2027: In Keeping Faith With Ogun West Governorship Ambition

Olanrewaju Fatunmbi

The late Premier of the old Western region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, made a striking remark in the preface to his autobiography. He said: “Those who desire to reach and keep their places at the top in any calling must be prepared to do so the hard way.” His (Awolowo’s) inspiration for the admonition stemmed from the challenges of his early life and how he was able to wade through the vicissitude of the time to become a legal icon, a political colossus, an astute administrator, and a renowned philosopher that he was, concluding that the recipe for success was perseverance.

Though its relevance is not restricted to any specific field, it is particularly instructive for career politicians susceptible to the pull-him-down (phd) syndrome in our politics. In Nigeria, there are too many odds to contend with to reach the top level of a political career and keep the place. Among other things, you must be in the good book of the people to get a renewal of your mandate, you must earn their trust and you must have compassion for them. These are embodied in perseverance and an unrelenting effort to achieve a common good for the greatest number of people. Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (aka Yayi) has done no less in over two decades of his adventure into politics. Not only that, he has remained at the top level of his legislative capacity, shining in the Senate like a piece of China ware.

Beyond legislature, another higher responsibility is in the offing. Due to the trust and confidence he has built in his constituents, stakeholders within and outside Ogun West have now zeroed in on him as the most rightful successor of the incumbent Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, focusing on his capacity for good governance, grassroots popularity, unblemished track record of good representation, philanthropy and numerous empowerment programmes that have positively changed the fortune of a sizeable proportion of the downtrodden. For the overarching objective of the Yewa/Awori (Ogun West) people to produce the next governor, his name resonates as their consensus candidate.

As much as the agitation for power shift is concerned, Ogun West has vehemently articulated genuine reasons for the demand to produce the next governor. They didn’t stop at that; they have also continued to engage the relevant stakeholders in constructive dialogue, craving for their support. Though the odds are so many, including a few dissenting voices from the two other zones, the process of consensus-building is still ongoing. And with consistency, it will certainly yield the desired result.

Expectedly, some individuals appear to be uncomfortable with the way the Yewa/Awori people have been touting Senator Adeola as their consensus candidate for the APC governorship ticket. Just came a couple of days ago, a particular notable figure (name withheld), who is bellyaching over the soaring popularity of Adeola, criticized the pursuit of his ambition in his recent write-up, accusing him of taking undue advantage of the poverty-ridden populace. He misconstrued his effort to give back to his constituents through empowerment initiatives as deceptive politics. This is in an attempt to diminish his competence to lead the state even though it does not represent the opinion of the majority.

In politics, trust is built on delivery of service to the people; it is built on capacity, it is built on demonstrable competence to lead. To earn people’s confidence, you must have tangible achievements to showcase for the opportunity you have been given to represent them. Sentiment cannot do the magic. If you fail the test of public scrutiny, you will be shown the way out of your position. Rhetoric cannot take you far either. The usual recipe is to put the people on top of your priority; it is to see them as a means and end of development. In any position you hold, the best you can do is to leave the poor better than you met them. And how do you achieve that without empowerment? Poverty in any society is not the making of any individual. It has several causative factors, including the failure of governance, a lack of economic opportunity, access to education and healthcare service delivery, etcetera. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) defines poverty as a complex issue that goes beyond a lack of income and resources. Because poverty is a multi-dimensional issue, any approach to tackle it must also be multi-dimensional.

The UNDP and other international development agencies acknowledge skill acquisition, apprenticeship training, ICT, and direct financial intervention as potent poverty reduction strategies. These are largely the main focus of Adeola’s empowerment programmes.

Through commitment and passion, he has made significant impacts in education, human capital development, ICT training, women and youth empowerment. He did these without any form of discrimination based on political affiliation, religious or ethnic differences.

Some of his impactful interventions cover health, education, social safety nets, scholarship schemes, youth, and women’s empowerment. Notable among communities that have benefitted from developmental projects he has facilitated include Imeko-Afon, Ipokia, Ado-Odo/Ota, Yewa South and Yewa North Local Government Areas. In Imeko-Afon, he has to his credit the Ilara Ultramodern Market, Ilara, Iwoye Police Station, the Primary Health Centre at General Hospital, Imeko, ICT Centre at Nazareth High School, the newly constructed Area 5/Immigration Road, a block of 12 classrooms at Imeko Comprehensive College, Imeko, a block of 12 classrooms at Community High School, Afon, Afon Township Road, Afon and Owode Afon Ultramodern Townhall, Owode, among others.

It is the same story among the residents of Yewa South Local Government where he recently commissioned an ICT centre at the School of Nursing, Ilaro, with the state-of-the-art facilities, a new primary health centre and the Intensive Care Unit (ICT) at the state hospital, Ilaro.

Yewa North equally has also had its fair share of his life-impacting projects, including a 12-classroom block at Ansar Ur Deen Primary School in Igbogila and another 12-classroom building at Technical College in Joga Quarter, Ayetoro.

Apart from these, some of the major road projects he has facilitated included the Omidokun Ultra Modern Hall, Ayetoro, Isale Araba Road and Èbúté Igboora Road.

As a demonstration of his commitment to human capital development, he has facilitated the construction of 156 classrooms with other facilities in some select schools across the senatorial district. This is in addition to the Information, Technology Communication Centres (ICT) constructed at various centres within the senatorial district.

To enhance the quality of environment for learning, he has equally supplied school furniture for 25 Primary, Secondary and Post- Secondary schools in the state.

The recent commissioning of a block of classrooms and office complexes at the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, and Federal College of Education (FCE), Osiele Abeokuta, all in Ogun State, is also another testament to his desire for qualitative education for the youths of his constituent.

People will also not forget Senator Adeola in a hurry for being instrumental to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund-sponsored projects valued at over N7 billion. During the inauguration of the project at FUNAAB, Adeola assured that the 10th Senate would continue to support TETFUND to advance tertiary education through the enactment of legislation.

To further demonstrate his passion for the growth of education in Ogun West and his determination to support the only Federal Government-owned tertiary institution in Ogun West, Yayi has equally built and donated a state-of-the-art library to the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro to boost learning for the youths of his land of birth.

Earlier before the run-up to the 2023 general election, it will be recalled that he had presented 1,500 school chairs and tables to 10 select schools and 19 transformers for the rural electrification project. The beneficiary schools were selected based on the recommendation of volunteer teachers who went around before recommending the schools with the most need.

This is in addition to three 300KVA/33KWA, five 500KVA/11KWA, and twelve 500KVA/33KWA electric transformers provided to 200 communities and Community Development Committees and Area (CDAs) across the five local governments of Ogun West Senatorial District to ameliorate the suffering of the people who had been without power supply for over five years.

In the same vein, some other communities have also benefitted from the borehole projects and street lights Senator Adeola has sponsored for ease of movement and security purposes.

The hallmark of his contribution to accessible education in his Ogun West Senatorial District is the construction of several classrooms to improve the quality of learning environment. These include a block of 12 classrooms with a staff room and library at Imeko Comprehensive College, Imeko-Afon, a block of 12 classrooms with a staff room and library at Community High School Afon, Imeko-Afon LGA, a block of 12 classrooms with a staff room and library at Government Science School Ayetoro, Yewa North LGA, a block of 12 classrooms with a staff room and library at AUD Primary School Igbogila, Yewa North LGA, a block of 12 classrooms with a staff room and library at District High School, Ipokia, a block of 12 classrooms with a staff room and library at Ipokia Local Government Primary School Ifoyintedo, Ipokia, a block of 12 classrooms with a staff room and library at Yewa Egbado College, Ilaro Yewa South, a block of 12 classrooms with a staff room and library at C A C Primary School Abekoko Ilaro, Yewa South, a block of 12 classrooms with a staff room and library at Area Community High School, Owode, Yewa South, a block of 12 classrooms with a staff room and library at Methodist Primary School Ado, Ado-Odo/Ota LGA, and a block of 12 classrooms with a staff room and library at Iganmode Grammar School Ota, Ado-Odo/Ota LGA.

Others are a block of 12 classrooms with a staff room and library at Police Nursery and Primary School, Osuke, Ado-Odo Ota LGA, a block of 12 classrooms with a staff room and library at Ejila Awori Community High School Ejila, Ado-Odo Ota LGA.

Adeola also enjoys a great deal of goodwill among the people of Yewa/Awori communities for developmental road projects cutting across the five local government of Ogun West. As of the last count, no less than 19 interconnectivity roads have been facilitated namely Afon Township Road, Imeko Afon, Area 5 to Immigration junction Imeko, Imeko-Afon, Oja Agbe Market Road Ayetoro, Yewa North, Foursquare Road Oja-Odan, Yewa North, Ebute Igbooro township road, Yewa North, Housing Road, Ilaro, Yewa South, Pahayi Moloni Road Ilaro, Yewa South, Owode Market Road, Yewa South, Ajilete Township road, Yewa South and Alapara-Alatan-Ago Egun Road, Owode, Yewa South.

The list also includes Ajegunle Township Road, Ajegunle, Ipokia, Tube Market, Road Ipokia, Library/Iloro/Oja Ale, Ishaga Ado, Ado-Odo, Ota LG, Maltina Road Ota, Ado-Odo Ota, Senator Akin Odunsin street Ota, Ado-Odo, Ota Itele Road, Ado Odo/Ota LGA, ICT Polytechnic Campus Road Igbesa, Ado-Odo Ota LGA, Yayi Street Joga, Yewa North, and Aso Obowa/FPF Road to Campbell Arije Ota, Ado-Odo Ota.

With the combined effects of his generosity, service delivery, and good representation, Adeola’s record of performance remains unbeatable. For this reason, the stakeholders in Ogun West now look up to him as the future hope of the Gateway State, not minding the negative insinuation of some cynics who do not see anything good in his effort to give back to his constituents either by direct intervention or project facilitation.

*Fatunmbi writes from Okeagbede, Imeko-Afon LGA of Ogun State