There is need for professionals, technocrats and the academia to be actively involved in politics so as to contribute their quota towards the political development and advancement of the nation’s nascent democracy.

The former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Chief Adebayo Adelabu stated this at the Special round table programme to review and showcase the book written by the late Political Icon and Nationalist Late Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu Penkelemesi in 1952 titled “African In Ebullition” in the light of contemporary political and governance issues. The event which was chaired by Ambasador Yemi Farounbi was held at Olusola Sanu Center for Euro – African Studies Lead City University Ibadan ( LCU-CEAS ), in conjunction with the Ibadan school for politics and governance.

The book reviewers and debaters are Professor Alaba Ogunsanwo, Professor Ayo Olukotun, Professor Tayo Adeshina and Barister Edem Ossai. Goodwill messages were also presented by Oloye Lekan Alabi, the Chairman of Adegoke Adelabu foundation, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, a grandson of the author, Chief Mrs Olabisi Sangodoyin, a grassroot politician and Mr Jide Sanu, the son of Late Ambasador Olu Sanu. Delivering the welcome address was the Vice Chancellor of Lead City University, Professor Aderemi Adeyemo while the Pro-Chancelor and Proprietor of the university, Professor Jide Owoeye also graced the highly intellectual event. Dr Tunde Oseni was the moderator.

Chief Adebayo Adelabu in delivering his goodwill message at the event said participation in the political process is an avenue to serve humanity and contribute meaningfully to the development of the country.

“Having served in top positions in both the private and public sector as Executive Director in the largest Bank in Nigeria, First Bank and as Deputy Governor of the CBN, i believe the least I can do is to dedicate the rest of my life to serve humanity. How can you serve humanity? Beyond philanthropic efforts of assisting and supporting the less priviledged, you must take part in politics at any of the various levels available depending on your political appetite. The least you can be is to be a registered voter. You can also be an active member of a political party or an aspirant to a political office. This provides a bigger platform to serve humanity and impact more people” Adelabu said.

According to Chief Adelabu, the book African In Ebullition written by his Grandfather Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu in 1952 about 68 years ago is still relevant till today.

“I have read the book very well from first page to last and If government can implement what is inside the book, Nigeria will not be where we are today because 90 percent of the problems facing the country today would have been solved”

The 2019 Governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress said the history of Nigeria Independence and its Political development can not be completed without acknowledging the immense contributions of his late grandfather Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu.

Chief Adelabu also charged citizens and well meaning Nigerians to continue to contribute their quota towards the progress of the country as Government alone can’t solved many challenges facing the country. He however concluded that the challenge of this generation is to make our future better than our present because, as it is, our past is deemed better than our present. This is a failure of this generation. He claimed that the generation has not been able to sustain the legacies left behind by our founding fathers. He specifically made reference to the degenerated status of Oyo state and Ibadan in particular from its historical pre and post independece status. He said Ibadan was not only the Intellectual capital of the South West, but was the fulcrum for Health Care, Media, Culture and Entertainment, Tourism and Hospitality, Commerce, Real Estate etc. But today, we can not boast of any of this.

In delivering his closing remark, the chairman of the event, Ambassador Yemi Farounbi also corroborated Adelabu’s view concluding that the neglect of intellectual content is the bane of our politics in Nigeria.

Adegoke Adelabu’s family present at the event were, Alhaja Fatima Adelabu, Mr Taofeek Sadiq, Mr Gbenro Sadiq, Mrs Bola Adelabu, Mr Quasim Adelabu and Mr Yinka Adelabu who is the Secretary to Adegoke Adelabu foundation.

House of Representatives Member, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe K has extolled the virtues of late Pa Akin Ojebode, who until his passing on to glory was the Zonal leader of Oyo Federal Constituency.

Akande-Sadipe in a release signed in Ibadan on Monday said, Pa Akin Ojebode was like a father to most party members, whose elderly role will be sorely missed.

She said “late Pa Ojebode was a steadfast progressive and committed ambassador of APC, who stood in reverence of good governance.

Akande-Sadipe noted that Pa Ojebode, until his death, played vital roles in the stability and reconciliation process in Oyo APC, adding that his death would be felt by the APC family. May Papa rest in peace, he ran his race, a good race indeed.

The House of Representatives Committee on Daispora Chairman, also prayed that the Almighty God will grant late Pa Ojebode’s family fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss.

In the same vein she condoled with the Rawlings family of the great Ashante Nation Ghana on the passing of His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings. A man whose tenor contributed immensely to the success story of Ghana

The federal lawmaker also noted that Rawlings restored discipline and and fought corruption in the Supreme Military Council (SMC). He saw the injustices in society among the privileged classes and their social values.

She further notes that Rawlings involved himself with the student community of the University of Ghana, where he developed a more leftist ideology through reading and discussion of social and political ideas.

At the time he got involved in national politics, Ghana was in the throes of food shortages and a dire economic situation that had led to rampant inflation. People remember him for leading by example. When he showed up he got involved.

“He was force to reckon in the Ghanaian political, stabilising Ghana’s turbulent politics and economy in the late 1970s and leaving a legacy of democracy after 20 years” she said.

TASK #WWREEEP

A revolution has intruded into governance in Oyo State. A sweet revolution. Ordinarily, hard times are a signal for governance and social engineering to grind to a screeching halt. The wheel rolls on a lubricant of money. When there is no money, government rests goes inertia.

That was the archaic faith until Seyi Makinde became governor in Oyo State.

2020 for all its mathematical rhythm has indeed been a year of great tribulation in the world. The rich nations draw on their reservoir of resources to treat their sick and feed the hungry. In Nigeria it has been scorched earth. The little palliative that could be mustered ended in the cavernous bellies of the powerful. Nothing got to the needy. Huge warehouses however dot the land. They are like the huge stomachs of our insatiable leaders. They kept noodles, rice and other stuff away from the poor. The discovery of such huge war chests of food still reverberate across the land.

Oyo state government got no rice. The only rice is got was fit only for the gutters. Yet Gov. Seyi Makinde shared the little he could.

The result? No warehouse scandal in Oyo state.

That however is not the object of this piece. Neither the energetic way the governor has stood on top of the waves of unrest arising from the EndSARS agitation. That performance itself merits the gold medal and will be a good tale for other times.

My port of call is how the economy of Oyo State has been held together in the turbulence of the moment.

COVID and EndSARS are a confluence of tribulation in which Nigeria has been shaken with trepidation. Courage thrives on danger just as talent is exposed by challenges.

While the federal government and several states were locking up and kocking down economically on account of COVID19, the government of Oyo State has continued to initiate and complete projects!

First l must visit the portals of the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics which shows Oyo State in an unprecedented expansion of Internally Generated Revenue which according to the body witnessed a 25 percent boost in its IGR during the third quarter.

That is pure magic.

The real story however dwels in the large list of audacious projects and programmes the state government has kept on taking on board. It is an awesome litany of ground-breaking ventures that challenge the COVID-EndSARS tsunami.

It is like nothing adverse happened in the last nine months when the world quaked in agony.

The promise to recruit 10,000 teachers and civil servants seemed to be dead with the economic crunch that attended the COVID menace. Makinde would hear none of that. He pressed home full throttle conducting tests and interviews shifting the grains from the chaff. The first list of successful candidates is to unfold in a matter of days. All that at a time when many state governments were owing salaries and thinking of retrenchment.

Every sin could be committed in the name of COVID not to talk of EndSARS.

Agbowo Shopping Centre is the massive set of buildings left in front of the University of Ibadan by the Jemibewon administration. It over time became a rag tag set of empty ugly buildings harbouring criminals and layabouts.

Seyi Makinde thought the shopping centre could be turned into a beehive of economic activities at no cost to the state through a private partnership initiative. Critics who condemned the place becoming an abode of miscreants were quick to point at the timeline for handing back the centre to the government. Nobody talks of the thousands who would get gainfully employed and the beautiful edifice that reverts to the state in the near future.

Adamasingba Sports Complex had joined the rack as a relic of the glorious vibrant past. The turf had gone coarse and ragged. The environment had gone dirty and unkempt. The once proud shoppers who frequented the malls became not so proud. Matches were still played there, but it was because there was no better alternative. Money and glory were going down the drain at Adanasingba. Seyi Makinde rose to the occasion. Typically.

The panacea was the Alternative Funding Initiative which staggered the payment of the contract sum long after the contractor would have delivered. Only 20percent was expected to be paid upfront. The result? The sports complex is on its way to joining elite stadia in the country. It is wearing a new covered up egg-shell look that has become so popular worldwide. All for some brilliant thinking in the midst of little or no funds.

The list is by no means ended. Similar creativity has been deployed for rebuilding several roads like the Saki-Igboho and Ajia- Ife roads. These projects have come alive with the government using the same Alternative Funding Initiative.

One must not forget the economic multiplier effects of the resuscitation of the Oyo State fruit juice company which is now in a private public partnership initiative spear-headed by AGVEST, a company with proven expertise in that area.

Shell is bringing also to Oyo State a massive pipeline infrastructure that will boost the economy of the state and provide hundreds of jobs. The MOU has been signed and all is set for this ambitious oil and gas project all at no cost to the government. Who said Oyo is not an oil state?

It would seem that the Makinde government grew even more aggressive and more creative in its drive for better living in Oyo State. COVID has been tamed in Oyo State. IGR rose by 25percent and jobs are springing up across board. They range from blue collar government jobs to factory employment. It is not the first time governments have been copying the Makinde government. Only they wont slash their own salaries! In no time, similar initiatives will grow in other states and Abuja. As usual.

That is what Makinde does. He sets examples for others to follow.

Ogunwusi, a legal practitioner, is former Editor, Nigerian Tribune.

Source: Daily Sun

Oyo State Local Government Chairmen Forum has debunked the allegation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) against its members that funds realized from escavators were diverted to personal accounts.

In a statement by the Chairman, Ibadan South-East Local Government who also doubles as the Forum Chairman, Alawode Emmanuel claimed that the invitation by ICPC was to question them on the purchase of escavators, which took place under the immediate past administration in Oyo State.

Alawode who was invited alongside three other council chairmen said that the investigation was bothered on activities of former council chairmen in the state.

“We promptly told the ICPC that the excavators were purchased by the immediate past government in Oyo State and that we (the current council Chairmen) did not meet records of the purchase in our councils,” he said.

OYOMIND.COM.NG earlier reported that the ICPC invited the council chairmen from Ibadan North West, South West North East and South East Local Governments for contacting council tractors for eighty thousand daily without remitting to council account.

Hon Alawode stressed that during the visit to Abuja, the “Chairmen were asked why it cost the previous government N75 million to purchase each of the excavators when each of the machines should not cost more than N21 million.”

“We told the ICPC that we were not there during the purchase of the excavators and that we didn’t meet any documents concerning the purchase in the councils. Within two hours, we were done with our statements and we left the ICPC Headquarters.”

The Forum’s Chairman maintained that the report claiming that the Chairmen were being investigated for allegedly diverting funds accruing from excavator rentals, allegedly put at N80,000 per day was unfounded, saying, “we also need to correct the wrong impression that some of the chairmen so mentioned were allegedly diverting funds from businesses made with the excavators”.

”None of us diverted any funds whatsoever. It is wrong to say that the Chairmen have been diverting proceeds of excavator rentals and we equally need to state that whereas each excavator is given out at the rate of N50,000 per day, the report erroneously quoted N80,000. This is a wrong assertion meant to tarnish the image of the hardworking Chairmen.”