The Machiavellianism in Ogbeni Rauf

By Abayomi Majekodunmi

Ogbeni  Engr  (by passion)  Rauf  Aregbesola  is  the  Executive  (are their non-executive)  Governor of  the State  of  Osun  (re-arranged  from  conventional  Osun  State  and  presupposes  the  State  is  owned  or  peopled  by  some  medieval deity.

He won a highly-contested  and  court-determined election  against  then  incumbent  ‘gentleman  and  officer and nobility-personified  Omoba Olagunsoye   Oyinlola - Prince of  Okuku, Osun State.

Ogbeni  Rauf  Aregbesola  is  an  Ijesha  man  famously  known  as  stubborn and adherent  of  ‘osomalo’  principle;  which  is  a  form  of  determination  to achieve  ends.

Machiavelli   is known for the principle of  the ‘end justifies the means.’ Now, from historical odyssey to contemporary issues in the State of  Osun.

Several  issues, but  I’ll  limit  myself   to  one  so  as  not  to  sound  as  a  broken  record  or  be  accused   of   palpable  bias  by  paid  symphonic  sycophants, earning  their  pay, albeit several months in arrears.

The  crux  of  the  matter  is  that  State  of   Osun  is  allegedly  owing  the  staff  and  employees  of  the  Government   up to   8  months’  salary  arrears. I must  point  out  that  the  print and electronic  media  are  awash  with  ‘rumours’  of  up to  22 of 36 States owing  staff  salaries  ranging  over  several   months.

Whilst  other  States' thief (pardon  the  typo-error)  chief  executives  are  playing  ostrich   in  denials; half truths; innuendoes  of   passing  buck; Ogbeni  Rauf   has  been  extremely  honest  in  admitting   the  arrears  and  exhibiting  unique  candour  in  expressing  helplessness  with  the  situation. He  has  literally  surrendered  the  State  to ‘management  by  luck’ or  some  unseen  manna  from  heaven. With  the  tirades  and  lampooning, especially  by  naivetes, who  have  not  had  the  priviledge  of  managing  a  State  before, clamouring  for  him  to  resign  if  the  ‘kitchen  is  too  hot;’ Ogbeni,  has  now  assured  payment  of  all  the  salaries  arrears  by the end  of  June  2015.

Beyond  the  cacophony, I  want  to  believe  that  Ogbeni  Rauf  may  not  be  that  daft  and  insensitive  or  unempathic;  after  all;  but  smart; you  know  that  ‘engineers’ are  smart  and  can  engineer  and  reengineer  all  sorts.

Rauf Aregbesola believes that State of Osun Government is:

  • Overstaffed and he  does  not  want  to  retrench  and  be seen as un-progressive .
  • Most of the staff are unproductive; with no job description or work measurement.

Simply put, the State can do without majority and still operate; afterall there has been no collapse of administration or governance, these past 8 months.

  • Most of the workers are unqualified; unskilled; untrained; untrainable; and unemployable; other than by State of Osun; otherwise; why seat idle for 8 months?
  • Can  an  employer   muzzle  the  ‘ox’  or  employee  it  has  not  paid?.
  • Ogbeni  Rauf  is  expecting  most  of  the  unpaid  staff  to  resign; retire and  quit  service, but  they  can’t, hence  the  dilemma.
  • Whilst  some  Governors  might  have   been  borrowing  heavily  from  banks  to  pay  salaries  and  avoid  the  opprobrium  of  being   counted  amongst ‘non-paying  Governors’; Ogbeni  Rauf  belongs  to the  school  of  ‘spend  what  you  have’.
  • The  irony  is  that  most  of  the  Governors  in  arrears  are appealing  to ‘big  brother’ the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) for  bail-out.
  • My take  is  that  the  FGN  must  avoid  a  situation  of  wholesome  bail-out, not  to  run  the  paradigm  risk  of  ‘compensating  inefficiency  and  ineffectiveness’.
  • Before  bail-out  which  should  be  by  way  of  loans; not  grants or  gifts; the  States  must  submit  to  Audit  of  the  Accounts  and  Processes  and  Procedures.
  • As a ‘sacrifice’;  the  Governors  of  States  to  benefit  from  bail-out  must  ‘donate’  50% - 100%  of Governor’s  Security  Vote  to  the  State  pending  when  such  bail-out  loans  are  fully  paid  and  all arrears  of  staff  are  fully  paid.
  • After all, the  Governor  is  a  Staff  of  the  State   and  the  resources  of  the  State  are  sustaining  him.
  • Ogbeni  should  come  ‘down  to  earth’  as  he  is an avowed  grassroots  person; this  is  not  to  say  the  fabled  chopper  he  is  alleged  to  junket  in  should  drop  from  the  skies; No!  But just empathise with State of   Osun  workers.
  • Or  maybe  the  State  Assembly  or  even  National  Assembly  can  enact  legislation  to  allow  temporary  ‘privatization’  of  governance  in  some  States  whose  CEO’s  have  expressed  honest  difficulties  in  management. Some Public Private Partnership  principles  can  apply  or  some  States, like  mine  can  lend  out  our  Governors  for  “Turn Around  Maintenance”.
  • You   cannot   give what  you  don’t   have.
  • Res  ipso   loquitor - let  the  facts  speak  for  itself

I  rest  my  case;  A o ni  ri  ija  Osun  o!

‘Opon   imo’   a   ma   dari   wa   o!!  Ase!!!

God   bless   the  State of  the  Living   Spring.  Amen!

“One  of  the  biggest  defects  in  life  is  the  inability  to  ask  for  help” - Robert  Kiyosaki.