By: Bolaji Adeniji
For close watchers of Ogun State politics, it is the season of the unusual. In the history of public governance, the gateway state has always provided a fulcrum for conversation in terms of leadership.
It is a state of many firsts and undoubtedly, its political forebears have put her on a pedestal whereby it will amount to self-immolation, if any man finds himself by the people’s choice, in public office and you do not carry aloft the torch of performance and even surpass the set standards.
The enigma from Ikenne Remo, late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, readily stands as a totem of emulation when it comes to using the people’s resources to work for the people. The pillars and benchmarks for public office in the southwest of Nigeria today – have their foundation in the almost un-replicable performance of the Awolowo-led administration of Nigeria’s Western Region in the second and third republics; such that most of the monuments stand tall today as signposts of measurement.
At national and subnational levels, the Awolowo standards (deliberately adopted by this writer for the purpose of this narrative later on) are irrefutable; as they embody the ideals of socialism, welfarism, progressivism and people-centric development. These enunciated ideals are in seamless alignment with the purpose of government as defined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which states in Chapter 2, section 14(2)(b), that “The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”.
Few leaders at executive levels periodically strive to ensure that the people get the dividends of democracy even though political leadership have largely failed the people; hence the cynicism and distrust between the leaders and the led. Nonetheless, few in this category have stood tall in terms of leaving enduring legacies in infrastructural growth, human capital development, empowerment of the citizenry and economic renaissance.
Within the context of the foregoing, the role of a legislator and the value they add to public office is perfunctorily restricted to the narrow confines of law-making and oversight functions. The gold standards certify a good legislator by the brilliance of law-making, bill proposals, sound positions on national conversations and being an ideologue of democratic beliefs.
This normative role of a legislator is already changing as the Chairman Senate committee of appropriation, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola is altering the paradigm. With a combined twenty-two years parliamentary sojourn at the state and federal levels, it is not a surprise that he is a unique legislator in the national assembly. His superintendence of the rigorous and intellectually-tasking public accounts and appropriation committees at the House of Representatives and Senate respectively, depict his essence as a quintessential legislator who combines brain with grit to enhance the task of nation building.
An attempt to regale the reader with the volumes of self-sponsored bills that became acts of parliament or even contribution to third party bills – will be a digression extraordinaire in terms of volume. In the 9th and 10th Assembly, every major achievement of the Senate has the imprimatur of Senator Olamilekan Adeola. These are supported with facts that are unimpeachable and evidences that are empirical.
Beyond the spectre of legislative excellence, the senator has opened a peculiar model in leadership and raised the bar of public office performance in an unprecedented fashion. Upon being sworn in as a member of the 10th senate, Senator Adeola, with the sobriquet ‘YAYI’, decided early on that he was going to give a new meaning to legislative representation in terms of enhancing the value of his constituents. Giving fillip to his covenant with the people of Ogun West senatorial district that had endured years of social deprivation, economic redundancy and infrastructural neglect, YAYI hit the ground running with an unabashed implementation of his legislative agenda called FECSTEP being – Functional Office, Engagements, Cooperation, Scholarship, Targeted Bills, Empowerment and Projects Facilitation.
Seventeen months into his current term, Senator Adeola’s multifaceted intervention in the enumerated sectors opened a new vista of performance indicator for public office holders. His constituency office remains one of the most functional in the nation today; supervising and implementing all his ideas and projects. In terms of engagement and cooperation, YAYI created a seamless feedback mechanism and needs-assessment process for his constituents and that made it become possible for their requests to be met with utmost swiftness. When it comes to targeted bills, the senator is an exemplary voice both in numbers and pedigree of bills proposed and passed into law.
The YAYI Scholarship system, borne out of his passion for education, has become a reference point for those who wish to embark on such endeavour in future. First off, he set up a scholarship management board peopled with persons of integrity to run the process right from criterion setting, eligibility, collation and disbursement. As at the end of fourth quarter 2024, 2,000 indigent students of Ogun West origin have benefitted from the scheme while 4,000 have been shortlisted to benefit for the 2025 academic year. This is unprecedented in terms of volume. Today, many low income families in the Yewa-Awori land now have relief on the educational expenditure on their children. The YAYI Scholarship scheme thus serves as a salutary complement to the Federal Government student loan scheme propelled by NELFUND.
What separates YAYI and makes him a beacon among his contemporaries is what I describe as the ‘Audacity of Effort’; when we venture into the empowerment and project facilitation planks of his legislative agenda. Senator Adeola’s empowerment scheme has recorded the largest beneficiaries in the history of politics in Ogun State and most likely at par with the best around the country. Artisans, entrepreneurs and SMEs within the district have enjoyed the benefit of professional training and tools support for their businesses; that is in addition to funds supports and grants to farmers. Skills acquisition in different areas remains a recurring programme of his constituency office while the beneficiaries get empowered with working tools and startup capital.
YAYI continues to elevate public performance with the humongous projects he has facilitated across the five local governments of Ogun West. Within the time under consideration, several decrepit community and township roads have been renovated or constructed, which has eased shuttling within the district and aided trade also. The senator’s untrammeled commitment to education can be seen in the sheer volume of freshly constructed blocks of classrooms in several schools in each LG. Added to this is the renovation of dilapidated ones equipped with furniture and instructional materials across the district.
A certain community leader in Ejila-Awori area of Ado-odo/Ota Local Government, Mr. Micheal Whesu was super excited at the construction of a primary healthcare center in his environment. According to him, “We lacked healthcare facility in this community for long and our people had to travel to Igbesa to access basic treatment. Now we are relieved that the senator came to our help”. Whesu’s reference is the experience of many communities across the LGAs that have freshly constructed and equipped primary healthcare centers dotting their environment. These effort added to what the state government is doing, have closed the gap in healthcare provision. Furthermore, via the YAYI Foundation, he has provided medical items and support programs that considerably enhanced healthcare delivery in the area.
The commitment to empowerment and facilitation of projects has been described as an uncommon feat by a legislator. Whereas, such initiative are extra-legislative effort, the passion for seeing his people live a better life is already redefining the concept of public office altogether. Making an external inference, section 128 of the standing order of the United State senate is apt on this and reads in part, ‘‘A public office is a public trust which signifies that the officer has been entrusted with public power by the people; that the officer holds this power in trust to be used only for their benefit and never for the benefit of himself or of a few”. YAYI has faithfully subscribed to this definition of public office and ensured that the maximum benefit derivable from his present office is passed on to the people without hold.
This selfless attitude is reminiscence of the Awolowo experience. The late sage thought only about the people and every resource was dedicated to projects and programmes that directly enhanced the dignity of the citizenry. With the existential impact of the senator, the people of Ogun State in general can imagine the spectacle that awaits them and the shinning possibilities if YAYI is entrusted with executive powers. As at today, Ogun West is fast becoming the centre of political dialogue and of course, YAYI is the fulcrum for that preeminence – which is fast giving hope to the people that the ultimate ascendancy may be at hand.
Henry David Thoreau once said, “I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate himself by a conscious endeavor”. Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola has chosen a noble endeavor of good service to his people and in due course, his model of service – will be a template for emulation. Many are already beckoning on him for higher service, but for now, the people of Ogun West can continue to savour the goodies so lavishly afforded them by the parliamentarian per excellence.
Bolaji Adeniji is the Convener, Ogun West Initiative (OWI)
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