The African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate in Osun State, Olajide Esan, has unveiled an ambitious and potentially controversial governance agenda that would see every child born in the state receive an investment trust fund, while residents would be given access to a system for monitoring government spending.
Esan made the promises on Tuesday during a town hall meeting in Osogbo, where he presented a series of proposed reforms aimed at changing how government interacts with citizens and how public resources are managed.
At the centre of his proposals is the Osun Child Trust Fund, which Esan said would create an investment account or portfolio for every child born in the state.
According to him, beneficiaries would gain access to the funds when they turn 18 and could use the money to further their education or establish a business.
«“This child trust fund is going to be an investment account or an investment portfolio for every child born in Osun State,” Esan said.»
«“By the time they turn 18, they will be able to have access to this money, which can either be used to further their education or to start up a business.”»
The proposal would effectively give children born in Osun a financial foundation that they could access when they reach adulthood, making it one of the most distinctive elements of Esan’s campaign agenda.
But the AAC candidate said his vision goes beyond creating a financial fund for children.
He also proposed an Osun Resident Database, which he said would enable the government to maintain accurate information about residents and use the data to design better-targeted policies and programmes.
Esan said the database would help government understand the needs of its citizens and ensure that interventions reach the people who need them.
Another major proposal is the creation of a financial dashboard that would allow Osun residents to monitor government expenditure and track how public funds are being spent.
Esan said the platform would give citizens the ability to question government officials over unexplained expenditure.
«“Financial dashboard will give Osun people the opportunity to monitor and to track government spending, so that if one naira misses, they can call me that, ‘Youth governor, where is our one naira?’” he said.»
He described accountability as essential to good governance, arguing that a lack of transparency has contributed to politics becoming a lucrative business for career politicians.
Esan said the introduction of public spending monitoring mechanisms would make government more accountable and end what he described as “business as usual.”
The AAC candidate also proposed the creation of a Ministry of Citizens’ Rights, Workers’ Protection and Compensation, which he said would promote equal access to justice.
He argued that Nigeria’s justice system often favours wealthy citizens who can afford legal services, while poorer and vulnerable Nigerians struggle to defend their rights.
«“In our country today, justice is only meant for the rich, and we want to bring about this as a balancer in our society so that there is equal access to justice,” he said.»
Esan said the proposed ministry would ensure that citizens could seek justice irrespective of their economic status or occupation.
He cited commercial motorcycle riders as an example, saying an okada rider who is oppressed or cheated should have the same access to justice as a wealthy Nigerian.
The AAC candidate also criticised the traditional approach to political campaigns, arguing that politicians have repeatedly made promises about roads, electricity and other infrastructure without addressing deeper institutional problems.
«“Some of these things I’m talking about are things that are foundational, not just the regular way of recycling promises of road, electricity and all that, which we never have,” he said.»
Esan said his proposed reforms were designed to address the structural weaknesses that prevent government from effectively serving citizens.
He further linked youth unemployment and poverty to political manipulation, warning that jobless young people are often vulnerable to exploitation by politicians and can be recruited for political violence.
«“The issue of joblessness is what is giving these people we have in position of leadership today to take advantage of the joblessness of our youth and to be using them for political violence and all that,” he said.»
According to Esan, the proposed Child Trust Fund would therefore serve a broader purpose beyond financial assistance. He said it could help future generations enter adulthood with resources to pursue education, establish businesses and become less economically dependent.
He also promised to change the relationship between political leaders and citizens by giving residents greater influence over government.
«“I want to be a governor for Osun State because I would say that our society is deficient of leadership. Even though we have too many politicians, but we don’t have leaders because leadership is all about service,” he said.»
Esan said his priority would be to “give government back to the people,” arguing that citizens should have access to information and mechanisms for holding elected officials accountable.
«“As long as politicians keep having domineering influence over the people, nothing can get done and nothing can work in this country,” he said.»
The AAC candidate’s proposed agenda—anchored by the Osun Child Trust Fund, Resident Database, public financial dashboard and Ministry of Citizens’ Rights, Workers’ Protection and Compensation—represents an attempt to shift the campaign conversation from conventional infrastructure promises to institutional reform and long-term citizen empowerment.
However, the proposals are likely to generate questions about funding, implementation, administration and the legal framework required to establish and sustain the programmes.
Esan maintained that such challenges should not prevent Osun from pursuing what he described as foundational reforms capable of changing the state’s political and economic future.
He said his ultimate objective is to build a government where citizens are not subjects of political power but active participants who can monitor public resources, demand accountability and benefit from long-term government programmes.