Flashback!!! OGD and the eight years revolution that transformed Ogun state By Adegbenro Adebanjo May 19, 2011 Every epoch has its defining moments and the men and women who shape the course of history for good or for bad. No doubt, Ogun State was at such a defining moment in its history on May 29, 2003 when a new governor was sworn in as the State’s helmsman. Of course given their experience with past leaders not many people believed Otunba Gbenga Daniel when he promised to do things differently and give governance a new positive face and make the people the central focus of his administration. To the skeptics the new governor was merely grandstanding as his predecessors had done. However, eight years after, the skeptics have become believers while the gospel of Governor Daniel’s extra ordinary performance continues to spread far and wide. Indeed, thelast Eight years in Ogun State under the watch of Otunba Gbenga Daniel has witnessed an undisguised revolution, coursing through all facets of lives and bringing in its wake socio—economic transformation and people centered projects, policies and programmes never before witnessed in the annals of the history of the State. Of course as the case with all revolutionaries who are aware from the outset that one cannot make an omelet without breaking an egg, this Daniel has fought many battles most of them contrived by political opponents who either could not keep pace with his administration’s developmental initiatives or wanted a return to the status quo or out of pure mischief. Governor Daniel who has the singular honour of being the State’s longest serving helmsman so far has also been pitched against the establishment which has ranged many of their own against his business unusual approach to doing things. Those who believe in the status quo and who accuse Daniel of upsetting the apple cart have nearly succeeded in drowning out the genuine voice of the people who are in a better position to give the verdict on his stewardship. The reality on the ground contrasts sharply with the deliberately concocted falsehood being bandied about by the Governor’s traducers and political opponents. Ogun in the estimation of the generality of the people and impartial observers from outside is a good example of good governance with a responsible and responsive administration under the leadership of the 55 year old Daniel who was born in Ibadan, trained as an engineer at the University of Lagos and distinguished himself as a first class business man and corporate player, philanthropist and humanist before going into politics and eventually getting the mandate of the people of Ogun State on two occasions That mandate has been used for the benefit of the people and the greater glory of the Gateway State. And nobody can fault the giant development strides of the last 8 years. In Egbaland, there is an emerging new business district accentuated by the domineering presence of the OPIC Twin Tower which was commissioned on May 12, 2011. With its commissioning Abeokuta the Ogun State capital joins the big league of state capitals with a befitting City Centre. The 12 storey edifice with a concrete reinforced basement and a penthouse is the tallest building in Ogun State. And it synchronizes with the deliberate attempt to create a new city centre in Abeokuta and jumpstart the Abeokuta Central Business District Development Project. The project supervised and executed by indigenes of Ogun State has given a more befitting aura to the state capital and is another testimony to the success of the OGD administration in the last eight years. The Lalubu Road, hitherto a centre of gridlock, now compares favorably with Lagos Allen Avenue. However, it has six macadamized lanes with banks and top of the range boutiques dotting its entire stretch. Indeed when this Daniel came to town there were just about six banks with branches in Abeokuta, now all the banks in Nigeria have their offices in different parts of the State. The same can be said for eateries and communication outfits. The Abeokuta—Siun Expressway, houses built for and giving out to villagers whose mud abodes were demolished to make way for the expressway, the refurbished Olumo Rock, the new Housing Estates in Asero, the refurbished MKO Abiola International Stadium, the complete turnaround at the State Hospital Ijaiye, the best purposely built State Secretariat in the South West, the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Hilltop Estate, a campus of Olabisi Onabanjo University of Technology at Ibogun, the homestead of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Laderin Workers Estate, a new Gateway ICT Polytechnic in Itori are some of the legacies that have become signposts of the Daniel era in Egbaland , the home town of the legendary Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola the man who paid the supreme price for our democracy. Indeed for Prince Bola Ajibola, former attorney General of the Federation and Dr Onaolapo Soleye Egbaland under the watch of Daniel has soared and enjoyed unprecedented development. The two prominent Egba sons returned averdict of excellent performance on the administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel. Two major projects, the 7 megawatts power plant that would power the State secretariat and the reconstructed Isale Igbehin Bridge join the imperishable legacies of the Daniel era in Egbaland. As it is in Egbaland, so it is in the other divisions of the State. The Yewas for the first time are no longer crying of marginalization simply because of the equitable distribution of projects under Governor Daniel. They now have a brand new School of Nursing, a glittering new stadium of international standard and the most functional Free Trade Zone in the South West. At the last count, over 5000 employment has been created in the fledging business enclave called Ogun Guangdong FTZ, Igbesa. The Yewas also have a campus of OOU, a new ICT Polytechnic, among the projects they are counting as part of their gains under the progressive era of Daniel. The Ijebus and the Remos have been fairly treated too. The Gateway International Stadium in Ijebu—Ode which has played host to many international competitions ranks among the best in the country. There is also the country’s first University of Education, an ICT based Polytechnic in Ijebu Igbo, completely turned around water works, several kilometers of road and, of course, the multi—billion naira LNG Project at the Olokola Free Trade Zone, which is still in the making. The Remos also have a stadium of their own and, wait for it, the best NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in the country. They also have their own ICT based Polytechnic at Saapade. Under the administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel the tradition of excellence that the Ogun State Public Service is noted for has not only been maintained but verifiable improvement has been achieved to the end that the service has risen to become the best in the country And the human capital development initiative of the administration that has seen thousands of civil servants sharpening their skills through seminars, workshop and other academic pursuits sponsored by the Ogun State Government has further enhance the capacity of the service that has seen more recruitments in the last eight years than at any other time in the history of the State. Just some days to its departure, the people of Ogun State rated the Daniel era through their traditional rulers. Oba Michael Sonariwo, Akarigbo of Remo and the current Chairman of the Ogun State Council of Obas set the ball rolling inside the glittering new Conference hall built for the natural rulers adjacent the sprawling Obas Complex, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta shortly after the Ogun State Governor had commissioned the edifice on Thursday March 31, 2011. Oba Sonariwo said the consensus verdict of traditional rulers in Ogun State is that the OGD administration had recorded giant developmental strides in all facets of human endeavor. Oba Sonariwo said the governor’s laudable achievements have been written with indelible ink and would remain a source of inspirations to generation yet unborn. Oba Gbadebo Oni, the Olu of Imashai and acting Chairman of the YEWA Council of Obas said Governor Daniel has changed the status of the State from a sleepy civil service enclave to a commercially vibrant entity . He said the YEWAS have double reasons to be grateful for the contributions of the Governor to the development of the Ogun West Senatorial District and for supporting the aspirations of the YEWAS to produce a governor for the first time in the history of the State. He said the many criticisms that have come the way of the governor were because of his intimidating achievements. He said in spite of criticisms from some quarters nobody can deny the fact that the Governor has turned Ogun into a model State. Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, the Alake of Egbaland said Governor Daniel was able to record remarkable achievements and make the difference because he is not a typical politician but a professional in politics. For the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, the Daniel administration would score first class were it to be graded. Said the paramount ruler, “You have done very well,I can assure you that after you leave office even your detractors will praise you. All the bickering and hecklings are all about politics, it does not represent the genuine verdict of the people of the State about your stewardship. The Genuine verdict of the people of Ogun State is that you have done excellently well,” Oba Adetona said to thunderous ovation from the traditional rulers present. Before the traditional rulers , the Directing staff and members of the Senior Executive Course 31 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies ,NIPPS, Kuru who came on a study tour of Ogun State returned the following verdict on the stewardship of Governor Gbenga Daniel, “In coming to Ogun State we found out that the State through the executive Governoris doing a number of things worthy of emulation which has to do with utilization of indigenous human and natural resources to grow the economy. These transformations coming from visionary leadership are what we have seen in Ogun State and we think it should be encouraged in the country.” Just as the Chief Bisi Onabanjo revolution succeeded in putting the State on the right footing, the Daniel era has charted a new vista for the state and opened new windows of opportunities that has turned the Gateway state into a pacesetter among its peers. If the true measure of good governance is the enunciation and implementation of policies that give birth to projects, which touch the lives of the people, the Otunba Gbenga Daniel administration has faithfully lived up to this all-important creed. Ogun State under the watch of Otunba Daniel has witnessed phenomenal transformations in all facets of life with visible democratic dividends spread throughout the length and breadth of the State. From all indications history, which is the chronicler of the ultimate verdict, would be kind to Otunba Gbenga Daniel, a man of vision, apostle of good governance and a statesman par excellence.This Daniel is leaving behind a new Ogun State which has now become the country’s leading investment destination of choice and the first point of call for National and international sporting events organizers.
Posted on: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 18:39:42 +0000
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