By: Elijah Udofia
It was an American Author and Television Produce, Oprah Winfrey, who said, "Be thankful for what you have: if you end up having more ...." For governor Dapo Abiodun, the man who has been steering the ship of Ogun State in the last four years, the appointment of three sons of the State as ministers by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was worth celebrating.
And so, the state government rolled out the drums to celebrate her own in grand style. The event, which took place in Abuja, was the gathering of the best in the state, including traditional rulers from across the three senatorial zones.
Since the creation of the State 47 years ago, it indigenes have played critical roles in the economy, political and social life of Nigeria. The dynamic and goal getting nature of the sons and daughters of the Gateway State has seen them recording firsts in all human endeavours.
The State is blessed with eminent personalities like the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo; foremost educationalist and social critic; Pa Tai Solarin; erudite Administrator, Chief Simeon Adebo; music legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti and his mother, the firebrand Mrs. Ransome Kuti and not forgetting sport heroes like late Muda Lawal, Segun Odegbami and of course the new kid on the block, Tobi Amusan, the current world 100 metres women hurdles champion.
Full of smart and well endowed people who have made and are still making waves in their chosen endeavours, the pedigree of the indigenes is something no right thinking leader will overlook. It is therefore not surprising when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the course of choosing his ministers to form his cabinet, picked not one, but three from the Gateway State. The President must have, from his interactions with and having worked with many of them during his tenure as the governor of the Lagos State, be well aware of the stuff the indigenes of the State are made of.
No one knows more than Mr. President, the expertise and dexterity of Mr. Wale Edun in finance and economic management. Edun was his Commissioner of Finance for eight years. The President must have also been following the exploit of Dr. Bosun Tijani, the young Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and his contribution to the digital and technologically dominated world.
The Minister of State for the Environment, Dr. Kunle Salako, is a proud son of Yewaland. He was a commissioner in the Gateway State and the President must have heard his exploit during that duty tour, when he turned around the health sector in the state.
At a reception, a visibly elated Abiodun was full of joy and emphatic when he said: "Hon Ministers we are here to celebrate you today on behalf of all the people and govt of your home state I join others to congratulate you."
He told them to key into the vision of the president which is to tackle the various challenges confronting the nation just a he admonished them to be good representatives of their people and give useful advice that would help his government to implement it's 'Building Our Future Together Agenda'.
He reminded the ministers of the exploits their forebears have made in the course of nation building hence the need for them to buckle up and make the State proud in their respective assignments.
He said: "We are the gateway to Nigeria’s prosperity, the nation's educational capital, the industrial capital, number one in cassava, poultry, eggs, religious capital, emerging breadbasket of the nation and fast becoming the economic heartbeat of Nigeria. These appointments by Mr. President are a further testament to our first position and the abundant capacity we are known for and possess."
The occasion provided Governor Abiodun the opportunity to reel out the achievements of his administration in his first term. These include the rehabilitation of over 400 km of roads, construction of about 2,000 affordable homes, and rehabilitation of over 100 Primary Health Centres while over 1000 schools were given significant facelift.
Abiodun, playing the role of chief advertiser of the State to both visitors and indigenes in diaspora, did not failed to point out to the new ministers the world-class airport, regarded as the fastest constructed airport anywhere in the world, built in less than two years.
He highlighted the state’s leadership in transitioning to clean energy through initiatives like the conversion of state-owned buses to Compressed Natural Gas and also revealed plans for an E-mobility program, reflecting the state’s progressive stance on sustainable transportation.
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