The Coordinator of Ibadan Youths for Asiwaju, a support group mobilising support for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027, Hon. Dapo Lam-Adesina said he does not join the trend of criticising government officials, noting that public office holders can only deliver based on their capabilities.
Lam-Adesina, a former member of the House of Representatives who represented Ibadan North East/South East Federal Constituency of Oyo State between 2015 and 2019, made the remark during a courtesy visit to the Chairman and executives of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, at the NUJ Press Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan.
According to him, the competence of any leader largely determines his or her performance in office, stressing that Nigerians should support the administration of President Bola Tinubu to enable it complete the legacy projects it has initiated.
He said governance should be assessed based on measurable indices such as infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture and rural development, rather than mere political sentiments.
Lam-Adesina noted that past initiatives in the education sector by leaders such as the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Bola Ige remain reference points in the country’s development history.
He also noted that electricity is no longer on the exclusive list of the Federal Government, but lamented that many state governors have not taken advantage of the opportunity to improve power generation despite receiving huge allocations.
The former lawmaker, who was accompanied by two political associates, Hon. Kazeem Bolarinwa and Hon. Akinola Olugbade, said many governors avoid embarking on transformative projects that may not be completed within their tenure.
He stressed the need for sustainable development projects, noting that prompt payment of salaries and pensions should not be seen as the only dividend of democracy.
Assessing governance in Oyo State, Lam-Adesina expressed concern over what he described as inadequate attention to critical sectors such as education, health and local government administration.
In his remarks, the Chairman of NUJ Oyo State Council, Mr. Akeem Abas, commended Lam-Adesina for his contributions to mainstream politics and assured that journalists in the state would continue to uphold professionalism and ethical standards in their reportage.
He explained that about 250 journalists had been trained on current trends in the profession within the first two months of his administration.
He added that the era of using members of the union as blackmailers and propagandists was over as journalists would be better equipped to practise solution journalism for national development.
Abas further reiterated the commitment of the NUJ leadership in Oyo State to continuous capacity building for journalists, stressing that regular training programmes would remain a priority to ensure members are well equipped to deliver accurate, balanced and development-oriented reportage that would contribute positively to national growth
