A quintessential Omoluabi @61: Abiodun walking the talk
By Uthman Salami
Before his voyage into politics, he was known for his business prowess and avid believe in human capital and intellectual development.
His business career began with Glock Inc. USA where he was appointed as a Cost Accountant. Just as the popular Yoruba saying goes, “ajo ko le da bi ile” (there is no place like home), he soon returned to his father land.
Not so long after his journey home, when he had settled down for only a while, he established his own enterprise by etching his name as one of the few indigenous players in the downstream, midstream and upstream sectors.
Since then, he has created abundant opportunities and wealth, both directly and indirectly, for a hundred of thousands of people that span across the length and breadth of Nigeria through his Heyden Petroleum Limited, Alarmnet Innovative Ventures Limited, First Power among others.
He has always been the type who rather allows his actions do the talking. He does little talks but more actions. This single attribute has made some of his adversaries especially those in political firmament to misconstrue and berate his true nature
But again and again, no matter how fiery they be, no matter the granite they haul at his reputation, Prince Dr. DAPO Abiodun has always emerged unscathed.
At his very tender age, when most of his mates were engaged in youthful exuberance, public service became his vision. In early 90s, at just 33, Dapo Abiodun became the youngest to contest and win a senatorial seat since Nigerians sent the colonial powers parking.
He was never the richest in the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP), but his passion for his people, his sense of loyalty to the party, its structure and penchant to always serve the interest of the hapless man thrilled many in the party.
This made the ticket of the party a stroll in the park for him. Though as fate would have it, the freest election in the history of Nigeria was stiffened by military junta.
He edged out those who play an ethno-religious politics as he was awarded with Honoris Causa- a Degree of Doctor of finance from as far as a University in Ado Ekiti.
When he declared his intention to become the succesor of his bossom friend, the incumbent Governor who is now a senator, he turned his request down like some trash, forgetting all the sacrifices and support he had lend him during his travesties, the former Governor outrightly turned him.
But for his doggedness and never say never approach to life, Prince Dr Dapo Abiodun won the heart of his party members who thronged him unflinching supports. As expected, and being a man with a golden touch, he subdued both his power drunk-long-decade friend along with his hundreds of thousands of his followers.
Even though his old friend refused to decamp after the party had given the nod for Dapo Abiodun to represent the All Progressive Congress (APC) at the polls, he became a separatist taking almost half of the party members to form another party.
Like a phoenix rejuvenated from the flames of fire stoked by fief of fiends, he became even more motivated toiling the length and breadth of the state to win supporters.
His friend turned political adversary almost had his way as he continuously hijacked APC machineries to slim-fit his chances at the polls and galvanize support for his newly found love, his adopted political god-son in a candidature of Hon. Akinlade against party choice. Senator Amosun ceaselessly used campaigns to promote his political god-son and publicly vowed not to raise an ounce of muscle in support of his decades-old-friend who had once spent so much time to actualize his own ambition in the past.
For his relentlessness and duty to serve the downtrodden and marginalised people of Ogun state, Dapo Abiodun spirit remained intact, unflinched and unabated as he threw all he had into the game, touring the length and breadth of the state, telling his story to the common man and garnering their trust and supports in the process
After his name, which he had built for decades of entrepreneurship and philanthropic endeanvours, had been dragged into muds, as a true Christian and a believer in human race, he did what had never been witnessed in the history of the state, and indeed Nigeria by extending his hands of friendship to these sworn enemies.
He summed it up when he said his “well-deserved victory we celebrate today is sweet. The mandate is sacred and treasured. But the path to this moment was rough and the ride was bumpy. No leave can fall from the tree without the permission of God Almighty.
“He sometimes achieves His will for one through the support of other men and women of goodwill and inexplicably through opposition of others, even from unexpected quarters. Everyone plays the role divinely assigned to him in a project. But the will of God will always prevail. With that at the back of my mind, my appreciation goes to all without any ill-feeling whatsoever.”
His true intention was reaffirmed in people’s hearts when he declared that “the task of building our future is a collective task. It is beyond what I alone can shoulder or the team that will work with me in government. Rather, it is an Aaro that we owe each other.”
Since then, his clamour for collective development of Ogun State has been a regular mantra.
It was no surprise when he confessed to the good people of Ogun state that they shall “find in me conduct of Omoluabi expected of Omo Teacher.”
Unlike others before him, who had destroyed the tens of good legacies and foundations their predecessor had built during their spell in power, Governor Dapo Abiola changed the status quo by bringing in a shift in paradigms of governance and reinventing governance of continuity which had long eroded the state for far too long.
In his first inaugural speech, Prince Dapo Abiodun paid homage to his “predecessors in this office, those who have held this exalted position since the state was created in 1976. Each of these compatriots has served the State with varying degrees of commitment, vigour and vision. I am honoured to have.”
Just two years down the lane, his little time in office has rained down smiles on the good people of Ogun state and ignited a nugget of hope and trust between the ruled and the ruler.
In his first year in office, he executed at least a project in each of the 349 wards of the state.
His friend and predecessor, a man known for his ‘gbogbo e la ma se mantra’ (we will do everything mantra), Senator Ibikunle Amosun, had publicly boasted on different occasions before he left office in March 2019 that he would not abandon any of the on-going projects in the state.
Unfortunately, these were lip-promises made only to make a cheap political score. As a proffesed and genuine Omoluabi himself, Prince Dapo Abiodun has almost completed all the abandoned roads by his predecessor.
As a guru in the private sector, rather than allowing tax payers money lay in waste, he converted moribund and abandoned projects of the previous adminstration’s frugality into an Ogun standard Digital Hub.
Governor Abiodun has witnessed massive road rehabilitation and construction across the three senatorial districts of the State. Among the roads currently rehabilitated are Itokin-Ibefun-Ijebu Ode, Iperu-Ilisan, Sango-Ojodu Abiodun, Ilaro-Owode and Abeokuta-Sango-Ota-Lagos, while Osi-Ota-Awolowo-Navy-Kola road and Balogun Kuku road in Ijebu Ode have been completed. Also, the reconstruction of Opako Bridge in Adigbe, Abeokuta and many other township roads has been completed.
His stint of impact is not limited to roads and infrastructures. In terms of job creation, he accepted the employment of over thousands of people who had been dubiously employed by the last administration.
He has touched health sector by making the state Primary Health Centers working to capacity, a feat which was last seen under Osoba and Daniel administrations.
During the pandemic that almost brought the world economy to its knee, he not only provided palliatives for the most vulnerable people of the state, but ensured that the state had its own molecular laboratory rather than wait on Lagos State and Federal government.
This is on the backdrop of an inherited financial liability of N221.55 billion, excluding over N200 billion in contractors’ liabilities. The N221.55 billion financial liabilities as at May 2019 comprise of domestic loan of N107.6 billion external loan of N32.2 billion; gratuity of N51.04 billion.
