*Why the people re-elected him
One of the greatest gifts of Dapo Abiodun’s political sojourn would be his inauguration for his second tenure on the same day as his 63rd birthday. Call it a hard-earned gift of fate. In the political arena, Abiodun is a virtuoso. He treats governance like notes of a symphony—every verse must be played, every score correctly toned. He’s always been an extraordinary statesman. And his body of work through his first term makes that clear.
Four years of governing the “Gateway State” has earned him his place in the hall of heroic and achieving governors in Nigeria’s political landscape. His work rate is legendary. And his project timing is priceless. Abiodun’s gospel of progress is a melody to be learned. With his visionary and nuanced efforts, he has fearlessly taken up space in a political universe that did not eagerly space for him. Now, the power of his talented presence makes space for others. And that is a gift to every ambitious patriot who follows in his footsteps, writes LANRE ALFRED
Governor Dapo Abiodun embraced the purpose knelled in his heart and discounted its suggestive doom; trusting his instincts and the breadth of providence, he threw his hat in the ring and contested for a second term. Eventually, he won.
On Saturday, March 18, a dazzling interplay of earthly and divine will boost his mortal strides to gift him a second term as Executive Governor, of Ogun State.
It was no doubt, an honour well deserved; even as the odds stacked against him, menacingly, Ogun people eloquently spoke with their votes, choosing Abiodun.
At the March 18 gubernatorial polls, Abiodun was clearly the candidate to beat but the man no one could defeat. His victory alone doesn’t evoke the kind of passionate response that birthed it, without a story behind it. The reason it feels so good to Governor Abiodun is that en route to his victory, he fought endless drafts of discord and opposition from within and outside his own party.
If success is a mountain peak, Abiodun has braved its arduous climb and now stands at the summit. Some random climber would simply sit down and admire the view. But a man of destiny knows that beyond his recent conquest lies another and another. The journey is never complete in the universe of Abiodun.
Since he was pronounced victor of the March 18 gubernatorial polls, Abiodun hasn’t rested on his oars; there have been countless times he was up at all hours of the night, not to celebrate in the delicious glow of the light bouncing off his hard-won victory, but racking his brain and challenging his soul to device a sustainable blueprint worthy of the trust reposed in him by his people.
Sometimes all the puzzle pieces fall into place at the perfect time. A combination of razor-sharp instincts, killer wit and genuine care for the people whose destinies and hopes depend on his capacity to lead effectively proved to be a winning hand.
It’s magical to see through his first term that all the manifestos, rehearsals, baby steps, false starts and dead ends can lead to an extremely driven and unfathomably talented man unwinding in a lounge chair surrounded by her winnings. Abiodun and all that he has achieved is, indeed, worthy of the moment that beckons to him.
Governor Dapo Abiodun, having spent four years in office, has touched practically all sectors of government, bringing renewed development to Ogun State. This no doubt informed the widespread clamour for the continuity of his term in office. A few of the countless achievements of the Abiodun-led administration in Ogun State include his remarkable strides in education, health, and the provision and rehabilitation of public infrastructure.
EDUCATION AND HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT
From the get-go, Governor Abiodun embarked on a visionary drive to revamp the education sector. His measures include the massive recruitment of teachers to correct shortfalls in employment. In March 2021, the Ogun State Government commenced the Ogun State Teaching Experience Acquisition Channel (Ogun TEACh), a paying special-intervention two-year scheme set up to fill the existing vacancies in the public primary and secondary schools as well as technical colleges in the State. In the period under review, 5000 interns were recruited across the 20 local government areas, LGAs of the State.
And in what has been popularly tagged the “Yellow Roof Revolution,” the Ogun State Government, under Abiodun’s leadership, embarked on a massive overhaul of educational facilities in the state. This includes the construction of modern classrooms, hostels, lavatories, staff rooms, offices and well-equipped e-libraries and computer rooms. At the same time, over 1,000 public primary and junior secondary schools have been rehabilitated (with reconstruction, reinforcement, and reroofing) to date across Ogun State.
Governor Abiodun has also initiated a scheme for rewarding educational excellence by indigenes of the state. On April 22, 2021, he gave special recognition to Ms Faith Odunsi and Oladimeji Shotunde, among others. Odunsi had topped the Global Open Mathematics Competition, as Shotunde emerged Best Graduating Student of the Lagos State University, LASU. While the State Government launched an endowment fund seeded with N5 million for Odunsi, it awarded Shotunde a two-bedroom bungalow and a N2 million cash prize, as 32 other teachers and students got various other prizes.
Governor Abiodun instructed the implementation of a truly free education policy, with the cancellation of all forms of levies in primary and secondary schools. This was even as the state government pioneered Ogun DigiClass, televised class sessions, to compensate for physical class time lost due to the closure of schools during the COVID-19 outbreak.
And for the better administration of schools, Governor Abiodun approved a 120% increase in the running cost allocated and paid to all state-owned primary and secondary schools in the State. The Governor also approved a 50% increase in feeding allowance for learners in special needs schools.
Governor Abiodun facilitated the return of the prestigious Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Ojere and Tai Solarin College of Education to their status of envy. Both institutions, following numerous interventions including the inauguration of a 12-member Governing Council, are now active, with academic activities ongoing smoothly.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Since he became the Executive Governor of Ogun State in May 2019, Governor Abiodun has made good his promise to develop road infrastructure with an even distribution and commitment of resources and time to all senatorial districts of the State. In all, 270km of new roads have been constructed, while over 300km of roads have been rehabilitated. Essentially, there is a minimum of one road project in each of the State’s 20 LGAs. These records are not unconnected to the revival and operationalisation of the State’s road maintenance agency known as the Ogun State Public Works Agency, OGPWA.
In Ogun West, the reconstruction of Raypower Road and Imasayi-Ayetoro Road has been completed and the new roads are already being used by motorists, while Oke Ola Road in Imeko and Owode-Ilaro Road are currently being reconstructed. Also, the Government has reconstructed the Odo Afa Road and Bridge in Ipokia LGA. It’d be recalled that the road and bridge had been in an unfavourable condition for use over a long period of time. Of particular importance is the 19.2km Agbara-Lusada-Atan Road which had long been abandoned despite the industrial significance of the region to the State’s economy.
The road project, which was flagged off by HE Prince Dapo Abiodun on Thursday, April 29, 2021, in which asphalt is now being laid on a section, is going at a commendable pace that will deliver a quality road on completion. It’d also be recalled that in the same month, the Governor commissioned the 10.25km Lusada-Igbesa Road which was constructed by the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone in partnership with the Ogun State Government.
In Ogun East, completed road projects include: Oru-Awa-Ilaporu-Ibadan Road, Fusigboye-Ojofa Street Road and Asafa Oke-Asafa Isale-Ayegun-Ojofa Street Road in Ijebu Ode. Other projects, which are ongoing, include: the 14km Ijebu Ode-Epe Expressway; Oba Erinwole Dual Carriageway, Sagamu; Molusi College Road; Ilishan Market Road; 11km Atan-Erunwon Road; Ogbagba Street Road; and Ejinrin-Oluwalogbon-Mobalufon-Ibadan Road.
In Ogun Central, completed road projects include: Obantoko Road (Fajol-American Junction-Unity Estate-Gbonagun); Idi Aba-Oke Lantoro Road; and Ikoritameje-Adenrele/Olose Titun-Vespa Road. Ongoing project which are nearing completion at a commendable pace include: construction of the 42km Abeokuta-Sagamu Interchange; reconstruction of Panseke-Adigbe Road; as well as extension of the proposed gate Development at Sagamu Interchange. In Ifo LGA, roadworks are ongoing on Akute-Denro-Ishasi-Oluwakemi Road.
And having delivered over 1,000 units of the 2,500 housing units targeted by the Administration as at the end of 2021, by the end of 2022, construction works were initiated on a minimum of 1,000 additional units, spreading across the Prince Court Estate, Kemta, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta; Kobape in Obafemi-Owode LGA; the King’s Court Estate, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta. Others are at different stages of completion in Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu, Ilaro and Otta.
To guarantee adequate water supply throughout the state, the Ogun State government, under Abiodun’s leadership, has rehabilitated the Iberekodo Dam, with five new gates installed as well as gear hoists, cofferdam demolished, and water flow restored. With water flow already restored, the Ogun State Water Corporation has resumed supply. A 14.5ml water reservoir has also been constructed in Abeokuta, the State Capital.
In aviation the Ogun State government has commenced the construction of the Ogun Agro-Cargo Airport in Iperu-Ilishan Remo. The airport, which is a major boost to the local agro-processing and export subsectors of the State, is located in the AfDB-approved Special Agro-Processing Zone, SAPZ which hosts several, major industries, and it will ease logistics of end product export.
HEALTH
In his first term, a total of forty-two (42) Primary Healthcare Centres, PHCs were renovated and equipped, with sixty (60) others ongoing across the 20 LGAs of the State. This leaves at least one rehabilitated in each of the 20 LGAs, and is targeted towards improving access to healthcare, especially at the grassroots.
The Abiodun-led government has also renovated State General Hospitals in three (3) different locations: Idiroko, Ibiade and Odeda. Renovation has also been carried out at the 120-bed Mother-and-Child Ward at the State General Hospital in Iperu and the Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital, OOUTH, Sagamu.
In September 2020, Governor Abiodun approved the recruitment of medical staff across cadres, including resident doctors, nurses, pharmacists and others. The Governor gave specific instructions to all state-owned hospitals to recruit 20 consultant doctors, to address the existent shortfall at the time. Within the period under review, over 310 medical staff have been employed by the State Government – from consultants to attendants.
Under Abiodun’s leadership, the Ogun State government facilitated an N2.5 billion healthcare systems support grant from the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative, ASR Africa for the Mother and Child Hospital at the OOUTH. The Mortuary and Accident & Emergencies, A&E Unit of the OOUTH, Sagamu have also been upgraded by his government. This is as the State government conducted a total overhaul of the Mortuary with six (6) freezers and renovated the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Unit.
Governor Abiodun also paid the sum of N100 million as a commitment fund into the Basic Health Care Provision Fund. The fund targets persons categorised as vulnerable, including the aged, pregnant women, and children under the age of five. Already, the Ogun State Health Insurance Agency, through its 236 officers-in-charge and ward development chairmen trained for this purpose, has commenced registration of 20,000 beneficiaries for free healthcare across all 20 LGAs.
And towards easing access to public health facilities, especially in emergencies, the Ogun State Government distributed 34 tricycle ambulances to rural PHCs to reduce maternal and infant mortality which may have increased due to the remote location of the areas.
The foregoing is a clear list of achievements that have been lauded by independent organisations, who deemed Governor Abiodun and his administration worthy of commendation. The governor has received, within the period under review, eight (8) awards that recognised stellar achievements in different sectors.
They include the Governor of the Year 2021 Award by Vanguard Newspapers; Commerce and Industry: SMEs Most Supportive Governor 2019 by Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria, ASBON; 2020 Best Governor on Education in Nigeria by the National Parent-Teacher Association, PTA in November 2020; Best Education-Friendly Governor by All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools, ANCOPSS; 2020 Governor of the Year Award by the Nigeria Agriculture Awards, NAA in December 2020 and the Most Improved State on Agriculture and Economic Empowerment 2020 by Business Day Awards in April 2021, to mention a few.
The Ogun State government has given succour to the voiceless. Abiodun heard their cries and responded with compassion – the hallmark of humane leadership. But he didn’t just listen to the citizenry, he treated every citizen and constituent of his domain as their own planet, rather than simply one of his moons.
To date, Abiodun approaches people and communities with curiosity, compassion, grace, and excitement while encouraging a huge community of followers to do the same. It’s a gift to be alive at the same time as this admirable leader.
Since he assumed office, Abiodun has been tackling tough projects and issues with passion and very evident love. His governance style is all about triggering genuine progress and constructive exchanges between state actors, irrespective of class and social boundaries.
He’s always in search of the truthful moment that will give the masses real practical solutions to difficult issues. He’s a visionary in that way.
Inspired by his sterling efforts, billionaire moguls and philanthropists including Otunba Mike Adenuga and Abdulsamad Rabiu have identified with him and collaborated with his government to deliver excellent service to the citizenry.
Governor Abiodun is undoubtedly doing everything right to attract the good graces of corporate organizations and the international community in alignment with his vision to create an enabling environment for Public Private Partnership (PPP) to thrive in Ogun State while leveraging on very strong previous relationships to attract support for the state in all sectors.
Actual governing could be difficult. And through his first term, Abiodun had to deal with problems inherited from his predecessor, Amosun, in the statehouse; from infrastructure lapses, paucity of funds, and administrative shortcomings, he got his work cut out for him but Governor Abiodun was never one to back down from a fight or a daunting challenge.
The real vision was to form an all-inclusive government marking the first time an Ogun State governor would unite seemingly irreconcilable factions in the state on the strength of his charisma, maturity, and political sagacity. Abiodun, no doubt, succeeded at his task.
What he has managed to create is a sacred space of governance, where everyone is respected and aligned with the vision of his administration and the narrative of his progress.
He promised Ogun citizenry freedom, growth, and prosperity. And so far, he has exerted himself convincingly. Now, he has another four years to deliver on all counts.
