Once you see a pattern, you cannot unsee it. Trust me, I have tried. But when that pattern keeps repeating itself, it is impossible to pretend it’s just a coincidence. For instance, no matter how hard you try to convince yourself that nothing inherently good can ever come out of the current crops of Nigerian politicians, you will always have one or two examples of a public leader acting contrary to the people’s lived experiences and pessimistic expectations.
One reason it’s impossible to un-see trends is that our minds are carefully configured to seek patterns and assign meaning to them. By the way, we love to give meaning and interpret situations in ways that fit neatly into our various perspectives and biases. A significant tip to know is the way both confidence and confirmation biases often influence our ability to seek out patterns and assign meaning to them. In Think Again, Adam Grant posited that confirmation bias refers to the tendency people have to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information that confirms their preexisting beliefs or hypotheses. Similarly, he argued that Confidence bias has the tendency for individuals to overestimate their own knowledge, skills, or correctness. “This”, he added “often leads people to feel more certain about their opinions than they should, even in the face of contradictory evidence”.
‘Back in Town”
Wart and all, I think we can argue over whether Oyo State has truly unlocked and unblock her vast potential in agriculture, tourism, health, education, solid minerals under Governor Makinde’s watch. The truth is that, over concentration on the flaws and shortcomings of the government will automatically shift our focus and attention away from the things they have remarkably and excellently done well. In this case, it is left for the people to decide whether the gains of good governance have truly and indeed outweighed the unavoidable flaws of the system and vice versa.
‘Back In the Future’
Take employment. By 2027, the Pace Setter state alongside others in the country would mark 28th years of unbroken and uninterrupted democratic governance. In those close to three decades of civil rule, Governor Makinde would have surpassed and shattered all available records in the state recruitment exercises. In fact, he would have filled various government’s ministries, departments and agencies with fresh brains, more than any of his predecessors must have wished, hoped and aspired for. By that time, he would have upended and disrupted the status quo of job creation, employment opportunity particularly in the formal sector of the economy, and economic incentives that the state has never witnessed. Added to the way his massive recruitment would have slashed poverty by more than half, improved standard of living by wide margin, and created economic prosperity for all and sundry. Think of the 2024 VAT pool and the contribution of Oyo State. A whooping 32.44bn was generated in the state, trailing behind only Lagos and Rivers States, with 242.63bn and 78.62bn respectively.
‘The Noble Profession’
When the news broke that the state government had concluded plans to rollout names of newly recruited teachers, Adewale Olajide held his heart in his hands. It was a moment he had dreaded and, waited for. Soon, he will be forced to confront his new reality: whether to believe in the system that’s notorious for chewing people up while spitting them out with reckless abandon or not. That moment equally came amid commendation that has trailed the previous recruitment exercises conducted by the government, which has, in effect increased the popularity, acceptability and credibility of the governor and his government. As the news hit the airwaves that both the State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) were about to announce new recruits, friends and relatives peremptorily reached out to him. And this too, unsettled him. In the Computer Based Test that was conducted by the two bodies, Olajide had emerged as one of the most successful candidates. That top-notch performance sort of renewed his hope in the system, but with a caution.
As anyone who’s been ambushed and assaulted by the institutional rot in the country, Olajide knew getting a government job on a silver platter would take more than his impressive score. For context, a mind blowing 62,000 people applied for the TESCOM jobs following an advert calling on suitably qualified candidates to fill vacancies for the 7000 teaching and 3,500 non-teaching offers across the various post-primary schools in the state. Out of the 62K applicants, only 9,000 crossed the cut-off mark, leaving the sorting and sifting to the dutiful eyes of the government. The story is similar at the SUBEB where approximately 52,423 jostled for 7,000 teaching positions and 100 caregivers; only 8,197 meet the 50% cut-off mark.
Olajide was eventually offered the state job, after enduring many years of underemployment having worked across different private schools in his locality. Swiftly, the newly recruited teachers, after receiving their letters were absorbed into the state workforce, helping to improve the quality of education in the state. While the ripple effect of that intervention may not be immediately felt, the long-term effect on the overall state of education would be far-reaching. “What Makinde’s government has done in terms of addressing dearth of qualified teachers in schools is utterly remarkable”, Solomon Ogundele, an educationist contended “the decision to equip schools with young, dynamic and vibrant teachers will incrementally transform the both the schools and teachers in ways never imagined”. This sentiment was also shared by the older teachers who expressed joy at the vision of the governor in expanding and recruiting teachers into schools.
A number of senior teachers who spoke anonymously praised the governor for ensuring a relative transparency, due process and fairness in the recruitment exercise of the new teachers. “In this same chaotic political climate where dogs eat dogs in the political arena, what the governor has done in ensuring a semblance of transparency in the recruitment exercise has been mind-blowing and breathtaking”, they echoed. Similarly, I spoke to other newly recruited teachers about their feelings, with many wishing the governor well as he pilots the affairs of the state. However, the galore of recruitment under Governor Makinde extended beyond both the TESCOM and SUBEB to others in health, transport, public service, judiciary, and local government etc.
For example, the latest beneficiaries of the Governor Makinde’s employment galore are newly appointed local government workers where approximately 1,500 hands have been added to the workforce. While the appointment was heavily politicized by local power brokers, a significant part of the recruits secured the offer on a silver platter. In health, effort has also been underway to increase the workforce particularly in the renovated Primary Health Care Centers (PHCs) across the 33 local government areas of the state. In the same breath, the state traffic management authority equally recruited more than 500 fresh hands to help manage the increasing road logjams in the state. More than his trademark in recruitment is the Governor’s vision for urban renewal, a strategic step in laying the groundwork for economic prosperity of the state.
NB: Adewale Olajide is a pseudo name. But the story is real. Any resemblance is not deliberate.
OYO101 is Muftau Gbadegesin’s opinion about issues affecting the Oyo state and is published every Saturday. He can be reached via @Upliftnuggets on X, muftaugbadegesin@gmail.com, and 09065176850.
