Boss Picks
Why I Should Be Governor of Lagos State – Adetokunbo Pearse, SDP Governorship Candidate
By Eric Elezuo
With most parties beating INEC’s deadline to submit the list of their parties’ candidates for the 2019 general elections, one man and his party seems very certain of wrestling power from the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State. He is Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). In this interview, the don revealed his mastercard to silence the ‘big’ parties and candidates. Excerpts:
May we please know you?
I am Adetokunbo Pierce, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party for Lagos State.
That’s a huge one, just one more step to becoming the governor of Lagos State. How does that make you feel?
I have always had ideas of what I think Lagos should be; what elected officials should do and how they should behave; improve and construct infrastructures to make Lagos a better state, not just in Nigeria but in the world. Much as I am not overtly ambitious to make it a do or die affair, I believe that the truth will prevail and if I am the one to make the life of Lagosians better, then I will get into office.
As you have gained the ticket to run for SDP, what are your antecedents? What credentials do you have to present to the people of Lagos State?
I’m coming from the academic background. I am an intellectual I have been a teacher for 35 years now; 20 years teaching in the American university, about 12 years teaching at the University of Lagos, and before, then I was in the administrative arm as Secretary to the Admission Committee at the Bayero University, Kano.
I have also been involved in many political endeavours both in the US and here in Nigeria. For instance, I was a Political Consultant to former President George Bush Jnr. In the same vein, I was political consultant to Senator Hillary Clinton when she was running for the Senate. In 2004, I also ran for Congress in Brooklyn District 11 in New York. So I have quite a number of experiences and a pile of work done.
I returned to Nigeria to support my good friend, Funso Williams in his governorship bid but then unfortunately, two weeks after my return he was killed. It was then that Chief Bode George invited, and told me that he knows all the good work I have done in the United States and wanted me to support him. I was with Mrs Funso Williams as her campaign manager; she was then the preferred candidate at the time. So, we went for the primaries and Mrs. Williams won and we had been told then in PDP that if a candidate wins by simple majority, he/she has won. When Mrs. Williams won they said there was going to be a run-off between her and the person who came second. We went into that one again and she won. Mrs. Williams read her speech, she was heard by all and sundry, the media carried it and some days later we heard the election had been overturned.
Feeling very cheated, many of us were invited to APC or rather ACN at that time by Bola Ahmed Tinubu who approached us with the argument that we had been cheated in PDP and he was offering us a better platform. That was not really the major reason I went. It was actually because my good friend, Mr. Babatunde Fashola was running for the post of Lagos governor then and I felt here was an opportunity to help someone I know very well. Moreover, Fashola himself had called me and asked me to help with his campaign. He actually told me that Tinubu who was the then governor had told him to go and look for his own people and he called me as I was one of the most experienced persons he could think of, so now I was in ACN with a number of bigwigs; Gbajabiamila (Femi), Tinubu (Bola Ahmed), Mamora (Olurunimbe), Bayo Williams amongst others.
We know you were recently in the PDP, what led to your decision to move to SDP?
At the December 9, 2017 National Convention of the PDP where we were to elect a new national chairman, there was a truckload of problems. Already, in Port Harcourt, Modu-Sheriff had been announced as the chairman and that created fallout and split the party into two because Senator Ahmed Markafi was announced winner also. I took sides with Modu-Sheriff because I felt if this man was to be removed as the Chairman, it must be done democratically. You can’t just wake up and say this man is no longer the Chairman.
Between 2013 and 2014, even early 2015, there was so much acrimony in the party then, the Markafi group were against the Modu-Sheriff group. I was the Publicity Manager for the Modu-Sheriff group in Lagos state and I would go to the media and say things about the Markafi group and the Markafi group would do the same. Then I thought about it, this cannot be healthy for the party and if this continues, we would all sink. And we were so divided, so weak that during the 2015 election, the fabrication called APC was able to defeat us.
Now, after the Supreme Court injunction which recognized Markafi as the chairman and gave him power, I thought now this feud is over, let us all line up beside Markafi and support him but the Markafi group were not dignified in victory, and began to punish everyone from the Modu-Sheriff group. At that point, I said I was not going to support anybody, I would go back to being a Political analyst.
Then we were going to have the election for National Chairman and I felt that this could integrate us back together. I was the Spokesperson for Tunde Adeniran who was then contesting for the position of national chairman. So, there was a meeting and it was stated that the Chairman should come from the South, we from the South then had a meeting and in that meeting we felt that the chairman should come from the South-West because South-South had just been president and national chairman but Governor Wike of Rivers state disagreed and said it was going to be from the South-South and it was going to be Secondus (Uche). We had the national convention and Secondus emerged after a crude and unfair electoral process.
We then went to them and said we have run a good race, we have done our best, now please give us a role to play but Wike and Secondus said no, South-West has not contributed anything to the growth of the party and we could go to blazes. So, Jerry Gana and Adeniran, the founding fathers of the party decided it was time to leave and I felt if my leaders are leaving, what would I be doing, hence I came to the Social Democratic Party and I have not regretted that decision ever since.
Here is a party built on the ideology of democracy, committed to building and growing a new and formidable Nigeria in all ramifications.
Okay Sir! Returning to Lagos state, how do you and your party, the SDP plan to wrestle power from the incumbent APC and the major opposition, the PDP?
First of all, the reason why the PDP has not been able to win governorship elections in Lagos state, going to 20 years now is because of the disunity in the party, the imposition of candidate and the lack of communication between the national leaders and the state chapter. All these things are absent in the SDP, we are a united party and there is fellowship and brotherhood and because of all this we are hopeful of emerging victorious.
As for the APC, the reason we are going to defeat them is because they have failed at the national and state levels. Even the party itself has come out to say its current governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode is a failure, very myopic, short-sighted and vindictive, and the people are looking for a change which is myself and the Social Democratic Party, and we are coming with great vision for social welfare, free education, free healthcare, affordable housing, mass transportation and we are going to argue with the Federal Government on devolution of power; that the state must have control over its natural resources. You cannot take money from here and use it to develop other areas where the leaders are not ready for development. What that does is create loss of confidence in state’s ability to work for itself.
Ondo state is a good example; with the third largest deposit of bitumen in the world but they cannot touch it. I remember listening to Governor Segun Mimiko some years back complaining bitterly about it; it makes no sense. When I get there, I would get the other governors to see things from this angle and we would raise our voice against the Federal Government.
Also, the extravagance of APC governors where they spend lavishly and live like emperors would stop; we would fight against that kind of attitude. It would be more money for the people and more money for investment.
It has been said that Tinubu exerts a lot of influence in Lagos State and his influence even goes to the grassroots with structures to garner support, even to asking a sitting governor to step down. How can you match that?
Point of correction, influence in APC not in Lagos State and he can ask a sitting governor to step down because he belongs to his party and he is his puppet. Now, he has brought Sanwo-Olu who I called Sanwo-Bola because he has come as a puppet to serve Tinubu, so Tinubu’s power is just in his party. If Tinubu was so strong, how come Jimi Agbaje with a divided PDP at that time almost defeated Ambode. You would find out that all their candidates are always weak and vulnerable and when they face a united SDP, they will crumble.
Tinubu and his party are not as strong as they seem, look at Ekiti State, inconclusive same as Osun State before they finally did their rigging and malpractice to win. So, a party with all the federal power and still struggling to get the people’s backing says a lot. If they come to Lagos State, they will fail and falter. People are tired of the congestion and gridlocks on the road because the governor cannot say to the Federal Government we do not want all these trucks on our road. People are tired of living in houses that are worse than what people lived in 50 years ago. People want a situation where the said change is obvious and imminent. Tinubu is not going to win the election with all his rigging and evil machinations because 2019 is going to be the voice of the people. Since Fashola left, the party has been failing, look at the roads, no attention to sanitation. Think of the tollgates, for example, the one at Lekki, the fee is ridiculous. If you forget something at home and you have to go back, you would be spending about a thousand naira, that is unfair and a crime against humanity. What of those earning 30,000 naira or below? And even if you must collect that much money, there must be a social consciousness to help those who cannot afford that much.
I understand that these days the commissioners cannot sign a cheque of 5million naira, who is signing it then? The governor or an autocrat? These are some of the things that must change, so at SDP, we are promising to change the change. Who told you that you have more knowledge than the commissioner for housing? My commissioners are going to be real commissioners not somebody’s puppet and you would live in your own house. Jakande lived in his own house; no one is buying any house for you. I would live in my own house so these monies can be channeled into something more productive.
What of all the quarters meant for them?
We would find a way to turn it into income yielding for the state. The key we are going to follow is no wastage. If you are travelling, no first class, you go by coach. Money must be used for something responsible and useful, things that the public can see.
With SDP being a relatively new party, how do you plan to muster enough voter education to get people to know about your party and vote for you?
It is not really a new party, it was the party of MKO Abiola and it has even been there before the PDP, so we are just coming in from the PDP to reinvigorate and re-energize the party. It is not a new party; it was even the party of Ahmed Tinubu at one point, so it is a big party. We have structures in 185 wards out of the 200 plus in the state, so we are on ground with officials in every local government and we have people running in varied offices.
Another point of interest is the Presidential candidate the SDP is presenting. A man known for decency, performance and achievement; a man whose track record is difficult to match – Dr. Donald Duke. You know with Duke at the centre, my likes of me at the states, life will just return to the fullest for Nigerians. No presidential candidate as we have them today can deliver better than Dr. Donald Duke!
Many people might not be in consonance with the APC at the moment but word has it that your party liaised and supported the APC in the Osun state governorship election. How do you tell people that you want to oust a party that you recently supported?
We did not support them. It was a singular decision by our candidate, Iyiola Omisore to support the APC; we had no hand in it. People will recall that the national chairman, Chief Olu Falaye came out the next day to distance the party from that alignment. Also, I put it to you that the actions of the APC to Omisore were criminally inclined, how can you say if someone supports you, their EFCC problems are over, that they can be above the law, that his passport that had been seized by the EFCC would be returned and he would be given a ticket to the senate. The problem here is not with Omisore but with the APC and this shows you how criminally inclined the party is. The APC has become a refuge for shaddy characters and history will prove us right, and Buhari is the leader, himself a pretentious hypocrite.
This is why when the issue of Adeleke’s school certificate issue came out; because he himself doesn’t have a certificate, he said forget it. We said it from the onset that this is not the person to lead this nation in the right direction. Look at Senator Godswill Akpabio; the moment he left the PDP to join the APC, he becomes a hero. No one is talking of all the money he embezzled in Akwa-Ibom for which he was brought in by the APC led EFCC and then he became the leader of the PDP in Senate after money had exchanged hand and for three years, he said nothing. Even Musiliu Obanikoro; from the moment he went to APC, no more talks of the four billion naira he was accused of stealing, even those accused of murder just switch to the APC and that is the end. These are the things that people know and we are saying 2019 is going to be the time to let the people’s vote count and if that happens, APC is out of the national and state governments, and we can start building our country again.
Who knows this new man they brought for governor? What pedigree does he have? Nobody knows this guy and even his own party has said things about him that disqualify him. My fight is against two-faced people and if you vote for me, my concern is for the grassroots people, the everyday people, the common people and how we can make their life better.
If you get elected, what would be your major area of concentration, what part would receive paramount attention?
Every area is of paramount important. However, it is my wish to create a drainage system so that when it rains, the water will flow into the canals and into the water bodies. Reason being is that with poor road, when it rains, you are in deep trouble of where to pass and where not to and time is money. The drainage is what spoils the road and they have to keep on redoing it, houses become water-logged and collapse because the roads are bad, we would endeavour to eliminate that and make every place neat and free of flood.
We will work on sanitation and create a new and revamped Lagos. Lagos is an island and for me it is wastefulness and foolishness to focus on building bus stops that immediately the rain comes become useless. We have not utilized our water ways effectively and we must work with other states including Ogun and Oyo to make our state a home for all and sundry.
The antidote to poverty is education and UNESCO suggests that 26% of the budget should be on education. The Federal Government of this administration spends as low as 7% on education and that is a crime because you have destroyed the future of the child. We are going to make sure that school becomes so conducive and children are willing to go to school. Our leaders have been so negligent of the plight of the masses and all that must change. How can you be driving in the most expensive vehicles around? You, a civil servant? Those things must change. They said food in school which is just rice and oil. We will train teachers, reconstruct buildings and make all the difference. How can there be no books in schools? We do not teach History. Our curricula are ancient and antique; when we come in, we would engage the Federal Government for a change.
We are prepared to serve and serve the people we will.
Thank you very much for your time.
Thank you
Boss Picks
Massad Boulos: Inside Story of SCOA Nigeria CEO
By Eric Elezuo
Rising to the pinnacle of one’s career is not a mean feat. Becoming the chief executive officer of any organization, let alone a multinational firm, or by implication, a multi-dimensional company, is an achievement worth celebrating. It is even more legendary when the subject is internationally connected and has enduring links with notable figures, especially America’s President-elect, Donald John Trump, and is thriving without an iota scandal. Mr. Massad Boulos, the Chief Executive Officer of SCOA Nigeria, is that one person.
Born a Lebanese in 1971 to a Greek Orthodox family in Kfaraakka, Koura, Boulos has over the years, while growing, and through career trajectory, acquired three more national identities including American, French and Nigerian. These have projected to the category of international personalities, looked upon as fostering world peace and coexistence.
His name, which translates to Paul to the Apostle, in Arabic, betrays his religious inclination, but his close-knitted relationship with Arab Muslims and other Muslims of the world further cements his open minded attitude towards humanity even as he categorically and vigorously campaigned for Former President Trump, who is today the President-Elect, awaiting the coming of January 20 to become the 46th President of the United of America.
While the campaign and election lasted, Boulos prized himself as Trump’s ‘envoy’ to Arab and Muslim Americans, shuttling through the states of Michigan, Arizona and Florida to convince them that Trump is a better candidate, capable of bringing the Israeli/Hamas war to a sudden end. His efforts paid off as Trump won the election with a landslide.
“Our community in Arizona is so big and so important, we can make a difference. We can make sure we get that margin,” he was quoted as saying by Washington Post in August.
He has been a solid ally of Trump since 2018 when his son began to date Trump’s daughter, Tiffany. Both got married in 2022, and in December 2024, Trump, who described him as an ‘accomplished lawyer’, named him his Middle East advisor.
Going down memorylane, The Washington Post in September, captured the origin as follows: “The war, which began 11 months ago after Hamas-led militants carried out a stunning cross-border attack on Israel, has reduced much of Gaza to rubble. The Oct. 7 attack killed about 1,200 people and saw 250 dragged back into Gaza as hostages, according to the Israeli government.
“But months of negotiations mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar have failed to deliver a cease-fire and hostage-release deal. Meanwhile, fewer than half the hostages have returned to Israel alive, while the war has given rise to starvation and disease throughout the enclave.”
A product of a political hegemony as his father and grandfather were prominent politicians, funding the Free Patriotic Front, Boulos however, chose the path of his father-in-law, Michel Zouhair Fadoul, who came into his life much later in existence, and became a truck seller; a profession he committed his very all, and rose to become the Head of its Nigeria axis. That is the SCOA Nigeria; a prolific truck manufacturing and marketing firm.
He however, had political stint as an ally of Michel Aoun’s FPM and represented it in Nigeria, where his business is domiciled.
It was reported that in 2009, the FPM shortlisted him, though by 2018, he was supporting Frangieh’s Marada. Consequently, hia appointment by Trump defines hia capacity to shuttle between both ideological prism, and bring harnessing in Middle East politics.
He said of the Israeli massacre and the subsequent and ongoing war, “Those massacres would not have happened if there was a strong president at the White House. The entire war wouldn’t have happened.
But Trump’s “clear and unequivocal position on this is that he is totally and absolutely against this war… And he’s totally and absolutely against the killing of civilians.”
The Trump Vance team captured his person as follows in a press statement by the Spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, while defending him over an avalanche of ‘fake’ information:
“The truth is Mr. Boulos is a highly respected businessman who has proudly served as the CEO of some of his family’s group of companies based in West Africa for more than 27 years and his family has employed tens of thousands of people around the globe.”
The statement further allocated the following achievements to Boulos:
• Mr. Boulos has degrees in both business and law.
• SCOA Nigeria PLC, a member of the FADOUL Group, is a well-known conglomerate that exclusively represents numerous global brands for decades.
• SCOA and the other family group companies have been very successful in the Nigerian market providing high-end products and specialized services to the largest companies in the country.
• SCOA is also part of the Fadoul Group, which is one of the largest privately-owned family businesses in West and Central Africa with a presence in 10 different countries since its founding in 1966.
• The FADOUL Group employs more than 20,000 hardworking people
• The Boulos and Fadoul family companies have developed into a family group with over $1 Billion USD in value and hundreds of millions in assets.
Soundly educated, Boulos, who moved to Texas as a teenager graduated from University of Houston-Downtown in 1993 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He moved to Nigeria to work for SCOA at the completion of his education.
Today, he is a notable shareholding authority in the conglomerate. Boulos, as a matter of principle, will say much about his Enterprises because he “made a practice of not commenting on his businesses”. He allows entities to make their own various conjectures.
A man of peace and saddled with the responsibility of keeping all and aundry qith arms length, Boulos reportedly has ‘links with Christian politicians and parties in Lebanon, including Suleiman Frangieh and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) both of which are Christian allies of Hezbollah, but maintained talks with opposition parties like the Lebanese Forces, says Wikipedia.
It was therefore, easy to portray Trump as supportive of “global peace” in the 2014 election campaigns.
As a positive identity and credential, Boulos has acted as an intermediary between the Palestinian Authority and its leader, Mahmoud Abbas and Trump.
More recently, she has been a franchisee of Creative Education International (CrEd) Lagos Island. As at 2020, she worked at La Pointe Delicatessen, in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Together they have four children. While one of their son, Michael, is married to Tiffany Trump, daughter of Donald Trump, another son, Fares, is an actor.
Though he would be holding an important position for the American government come January 2025 when the administration of Trump is inaugurated, Boulos, who has undeniable roots in Lebanon had said his time like during the electioneering will be split.between South Florida and Nigeria, where he oversees his family’s billion-dollar conglomerate, SCOA Nigeria.
Boulos is a longtime proponent of the Grand Old Party (GOP), another name for the Republican Party, His support therefore, for Trump is rooted in both politics and family, and so believes in the Trump Vance Transition Team verdict that, “President Trump wants peace and prosperity for all people.
“President Trump will once again deliver peace through strength to rebuild and expand the peace coalition he built in his first term to create long-term safety and security for both the Israeli and Palestinian people.”
The count begins therefore, on January 25 as Trump resumes office.
However, the management of SCOA in a statement titled “Celebrating the Legacy of Massad Boulos Leadership at SCOA Nigeria”, to further project his image, and prove fake narratives wrong, noted as follows:
Recent media criticisms questioning the breadth of experience and business acumen of Mr. Massad Boulos, the incoming Senior Adviser on Arab and Middle East Affairs to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, are not only misguided but also dismissive of the remarkable track record of both the man and the companies he has been instrumental in nurturing.
For instance, SCOA Nigeria PLC, where Mr. Boulos serves as Managing Director/CEO, is far from being just another company. It is a formidable force in Nigeria’s industrial and economic landscape. With roots spanning over four decades, it holds the distinction of being the first European automotive assembly plant in Nigeria.
In the 1970’s, SCOA Nigeria PLC made a name for itself by assembling Peugeot 404 and then 504 pickup trucks at its assembly plant at Apapa, Lagos and service center at its Lapal House facility on Lagos Island. Today, the company continues this proud legacy, assembling, distributing, and marketing M.A.N trucks and buses, power generators, tractors, agricultural equipment, industrial equipment and other heavy-duty construction and mining machinery critical to Nigeria’s key sectors.
SCOA Nigeria PLC’s clients include some of the most prominent and respected names in Nigeria’s construction industry, such as Julius Berger—widely regarded as the nation’s leading construction firm—Lafarge Africa PLC, a major cement producer, the Chagoury Group, renowned for developing the prestigious Banana Island, a premier residential enclave in Lagos, the DANGOTE Group, and many others.
Beyond trucks, SCOA Nigeria PLC is a trusted supplier of concrete, road construction and mining equipment, partnering with leading infrastructure companies to drive Nigeria’s development. For example, Julius Berger relies heavily on SCOA’s equipment for large-scale projects, including the 376km Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway and the 43.6km Lagos-Shagamu stretch of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Abuja-Kano Highway.
Similarly, Hi-Tech Construction, currently working on the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Lagos-Badagry-Sokoto road network, depends significantly on SCOA PLC for the machinery and technology required to execute these ambitious projects, aimed at enhancing connectivity and trade across Nigeria’s southern, central, and northern regions.
Similarly,SCOA PLC has also been instrumental in the development of Eko Atlantic City, a groundbreaking urban project built on reclaimed land from the Atlantic Ocean. This visionary initiative, designed to address Lagos’s urbanization challenges and promote sustainable development, has been made possible in part by state-of-the-art machinery supplied by SCOA. Notably, Eko Atlantic City is set to host the United States Embassy, projected to be the largest of its kind globally upon completion, further underscoring the strategic importance of this landmark project.
In fact, SCOA Nigeria PLC’s impact extends beyond Nigeria’s shores. As a member of the FADOUL Group – one of the largest and most successful family-owned businesses in Africa – its influence spans across West and Central Africa. The FADOUL Group, established in 1966, operates numerous successful enterprises, employs over 20,000 people, and is valued at over $1 billion, with hundreds of millions of USD in assets. This legacy highlights the scale and scope of the operations under Mr. Boulos’s leadership.
Contrary to unfounded claims in certain media outlets, the suggestion that Mr. Boulos is not a billionaire is both baseless and misleading. As President-elect Donald Trump rightly described, Mr. Massad Boulos is a “deal-maker,” a characterization grounded in fact. His proven ability to negotiate and execute complex international transactions has facilitated significant partnerships between Nigerian, German, and French businesses, delivering substantial value and mutual benefit.
As a Non-Executive Independent Director of SCOA Nigeria PLC since 2012, I have witnessed firsthand Mr. Boulos’s instrumental role in driving the company’s success. His ability to navigate the complexities of international commerce, exemplified by the supply of a significant fleet of trucks to Lafarge Africa through a tripartite arrangement between a logistics firm, GPC and Union bank plc, has earned him widespread recognition and respect.
Mr. Boulos’s leadership has not only been vital to SCOA PLC’s achievements but also to the broader international business successes of the FADOUL Group. This is precisely the kind of experience and strategic vision he brings to his new role as Senior Adviser on Arab and Middle East Affairs to President-elect Trump.
As noted in a press release by Karoline Leavitt, Trump-Vance Transition Spokeswoman, attempts to smear Mr. Boulos’s reputation are part of a broader effort by opposition elements to undermine President-elect Trump’s nominees. The truth remains that Mr. Boulos played a pivotal role in mobilizing the Arab-American and Middle Eastern-American vote, contributing significantly to the Trump-Vance victory—an achievement that underscores his political and organizational acumen.
Efforts to denigrate Mr. Boulos’s qualifications and achievements are not only futile but also a disservice to the facts. Mr. Boulos’s expertise and accomplishments are well-suited for his new role, where he will undoubtedly deliver impactful results on behalf of President-elect Trump and the United States.
Boss Picks
Celebrating a Man of Outstanding Excellence, Ademola Adeleke
By Eric Elezuo
“Since I assumed office, I have devoted myself majorly to delivering on our five-point agenda. I deploy my network locally and nationally in support of our noble projects and programmes for Osun. I am elated that our contributions are being noticed” – Governor Adeleke
In May 2024, two historical events took place to further cement the tag of ‘Performing Governor’, for which the Governor of Osun State, Asiwaju (Senator) Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, is known, and justifiably so. They include the conferment of the Asiwaju of Edeland title on him by his community, represented by the Timi of Ędę, HRH Oba Adesola Munirudeen Lawal (Laminisa 1), as well as the best governor of the year award conferred in him by the Vanguard Newspaper.
The prestigious Asiwaju title was previously held by Governor Adeleke’s elder brother, Isiaka Adeleke, who passed away on April 23, 2017.
Today, two years into his administration as the Number One Citizen of Osun State, Governor Adeleke has proved all doubting Thomases wrong, and lifted the state from comatose to prominence with verifiable, welfaristic and people-oriented projects that speak for themselves.
Recall that while stating the reasons behind his award as the Governor of the year, the General Editor, Vanguard Newspaper, Mr Jide Ajani, has said the governor’s attention to Infrastructural development of the state, has been topnotch, with special emphasis to his approval of infra upgrades of several tertiary institutions in the state.
The governor, in his humility, dedicated the award to the entire people of Osun State.
“We watched the video with the Vice Chancellor listing several approvals and even with the Governor asking the University to look into what other areas of intervention the state should act on. That video excites our curiosity and we proceeded to investigate further by leveraging on our team on ground here in Osun as well as a team from the headquarters.
“We discovered what the Vice Chancellor said in the video was a tip of the iceberg. Osun is indeed a huge construction site. You have continued to complete abandoned projects. You have completed many inherited projects from your predecessors
“We have your records on roads, bridges, water, school and health center upgrades among others. We read your multi-billion naira infrastructure plan and its ongoing implementation. You did not play politics with the development of your state.
“It is the totality of your passion for development that convinced the judges to confer the award on you. It is our hope that this recognition will spur you to an even greater push to deliver on your governance agenda”, Ajani had said.
In response, the Governor acknowledged as follows:
“Since I assumed office, I have devoted myself majorly to delivering on our five point agenda. I deploy my network locally and nationally in support of our noble projects and programmes for Osun. I am elated that our contributions are being noticed.
“I dedicate this award to the good people of Osun state. They made our positive records a reality. We have the unconditional support and love of our people in our push to take Osun to greater heights. I will personally attend the conferment in Lagos.
“Our government is forging ahead with our systematic physical and stomach infrastructure agenda. We are working on a new airport, an inland beach resort, cocoa sector revival, upgrade of the free trade zone for agro-industrialisation, robust climate change agenda and digital economy programme. We are on a mission to place Osun on the path of sustainable development”, the Governor told the visiting delegation.
THE MAN, ADEMOLA JACKSON ADELEKE
Born of the Adeleke family of Ede in Osun State on May 13, 1960, Adeleke commenced his primary education at Methodist Primary School, Surulere Lagos State before he was privileged to relocate to Old Oyo State to continue his education at Nawarudeen Primary School, Ikire.
Adeleke was born Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke to a Muslim father and Nnena Esther Adeleke, an Igbo Christian mother. Like him, Adeleke’s father, Raji Ayoola Adeleke was a Senator and the Balogun of Ede land in Osun State. His father, Raji Ayoola Adeleke was also the leader of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).
On completion of his primary education, he moved on to The Seventh Day Adventist Secondary School, Ede to begin his post primary schooling. In the later years however, he attended Ede Muslim Grammar School Ede, where he completed his secondary school education and subsequently relocated to the United States of America, joining his two older brothers, who were also studying there.
In the United States, he joined Jacksonville State University, Alabama, and studied Criminal Justice, with minor in Political Science.
To prove doubting Thomases, who wiped up controversies around his educational qualification, wrong, he went back to school and got enrolled at Atlanta Metropolitan State College in the United States, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice in 2021.
A businessman and administrator of no mean repute, Adeleke was the humble Group Executive Director at his brother’s company, Pacific Holdings Limited from 2001 to 2016, where his credible performances shot the company to enviable heights; a height it is still enjoying till date.
It is imperative to note that before he joined Pacific Holdings Limited, Senator Adeleke worked with Quicksilver Courier Company in Atlanta, Georgia, US, as a service contractor from 1985 to 1989. His dexterity to work earned him a progression in career, and he berthed as Vice President at Origin International LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, US, a flavours and fragrance manufacturing company. His meritorious stewardship lasted a period of five years, from 1990 to 1994.
Not a few has described Adeleke as the philanthropic capital of Ede, as his influence in aiding the less privileged and downtrodden remains top notch. He is a voracious believer in community development, and has not spared any expense to see that his community receives global influence.
Politically, Adeleke is a beacon of light and hard nut to crack, having remained an albatross to opposing powers and a reference point to ideal administration.
Shortly after he lost his brother, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, who died in April 2017, he contested the Osun West 2017 Senatorial by-election after the death of his brother, emerging as the winner under the Peoples Democratic Party, where he decamped to from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Having emerged senator, Adeleke’s political influence waxed stronger, an on July 23, 2018, he emerged as the governorship candidate of PDP in Osun State after defeating Akin Ogunbiyi by seven votes. Efforts made to deprive him of the mandate was twated by the courts.
Adeleke’s lawyer in his defense claims his secondary school hasn’t come out to deny his testimonial asking the court to dismiss the Case. The court dismissed the suit stating that the plaintiff could not prove Adeleke’s forgery.
Adeleke ran for Osun state governorship election under the PDP against top contenders Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola of APC and Iyiola Omisore of SDP on 22 September 2018. The election was declared inconclusive by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) while Adeleke was leading, and a rerun slated on September 27, 2018. The candidate of the APC Oyetola was declared winner after the run-off. Adeleke protested the result describing the election as a “coup”.
Much as on March 22, 2019, the tribunal sitting in Abuja declared Adeleke the winner of the election, the Supreme Court later affirmed Gboyega Oyetola as the authentic winner of the 2018 Osun State governorship election on Friday, July 5, 2019
Popularly known as the Dancing Senator because of his penchant to joyfully react to the sounds of music, Adeleke is uncle to one of Nigeria’s popular musicians, Davido.
Governor Adeleke is married to an equally successful businesswoman and a self-made boss. They are blessed with three children who are all entertainers. They are B-Red and Shina Rambo and a daughter, Nike Adeleke. He is the uncle of one Nigeria’s primus inter pares in entertainment, Davido.
As expected, Adeleke is moving Osun State to the greatest of heights as he promised, and many who know him agree that there are still very many more in the offing.
ADELEKE’S EXTRAORDINARY EASE OF DOING BUSINESS STRATEGY
The governor has shared good news on the ease of doing business in the state as follows:
In continuation of our administration’s effort to improve the state economy and encourage the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), we have completed the harmonization of multiple taxes and levies collected by different government departments, agencies, and ministries across all business sectors of the state economy including the informal sectors into a single bill. This Harmonized Bill curates all levies, which businesses are expected to pay on an annual basis as a single bill.
This initiative is to promote ease of doing business by ensuring seamless and convenient payment of levies and taxes due to individuals and businesses across the state in equal or unequal tranches and ensure the issuance of Harmonized Bill Certificate upon completion of payment of the total amount.
I hereby note to all business owners in Osun state both in formal and informal sectors that the official online payment channels for the state is pay.irs.os.gov.ng; POS machines in Tax stations across the state; commercial banks across Nigeria; and Money Transfer Services for those outside Nigeria.
In addition, we have also completed the deployment of Automation System for improved service delivery on payment of rent and lease on government properties; processing of Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) in 45 days; Electronic Affidavit System; Electronic State of Origin and Local Government Area of Origin portal; Mobile tax stations; Online Tax payment system etc.
ADMINSTRATION’S ACHIEVEMENTS AS SHARED ON NEW YEAR DAY
The governor declared as follows:
The good people of Osun state at home and abroad.
I greet you warmly with best wishes of a prosperous and blessed new year. I convey my intimate prayers that the new year will bring us new opportunities, progress and advancement as a state and in our individual lives.
I extend new year greetings to the elders of Osun state; to our royal fathers; to our religious leaders; to the young and the old; to professional elite, to artisans, to students and to womenfolk. Accept my sincere appreciation for your support before my election and for the last one year of my governorship of our dear state. I am humbled by your prayers and mass backing for our administration.
I remain firmly focused on the Five Point Agenda under which you, Osun people, elected us into office. We reaffirm our faith in the principles guiding the five point agenda which are transparency and accountability, open government, localisation, responsive leadership and attunement to citizens’ aspirations.
On the strength of the above, our government devised wholesale approach to governance such as:
●Dismantling bobby traps planted by our predecessor,
●Blocking leakages in public finance, ●Addressing the corruption and revenue diversion in the solid mineral sector,
● Restoring local government administration for grassroot development
● Embarking on mass water project provision
● Executing 91 kilometers of road construction
● Implementing free medical surgeries with over 50,000 beneficiaries;
● Total renovation of 31 schools
● Launching sport sector reforms
● Reviving the major commercial and industrial projects of the state
● Pushing for implementation of agric processing zone in Osun state;
● re-professionalisation of the public service;
● Strong attention to workers’ welfare;
● Tapping into tourism, entertainment and cultural potentials of the state;
● Ramping up efforts for a cargo and commercial airport for Osun state, among others.
Our administration achieved a lot by ensuring belt tightening, reducing cost of governance and denying ourselves many perquisites of office. As a Governor, my official expenditures are covered through the approval process rather than security votes, thereby assuring transparency and accountability.
As of today, our administration is struggling to purchase official vehicles for the state cabinet because the officials of the previous government bolted away with state vehicles. So our cabinet and other top officials have been using their private cars since we appointed them into office. Also, we are still working to renovate the official quarters vandalized by the officials of previous governments. Many of our top officials still operate from their private houses.
Despite the above handicap, our team is determined to continue to deliver on our electoral promises. I am glad to report with gratitude to God that we have remained responsive to the will and aspirations of our people. We get positive feedback and we are satisfied with our high approval ratings.
We are challenged to do more. We are prepared to make corrections where necessary as much as we will remain uncompromising when it comes to anti-corruption drive, transparency and accountability as well due process. As I always affirm, our tenure is married to rule of law and fear of God…
Adeleke is busy creating an Eldorado out of what remained of Osun State barely two years after he took over the driving seat.
Boss Picks
When Governor Adeleke Became Asiwaju of Edeland
By Governor’s Office
OFFICIAL PROFILE OF GOVERNOR ADEMOLA ADELEKE, THE NEW ASIWAJU OF EDELAND
Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, the Executive Governor of Osun state and the new Asiwaju of Edeland is a pan Nigerian by birth, by philosophy and by worldview. Born at Enugu as a son of independence on 13th May, 1960, the new Ede frontliner widely acknowledged as the Olosun of Osun is a tactical politician, a businessman, show business activist and a humanist within philanthropism. The ever lively, urbane scion of the Adeleke family of Ede North Local Government is an innovative entrepreneur, a grassroot political figure and a strong advocate of good governance, then as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and now as the Governor of Osun State.
From his childhood, the Asiwaju is a man of complex character, a young man with multiplicity of talents and an adult with widely praised open heart, strong will and constancy of adaptation to ideas and innovations. From his secondary education at Ede Muslim Grammar School to his sojourn to the United States and tertiary education at the Jacksonville State University, Alabama where he majored in criminal justice, the Ede frontliner demonstrated deep business interest, unconventional approach and a rare mastery of intricacies of politics, business and social life.
Despite hailing from a well to do family, the Asiwaju was in the United States and Nigeria, a man in search of opportunities for self growth and advancement. His passion for self development and business prosperity occasioned his joining the Quicksilver Courier Company in Atlanta, Georgia, US, as a service contractor between 1985–1989. He progressed to Origin International LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, US, a flavours and fragrance manufacturing company where he served as Vice President from 1990 to 1994.
A suave businessman and administrator, he served as a Director of Guiness Nigeria Limited between 1992- 1999 where he contributed immensely to the expansion of the multinational company. He was later appointed Group Executive Director of Pacific Holdings Limited from 2001 to 2016. Senator Adeleke is also an acclaimed creative Industry entrepreneur and mentor. As a talented creative figure, he mentored world rated ace musicians while his family members and children are leading stars in the global music industry.
As a man ever restless in pursuit of self growth and opportunities, the Asiwaju again opted to restart his educational sojourn which he suspended because of business and entrepreneurial preoccupations. In 2019 after he was rigged out of a governorship election he clearly won, Governor Adeleke, in a can do spirit, re-enrolled at Atlanta Metropolitan State College in the United States and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice in 2021.
All along and considering his family background, the frontliner was for years both a political servant and leader, learning the rope from his father (Senator Ayoola Adeleke) , a second republic progressive Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and his brother, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, the First Executive Governor of Osun State. His business teeth were sharpened by his brother, the global business mogul, Dr Adedeji Adeleke while his political potency was strengthened by his sister, the Yeyeluwa of Edeland, Chief (Mrs) Dupe Adeleke- Sanni. The celebrant of today was eventually elected the President of the Adeleke dynasty, representing the sons and daughters of the great Adeleke family at home and abroad.
Having been thus fortified by his innate personality, his family background and his multifaceted experience, his political participation predated 1991 but he took the front seat in 2017 when he was elected with a landslide victory as a Senator for Osun West Senatorial District in 2017. His popularity reached a peak when he won the Osun 2018 governorship election before the open rigging and manipulation that was globally condemned.
As a man of steel character, the frontliner took the gauntlet again in 2022 and beat the incumbent to reclaim the stolen mandate of 2018. Imole as the Governor is popularly known has since been delivering on good governance, winning applause and praises from far and near.
In December 2023, he was honoured with a doctorate degree by the Valley View University, Accra, Ghana. The Vice Chancellor lauded the Governor’s multi-million naira education scholarship as a Senator, his sterling records on workers welfare as a Governor, his performance on infrastructure upgrades and his commitment to due process, rule of law and fear of God.
He has received several awards including the Governor of the Year Award by Champion newspapers in 2023, Sahel Standard Man of the Year in 2022, Vanguard Newspaper Governor of the Year on Infrastructure and a host of other recognition. The frontliner serves on several national governmental committees including being the representative of the South West on the National Minimum Wage Committee.
The new Asiwaju of Edeland is a strong family man, an avid sport lover, a man of God and a David of our time with incessant passion for praise singing and adulation of God Almighty.
Courtesy: Governor’s Office, 2024.
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