Former Governor Ibikunle Amosun was unambiguous about his vision and mission in Ogun State right from his first day in office in May 2011. In his maiden address to the state, he raised hopes for the birth of a new Ogun State with breakthroughs in employment, roads, health services, education, housing and the provision of basic amenities like electricity and water supply.
After eight successful years in office, he can beat his chest and say with pride that his dreams for a better Ogun State have come true. When he bowed out of office midnight, May 28, 2019, the hope for shelter was brighter with thousands of houses completed. New roads were constructed across the state and dry taps were flowing with water.
Governor Amosun started his administration of Ogun State since May 29, 2011 against the background of the imperatives of his party’s manifesto.
To be successful in the implementation of his campaign promises to the people called for the judicious management of the available resources and the establishment of efficient administrative machinery. It was against this background that Governor Amosun set out to establish his machinery of governance in Ogun State.
His first cabinet in 2011 comprised of his deputy, 20 commissioners, secretary to the state government, the chief of staff, consultants and senior special assistants.
In constituting this cabinet, majority of his appointees came from the Ijebu extraction. Governor Amosun proved that he was a real leader, as well as a statesman. Commissioners and other political appointments were even made from towns or local governments, which voted against him, a practice that is not common in Nigeria. He was abused and vilified for his insistence on political, religious, geographical and cultural diversity of the state. Amosun stuck to his guns.
At the end of the day, the following people emerged as members of his first cabinet (2011-2015):
Prince Segun Adesegun (deputy governor) – Ogun East
Barrister Taiwo Adeoluwa (secretary to the state government)
Prof. Ganiyu Olatunde (chief of staff) –Ogun East
Mr. Wemimo Ogunde, SAN, (attorney-general & commissioner for justice) –Ogun East
Barrister Segun Odubela (commissioner for education, science & technology) –Ogun East
Dr. Olaokun Soyinka (commissioner for health)
Hon. Ayo Olubori (commissioner for agriculture)
Otunba Bimbo Ashiru (commissioner for commerce and industry) – Ogun East
Mrs. Kemi Adeosun (commissioner for finance) –Ogun East
Mr. Daniel Adejobi (commissioner for housing)
Arc. Lekan Adegbite (commissioner for works and infrastructure)
Mrs. Oluwande Muoyo (commissioner for budget and planning) – Ogun East
Mr. Gbenga Otenuga (commissioner for youth and sports) – Ogun East
Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu (commissioner for information and strategy)
Hon. Muyiwa Oladipo (commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs) – Ogun East
Mrs. Elizabeth Sonubi (commissioner for women affairs and social welfare) – Ogun East
Dr. Lanre Tejuoso (commissioner for special duties)
Hon. Falilu Sabitu (commissioner for forestry) – Ogun East
Chief Samuel Aiyedogbon (commissioner for community development and cooperatives)
Mr. Adebayo Fari (commissioner for environment) – Ogun East
Chief Olu Odeyemi (commissioner for culture and tourism)
Mr. Shuiab Afolabi Salisu (deputy chief of staff).
From the cabinet list above, 12 of the members were from Ogun East, those that are referred to as the Ijebu, and they held key posts in his administration.
In politics, electoral success is measured based on the quantum of trusted personnel on the field as well as the number of projects and level of political patronage on offer.
Ogun East with nine local governments produced the deputy governor, 12 commissioners, chief of staff to the governor, as well as numerous special advisers, consultants, senior special assistants and special assistants.
Governor Amosun had the greatest admiration and respect for Ijebu people. Among the top officials who worked closest to him, even in his office, were from Ogun East. This pattern of appointment characterised all aspects of his administration from 2011 till he bowed out of office charitably on May 28, 2019.
In terms of project sitting, several landmark projects, including two six-lane flyovers that run across the dreaded Sagamu-Benin express road and that resolved the usual traffic gridlock at the Lagos Garage area of the town, were equally constructed in Ijebu Ode.
However, despite all the patronage and attention, when the 2015 general elections came, Amosun lost in Ijebu Ode. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won with 11,381 votes while the All Progressives Congress (APC) got 10,570 votes. Amosun marginally outscored the PDP candidate in Ogun East votes by 95,526 to 94,087. This is another subject that would be addressed fully later.
Other infrastructural projects carried out by the Amosun government in Ogun East were: rehabilitation of Igbeba Road, Ijebu Ode; rehabilitation of Olisa Street, Ijebu Ode; rehabilitation of Alapo Street, Ijebu Ode; rehabilitation of Sabo Ososa Road, Ijebu Ode; rehabilitation of Omo-Owo/Ereko/Bonojo/Awokoya Street, Ijebu Ode; construction of drainage on Abeokuta Road/Molipa Junction, Ijebu ode; rehabilitation of Lagos Garage-Epe Garage, Ijebu Ode; rehabilitation of Epe Garage-Balogun Kuku Street, Ijebu Ode; rehabilitation of Awujale Street, Ijebu Ode; rehabilitation of Epe Garage/Itele-Sagamu/Benin Expressroad, Ijebu Ode, rehabilitation of Degun Street, Ijebu Ode; rehabilitation of Molipa Bypass, Ijebu Ode, rehabilitation of Abeokuta road-Araromi/Osinubi Street, Ijebu Ode; and rehabilitation of Ibadan Road/Folagbade Lagos Garage, Ijebu Ode.
Mention must also be made of the Ijebu Igbo flyover, model schools at Ago Iwoye, Ikenne and Sagamu as well as the Emuren Hatchery.
Governor Amosun disclosed recently before he left office while playing host to labour leaders in his office that his government had fully paid for all the on-going road projects in Ijebu-Ode.
In the second term of Governor Amosun, the major beneficiary of government both at the state and federal levels were the people of Ogun East extraction.
Some of his cabinet members from Ogun East (2015 to 2019) included the then deputy governor, Chief (Mrs) Yetunde Onanuga; commissioner for culture and tourism, Rt. Hon Muyiwa Oladipupo; commissioner for commerce and industry, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru; commissioner for budget and economic planning, Ms. Adenrele Adesina; commissioner for information and strategy, Otunba Dayo Adeneye; commissioner for health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye; attorney-general and commissioner for justice, Dr. Olumide Ayeni; commissioner for finance, Mr. Adewale Oshinowo; special adviser/managing director, Ogun State Property and Investment Corporation (OPIC), Mr. Jide Odusolu; special adviser on health, Dr. Babafemi Adenuga; special adviser on youth and sports, Mr. Segun Adesanya; and two senior consultants; Mrs. Elizabeth Sonubi and Mr. Gbenga Otenuga.
Governor Amosun benevolently facilitated the following positions at the federal level in favour of his Ijebu brothers and sisters: Mrs. Kemi Adeosun (minister of finance); Chief Olabiyi Durojaiye (chairman of the Board of Commissioners, Nigerian Communications Commission); Barrister Bisi Adegbuyi (postmaster general of the federation); Prince Dapo Abiodun (incumbent governor), (chairman, Corporate Affairs Commission); Mrs. Iyabo Odulate, director, recruitment and appointment, Federal Civil Service Commission); Mr. Adebayo Fari, commissioner, Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and Prince Adegbuyi Adesanya, commissioner, Public Complaints Commission.
Where is the so-called hatred for the Ijebu people by Amosun?
In any administration, cabinet reshuffles, re-deployment and discipline of appointees are normal. In fact, one of the accepted means of measuring the quality of the leadership of any chief executive officer is his or her ability to know who and when to hire and fire. Thus, during his administration, Governor Amosun had occasions to carry out minor cabinet reshuffles, redeploy some appointees and dispense with the services of some. But at no point in time were these exercises targeted at any political, religious or geographical personalities.
If the people of Ogun East now come to a decision to castigate Governor Amosun because of the 2019 general elections, that is most unfortunate.
In the specific case of election of the APC governorship candidate, the party at a meeting of its expanded state executive committee on May 15, 2018 made a resolution to zone its governorship candidate to Ogun West Senatorial Zone. The stakeholders of the party ratified this on May 18, 2018, the eve of the state congress of May 19, 2018. This explains the zoning of the office of state chairman of the party to Ogun Central and the state secretary to the Ogun East Senatorial Districts respectively. The state congress also ratified the resolution to zone the governorship ticket to Ogun West Senatorial Zone.
Amosun did his utmost best for the people of Ogun State, Ogun East and Nigeria
- Adebayo, a public affairs commentator, wrote in from Ogun State
