Enduring Legacies of Rauf Aregbesola

This edition serves as a direction to building a better society and leadership capacity in the face of myriad problems. It also makes us to understand that ‘ leadership is not lordship, but to serve, and to serve is to be a servant who will recognize the value of human, build a better society and ultimately create a just, caring and enabling environment for the youths, aged, ailed, and poor.

Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola delivered a dividend of democracy both in Lagos and Osun.  He served as the Commissioner for works in Lagos, between 1999 -2007, under the leadership of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the governor.  In 2007, Aregbesola moved to Osun state to contest for governorship election under the platform of Action Congress (AD) against, the then incumbent Governor Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.  The election, which was marred with violence- killings and hijacking of ballot boxes, was dishonestly won by Prince Olagunsoye Oyinloa but was nullified in 2010 by Appeal Court sitting in Ibadan, presided by Hon. Justice Clara Ogunbiyi who flanked by other four justices – Honourable Justices M.L. Garba, P.A galinge, C.C Nweze, and A. Jauro declared Rauf Aregbesola as the elected Governor of Osun state.

As the Governor of Osun state, Aregbesola moved Osun from antiquity to modernity with myriads of opportunities. His aim was to obliterate poverty and transform Osun into a mega city through his formidable template, ‘My Pact’. How he managed to transform Osun, known hitherto as one of the most backward states in Nigeria, with low infrastructure, low IGR, meagre allocation and inherited debts from ousted administration became an enigma, worthy of emulation and admiration.