Home » Headlines, Osun, State News » Letter: On the Aregbesola church project controversy

Letter: On the Aregbesola church project controversy

Osun State Governor Rauf AregbesolaOsun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola
| credits: File copy

The PUNCH is my number one newspaper, at least for now. I am also an avid reader of the columns anchored by both Azuka Onwuka and Niyi Akinnaso every Tuesday. I read these two great columnists in the Tuesday, January 28, 2014 edition of the newspaper.  Interestingly, both addressed the same subject but from different perspectives.  While the content of Akinnaso’s article reveals a dispassionate analysis of the contemporary happenings in Osun State, and what I describe as an unfair onslaught on an administrator who is only sincerely and unapologetically passionate about the development of his domain, Onwuka’s surprisingly, reveals the usual tendency in many Nigerians to address issues from our often held primordial sentiments.

I am a citizen of Osun and I am very closely attached to my roots. Indeed, for good reasons, in the last 21 years, there has been no weekend that I would not visit the state unless I am some 300km radius away, or, I am held down by official duties elsewhere.  It is amazing the unprecedented development and modernisation in every sector taking place in that state in the last three years. For once, we see and feel a government at work. With such a scenario, it is only natural that some toes be stepped upon, which is the basis for the kind of ongoing reactions. Many commentators on contemporary happenings in the state have never visited that state, yet they make comments that even smack of  hatred and able to ignite a needless crisis. Just check out the social media.

Sadly also, many of these negative comments are by our so-called elite, many of whom are detached completely from the realities in our deprived society. All that the ordinary citizens crave for is sustainable livelihoods which can only happen in the long run through such enabling efforts as being witnessed in Osun.  The ordinary citizens do not care where their administrators hail from or where and how such administrators worship.  I think we, the elite, owe society and indeed posterity a duty to exercise caution in our utterances and comments, particularly, where and when sincere public policies are at variance with our immediate and narrow interests. This is succinctly captured in the parting words in Akinnaso’s article mentioned earlier: “This puts a major burden on reporters (and indeed the rest of us who have access to the media) to always look beyond the controversies surrounding well-intended projects (and policies) and not allow their reports to merge with those of the opposition.

And this poser: Will reactions that have followed the situation in Osun State have been different if the governor did not profess his current faith, or put directly,  if he did not spot his Mullah’s beard which for strange reasons some people perceive as a trait of a religious fanatic?

Prof. Labode Popoola,

Director, Centre For Sustainable Development

University of Ibadan

[email protected]

– See more at: http://www.punchng.com/opinion/letters/on-the-aregbesola-church-project-controversy/#sthash.dbvZRA7O.dpufwp_posts

Related Posts

Website Pin Facebook Twitter Myspace Friendfeed Technorati del.icio.us Digg Google StumbleUpon Premium Responsive

Short URL: https://newnigerianpolitics.com/?p=35362

Posted by on Jan 29 2014. Filed under Headlines, Osun, State News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Leave a Reply

Headlines

Browse National Politics

Featuring Top 5/1413 of National Politics

Subscribe

Read more

Browse Today’s Politics

Featuring Top 5/45 of Today's Politics

Browse NNP Columnists

Featuring Top 10/1568 of NNP Columnists

Browse Africa & World Politics

Featuring Top 5/2411 of Africa & World Politics

Subscribe

Read more

ADVERTISEMENT

Categories

FEATURED VIDEOS

Advertisements

ARCHIVES

February 2025
S M T W T F S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
232425262728  

© 2025 New Nigerian Politics. All Rights Reserved. Log in - Designed by Gabfire Themes