A Leader; Iyiola Omisore at 56. Senator Christopher Ajani Iyiola Omisore By Victor Oriola For Senator Christopher Ajani Iyiola Omisore, politics is service to humanity. And this he has done conscientiously since 1999 when he was elected deputy governor of Osun state. His golden moment came in 2003, when he won a seat in the Senate to represent Osun East Senatorial District, which comprises of the Ifes and the Ijesas. He was the Chairman, Senate Committee on Industries, Chairman, Senate Committee on Intra- governmental Affairs and Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism between 2003 and 2007. By 2007, on resumption at the Sixth Senate, he was appointed Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation. And for four years, the nation budget suffered no hitches, a fact that attested to his dexterity and political sagacity. He was also the Chairman Senate Committee on UNDP/NASS Support and Implementation Committee and Chairman, Boards of Fellows, Institute of Public Administration of Nigeria. A consummate building services engineer and an astute manager of resources, Senator Omisore was born on September 15, 1957 into a royal family at Ile-Ife, the cradle of the Yoruba race. He attended St. John’s Grammar school, Ile-Ife and proceeded to Ondo State Polytechnic, Owo for his diploma in Electrical & Electronics Engineering thereafter. Afterwards, he continued his academic pursuit at Full Technology College, Reading in the United Kingdom where he obtained the Full Technological Certificate in Electrical Testing Methods. Furthermore, he went to Brunnel University, Uxbridge, UK where he bagged a Post Graduate Certificate in Mechanical Engineering and M.Sc degree in Building Services Engineering. Senator Omisore also holds a Doctor of Philosophy [Ph.D] in Infrastructure Finance from International School of Management, Paris, with core specialty on Public Private Partnership. Senator Omisore, a Fellow of the Chartered institute of Building Services Engineers started his engineering career as Project Manager with Drake & Gordham UK, PLC, in 1983 and was there till1985 before he was seconded to Nigeria to join Drake and Scull Nigeria limited also as project Manager. Here, he supervised the construction of 19 airfields including the Markurdi Air base field. Apart from these, he supervised other projects like the Sokoto and Markurdi Rice mills, Taraku Oil Mill and the Sokoto University Teaching Hospital. He was elevated to the post of a General Manager in 1987. And as a General manager, a post he held till 1997, he handled such projects such as the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria headquarters building, Bank of the North (Now Unity Bank) Building, Podium Secretariat, Port Harcourt; Eternit Limited, Sapele; World Bank assisted Health projects for Plateau, Benue and Nassarawa states and the Imirigi Rural Electrification project now in Bayelsa state. In 1990, Senator Omisore established Chrisore Engineering plc and Mechelec Consultancy limited in 1993. Between the time of its establishment and 1998, Chrisore engineering of which he was the Chairman and CEO had executed many projects: These include the UACN commercial complex, Apapa; the Central Bank of Nigeria Governors’ residence including the residences of its five deputies; Afribank Headquarters; UACN Abuja Complex in addition to the Union Bank of Nigeria Headquarters. Also, in its 10years of its existence, Mechelec Consultants where he was the principal partner had firmly registered itself in the construction industry. Projects executed successfully within this period included African Development Bank financed projects in Enugu, Kaduna, Niger, Sokoto, Bauchi, Kwara and Imo states; World Bank Health system fund in Lagos state; World Bank Health Assisted Lagos Urban Transportation project and the Pakistani Suppliers Credit on Rural Electrification in Ondo and Niger states. While he was the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Omisore used his office to facilitate improvement in the level of infrastructural development of the nation, especially Road Network. Bringing his engineering experience to bear on his Senate assignment,he used his office to facilitate the rehabilitation and construction of roads such as the dualisation of Ilorin-Ogbomoso road, repair of Ibadan road, dualisation of Ijebu-Ode /Ibadan road, Ondo-Akure, Ore- Ondo, Ore-Ipele-Lokoja, Abuja-Lokoja-Ok ene, Akure-Ado Ekiti/ Ado-Ifaki/Aramoko- Ado-Ijero and Gbongan–Sekona-Osogbo roads. Even now that he is no longer in the Senate, he still follows up on the work in these roads so that it won’t be abandoned. He was also instrumental to the Construction of Ilesha Multipurpose Dam, Ile-ife Multipurpose Dam, Oyan Multipurpose Dam, Yemoji Multipurpose Dam in Ijebu-Ode, Abeokuta-Ota Multipurpose Dam, Ogbese Multipurpose Dam, which are meant to supply both water and electricity to these environments. He also contributed actively to the health sector, poverty reduction, education and other sectors. In his pursuit of excellence, the senator who is equally a fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, England and Wales underwent several courses in different high profile institutions. He did the Advanced Budgeting Course at the George Town University, Washington DC, USA; the Appropriations and Public Finance Course at the ABS Academy, Athens, Greece; the Advanced Leadership Course at the University Course at the West London College; the Public Finance Course at the Harvard University and the Aid Effectiveness and Donour Harmonisation course at the Internationale weiterbuildungund Entwicklung, Gmbt, Germany. He is a fellow of several professional engineering bodies at home and abroad namely: The Nigerian Society of Engineers, Association of Cost Engineers, Institution of Electrical Engineers, England and Wales, Nigerian institution of Mechanical Engineers, Nigeria Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers among others. A stickler for perfection, Senator Omisore explained his emotional attachment to the Engineering profession ever since he joined partisan politics. Said he:” I am not the usual politician as I still fully practice my profession without let or hindrance. I believe partisan politics should not stop you from practicing your profession within the confine of law? On how being an engineer has assisted him in his various public service assignments, the former deputy governor noted that his background facilitated his analysis and appreciation of presentation of bureaucrats especially during the budgetary process. According to him, the appropriation committee under his leadership succeeded in saving the nation several billions of naira through application of practical engineering solutions to complex budgetary proposals especially in infrastructure and other construction relater sectors. Senator Omisore stated that he was able to bring his expertise to bear on decision making especially in budgeting for Infrastructure across the federation. On the level of patronage for local engineers, the Senator said the situation has not reached the desired level, canvassing that there is the urgent need for local engineers to be more involved in key construction project in the country. While noting that his firm has handled many high profile projects, Omisore said this may not be true of many local engineering firms. “I think the level of patronage should improve. What we have now is merely cosmetic. Existing laws stipulating hiring of certain percentage of local professionals in the construction sector should be enforced. For us in the Nigerian Society of Engineers, we must continue to fight against fake operatives in our midst, the Senator said. He however affirmed that engineering professionals in Nigeria can compete favourably with their colleagues from other parts of the World. Said he: “we must commend COREN for enforcing standards and maintaining quality of practice” To say that his presence is felt everywhere in term of the projects he facilitated to his constituency is like stating the obvious. From Ile-Ife his hometown to the remotest part of his senatorial district, Omisore bestrode the entire political landscape like a colossus. The unassuming senator despite these monumental achievements has decided not to make much noise about it as some typical politicians would do. His main pre-occupation is that the vast majority of his people who entrusted him with their mandate must enjoy the dividends of democracy. Some of the projects that he facilitated are a modern library located at Ajebandele area of Ile –Ife which he handed over to National Ife Descendant Students’ Association, NIDSA yesterday to boost education development of his people. Technology incubation centre; where modern vocational equipment are installed for the use of artisans who may not have the wherewithal to buy their own working tools. The centre will also help to train those who want to acquire knowledge in carpentry, furniture making and photography. Also to be commissioned soon is the Nigerian Navy communication school located at the outskirts of the ancient town along Ifewara road. Already, senator Omisore has rehabilitated some solar powered boreholes and street lights across the Ife-Ijesa axis. There is also a dual carriageway road from Ile –Ife to Osu which he facilitated. The road which has been awarded to Kopek Nigeria Limited at the cost of N7.5billion will soon be completed. On a new year day , while some people were still grappling with their resolution for 2013, Omisore’s resolution was to continue with helping people. And aware of the fact that some people are in the hospital writhing in pains, he dashed to Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, OAUTHC, within his vicinity. Omisore’s visit brought succour to some of the outpatients. Apart from the food he ordered to be served the people undergoing treatment for various diseases, he expended N640,000,00 on those that have been discharged but were held down because of their inability to pay their prescribed fees. –– Oriola sent this piece from Ile-Ife
Posted on: Sun, 15 Sep 2013 14:35:44 +0000
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