The football world has been thrown into mourning following the tragic death of former Arsenal goalkeeper Alex Manninger, who reportedly died at the age of 48 after his car was struck by a train. According to multiple international media reports, the incident occurred at a railway crossing in Austria, where Manninger’s vehicle was hit in a devastating collision. Emergency responders arrived swiftly at the scene, but efforts to revive him proved unsuccessful. Manninger, a former Austrian international, enjoyed a distinguished career across Europe, featuring for top clubs including Arsenal and Juventus. He was part of the Arsenal squad under Arsène Wenger during the late 1990s, contributing to the club’s domestic successes and earning admiration for his composure and professionalism. Tributes have begun pouring in from across the football community, with former teammates, clubs, and fans expressing shock and grief over the sudden loss. Wenger, who managed Manninger during his time in Nort...
In Osun State today, governance is drifting into dangerous inertia. The once-celebrated momentum of development has slowed, and the hum of administrative energy has been replaced by whispers of political calculations, loyalty tests, and looming defections. The state's affairs have been put on hold, not because of any natural disaster or fiscal crisis, but because of the unrelenting obsession with securing a second term.
From within the very walls of power, loyalty has taken precedence over competence. When the mistakes began, rather than correct course, the government chose to surround itself with sycophants, loyalists more than thinkers. Even within the Fourth Estate, choices are being made not on the strength of truth or professionalism, but on who is more willing to "key into the project." The media, instead of speaking truth to power, has become a battlefield for political alignment.
But politics, no matter how cloaked in high-sounding ideals, remains a game of numbers. You don't win it by echo chambers of praise or selective empowerment. Progressivism is not lip service, it is grounded in pragmatic governance. Every true progressive works with the government of the day, not for personal gain, but for public good. Unfortunately, in Osun today, that public good is being quietly sidelined.
Take for instance the lingering issue of teachers’ recruitment. A state with glaring educational gaps has allowed bureaucratic and political bottlenecks to delay a process that should be swift and strategic. Infrastructure projects remain half-done, and key sectors are crying for attention. Yet, instead of addressing these, the political class appears more focused on mapping routes to a second term, or worse, on navigating party defection strategies.
The clock is ticking. Time is not on Osun's side. Every day of political dithering is a day stolen from the people, the market woman waiting for better roads, the unemployed graduate hoping for opportunities, the schoolchild needing a teacher in front of a blackboard.
And so we return to the question that history will not stop asking: Is a second term more important than a lasting legacy?
For those in power, the answer may be hidden behind layers of ambition and political strategy. But for the people, the answer is clear: Legacy is what remains when the drums of politics fall silent.
Will this administration be remembered for its unfinished promises or for standing tall when it mattered most?
The choice is still theirs, but the judgment belongs to time.
Abioye Tosin Lawrence is the Publisher of OrionTimes Online Newspaper, Campaigner of HATE-AGAINST-NIGERIA, and the Brain Behind Voices from the Fire: My Journey Through a Hollow Empire.
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