by Wándé T. Àjàyí
Egbon Allen Sowore’s latest article, Olùkó Àgba, is another failed attempt to whitewash an obvious failure. It reads like a calculated attempt to transform normal governance into something extraordinary while conveniently ignoring the real benchmarks of leadership.
How can you ever miss the irony? The same Allen Sowore, who once fiercely criticized Mimiko and Akeredolu while they were in office for maladministration, is now whining not so sonorously to paint Aiyedatiwa as a visionary for doing what any competent administration should have done: hiring teachers. His tone suggests that the mere act of recruitment is a groundbreaking achievement when, in reality, it is nothing more than standard administrative housekeeping.
Egbon presented Aiyedatiwa’s reaction to teachers at the May Day parade as emotional proof of his deep connection to education. Egbon has suddenly forgotten that governance is not measured by sentimental gestures. Being a former teacher does not automatically translate into effective educational reform that the state urgently needs. If anything, Lucky's past in the profession should have made teacher recruitment an immediate priority, not something to be celebrated over a year after he was sworn in as substantive governor.
Even the so-called commitment to education raises more questions than it answers. What about the state of public school infrastructure? What plans exist to improve learning conditions beyond hiring new staff? Are teachers in Ondo State properly remunerated and motivated? Boda Allen glosses over these critical issues, choosing instead to romanticize a moment of nostalgia as if it were a policy blueprint.
Need I remind Chef Allen Sowore that when Mimiko was at this stage of his tenure, Abiye, his revolutionary maternal health program, was already taking shape? Akeredolu had set the wheels in motion for the Ore Gada, and Owo knew they had a governor-son. In contrast, Aiyedatiwa is being hailed for hiring teachers and launching a N35 million small-scale women’s grant. These are routine governance functions, not transformative policies that redefine a state’s trajectory. When hiring teachers becomes an achievement, you know a government is running on empty.
Allen Sowore's intellectual dishonesty is clearly evident in his premature calling of Baba Go Slow as Olùkó Àgba, a desperate attempt to sell an unfinished product. From critic to chef, Allen Sowore has mastered the recipe for political praise. Carefully measured words, a generous serving of flattery, and a pinch of revisionist history to mask an obvious lack of progress.
Education reforms require more than symbolic hires. The governor has yet to present a coherent, long-term plan, yet Sowore insists that “our education system is in safe hands.” Based on what exactly? This is political flattery at its textbook best, an attempt to construct a legacy out of thin air where none yet exists. The same Sowore who once demanded real, tangible results from previous administrations is now serving a carefully prepared dish of praise, observing table manners with precision. Yet, no amount of whitewash can force a title on Aiyedatiwa unless he earns it.
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