By Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
The governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun on Tuesday unveiled a state-of-the-art press centre named after the former governor of the state, Chief Olusegun Osoba.
Chief Olusegun Osoba, an accomplished journalist was the governor of the state from 1991-93 as well as the first executive governor of the state from 1999-2003 when the nation returned to democracy after a long reign of the military.
The unveiling of the ultramodern press centre built within the Governor’s Office, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta attracted various notable media executives such as Dr Reuben Abati, Spokesman to former President Dr Goodluck Jonathan; Mr Gbenga Adefaye, former President, Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE); Dr Samuel Ibiyemi, Publisher of Nigerian NewsDirect; Mr Soji Amosu, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Ogun State Council among other top government functionaries.
Gov. Abiodun said that the press centre built to enhance productivity of the journalists in the state would no doubt present them the opportunity of having a conducive working environment which would undoubtedly impact on their performance among others.
He said as a foremost journalist and doyen of journalism coupled with his enduring legacies of rural development while he held sway as the governor of the state, Chief Olusegun Osoba deserved a lifetime honour, hence, his decision to build a befitting press centre named after him.
Speaking at the event, Chief Osoba who expressed his joy for coming back to the Oke-Mosan Governor’s office after 16 years of leaving office, said “Mr. Governor, you will not know how many hours you have added to my life with this action today. It maybe hours, it maybe weeks, days, it maybe years, but you have added something very great to my life today.”
He said, “The first 16 years of my leaving this office have been very, very traumatic. I never came back, I became a snake that doesn’t go back to where it has turn over its skin. This premises (Governor’s office) became no go area for me. To imagine that in my life my return to this premises will be this glorious is something of emotion.
“The first eight years, I was virtually declared persona non grata in Ogun state, well that is settled, those involved have come to apologise.
“My name was sent to EFCC so many times, one Barrister Sofu was paid by the government to be taking advert in all papers claiming of all infractions of any kind. The EFCC investigated and investigated because everything was documented in files , they found nothing.
“I couldn’t come to Abeokuta not to talk of visiting the office of the Governor. The other eight years that one also became problematic.”
The former governor narrated how his successors, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and Senator Ibikunle Amosun made the state ‘hell’ for him after leaving office in 2003.
Osoba who handed over to Otunba Gbenga Daniel in 2003, said, his successor declared him persona non grata by the administration of Daniel which prevented him from entering the state after his tenure.
The former governor who described his 16 years out office as a “traumatic” experience, said “When I left office, I was so harassed to the point that all the plaques and the symbols of all the projects I did were the first to be removed all throughout the state.”
Speaking on how Abiodun emerged the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 election, Osoba said, contrary to general belief that he produced Abiodun, he was only part of the process that led to his emergence, saying, “I didn’t produce Governor Dapo Abiodun, all of you saying I produced him, no, I didn’t produce him, God produced Governor Dapo Abiodun.
“He (Abiodun) was not in the reckoning, he was never one of the aspirants. In fact, when he came to me I said no, no, no, how many days are left, but God is great. When God decides on something you can’t explain the ways of God, so I didn’t produce Governor Dapo Abiodun, God produced him and I thank God that I was part of that process.”
Osoba commended Abiodun for naming the press centre after him, saying the gesture will contribute immensely to the development of journalism in the state.
“Mr. Governor what we are doing here today, you are bringing back old terrible memories and making it a happy and rewarding memories for me, not only this some of the projects that we did are landmark projects.”