Underperformance In Osun: Fear Of Asking Questions And How Assembly Speaker Spoke Truth To Power
The Oasis Reporters
December 13, 2019
If students fail, we blame the teachers. Should patients die, we are quick to hold doctors to account. When armed robbers strike we do not spare the police. Yet, due to hypocrisy, when a Governor under performs, journalists are afraid to ask questions.
This was my observation when I recently went to the Osun State House of Assembly on a working visit to the minority caucus and before my meeting with the opposition lawmakers – my distinguished leaders if you like and brothers, I decided to watch the plenary in session.
It was the Speaker, Honourable Timothy Owoeye that presided over the house business on the said date. They were considering the new budget as presented by Governor Oyetola. Honourable Owoeye hinted that the previous 2019 budget of the state did not perform above 55%. It was such that the lawmaker representing Ejigbo constituency who is of APC leaning expressed concern that water supply alone if adequately provided for the citizens can multiply the earnings of government.
On that day, I praised the honesty of the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly and his boldness to confess that the budget has not been substantially successful under Governor Oyetola. My impression of who Speaker Timothy Owoeye is, changed since the said day and I told my PDP friends in the House of Assembly that I was impressed with the commendable way with which Owoeye coordinated the day’s business. I did not know he has some cerebral ingenuity in him,with due respects, I must add. He was even teaching his colleagues some ethics of parliamentary procedure on that day.
The news is that since that day, despite the competition of cameras in the chamber which suggested that the press was around, there has not been anywhere that it was mentioned in the news, over the radio and television or newspapers that Osun State budget is underperforming at below 55% according to the number three Citizen of the state. The APC internet recruits like the laughable e-progressives, were visibly on the ground on that day as I saw their leader and few of their senior kingpins. However, no report of what Mr Speaker said was mentioned after the plenary, till date.
My point is when a budget fails or did not perform to satisfaction, why do we look away?
If we blame teachers for the failure of their students, police for the crimes of robbers etc, we must blame Governor Oyetola for the failure of his first year budget while charging him to wake up from his slumber as we get into his second year in office. Osun State indigenous journalists must start asking the relevant questions for the sake of posterity.
By Bello Akintunde Sheriff.
He writes from Osogbo.
