From Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
Politicians aspiring to be governor of Osun State, in 2018, have been urged to campaign on merit and to stop peddling falsehood as well as maligning Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
Media Adviser to the governor, Sola Fasure, who stated this, in Osogbo, the state capital, yesterday, said maligning Aregbesola will not fly as the people of the state are abreast of what the governor has done for them
Fasure noted that with the administration of Aregbesola winding down, aspirants are going the whole hog to outdo one another for the state’s top job by promising to perform more than the incumbent.
“Such aspirants regrettably but brazenly alter statistics, fabricate figures which are non-existent and justify what ought not to be, all in the name of wanting to give the administration of Aregbesola a bad name in order to hang it,” Fasuresaid.
He added that the people are not forgetful and still remember, know, see and feel what Aregbesola did and is still doing in the state.
The statement also noted that past records and statistics of students supplied by West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in the past years have shown that there is significant improvement in percentage of overall results of the student, compared to the 2010 performance in the pre-Arebesola era.
“In 2007, the state registered 36,171 candidates for WAEC examination out of which 2,483 representing 6.86 percent had credit passes in five subjects, including English and Mathematics.
“In 2008, it was 37,715 candidates with 3,813 pass, representing 10.11 percent.
“In 2009, it was 39,676 candidates, with 5,545 pass, representing 13.98 percent.
“In 2010, it was 43,216 candidates, with 6,777 pass, representing 15.68 percent. If you put these four years together, you will get an average of 15.68 percent.
“Put side by side, the above four-year performance, with that of Aregbesola’s administration when government started sponsoring candidates for WAEC in 2011, one would glean the wide gulf in performances of both administragtions.
“That year, 2011, and the first year of Aregbesola’s administration, the state fielded 53,293 candidates, had 11, 672 pass, representing 21.98 percent.
“In 2012, the government fielded 51,463 out of which 11,431 passed, representing 22.21 percent. In 2013, it also fielded 47,013 candidates, recorded 9,301 pass, representing 19.78 percent.
“In 2014, government sponsored 47,672 candidates, 9,316 of them passed, representing 19.54 per cent.
“Taken together, the average performance for Aregbesola’s first four years was 20.88 percent. Compared with the average performance (13.26 percent) of the three years that preceded it.
“The percentage improvement in performance during Aregbesola’s tenure is put at an impressive 57.46 percent, thus, those who said Osun is declining are not being honest.
“The above data shows that their claims are unfounded.
“The performance of pupils has not gone down under the watch of Aregbesola.
“This improvement in performance was nothing other than an outstanding result brought about by careful and strategic planning by the administration,” Fasure noted.