BY GREGORY AUSTIN NWAKUNOR
FOR some minutes shortly before his inauguration, Ibikunle Amosun was at his ancestral home. He was jubilant. He was with the old and young, extolling virtues of dedication and honesty. Among the young ones, he couldn’t but relate his upbringing to them. “As the I CAN motto says, if I CAN, you can,” he told the young ones he was with; he urged that they could achieve that greatness if they are dedicated and commit their time.
But the emotional period was when he visited the tomb of his parents. He was there for some minutes. Though he didn’t wail, he shed some little tears, thinking if they were around, they would have seen him become what he promised them as a child that he would be— a great person.
From his parents’ tomb, he moved to the inauguration ground, where he promised to transform Ogun State.
“The story of my active involvement in partisan politics started about a decade ago, when I decided to vie for the position of a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I remain grateful to the good people of Ogun Central Senatorial District for the mandate and honour of representing them in the Senate from 2003 to 2007,” he says.
According to him, the Senate provided the first public platform to serve and have greater impact on the society in general.
“In the run up to the general elections of 2007, specifically on March 10, 2007,” he said, Ogun State witnessed an ugly incident like no other since its creation. In the course of my electioneering campaign, my teeming supporters and I were ambushed and attacked by opposition political hirelings at Adatan (Car wash area) in Abeokuta. These thugs freely used guns and machetes to attack and kill some of my supporters, including the ‘Amosun 5’, a group of young supporters of mine, who were defenselessly murdered and their bodies cut to pieces and thrown into fishponds on the fateful day. I am moved to tears each time I remember a scene during the attack — I was shielded by some young people including a policeman who were determined to save my life, one of them was killed in the process of urging me to take cover. I equally remember the bravery of our teeming supporters who were constant targets of live bullets from the opposition forces during the three-year protracted Election Petitions Tribunal sittings in Abeokuta and Ibadan.”
For the governor, “a total of 69 of our core supporters were killed in the cause of the struggle for democracy in Ogun State. Others who were lucky to escape being killed were seriously maimed leading to several weeks of hospitalisation and in some cases permanent disabilities. The injury they suffered and the trauma they experienced still linger till today. I was not spared either; several attempts were made on my life, surviving only through the grace of God.”
While reminiscing the events preceding his election as governor, he chips in sorrowfully: “Otunba Dipo Dina, the 2007 gubernatorial candidate of the Action Congress (AC), was gruesomely murdered. The police is currently investigating his high profile murder and I hope this will not be another entry in the list of unresolved murders in the country.”
In memory of the deceased, Amosun has renamed Ijebu Ode International Stadium to Otunba Dipo Dina International Stadium.
GOVERNOR Amosun says, for every policy or programme that this administration will embark upon, it will deeply reflect on it. “We shall continue with policies of the past that we find to be people-centred and viable. We shall engage capable hands that are willing to assist us, regardless of political, religious or ethnic affiliations — so far the goal is to serve the people of Ogun State.”
He adds, “no government can succeed if it does not have the confidence of the people. We will continue to re-validate our mandate through good governance and programmes that will have impact on majority of the people. We will work with the people and promote inclusive governance. We will not only tolerate but also encourage constructive criticisms from all and sundry. That is the hallmark of democracy.”
On affordable qualitative education, Amosunsays, “our educational system in the state is in crisis. It appears that our public schools were deliberately destroyed so as to justify government’s abdication of its responsibilities to educate the citizens feigning inability to shoulder the attendant financial requirements as the basis. My belief is that education is a social service, which in the end serves the public good. Nowhere in the world is education treated as purely a profit-making venture.”
He adds, “education is now free in both primary and secondary schools. All illegal fees and levies in both primary and secondary schools are hereby abolished. Any reported violation of this order will be appropriately sanctioned. The government will also be responsible for the payment of the final examination fees for primary and secondary school leavers in Ogun State. Tuition fees will be drastically reduced in all the state’s tertiary institutions. The bursary and scholarship scheme for students in tertiary institutions will be reinvigorated and strengthened. Allocation of at least 20 per cent of our annual budget to education with emphasis placed on improving the quality and capacity of staff through training and re-training, improved welfare packages and provision of teaching and research facilities. Three state-of-the-art and well-stocked public libraries will be established with one in each senatorial district.”
He also pointed out that there would be immediate commencement of construction, rehabilitation and expansion of physical facilities in the sector with a target to achieve a ratio of 30 students per class in primary and secondary schools.
He adds, “the health sector shall also be given priority. We will focus on the five aspects of healthcare delivery namely promotion, prevention, cure, rehabilitation and surveillance, using the primary healthcare approach substantial, increase in the state’s yearly budgetary allocation to the health sector. Free health services for children under the age of five and senior citizens above the age of 70. All women on antenatal and post-natal consultation in public hospitals will have their fees paid by the government. Our hospitals will have their existing facilities upgraded and new ones will be added. Medical personnel will be encouraged to undertake specialist training, including better skills for interface and interactions with patients.”
On Agricultural production and industrialisation, the new governor quips, “our people believe that work is the antidote to poverty. In Yoruba we say thus: ‘ise ni ogun ise’. Our wealth creation and employment generation strategy is hinged on agricultural production expansion and industrialisation of the state. We will boost agricultural production. The administration will “go back to basics.”
He says, “in this vein, our industrialisation programme will be fast-tracked, given our proximity to Lagos. Already we have a blueprint in place for this. But key to any industrialisation is provision of reliable and efficient infrastructure such as water, electricity, accessible and motorable roads. The government shall embark on an extensive programme of rehabilitation of roads and construction of new ones. This will facilitate the movement of people and goods across the state.”
BORN on January 25, 1958 to Alhaji Abdu-Lasisi Oyedeni Sanusi Amosun from Owu, Abeokuta and Alhaja Rafatu Alake Mojisola Amosun (nee Akinbola) from Igbore and Itoko, Ibikunle is the third of his parents’ children.
He had his early education at African Church Primary School, Abeokuta between 1965 and 1970. He later went to African Church Grammar School, Abeokuta from 1971 to 1977. He had his tertiary education at Ogun State Polytechnic, Abeokuta now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic. He bagged a Master’s degree in International Finance from the University of Westminster, London in 2000.
Endowed with youthful energy and zeal for professional attainment, Amosun studied with unwavered focus and accomplished the following: Associate Member, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (1996): Associate Member of the Institute of Taxation (1998): Fellow, Institute of Taxation (2003).
SIA, as he is fondly called, started his accounting career with Lanre Aremu & Co. (Chartered Accountants) as an Audit Trainee in 1984, where he rose to become a manager in 1987. He was also with XtraEdge Consulting and was a Senior Consultant, when he left.
Currently, Amosun is the Principal Partner of Ibikunle Amosun & Co. (Chartered Accountants), established in 1990, with head office in Lagos.
Amosun married Olufunso (nee Odesanya) in 1991. ‘Iyawo Chief’, as she is fondly called, Olufunso hails from Olobado's Compound in Osogbo, Osun State, while her maternal grandmother is from Ake, Egbaland. She and her husband’s blissful union have four daughters and a son.
IN 2003, Ibikunle was elected into the Senate, while there he served as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Commerce.
He also served as Member in the Senate Committees on Appropriation, Foreign Affairs, Privatization, as well as Security and Intelligence.
In 2004, Amosun was in the vanguard of the crusade against the excessive hike in GSM tariffs. He met with the head of National Communication Commission (NCC), Nigeria Customs Service and GSM Operators.
These consultations led to the reduction in GSM tariffs. On the floor of the Senate, he moved several motions and sponsored many bills on issues that touched on the day-to-day lives of not only his constituents, but also Ogun State as a whole and Nigeria in general.
He is credited with the sponsorship of the Local Content of Solid Minerals Development Bill 2005; the Fire Service Commission (Establishment) Bill 2005; and the Income Tax Relief Bill for sport development 2005 and many others.
He institutionalised Senator Ibikunle Amosun Scholarship Foundation (SIASF). Its Board of Trustees was inaugurated on Thursday, July 7, 2005 and charged with the responsibility of drawing up modalities for the award of scholarships to students. SIA has awarded scholarships to over 1000 students of Ogun State, in various institutions of higher learning, since 1986.
Apart from the scholarship scheme, Amosun has assisted many in their various vocations and made donations for the benefit of his community. Some of these include Trade Empowerment Schemes for market men and women; donation of 32 seater-coaster bus for National Automobile Technicians Association (NATA); Community Development Schemes such as sponsorship of borehole projects, construction of town halls, Distribution of food items, beddings and provision of electric transformers; Poverty Alleviation Scheme; distribution of motorcycles, grinding machines, commercial GSM handsets and many more.
His Educational Scheme has seen to the construction of classroom blocks in LGAs, scholarship awards, and donation of educational materials. And also building and commissioning of school Administration Block for African Church Grammar School, Abeokuta (his alma mater).
Amosun’s Agricultural Programmes include distribution of motorcycles, tricycles and farm implements etc.
A WIDELY travelled man, he has traversed the entire five continents, bringing his wealth of experience to bear on the people he encounters daily. His love for his people has been duly recognised and accordingly reciprocated by many awards including:
• Rotary International District 9110 Nigeria’s Gold Service Award
• Olabisi Onabanjo University’s Exemplary Leadership Award
• Senate Group Island Club, Lagos’s Achievers Award
• Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Abeokuta District Society: 40th Anniversary Award
• National Association Of Ogun State Students Award of Excellence
• African Church Grammar School, Owu, Abeokuta: Appreciation to a Worthy Old Student
• Ansar-ud-Deen Ladies Association, Abeokuta’s Meritorious Service Award
• Nigerian Leadership Award for Outstanding Senator of the Year 2003
• Abeokuta Chambers of Commerce & Industry’s Merit Award
• Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Alumni Association Abeokuta Chapter’s Certificate of Exemplary Honour
• Oronna Day Celebration 2005 Platinum Award For Excellence
A COMPLETE family man, he enjoys listening to music and watching football. Amosun says “when I want to unwind, I spend quality time with my family, I enjoy good music, and I also attend social functions.”
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