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People Reveals His 69 Year Story
In
the next few days, the Oyo State governor, Senator Biola Ajimobi will be 69.
Below is the story of the illustrious Ibadan son that was crowned the Aare
Atunluse of Ibadanland 5 years ago.
Tajudeen,
where is Isiaka?” Alhaji Ganiyu Ajao Ajimobi asked his young nephew one breezy
evening in 1956. “He’s on his way, sir:’
Tajudeen replied.
“He
will be here shortly” Business is a bit slack that evening for Alhaji Ajimobi,
a merchant, and he elected to seize the opportunity to counsel his son, Isiaka
Abiola Adeyemi and Tajudeen. “Good evening sir:’ Isiaka said and prostrated as
he arrived the shop. “Welcome:’ replied
Alhaji Ajimobi.
“Start
reading this newspaper aloud to me:’ Alhaji said as he handed it to Isiaka and
Tajudeen. “Out of the two of you, one
will become a leader in future, so cultivate the habit of reading newspapers.
It will keep you abreast of happenings and help you in deciding what steps to
take:’ he added.
Alhaji
Ajao Ajimobi, who would go on to become a councillor in the old Ibadan
Municipal Local Government, a mem- ber of the House of Assembly during the
tenure of the late Chief Bola Ige as Oyo State Governor and later Adviser on
Political Affairs to the late Cicero of Esa Oke, correctly foretold the future
of his son. Young Abiola, nicknamed ‘Archipelago by his friends and who had
always told them he would reform and rebuild Oyo State, started fulfilling that
destiny 47 years later. In 2003, he became a Senator of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria. But that was only the beginning. He had spent years preparing for the
onerous task -governing Oyo State- ahead of him. He had his elementary
education at St. Patrick Primary School and ICC Primary School, Ibadan and his
secondary education at Lagelu Grammar School.
He
later proceeded to the United States of America where he attended the State
University, New York and the Gover nor’s State University, Park Forest,
Illinois. He graduated with B.Sc. (Honours) in Business Administration and
Finance and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Operations
Research and Marketing, respectively. He returned to Nigeria in 1977 and joined
the management of Industrial Consulting firm as a Senior Consultant. He,
thereafter, worked briefly with Modulor Group as the Finance and Administration
Controller before joining Nestle Foods PLC as the Operations Controller and
later as Marketing Controller.
In
1979, he joined National Oil and Chemical Marketing Company as the Consumer
Products Manager and rose rapidly through the ranks to become the Chief
Executive Officer in 2001. In 2003, he voluntarily retired after 26 years of
meritorious service in the oil and gas industry. In 2007, he contested for and was believed to
have won the gubernatorial election in Oyo State under the umbrella of the All
Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) but like most of his peers in the opposition
parties, he was denied his mandate.
It
was this desire that propelled him to join the April 2011 gubernatorial race
under the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and with popular
mandate of the people, he emerged victorious and was inaugurated as the Gover-
nor of Oyo State on May 29, 2011.
Less
than two years in the saddle, Senator Ajimobi’s revolutionary approach to
governance has earned him plaudits. His Restoration, Repositioning and
Transformation agenda is on course; even the blind see his remarkable
achievements!
Ranked
by a United Nations Development Programme report in 2008 as the second dirtiest
state capital after Aba, Abia State, Ibadan’s story has changed, literally,
overnight. Its present cleanliness is a sight to behold. As reward for his
untiring efforts, the Olubadan-in-Council decided to create a new line of
honorary title for him. It has never happened before in the annals of the
historical city. Alhaji Ajao Ajimobi,
the prophet who correctly foretold the greatness of his son, must be smiling in
heaven.
This
standard exchange always elicited uproarious laughter from grown - ups. The
young boy always made sure to stress every syllable in his name. He was
possessed of a confidence that belied his years. That young boy was Isiaka
Abiola Adeyemi Ajimobi, scion of Alhaji Ganiyu Ajimobi, the popular merchant
from the household (Agbo-Ile) of Ajimobiin Oja’ba, Ibadan.
Recalling
those halcyon days, some six decades ago, when the toddling Ajimobi was barely
three, nonagenarian Alhaji Wahab Atanda-Esun, maternal uncle of His Excellency,
Sen. Abiola Ajimobi remembers a quick-witted, inquisitive and precocious child.
Flashes of brilliance were also discernible to his first cousin, Alhaji
Tajudeen Ajimobi. “Isiaka was very remarkable as a young lad:’ he told us in
his Wakajaye residence in Ibadan. “He had always taken himself and his dreams
very seriously:’ He recalls that young Isiaka had been so struck by the aura of
awe and majesty that was on display during the Royal Visit of Queen Elizabeth
in 1956 that he started calling himself “Oko- Queen’ - husband of the Queen!”
Even
in the midst of a student population raised on a daily staple of excellence,
young Isiaka Ajimobi stood out. Well-favoured in stature and health, his school
contemporaries fondly recall that he was “very handsome, athletic and
charismatic:’ “He was a complete gentle-boy, if I may use that term. Very
vocal, yes, but he would stop short at proving a point with an exchange of
blows. He would never engage in fisticuffs or raise his hand to anyone:’
remarked Chief (Dr) Harry Taiwo Ladapo, the Basorun Baasegun of Ibadanland and
childhood friend of the governor. “He had taste. Even way back then, he had
class:’ he said.
Founded
in 1958 by the Ibadan City Council through the superlative efforts of the
present Olubadan, Oba Samuel Odulana, then a senior federal officer and rising
chief of Ibadan, the pioneer principal of Lagelu Grammar School was Chief Ayo
Labiyi, who led a team of brilliant and dedicated faculty among whom were the
late Alhaji Lam Adesina, (former Governor of Oyo State), Chief Osuntoki and Mrs
Sade Ojutalayo. The battle-cry from Chief Labiyi was “Sem- per Optimum:’ Latin
for “Always the Best:’ the school’s motto. This battle-cry must have been
repeated a tad too often, (fortunately for these boys) for they evidently must
have gone on to believe it, resulting, more than five decades later in a crop
of super-achievers in various fields like Medicine, Engineering, Industry, Oil
and Gas and so on.
Young
Abiola Ajimobi must also have taken quite a sizeable dose of this excellence
indoctrination, as he marched out of the school in 1968 with one of the best
results, which easily won him a place in the State University of New York. It
was also this pursuit of excellence that saw him rise rapidly through the ranks
to become the M.D. of National Oil with one
of the best career records in the nation’s Oil and Gas industry. He
retired from National Oil after twenty-six years, and following in the
footsteps of his grandfather, uncle and father before him, he entered into
politics.
In
2003, he was elected a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was the
Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate, one of the principal officers in the
Upper Legislative Chamber. During his days in the Senate, precisely in 2005, he
established the first and largest FREE VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE in Oyo State,
offering training in computer engineering, computer operations and telephone
engineering. The centre has to date turned out over 15,000 graduands who have
either gained employment in different sectors of the economy or are
self-employed.
The
Centre has been recognized and certified both as a partner and training outfit
by the Industrial Training Fund, an agency of the Federal Government. In 2007,
he contested for and was believed to have won the gubernatorial election in Oyo
State under the umbrella of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) but like most
of his peers in the opposition parties, he was denied his mandate.
It
was this desire that propelled him to join the April 2011 gubernatorial race
under the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and with popular
mandate of the people, he emerged victorious and was inaugurated as the Gover-
. nor of Oyo State on May 29, 2011.
Husband,
Father and Grandfather, his journey so far has been humbly supported by his
GIFT OF NATURE of over 30 years, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi and his
children-Abisola, Abimbola, Ajibola, Abolaji and Ajijola.
Service
is the middle name of the Ajimobis, one of the earliest families that settled
in Ibadan. From their compound at S1/65 and 66, Oja’ba, living and departed
members of this family have continued to make positive impact on the lives of
people.
Though
many may be surprised by the strides of Governor Abiola Ajimobi, the architect
of modern Oyo State, those acquainted with his illustrious forebears know that
he is only carrying on a family tradition.
Politics
may be a source of personal aggrandizement to some, but it is not so with the
Ajimobis. While Senator Ajimobi’s grandfather was Sobaloju of Ibadanland, his
uncle, the late Alhaji Lasisi Ajimobi led the family into full time poli-
ticking. The colourful politician, who died at the young age of 45, however
wrote his name in gold before he passed on.
He
was a Minister in the Western Region and competently handled the Works and
Housing Ministry before moving over to the Ministry of Economic Planning and
Development. He served his two principals, the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and
Chief S.L. Akintola meritoriously. Alhaji Ajao, Senator Ajimobi’s father,
carried on the tradition as an exemplary in public service. Starting from the
lowest rung; being a Councillor, Alhaji Ajao would eventually rise to become a
member of the House of Assembly and Adviser on Political Affairs.
When
he became a Senator in 2003, though not a member of the executive arm of
government that has the power to execute projects, Ajimobi embarked on the
empowerment of people through various intervention programmes. One of his
enduring legacies till date is the free vocational training Centre he
established in Oke Odo in 2005.
The
Centre offers training in computer engineering, computer operations and
telephone engineering and has turned out over 15,000 graduates who have either
grand employment in different sectors of the economy or are self-employed.
Even
after he was rigged out of serving the people when he first aspired to the
governorship seat in 2007, Ajimobi did not shut the centre. It continues to
flourish The centre has been recognized and certified both as a partner and
training outfit by the Industrial Training Fund, an agency of the Federal
Government.
The
exploits of Senator Ajimobi in transforming the state since he became Governor
is in keeping with the inherent service in his blood.
Senator
Ajimobi derives his essence from being useful to the people. The numerous
projects he has undertaken since he came on board speak for him. There is
virtually no area that he has not touched with outstanding results. Health
education, transportation, sports, agriculture, community development and the
staggering infrastructure development, beautification of the environment and
security are some of the areas the Ajimobi administration has reformed,
restored and rebuilt.
That
the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odugade Odulana and his chiefs
deemed the Governor worthy the unique title of Are Atunluse in 2013 is fitting.
He merits and it can only spur him to do more. After all, service is in his
blood.
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