Tribute to Ajimobi: You Will Forever Be In Our Minds, Oyo State Best Former Governor.

The year 2020 is certainly taking many of our good people away. And the former Gov. of Oyo State, late Sen. Abiola Ajimobi also joined the bandwagon of the 2020's casualties yesterday, bidding the world farewell. Before he took his last breath at the First Cardiologist and Cardiovascular Consultants Hospital in Lagos yesterday, 2nd of June 2020, Late Ajimobi did a lot of good things, first, for himself, then his family, State, Country and certainly the world at large. 

Early Life:

Abiola Ajimobi was born on the 16th of Dec. 1949 to the Ajimobi family at Oja'ba, Ibadan, Oyo State. His grandfather was a chief in the Royal Court of Olubabadan of Ibadan and his father, Pa Ajimobi was also an Honorable member of the House of Assembly in the Old Western region. 

 

He started his education at the Saint Patrick Primary School, Oke-Padi, Ibadan and later got transferred to Ibadan City Primary School, Aperin where he completed his primary school education. He proceeded to Lagelu Grammar School, Ore-meji, Ibadan, for his secondary school education. He afterward travelled to the US where he got his BSc. in Business Administration and Finance at the New York State University, New York. And then bagged MBA in Operations Research and Marketing at the Governors State University (GSU), Chicago, Illinois. 

Professional/Political Career:

After finishing his education abroad, Ajimobi returned to Nigeria in 1977, worked with many organizations, among them are Modulor Group (an architectural firm), Nestle Foods PLC before he later joined the National Oil and Chemical Marketing Company, a subsidiary of Shell Petroleum, Nigeria, where he retired from as a Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer in 2002 after 26 years of service with the company. 

Abiola Ajimobi later took the family business of politics upon himself in 2003, when he competed for a senatorial seat to represent Oyo South Senatorial District which he won on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), and served 2003 - 2007. After he served one term in the Senate, Ajimobi gave his governorship ambition its first shot when he contested in 2007 Oyo State gubernatorial election which he lost under the umbrella of the All Nigerian People's Party (ANPP). He won the hotly contested for seat of Oyo State's governor position, which he fought for along with the two previous governors, Alao Akala and Sen. Ladoja. With the win in the election, Ajimobi was able to rise to the peak of his career and became a phenomenon in the political affairs of Oyo State. He built on the love and trust which the people of Oyo State accorded him to win in his reelection to the State House, which none has been able to achieve in the history of Oyo State. Ajimobi prided himself with the feat of his reelection, and rubbed it on the faces of his political rivals and beyond. Hence, the beginning of the end of his political career. 

However, you can dislike Ajimobi for his utterances and seeming arrogance, but no one can take his performance as the best governor of Oyo State so far away from him without being unjust. During his 8 years in office, he completed many landmark projects and relentlessly pursued his Urban Renewal Agenda In Oyo State. He gave the ancient city of Ibadan its so much needed face-lift and touched the entire Oyo State in his urbanization effort.

The Iwo-road overheard bridge in the heart of Ibadan used to be a dreaded area before Ajimobi's administration. It was used by criminals as their hideout, and point of drugs dealings before Ajimobi came and transformed the area into a beautiful site. 

The construction of Mokola-Roundabout overheard bridge is another project that gladly touched the heart of Oyo State citizens and the motorists that ply the road. Notorious for its daily traffic gridlock due to the large vehicular movements toward Agodi-Gate route, Sango-Ojo, Dugbe and Eleyele, Mokola bridge was well conceived and delivered.

There are many projects like that that Late former governor Ajimobi delivered in the course of his tenue, and up till now, the present governor of the state, Gov. Makinde is still commissioning many of the projects Ajimobi was unable to complete during his tenue. Seyi Makinde acknowledged this fact in his condolence message to the late Ajimobi's family where Gov. Makinde said, "Surely, he will be remembered for leaving a blueprint for some of the activities that our administration is now undertaking." 

Another area where Ajimobi achieved unprecedented success was the area of security. He inherited a restive state that was being traumatized by NURTW hooligans. Ajimobi displayed great ingenuity in the face of the daunting task to solve the menace of political thuggery and motor parks unionism. He instituted a special security outfit, Operation Burst, tasked with keeping law and other within the length and breadth of the state. 

The only thorn in the side of Ajimobi's led administration was the manner in which he managed the 2016 recession following the sharp cut in the global oil price, and Nigerian states were unable to get as much as they used to from the federal government's allocation. Ajimobi started owing workers salaries months upon months and was not apologetic about it. He was not sensitive enough to have noticed the sufferings of the civil servants and was clearly got carried away with the projects being undertaking. It was not totally his fault but people wouldn't understand to a reasonable extent. 

Take that away, Ajimobi was a perfect example of what a leader should be. Of course, he understands the role of a good leader, hence, his popular quote, "A leader will take his people to where they want to be, but a good leader will take his people to where they ought to be." 

Surely, Ajimobi did a lot that we will not forget easily in Oyo State, Nigeria and the world.

Rest in peace Abiola Ajimobi! 

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