Senator Ademola Adeleke, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in Osun State, has said that he returned to school to study criminology after people complained he wasn’t educated to govern the state.
Adeleke stated this on Thursday while speaking at a debate organised by the BBC Yoruba for the key governorship candidates in Osun, noting that he had upgraded his education by studying criminology.
Speaking in Yoruba during a debate on Thursday, he said, “It wasn’t as if I didn’t go to school before. I did. Where I studied in America, their education is flexible. I like business. I would study for some time and stop for a while to do business so that I could make money. You can then return to school to continue your study when you like. We will engage the authorities so that we can change our educational system.
“When they were shouting that I wasn’t educated, I said if that is the case and if because I love my people in Osun, I have to be determined. I went back to study. I am happy to tell Osun people that today, even with my age at 60, I am now a criminologist so that I can use my security expertise for our state.”
Earlier, Adeleke said he was concerned about retirees who had not been paid their entitlements by the state government, lamenting that they were dying from hardship.
The former federal lawmaker added, “They come to me every day, complaining that all of them are almost dead. I assured them (of better treatment) when PDP regains power (in Osun). It is a great sin not to pay workers.
“A leader must have the fear of God. With my experience in the business empire, my first priority is to make sure that the retirees are paid. We will pay them all their entitlements, and they won’t suffer anymore.”
Aside from Adeleke, candidates who participated in the debate were Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress, Akin Ogunbiyi of the Accord Party, Yusuff Lasun of Labour Party and Omigbodun Akinrinola of the Social Democratic Party.