Connect with us

News

Behold the new Olubadan-elect

Published

on

Senator Lekan Balogun, the Olubadan elect
Share

Ten of the 11 members of the Olubadan-in-Council on Wednesday endorsed the nomination of Senator Lekan Balogun as the next Olubadan of Ibadanland.
The Council also denied that a legal tussle could scupper the succession to the Olubadan throne.

Here are things to know about the new Olubadan-elect of Ibadanland, the 79-year-old Dr Lekan Balogun

After his primary school education, young Lekan was enrolled at CAC Modern School, Anlugbua.

Then he was staying with one of his brothers, Late Hamzat Adewale Balogun, who was a civil servant but was studying privately for the General Certificate of Education, Ordinary Level (GCE O’L). He was also subscribing to Rapid Result College in the UK to enhance his performance in the examination.

But Lekan was secretly reading his brother’s correspondence which became very helpful to him when he wrote his qualifying test which was like ‘G4’ at the time.

While in the second year of the three-year modern school programme, Lekan sat for the Qualifying Examination and passed.

Therefore, he left school without completing the programme.

For his undergraduate programme, he enjoyed university scholarship while his post-graduate studies were sponsored by the Social Science Research Council. He returned to Nigeria and took up an appointment with Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.

He travelled to the UK where he studied for his O and A levels certificates while doing a part-time job to sustain himself- all under 18 years of age.

A highly cerebral student, gaining admission into the university was not a problem for him. In fact, he had the task of choosing from many offers after which he settled for Brunel University.

He left the university in 1973 with a Masters degree in Administration and Economics.

He holds a Doctorate, Master’s and Bachelor’s Degrees in Public Administration; Public and Social Administration and Economics from Columbus International University, Brunel University and Manchester University all in the United Kingdom.

He was once a Research Fellow with the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; a Director with Triumph Newspaper, Kano; Editor of the monthly Magazine – “The Nigerian Pathfinder” as well as Management Consultant for Multinational Organizations such as Leyland, Exiat Battery and Nigerian Breweries.

He’s a renowned technocrat, author and philanthropist.

Senator Lekan Balogun sits on the Board of several companies with interests in Oil and Gas, Distributive Trade, Management Consulting, Mechanized Farming and Export of non-oil items as well as Travels and Tourism.

Erstwhile Administrator/Head, Industrial Relations, Recruitment and Scholarships, Planning and Development at Shell Petroleum Development Company.

He was a former Presidential Aspirant on the platform of SDP.

Senator Balogun was also a Gubernatorial Candidate for the PDP in Oyo State in the present political dispensation and a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the Fourth Republic.

He was chairman Senate Committee on National Planning and was a member to many Senate committees such as Appropriations, Security and Intelligence, Police Affairs and Defence (Army).

He has written and published widely. Many of his publications include but not limited to; A Review of Nigeria’s 4 years’ Development Plan, 1970-1974; Nigeria: Social Justice or Doom; Power for Sale: published in ; Arrogance of Power; Nigeria.

He had a stint with the Lamberth Local Government Social Services Department where he worked for one and a half years after which his academic inclination took the better of him and he enrolled for his PhD.

Lekan’s outstanding academic performance did not go unnoticed.

· In 1973, he resumed as a research fellow at ABU Centre for Social and Economic Research.

He also had the option of working as a lecturer at the University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University but he chose ABU instead because of the desire to relate with other people away from his birth place and to know their cultures and traditions.

Young and energetic, it did not take him long to tender his resignation letter at ABU Having been employed as a positive research fellow to write papers for the government and highlight how well it was doing instead of normative research whereby he would be engaged in writing what government ought to do, he felt the idea of “ praise singing” government’s programmes negated his ideological principle which is of the progressive-leaning.

He later took up an appointment with Shell British Petroleum Company where he had a very flourishing career and got promoted almost every year until he became the Head of Recruitment.

This bright prospect notwithstanding, Lekan didn’t stay too long in the company. Again, his ideological conviction was being challenged. His job, he thought, was not in consonance with his beliefs.

He was no longer comfortable with a situation whereby as a member of management, he was saying ‘no’ to most of the workers’ demands and using his intellectual prowess to deny workers of what he considered to be their rights.

In a book: The Portrait of an Activist, a biography of Lekan Balogun, it was recorded that “by working against Nigerian workers, those he was supposed to be championing their cause was simply against his conscience and not minding the prospects of his reaching the zenith in the company, he abruptly called it quits. ”

In the UK, he developed the white-black consciousness which crystallised into activism and the struggle for human rights.

To give vent to his passion, he joined the leftist Marxist movement. Thus, he not only rejected the racist tendencies of the White but racism – whether it was black or white because he was aware that though everyone in his country was black, yet some black people were oppressors of their fellow blacks.

He plunged into the murky waters of politics in 1978 when he joined the PRP of late Aminu Kano.
· His charisma, honesty and gallantry soon saw him climbing the political ladder with ease and grace that eventually accorded him the respect and recognition of the political overlords of Oyo State.

Within a short period, he had made his mark as an astute politician, activist and champion of downtrodden masses. He later became the gubernatorial candidate of one of the major political parties in the country, the Nigerian People’s Party (NPP) of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.

The military coup of December 1983 kept him and other political giants in the cooler for 16 years. He later re-emerged on the political scene with his election as a distinguished senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1999.

As Senator Lekan Balogun rose in politics, he continued to rise in the traditional hierarchy of Ibadanland, culminating in his present position as the Olubadan elect of Ibadanland.

His younger brother, Senator Kola Balogun is the Senator representing Oyo South Senatorial district.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Constituency Projects: Oyebanji Joins Senate Leader On Tour Of Project Sites in Ekiti

Published

on

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji and Senate Leader, Sen. Michael Opeyemi Bamidele
Share

 

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji has commended the members of the State Caucus in the National Assembly for their dedication to the advancement of development in the State.

The Governor praised their efforts in initiating constituency projects that directly tackle pressing needs and improve the lives of citizens.

Oyebanji gave the commendation in Ado-Ekiti, the State Capital on Tuesday when he joined the Senator representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District and Leader of the Senate, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, on a tour of his constituency projects spanning various local government areas within the senatorial district.

The Governor said he is delighted at the remarkable partnership between the state government and National Assembly members, which according to him is now yielding positive results for the people of the state.

He explained that the projects are testimonials to what is possible when there is unity of purpose between the Executive and the legislative arms of government, commending Senator Bamidele’s commitment to grassroots development, dedication to service, and relentless pursuit of initiatives that directly impact the people.

While expressing his gratitude to Senator Bamidele, the Governor lauded the Senate Leader’s proactive approach to governance and his ability to mobilize resources to effectively implement impactful projects that uplift the socio-economic status of the people.

Governor Oyebanji reiterated his administration’s support for the projects and pledged continued collaboration with National Assembly members to advance sustainable development in the state, adding that he was confident that with the Senator’s visionary leadership and collective efforts of all stakeholders, Ekiti would continue to experience greater strides in development and prosperity.

“I am excited, happy and extremely grateful to God for this partnership that is working in the interest of Ekiti people, like the Senate Leader said, this is what we have when there is unity of purpose and collective ownership of vision to develop the state. A vision to run with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President, and this tells me that I need to dig deeper in ensuring that there is continuous unity among the stakeholders in the National Assembly, “ the Governor said.

Earlier in his remarks, Senator Bamidele who thanked the Governor for his support and cooperation in realizing various development projects, said the purpose of the inspection is to assess the progress and impact of the projects across his constituency.

The Senate Leader, while emphasizing the significance of teamwork between the executive and legislative arms in driving positive change and progress in the state, restated his commitment to representing the interests of Ekiti people and working closely with the state government to address the people’s needs.

Senator Bamidele attributed various development projects in the state to purposeful and exemplary leadership provided by the Governor and assured the people that he would continue to work tirelessly to ensure the advancement of the interests of the people and promote development within the state.

“Part of the reason why this is going on is because am at peace with myself, am at peace with the state government and I don’t have any reason to want to isolate myself from what the state government is doing and we thank God Almighty”. He asserted.

Projects inspected included EKSU internal roads and the newly built medical student’s hostels, the newly built state Library in Ado Ekiti, the Mini stadium and sports complex in Erijiyan Ekiti, Intensive Care Unit and Amenities Center at Aramoko General Hospital, Ijero township road, newly built Iyin Ekiti General Hospital Intensive care Unit and Amenities Center, Iyin – Ilawe road, among others.

 

Continue Reading

News

Infrastructure: FG Approves Dualisation of Ado-Ikare Road – Bamidele

Published

on

Senate Leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele
Share

After three decades of outright neglect, the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele has revealed that the federal government has approved the dualistion of Ado-Ekiti-Ikere-Akoko road, a 31-kilometre highway that connects Ekiti State to Federal Capital Territory through Ondo, Edo and Kogi States.

The highway, according to the senate leader, was equally captured in the 2024 Appropriation Act purely enacted to implement strategic infrastructure projects that will create limitless opportunities for Nigerians across 36 states of the federation.

He spoke about the road reconstruction during a feedback session with one of the country’s foremost legal icons and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola on Monday.

The Ado-Ekiti-Ikere-Akoko, one of the 12 federal roads connecting Ekiti State to Kogi, Kwara, Ondo and Osun States, has suffered neglect even before democratic transition in 1999.

With Bamidele’s intervention, however, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the dualisation of the road considering its strategic significance to Ekiti and other states directly and indirectly bordering it.

Other federal roads that connect Ekiti to Kogi, Kwara, Ondo and Osun are still deplorable and dilapidated, seriously begging for the attention of the federal and state governments.

Among others, the roads include Ifaki-Otun road, Ifaki-Ilasa-Omuo road, Ado-Ikere road, Ado-Ijan-Ikare road, Ado-Iyin-Aramoko road, Aramoko-Efon-Ijebu Jesa road, Efon-Iwaraja and Otun-Erinmope-Odo Owa road.

At the session on Monday, Bamidele revealed that the dualisation of the Ado-Ekiti-Ikare-Akoko road was captured in the 2024 Appropriation Act and its reconstruction would commence before the end of this financial year.

He explained that the reason for the dualisation of the road “is due to the volume of traffic on this inter-state highway that connects Ekiti to Abuja through Ondo, Edo and Kogi States. It is a decision taken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Aside, it is not only that the road was captured in the 2024 Appropriation Act. The Honourable Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi has identified it to the management and staff of the Federal Ministry of Works as a priority federal road, whose reconstruction must take off this fiscal year.

“The federal government has already commenced the design of the road because what was decided was that the road should be dualised from Ejigbo in Ado Ekiti up till 31 kilometres to Ikare Akoko. We will continue from there as a single lane.

“The reason for dualisation is due to the volume of traffic on this corridor. When fully executed, the road will stand the test of time. This was a decision taken not just by the minister, but also by the president, who has tremendous respect for you.”

Bamidele, also, recounted how thousands of students of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti trooped out on Monday to protest the deplorable condition of the Ado-Ekiti-Ikare-Akoko road.
Sadly enough, according to the senate leader, the protesting students did not know the federal government had already awarded the contract to dualise the 31-kilometre road.

In his response, Babalola expressed delight about the dualisation of the Ado-Ekiti-Ikare-Akoko road, noting that the news of its reconstruction was the news of the year to him.

He said the news about the dualisation of the primary road directly connecting ABUAD with other parts of the federation “is the news of the year to me in particular and Ekiti people in general.”

Babalola also spoke about the state of Ekiti Airport, lamenting how the airport was inaugurated before former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi completed his second term.

Since the inauguration of the airport project, however, the legal icon observed that no plane had land there due to the failure of Fayemi’s administration to complete the project.

He said: “I am currently financing the completion of the abandoned airport. The airport was inaugurated, but no plane can land there. I am currently financing the airport project to make it functional.”

He, therefore, urged the senate leader to support Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, noting that both of them “are absolutely committed to the development of Ekiti State.”

 

Continue Reading

News

FEC Approves N75bn Nigerian Youth Investment Fund Restructuring

Published

on

President Bola Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Share

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved restructuring the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund with additional provisions for it.

This was revealed by the minister of youth development, Jemila Bio Ibrahim after a meeting of the council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday.

She said the N75 billion fund, which was originally established in 2020, will now be institutionalized.

According to her, it will receive N25 billion from the 2024 supplementary appropriation while the central bank of Nigeria will release additional N60 billion to it.

She said: “Secondly, the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund, initially established in 2020, has been restructured and institutionalized through a legal framework.

“The fund, initially set at ₦75 billion, will now receive ₦25 billion from the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Act and an additional ₦25 billion from the 2024 Appropriation Act. Additionally, ₦60 billion will be released from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s SME Investment Fund, focusing on agricultural investments. “These measures aim to support young businesses and stimulate economic growth.”

Jamila also said that FEC approved the institutionalization of a 2% youth quota in all government appointments and women representation of 30%.

“I’m delighted to brief the gentleman and women of the press that we have received Council’s approval to institutionalize a 2% youth quota, a third percent representation of young people in all government appointments and an equitable young women representation inclusive of this 30%,” she said.

According to her, it will go a long way in addressing “the long marginalization and exclusion of young people in decision making, and will also go a long way to encourage young people to participate in decision making processes and in civic engagements.”

 

 

Continue Reading