Governor Adeleke And The Awolowo Model Of People-centered Governance

Government exists for the people. That is the ABC of good governance, straight and simple. Good governance is not about big offices or power; it is about making life easier and better for ordinary men, women, children, youths, and even the most vulnerable in society.

It means helping children learn properly, keeping families healthy, paying workers fairly, creating opportunities, protecting the people, and making sure nobody is left behind.

This is exactly the kind of leadership Chief Obafemi Awolowo practiced and preached. He built his legacy on free education, accessible healthcare, infrastructure that served everyday people, and programmes that truly lifted lives. Awolowo saw citizens as the center and purpose of government.

In Osun State today, Governor Ademola Adeleke is walking faithfully in those same footsteps. His administration runs a genuinely people-centered government, where every policy and project is designed to touch real lives directly.

From schoolchildren to workers, the elderly, persons living with disabilities, youths, and even prison inmates, the focus remains on welfare and practical solutions that people can see and feel every day.

Education Sector

The administration is renovating schools, upgrading facilities, and promoting quality, practical learning at all levels, just like Awolowo did. It has introduced bursary awards for students in higher institutions and the Imole Scholarship Scheme to reward excellence. Most heartwarming is the Imole School Eye Health Programme, where hundreds of thousands of pupils were screened and over 42,000 received free eyeglasses so they can see clearly and learn better.

At the tertiary level, significant progress has also been recorded. Long-abandoned projects at Osun State University have been completed, including new office complexes and student hostels. The administration has also fully accredited and strengthened the University of Ilesa, giving it a stronger foundation to serve more young people in the state.

These moves are expanding access to higher education and improving its quality across Osun.

Health Sector

Hundreds of primary healthcare centres have been upgraded across the state. Free medical outreaches, including the Imole Surgical and Medical Outreach, have provided thousands with life-changing surgeries and treatments.

The government has also rolled out health insurance coverage for the elderly, persons living with disabilities, prison inmates, and other vulnerable groups. Support and assistive materials for people living with disabilities form part of this inclusive approach, ensuring nobody is forgotten.

Workers and Retirees

The government implemented a new salary structure regarded as one of the best in the country, maintained regular payment of salaries even during difficult times, and cleared huge salary and pension arrears.

This has restored dignity and stability to civil servants, local government workers, and pensioners.

Security

Security has improved significantly across the state. The administration recruited over 1,000 personnel into the Osun Amotekun Corps to strengthen security architecture across Osun. A few years ago, an entire senatorial district was practically left without banking services as armed robbery attacks forced banks to shut down operations in some areas.

Today, many residents can sleep with greater peace of mind because deliberate efforts have been made to improve safety and restore public confidence.

Youth and Women Empowerment

Youths and women have not been left out. Through the Imole Youth Corps and related schemes, thousands have gained skills training, entrepreneurship support, and interest-free loans to start or grow businesses.

Many infrastructure projects are also deliberately awarded to indigenous contractors, creating jobs and ensuring money continues to circulate within Osun communities.

Infrastructure and Rural Development

The Adeleke administration has embarked on genuine urban renewal through landmark infrastructural projects, including historic flyovers in Ile-Ife and Osogbo, as well as dual carriageways in Ilesa, Ila, Iwo, and Ede.

Other people-focused interventions include sinking boreholes in wards across the state, rehabilitating hundreds of kilometres of roads, restoring waterworks, building flyovers, and supporting agriculture with tools, seedlings, and value-chain support to help farmers increase productivity and earnings.

Governor Adeleke often says the principal goal of government is the welfare of the people, and his actions continue to match those words. Whether it is giving eyeglasses to schoolchildren, strengthening institutions like UNIOSUN and the University of Ilesa, paying salaries promptly, caring for the elderly and persons living with disabilities, supporting prison inmates’ healthcare, or empowering youths, this administration has kept its focus where it belongs; on the people.

This is the spirit of Awolowo alive in Osun State: development with a human face, one meaningful improvement at a time. When government remembers that it exists for the people, the whole state grows stronger together.

These efforts must continue beyond 2026 in the interest of the people of Osun State.

Ebenezer Oluwasegun Ige writes from Ada, Boripe Local Government