Abiodun: covenant-keeping reformer at 60

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun’s media aide Kunle Somorin extols the virtues of his boss, who clocks 60 this week.

‘When I signed the Oath of Allegiance and an Oath of Office a year ago, I solemnly did so beyond being a requirement for formal assumption of office. It was much more than that. I hold it as a tripartite covenant between me and God, on one part, to serve Him and reciprocate His faithfulness through the journey so far by being a tool to bring the greatest good to the greatest number of Ogun State people, regardless of creed, gender and political affiliation. On the other part, it is also a covenant with the good people of Ogun State… You will always find in me conduct of Omoluabi expected of Omo Teacher; I will govern with character; I will serve you diligently and sincerely; I will make your interests the core of governance; I will neither personalise nor abuse the mandate; and I will not betray your trust!”

These were the words of the Executive Governor of Ogun State, His Excellency Governor Dapo Abiodun, one year ago on May 29 last year, during his inauguration as the fifth Executive Governor of the state.

When the inauguration speech was read, I was yet to be appointed Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor. Thus, I digested the speech from afar like many others. However, having worked closely with His Excellency for just weeks short of a year, I have seen, firsthand, why he considered his election by the people as a “tripartite covenant”.

First, the man Governor Abiodun is a survivor. In the journey of life, he has had close shaves with death with hirelings and in mysterious circumstances. These are stories for another day. As a businessman, he had risen after having his back against the wall. And as a politician, of course, his rise has been dotted with setbacks from adversaries within and from those outside. Events leading to Governor Abiodun’s emergence as the standard-bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his ultimate victory at the polls were testament to the many battles he has had to fight in life; hence, his constant ascription to the goodness of God in his every triumph.

The other part of his solemn vow has to do with what has motivated him in life. As an administrator, a businessman, a public intellectual and a decision maker, Governor Abiodun has always attributed his success to collaboration, inclusiveness, people-centredness and collectivism. These characteristics were reflected in the Governor’s appointments and the focal points of his policy thrust. Because the people are the other edge of his tripartite covenant, Governor Abiodun’s policies are strategic, his programmes are deliberate, his aims are targeted and his results are measured.

It was when I became an insider that I truly understood and appreciated why, since May 29 last year, Governor Abiodun has not taken lightly every single word from his inauguration speech quoted above.

What was never in doubt in my mind, however, before His Excellency found me worthy of service as his CPS, was that Ogun State was about to experience a leadership paradigm shift. Governor Abiodun had always made his vision of collectivism clear to the good people of Ogun; so much that, even during electioneering, almost every eligible voter knew his plans for the state and what those plans were hinged on. The Governor’s vision: “To give Ogun State focused and qualitative governance and to create the enabling environment for a public-private sector partnership, which is fundamental to the creation of an enduring economic development and individual prosperity of the people of Ogun”, led to the establishment of the Economic Transition Committee of eminent Ogun professionals, technocrats, political players (including those against whom the governor contested), as well as other stakeholder. A Work Group was also set up to develop a Blueprint and an Implementation Roadmap. According to His Excellency, the decision was to ensure that his government hit the ground running from the very day he was inaugurated.

As an incoming government pre-May 29 last year, like many other Ogun citizens, I knew Governor Abiodun’s administration already had strategic “enablers” – good governance, security, information and communication technology, infrastructure and welfare. I knew it had also identified its strategic pillars such as agriculture, education, health, environment and infrastructure. I knew Abiodun had at the heart of these enablers and pillars an investment drive, which was absolutely reasonable, considering Ogun’s strategic location, proximity, abundance of human and natural resources and an incoming political leadership dedicated to collective wellbeing and shared prosperity.

So, when news filtered in that I was going to be CPS to His Excellency, some colleagues in the media called to warn that I was about to step onto a hot seat. I told my colleagues that the position of a CPS could only be likened to sitting on a hot seat, if like a salesman, you have a bad product to sell. A good product markets itself and makes the job of a salesman much easier. With the benefit of hindsight, my position then, if anything, has only been reinforced!

Born on May 29, 1960 in Iperu Remo in Ogun State, to Dr. Emmanuel and Mrs Victoria Abiodun, Governor Dapo Abiodun studied civil engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife. He went on the study accounting at the Kennesaw State University, Atlanta Georgia, USA. Governor Abiodun also holds doctorate degrees in finance and business administration from the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti and the Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State respectively.

A successful businessman and captain of industry before becoming governor, Governor Abiodun has played at the highest level in the oil and gas, public administration and energy sectors, including as the board chairman of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

Governor Abiodun was elected Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the defunct United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) in the botched Third Republic of 1998. In 2015, he contested the Ogun East senatorial seat on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), which he lost.

As this icon who shares birth-date with our democracy turns 60, I congratulate the good people of the Gateway State for making the right decision, against all odds, at the last year general elections, which led to the inauguration of His Excellency a year ago. Although not one for aggrandisement, even his antagonists would secretly admit that, what Ogun people desired in their leader – an improved citizens’ confidence and trust in government through transparent and accountable leadership and to develop the human capital through greater investment in qualitative education, skill acquisition as well as entrepreneurship – are beginning to take shape under Governor Abiodun; a covenant-keeping, people-centred reformer.

His mastery of the art of governance is already manifesting in his infrastructural development programmes with the establishment of Ogun State Public Works Agency (OGPWA) to fix township roads and construct interstate corridors with commercial networks. In education, the duplicitous politicisation and crises at the State-owned polytechnic and college of education have become history, just as primary and secondary education now have digital dimensions and improved learning and teaching ambience.

These improvements are not only mine, Governor Abiodun’s Midas touches have been acknowledged with awards on his innovations on ICT by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy; on Security by BusinessDay and Agriculture by the Central Bank of Nigeria among others.

In this season of anomie and COVID-19, Governor Dapo Abiodun far-sightedness has been applauded by global bodies like the World Health Organisation and the National gatekeeper, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for his leading edge innovations: Ogun State procured the first COVID-19 mobile laboratory not only in Nigeria, but Africa; the first state fully-funded molecular laboratory at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu and the quality of its sensitisation programme, manpower, Isolation and Treatment Centres among other.

Like or hate him, Abiodun is walking in the thrones of futuristic leaders like Mahatma Ghandi and Obafemi Awolowo who saw beyond their times. Here’s wishing the methodical, deliberate and charismatic Governor of Ogun State many more years of dedicated service and triumph over familiar and unfamiliar vicissitudes. Happy 60th birthday and one year in office to my Principal.

• Somorin is Chief Press Secretary to Governor Abiodun