Ogun State:The Gateway State. News|Discussions|Projects

The German consul general in Nigeria, Ingo Herbert, has described the 15 newly constructed model schools spread across Ogun state as a
good basis for skilled economy.

Herbert who lauded the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led administration for the initiative, made this known during a visit to the model school located at Kobape, along Abeokuta-Interchange expressway, expressing satisfaction with the architectural masterpiece.

“It is the best initiative for the future of education in the state and Nigeria at large,” Herbert said.

He noted that the model school would be an avenue for the development of vocational skills, expressing Germany’s readiness to partner with the Ogun state government on the development of vocational skills.

The consul pointed out that the success of the German economy was based on skilled people.

“I’m impressed with this edifice. It is the best you can do for the future of education in Ogun and Nigeria by extension. Better life can be achieved in a place like this.

“German economy is based on skilled people where vocational training and skill development can be gained. And Germany is ready to partner with Ogun state government on vocational training.

“This initiative would be a good basis for a skilled economy for Ogun state. With this, future development is guaranteed,” Herbert said.

Before visiting the model school, the consul general had earlier visited Governor Amosun in his Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta office where he noted that he was visiting the state capital for the first time since his deployment to Nigeria in September.

He assured the Governor that Germany will not relent in spreading the frontiers of its partnership with the “gateway state”.

In his response, Senator Amosun disclosed that the state’s 40th anniversary would be commemorated with the commissioning of many lofty projects in February 2016.

The governor added that the Ogun state government under his watch will continue to take advantage of the state’s position as the industrial hub of the country.

He promised that the state government will not relent in its efforts to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

He added that his administration would always collaborate with relevant stakeholders and international agencies in various areas of development.

“We are the industrial hub of the country and our proximity to Lagos is an added advantage, both of which we cannot take for granted. We want to continue to do things that will attract investors by providing an enabling environment,” Amosun said.

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The 2015 Oronna Ilaro Day has come and gone with its usual razzmatazz and colour. But one aspect of the Federal Government-endorsed tourism festival that will linger for a long while is the demand by the people of Ogun West during the event for a shift of political power to their section of the state in 2019.

This demand will definitely remain the recurrent motif that will resonate in the discourse in political circles across the state in the run-up to the 2019 polls. They claim to be the most marginalized of the four sections in the political arrangement and calculations, because nearly 40 years after the creation of the state, the district comprising the Yewa/Awori people remains the only section that has yet to produce the governor.


Their counterparts–the Ijebu, the Egba and the Remo have within this period had their fair share. The Ijebu and Egba have had their turn in the late Chief Bisi Onabanjo in the Second Republic and Chief Olusegun Osoba, who at two different periods, during the regime of military president, General Ibrahim Babangida and between 1999 and 2003, occupied the office.


The Remo had their turn with the eight-year two-term tenure of the immediate past governor Gbenga Daniel. The Egba are currently having another turn with the re-election of Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

The closest the Yewa/Awori has ever got was Alhaja Salimot Badru as deputy governor in the administration of Daniel. Since then, all attempts by Ogun West to have one of its own as the governor have so far resulted in political miscalculations and loss occasioned by intrigues and betrayal by certain elements from the area.


The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last governorship election, Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, has become a veteran of the struggle by the Yewa people. Isiaka, fondly called GNI was the standard bearer of the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) in the 2011 governorship poll. He, however, lost the contest to Amosun. General Adetunji Olurin of the PDP, and a fellow Yewa from Ilaro, also contested the election. His second was more than a fitful breeze. Isiaka who was this time the governorship candidate of the PDP once again narrowly lost to Amosun.

Political watchers are, however, of the opinion that the people of the area have always been their own political albatross, given their usual but unwholesome attitude of producing and presenting two different candidates from two different political parties to run for the governorship in the same election.


In 2011, following the crisis that erupted within the then ruling PDP between Daniel and former president Olusegun Obasanjo, which resulted in the formation of the rival PPN, two governorship candidates emerged from Ogun West. While the PPN backed by Daniel presented GNI, the PDP supported by Obasanjo produced Olurin.


The then Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN), which presented Amosun seized the opportunity of this division to win the election. An addition of the votes scored by the candidates of both the PPN and the PDP would have given Ogun West the most sought after governorship of the state. Similar situation repeated itself in the 2015 with the PDP presenting GNI and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), producing Senator Akin Odunsi.


The people of Ogun West are believed to have actually been at the receiving end of the political disagreement between Amosun and his es­tranged godfather and former governor Osoba who attempted to use the SDP to get his own pound of flesh from the incumbent. At the end of the day, both the PDP and the SDP candidates who hail from Ogun West lost the election to Amosun, leaving their people to merely lick their wounds.


To check this trend and break the age-long jinx, the people of Ogun West may have decided to set forth early on the campaign for the governorship in 2019 with this year’s Oronna Day celebrations providing them the veritable platform. Taking the lead is the Olu of Ilaro and paramount ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle.

Political heavyweights from the area and their supporters had turned out in large numbers for the festival which became the rallying point for all Yewa sons and daughters. They included Senators Solomon Adeola and Gbolahan Dada, representing Lagos West and Ogun West, respectively. Others were the member representing Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Adekunle Akinlade and the Speaker of the state Assembly, Suraj Adekunbi.


Isiaka, state chairman of the SDP, Chief Olu Agemo; Ajiroba of Imasai, Chief Dapo Oke; Biyi Otegbeye who was the chairman of the occasion; Commissioner for Forestry, Chief Kola Lawal Mobolorunduro and his counterpart in the Ministry of Environment, Bolaji Oyeleye also graced the occasion. Also present were members of the Yewa Traditional Council and traditional rulers from Oyo and Osun states.

Oba Olugbenle had stirred the hornet’s nest by challenging the powers-that-be to give his people a sense of belonging in the scheme of things in the state. He specifically appealed to Amosun and National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to allow Ogun West produce the next governor.


The monarch reminded other sections of the state about the disadvantaged political situation and position to which they have pushed his people, stressing that power must shift in 2019 to his area. Adeola and Dada are said to be favoured by the powers that be in the ruling party. Sources said while Tinubu prefers Adeola who is currently representing Lagos West in the Senate, Amosun is believed to be backing Dada, Senator
representing Ogun West.


Whoever the lot eventually falls on, what matters most to the paramount ruler who apparently was speaking the minds of his people is the emergence of no other person than one of their sons in Ogun West as the next governor. Apparently sending a strong signal to Amosun through the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa who represented him, Oba Olugbenle did not mince words. He appealed for the support of the governor.


Oba Olugbenle even also apologised to the governor on behalf of his people for not giving him the required two thirds votes in the 2015 governorship election. According to him, the people of Ogun West have had enough playing the second fiddle for almost 40 years.


Speaking in the same vein, Adeola noted: “I won’t want to say much about that. Ogun State was created in 1976 and from then to date, for once Yewa has not had the opportunity of serving at that level and for our
people to be clamouring for that, I think it’s a right step in the right direction.”


Dada said power shift to Ogun West had become imperative: “We must have one front and that common front is imperative. We should have one objective and one programme to ensure power shifts to our area.” Akinlade, assured the people that Amosun would make good his promises to hand over to an Ogun West person come 2019.


Adekunbi urged the people to continue to support Amosun: “I believe that Yewa has not been unreasonable in their demand and I want to believe that by the grace of God, we are getting there. I first just want to enjoin the people of Yewaland to continue to show their support for the present administration, because when you are talking about Yewa becoming the governor, we cannot do it alone. But I want to believe that first of all we should support the current administration and that will be the starting point. And I believe once that is done, what is due to us will be given to us.”


Responding on behalf of Amosun, the SSG said the paramount ruler had no reason to apologize to the governor over the attitude of his people during the last elections: “All your children have put politics aside and sat together as one here today. We congratulate all Yewa sons and daughters. I want to say nobody has offended anybody.


“It’s God who returned the governor for a second term. There is nothing to apologize for. In Ogun we are all one. After politicking, we should resolve all issues. The whole of the state belongs to the governor. By 2019, it would be better, nobody has offended anybody. We are back in government through your support.”



However, the festival was not all about politics. It featured the normal cultural displays and exhibitions by various groups and persons. The Egungun, Igunnuko and other masquerades had a field day entertaining guests. Another highlight was the display by a group of Taekwando fighters.

Ogun Projects: Between criticism and development

The provision of a good road network, especially in a city like Abeokuta and its environs, is certainly in the interest of its residents. Beside its necessity for easy access and communication across the city, it harbours a lot of economic benefits. As a result, the Ogun state government and Ogun State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure have embarked on massive reconstruction and expansion works in the city and the entire state to ensure smooth traffic and avert traffic bottleneck in the state and easy movement of people in the state.

Contrary to the thinking in some quarters that the road re-construction and expansion in the state is a total failure and waste of money. I hold the view that the re-construction and expansion of roads in the state by the administration of Ibikunle Amosun, remains the most successful and programme ever run by the state government since the creation of the state in 1976.

Recently, I read several opinions in the newspapers, where different kinds of unsubstantiated allegations of fund mismanagement, non-payment of compensation for those affected, and not providing alternative for displaced people, were made against the Ogun state government. Some have even gone to court to challenge the state government for demolition of their buildings for the expansion and re-construction.

Such arguments and resort to court is obviously illogical and therefore does nothold water, because the gains of the re-construction and expansion are there for everyone to see. Anybody who says that the funds meant for the road re-construction in the state have not been judiciously used may have deliberately refused to see the giant strides by the Amosun-led administration.

It would not be out of place then to posit that Amosun got his mandate in whole or in part on his agenda of rebuilding Ogun State” in the five cardinal areas of focus for his administration namely; Affordable Qualitative Education, Efficient Health Care Delivery, Increased Agricultural Production/Industrialization, Affordable Housing/Urban Renewal, Rural and Infrastructural Development/Employment Generation.

In concrete terms, you have to demolish-some or all of the existing structures for a larger or more befitting edifices to emerge. It is in this light that one can situate the road dualisation projects at Abeokuta, Sagamu, Ijebu-Ode, Ota, Igua, Ijohun, Papalanto, Ilaro and many more roads. There is no way rebuilding these roads will not involve destruction/demolition of existing structures in public interest. Apparently, public interest has to override private interest in developing the society. The same is applicable to urban renewal, which it must be noted, is visible in Abeokuta, the state capital and in Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu, Sango-Ota and Yewa axis. Except Abeokuta known wants to maintain its old and rustic look with ancient family houses and compounds, then some structures must give way for modern structures and to spring up in the state.

The concept of re-building in policy terms assumes that there are structures on ground to be rebuilt. That assumption is fundamental to development. Without doubt, Ogun state since it was created has structures and infrastructure that date back beyond its creation in 1976, thanks to the Obafemi Awolowo government in then Western region. Successive governments in their own way had ensured that certain social amenities like roads, water, healthcare and education were in place in one form or another, in most parts of the State.

It must be pointed out however that in the provision of new infrastructure and amenities, the citizens have to be carried along. One is talking about sensitization and mobilisation. A 6-lane road, flyover and foot bridges are certainly new things for many motorists and pedestrians alike. Enlightenment is necessary for the people to appreciate that these facilities requires new attitudes and modification of behaviour.

Based on the above Amosun was on point in his re-building strategy and the mandate he got from the people. But apparently, the people were not prepared for the unintended consequence of the re-building agenda of Amosun. This has fuelled emotional out-bursts of even persons who are educated enough to appreciate that ‘birth pains’ are not ‘death throes’ in this rebuilding strategy.

But beyond re-building physical infrastructure in all sectors, there is a more urgent one of “re-building” political culture and tolerance that have gone awry in recent times. One has been in government and observed governance under the military and democratic administrations in Ogun State. Part of the political culture prevalent in Ogun State even during the military era was political tolerance. Friends and business associates belong to different political parties and will always stand their ground based on their political affiliations. This has changed in recent times to a situation where some have been known to lose offices or other advantages for associating with ‘wrong persons’. People now mind what they say and who they say it to in order not to incur the wrath of the power that be. Such political culture needs to change to reposition Ogun state to its pristine position in Nigeria.

In all, one must accept the need to “re-build” in Ogun state even with all its unintended consequences. Let the Government do more within its resources and think less about criticisms.

•Orunbon writes from Abeokuta, Ogun State Via: orunbonibrahimademola@gmail.com

In all, one must accept the need to “re-build” in Ogun state even with all its unintended consequences. Let the Government do more within its resources and think less about criticisms.