of a state Executive council for brilliant brainstorming. A synergy of ideas among the three arms of government will be locomotive and not stagnation in confluence of ideas for short and futuristic socio-political economic plans. This is the substance of democracy Osun State needs in migrating from democratic LAKE to the uninterrupted flowing living spring of Osun State in all-encompassing development.
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