July 2019 Edition

5. Ogun State in a Nutshell
7. Pre and post Democracy /20 years of
democracy
10. Social Transformation and
Empowerment Programmes under PDP
and APC
11. Evaluating Past Government
18. Who is Dapo Abiodun?
20. Plans for Ogun State
24. The Role Of Traditional Rulers in the
society/politics
11. Expectations
12. Closing Remark
13. Appreciation
July Edition
July 2019

Bringing Goverment closer to the people
elcome to the July edition of ‘The Governor’ Magazine, our monthly magazine
presented by thegovernor.ng. Our publication that brings you news from State
WHouses and governors offices across the country, keeping you updated as to
what's happening in terms of the business of the government and governance.
This edition will feature specifically on Ogun State, the people of Ogun State, the government
of Ogun State and the newly elected
governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo
Abiodun. We are looking at his campaign
promises, his plans for the state between
2019 and 2023.
We are looking at the expectations of the
people in those four years, his promise
for his campaign Mantra “Building Our
Future Together”,what does that mean
to him and what does that mean to the
people of Ogun State. We went around the
state from Ijebu-Ode, Abeokuta, Sagamu,
Iperu Remo, Remo Town, and Yewa to
interview people, students, market
women and stakeholders to get the pulse
of the people as to what they feel
regarding whether or not they will have a
voice in their government and their
expectations from this government.
We also bring to you the governor's plans
from his campaign videos, inaugural
speech and what really is his policy trust.
We bring that to you in this edition of ‘The
Governor’ Magazine.
For those of you who are watching, we
wish you happy viewing and for those
reading the print edition, wish you a
pleasurable reading. Thank you for taking
the time out. Have a wonderful month

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OGUN STATE
in a Nutshell
Can we meet you Sir?
My name is Dr. Adedeji Ashiru, the Managing Director and CEO of
Content Global Energy; a native of Ijebu-ode, in Ogun State.
As an indigene of Ogun State, what can you say about Ogun State?
Ogun State has a lot of human resources, a lot
of natural resources, people of Ogun State are
very hardworking, and that's why in the
anthem of Ogun State, we said, “Omo Ogun ise
ya” because we are very resourceful in Ogun
State.
With the recent inauguration of Prince Dapo
Abiodun, how do you feel about him and what
do you think the people of Ogun State should
expect from his administration?
I am very happy and excited that we have
Prince Dr. Dapo Abiodun as the Governor of
Ogun State. As you are fully aware, I also
contested in the last election, not as a
Governor but as a senatorial candidate for
Ogun East. What excites me is, my own vision
for Ogun State is like a subset of Prince Dr.
DR. ADEDEJI ASHIRU
Dapo Abiodun's vision, and that's why I worked
with him during his election. People of Ogun
State are expecting, they are so highly
expectant and I can tell you that from the little
conversation that I've had with the Governor,
you can see that he is a visionary leader, and of
course, will he deliver on his promises? Yes, he
will, because I have also had private
conversations with him, and one of the things
he will be looking at, is a private-public
partnership in this coming administration. But
you know that definitely the last
administration, from all indications, left the
purse, the government coffer empty.
Therefore, one of the ways to get things going
is PPP, which the Governor will actually be

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embarking on, involving the private sector
to bring them into Ogun State, and you
know very well that Dapo Abiodun himself
is from the private sector, therefore, he
understands how the private sector works.
It will be easy for him to attract investors
into the state. That's one of the things he
will be looking at doing.
The second thing is health. Now, the state
of the health facilities in Ogun State is
appalling. In fact, I was with the Governor
recently, he had gone on a tour to inspect a
teaching hospital and you cannot believe
that, that is a teaching hospital. He said to
me that day, “Deji can you just imagine?”
That we have this kind of facility in Ogun
State, a teaching hospital for that matter,
which nobody can be proud of? And
someone engaged in a 215- capacity
hospital building (Elephant project), and
then left this hospital that will impact the
lives of the people in that society?
We have doctors that are meant to be
graduates, and that is supposed to be the
teaching hospital for them to pass through, yet
there is nothing working there. Therefore, the
Governor is committed to getting that running,
and he has promised that, there will be at least
one health centre in each ward in Ogun State.
Mind you, we have 236 wards in Ogun State,
therefore, he has promised to build 236 health
facilities in Ogun State.
Also, the area of education is what the Governor
is not taking lightly as well. He had gone round
during his campaign, during my own campaign
and we have seen that Ogun State that used to
be number one or number two in the entire
country is now 35, and of course, the fact is not
far-fetched from what we can see. There is no
good school, no good teachers because they are
not trained. He also has committed to the cause
that he will build at least one good primary
school, a modern primary school in each of the
ward, making around 236 primary schools.
From the border town in Ogun State, you can
see the proximity of Ogun State to Lagos State;
you can't go anywhere in this country without
passing through Ogun State. Therefore, the
border has to be developed, so that when

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someone gets into Ogun State you will be thinking probably you are still in Lagos State, like we have
New Jersey and New York, when you travel between New Jersey and New York in America, you won't
know the difference that you already crossed to New York.
I think that's what the Governor intend to do, and I think people of Ogun State are also expecting that
to be done.
What is the assurance that he will fulfill all that he has promised the people of Ogun State?
I can tell you that Dr. Dapo Abiodun is a man of integrity, he is a man of his word and he has passion for
the State. Mind you, this is not the first time he's contesting. The first time he contested was in 1997
and he was elected as a Senator in 1997 but he was not sworn in then as the Senator as there was a
change of government.
Then, he came back again in 2015 but prior to that in 2003, he also contested a primary for the
governorship in 2003 and I think he lost that to OGD as he came second in the party they were then.
And in 2015 again, he came back to contest for Senate, the one I contested in Ogun East Senatorial
District to represent Ogun East, but he also lost that election, and he came back again now to contest
for governorship, so it's not accidental. Therefore, he knows exactly what he wants to do. He is a man
of his word, he's a very sincere and a very honest man.
What would you advise him to do in his first 100 days in office?
My advice will be based on what he intends to do in terms of prioritizing all the promises that he has
promised the people of Ogun State.
Because the truth is this, some are long-term projects, some are short-term projects. Therefore, I
would think he should focus on a short-term project to quickly bring value to the people of Ogun State,
that's what I would advise him to do in the first hundred days. Put his cabinet together, yes, the
politicians would want to be part of the cabinet, which is fair, they've worked for it but at the same
time also he must be very clear that, yes, a politician that has no profile to match a particular office
should not be used. He should look for people that have what it takes to take Ogun State to the next
level.
Any closing remarks?
The closing remark is to let people of Ogun State know that they are in for a good time for the next
eight years because I am very sure that Dapo Abiodun will be re-elected after his first term.

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Pre and Post Democracy/20 years of Democracy
Sir, as a chartered accountant and a renowned
pastor, how would you rate democracy in
Nigeria in the last 20 years?
It's a pity that our democracy was truncated in
1966, had the military not come in at that
time, we would have gone very far as a nation
especially when we were structured along
regional lines, and I really want to join my
voice to this restructuring of Nigeria to ensure
that every area of Nigeria fulfils its economic
potential and benefit its people and people are
more in charge of their resources and then for
their destiny. But since 1999 the experiment
and the experience have continued. It's not
been easy, the start was a bit shaky, the
foundation was a bit tough but because we
have been consistent, I sincerely believe in
spite of everything, it has been getting betterand
better, quality people are now coming into
the democratic process. So, I am one of the
advocates and fighters, this democracy must
not be tampered with and interrupted no
matter how flawed it seems at this point in
time. It can only get better and we will fight to
make it better.
Sir, in your opinion, is there any intersection
between the church and politics and how the
church influences political class and
governance to ensure social transformation
and people empowerment?
PASTOR ITUAH IGHODALO
Definitely, the church is the moral compass
of the nation, and one of the big mistakes
the church made, when people like myself
got a bit more involved and got born again
in the church, was that they try to separate
politics and church. They say 'come out
from amongst them, what has light got to
do with darkness'. The church is a moral
compass of society. The church teaches,
educate, and inform its people as to what
God is saying and God is never wrong. The
church is also the fulcrum of the nation that
has the moral standing to speak through to
power, and kings like David, Solomon,
Hezekiah and various kings in the bible,
were able to do well because they had a
strong church who was able to tell the king
that 'thus saith the lord' or 'king you have

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done wrong', or 'king you have misbehaved'
so a nation needs that.
The church also needs to teach people what
good governance, leadership, ethics,
morality, right from wrong, holiness, and
righteousness are: so that the church is the
oven that bakes the quality of people that
we need in governance and in the society,
and the church needs to pray for our leaders
and our nation, needs to ward off the
attacks of the enemy over the church, so the
church needs to be very involved in every
aspect of politics and governance.
They don't need to be political but they
need to be involved in politics in the choice
of our leaders, in what the leaders do and so
on, and if there are members of the church
that wants to get into politics, even if the
pastor wants to get into politics after he has
done his preaching, by all means, he is a
Nigerian citizen and is entitled to it. We
must not shank our responsibilities, and
then the church needs to support
governance, provision of schools, hospitals,
welfare, looking after the poor and the sick,
etc. that's the church's responsibilities. It
must come out of the church and be part of
society. Government can't do everything,
most of the big educational institutions,
hospitals, technical institutions were churchbased
like CMS, St Patrick, St Gregory, Mary
Slessor, etc. So, we need the church, and the
church must keep on doing what it has to
do, and be part of governance, choosing
leaders, training leaders, speaking through
to power and helping the society become
what it's supposed to be.
Sir, as a friend of Prince Dapo Abiodun who
is the Governor of Ogun state, can you
share a few words about him and your
reaction to his emergence as the
governorship candidate, his victory at the
elections, and perhaps expectations over
the next 4 years?
I thank God for Dapo's life; we've been
friends for many years, almost 30 years. We
met in the late eighties or early nineties and
he is a very resilient man. He is a man who
has started from virtually nothing and
worked his way up to building a very great
company in the oil and gas business and
some other things that he is doing.
So that speaks for his resilience, his
determination, his forward-looking, and
he's always being interested in governance
and leadership. He's tried for the Senate, a
couple of times, he even tried it for
gubernatorial at a certain time, but he was
dogged enough to be persistent. To be
honest, this time around I wasn't so sure he
was going to contest again especially having
lost his son a couple of years ago with the
pain and grief. But the ability to come out
and try again, I really salute him. But I would
like him to know that definitely, God helped
him. God must favour him and definitely,
God has given him a huge responsibility and
he must live up to that responsibility and

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make sure he provides good governance for the
betterment of the people of Ogun state and
Nigeria at large. Dapo is ordained, he is civil, he
is exposed, he is experienced, he is kind, he is
generous to some extent I believe, and I think
he has very good intentions to try and do his
best in Ogun state.
My advice also: let him build bridges, let him
not lose any friends, he knows what I am talking
about, let him make sure he keeps the family
and the friendship together. Let him stretch out
olive branches to everyone, let us all work
together especially people of our generation, to
build a truly outstanding Nigeria. I want to
assure him of my prayers. I also want to assure
him of my love, including his wife, whom I also
love and care for very much (She knows what I
am saying). I also want to assure him of my
support in any way I can. Dapo God bless you.
With all you said, what do you think the
people of Ogun state should expect in these
four years?
I think they should expect some dynamism,
some forthrightness, somebody who is
methodical, and who has great plans for them.
They should please cooperate with him and
work with him and make a way so that the job
won't be too difficult or too tedious for him and
they should give him all the support they can. I
think Dapo's governance should be a pleasant
one, I would like to advise and encourage him
to keep an open house to listen to advice, to
people's opinion and to try his best to ensure
even development throughout Ogun state,
from Yewa to Awori to Ijebu to wherever. He
should just make sure his governance touches
every part of Ogun state. Education,
healthcare, ease of doing business,
infrastructure and security are extremely
important, and of course, Ogun is an agrarian
society, so there is a lot of potential in the
agricultural sector and there are many
minerals that are available, and also tourism,
so Dapo, your plates are full. You should do
your best to show that our generation has
meaning, interest, strength, and depth for
Nigeria.

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Social Transformation and
Empowerment Programmes
Under PDP and APC
to success is when you engage people. You
understand that you have your limitation and
you cannot do it alone.
Sola Arobieke
What is your opinion about the social
transformation and empowerment
programmes under PDP and APC in Ogun
State?
I think governor Ibikunle Amosun has done
well, Otunba Gbenga Daniel did well, laid the
foundation for a lot of things like the Olokola
free trade zone. It started from Otunba
Gbenga Daniel and so many other things. Eight
years is not enough to transform, Governor
Ibikunle Amosun stepped it up, started the
discussion on industrialisation and
urbanisation but you and I know our village is
our village, we do not really want it urbanised.
We still want to go back to our village and have
all the things that we liked about our village
but I know and I am sure and I pray that this
current governor will definitely take it to the
next level because he prioritises
industrialisation. Whenever I have a discussion
with him, and I mention industry, he is
interested. He engages them and the first step
He had a meeting with the manufacturer's
association, Nigeria's small-scale industrialists,
the feedback was amazing even from when he
was just the gubernatorial candidate. We were
impressed. He had a meeting and they were
happy. They endorsed him, they were
confident and he is now the governor. They
have a lot of hope and they are ready to work
with him and what is important is that he is
ready to work with them and I look forward to
a better Ogun state.
Ogun state where many more things will be
produced. Adire will be standardised and
nobody will be afraid that it will fade off.
We are having an international certification
centre. The discussion started with Governor
Amosun but I know that this current
administration will complete it. A place where
people that are looking to have their products
exported can submit for certification which will
be of international world class standard and
that will be a first in Ogun state.
They have already been allocated a portion of
land, a bank has partnered with them, and
they have started construction and they are
getting their consultant to help small
businesses do this.

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EVALUATING PAST
GOVERNMENT
Sola Arobieke
priority to save lives because a number of
areas had issues especially accidents but I
think with the bridge, it resolved that.
In the area of urbanisation also, he started a
discussion on stakeholder engagement and
he brought the government closer to the
people by establishing 57 local governments
and LCDAs.
Do you think there are specific areas of
governance or issues the administration could
have done better?
Ma, you were special adviser, commerce and
industry to Former Governor Ibikunle Amosun,
what would you say are the major achievements
of the Ibikunle Amosun administration?
I was the special assistant to the former
governor, Ibikunle Amosun, on commerce and
industry. My last day effectively was the first of
December. The former governor did a lot; he
started the discussion on Industrialisation and
he made that area open to the world. We
attracted a lot of companies that came to set
up under his leadership in Ogun state and he
also made an effort to establish a relationship
with the private sector to start a dialogue. In
the area of urbanization, I think the governor
also achieved a few things there with the
bridges that have been constructed, road
access into the state, which is also very
important. He touched key areas with the
There is always room for improvement.
Looking at the LCDAs that I talked about, the
idea behind it, the initiative is a good one,
laudable but they actually did not get it right.
The LCDAs were just not functioning,
unfortunately. That is one area we could have
done better.
With the industrialisation, the discussion was
started, people were coming and I think we
may have gotten overwhelmed as it was
reflected in the way we serviced our
investors. Some people saw it as an
opportunity to go out to the filed to harass
some companies, multiple taxations, the
local government brings this, ministry brings
that and because the industries were there,
they wanted to work with us. We had a long
list, we were engaging them, and they were
coming forward. We did not have to look for
them. Some people took that database and
started knocking on people's door; that was
abused.
Looking at rural areas, and social
investments, in the area of health, rural

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roads and education, we have 52 primary
schools in Odogbolu and a number of
secondary schools.
I have visited a lot and I remember when I
was in local government, I had the audit of
the needs of the primary schools in
Odogbolu. Some do not even have roofs.
There is a lot to be done and when you look
at those small but big needs and building a
model school, we now ask: Have we gotten
our priorities right? That is not to say the
idea of a model school is not a good one but
which comes first?
You were among the people that resigned
few months before Governor Amosun left
office. Is there any connection and would
you give us some insight as to what led to the
decision?
[You serve at the governor's desire and it is
for a period. It is no secret that things
changed in Ogun state: Political interests,
Affiliation, a lot of things were realigned and
I think I also had to realign.
As an indigene of Ogun State and a politician
who has worked both in the private sector
and public sector, do you think government is
taking the opportunity and possibilities that
public private partnership could bring to
development seriously?
I was part of the transition committee and I
also was in the project management unit in
the commerce and industry so I know the
recommendations and what we put
together. My experience, being in commerce
and industry, we met with a lot of
stakeholders and that informed our
recommendations. We are not instructing
but we are trying to ensure that we are
taking a client approach and not “Top Down:
This is what will happen!”
They were guiding us, telling us their plans
and what they expect which guided us in
going back to the drawing board to come up
with policies. The discussion has started and
there's going to be a lot more participation
and there is going to be a lot more
engagement.
He is going to formalise and there is going to
be a proper structure for feedback and for
engagement with the private sector. I know
the governor has said it openly that there is
going to be an economic advisory council
and that tells you how seriously he is taking
this.
He keeps talking about creating an enabling
environment. Closing of business is not
going to be our first approach; we are not
taking a punitive approach towards
attracting or keeping our investors. We are
going to take an incentive approach. Closing
a business will not be our first point of call.
Even when we have a business or an
organisation that is erring in one area or the
other, we are going to have engagements
and we are going to respect the rule of law.
Keeping this business open will be our
priority but not at the risk of lives or the
health of the community, No.

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I know the governor has a lot of plans
especially in the area of PPP, Power,
alternative energy sourcing, those are the
things. He knows that he cannot do it alone.
Personally, I do a lot of programs with the
private sector, community-based projects
with the private sector. I know that the
community can only do little but when we
partner with private sector, it extends our
ability and for the past 6 years, I have done a
lot of community projects with so many
organisations in Ogun state and I know that
each year they send me “look we are
preparing our budget what are your
activities for this year?”: a lot with children
within the rural areas, less privileged
children within the rural communities and
now I have moved to the secondary schools,
the older ones. They are different from the
primary schools but I'm learning from them
and I find the teachers calling me to say “we
teach these students at school but we want
them to learn more about life so we are
planning an educational tour to the factories
because I hear that some of them have not
even been out of the community”, so that is
part of education and that is also part of
private sector partnership and the governor
will take that to the next level.
Do you think HE Dapo Abiodun is well
positioned to deliver on his campaign
promises to the people of Ogun State?
I have had the pleasure of working with
other states as a consultant and I have also
had the opportunity to work with some state
governors. I commend Governor Ibikunle
Amosun, he leads from the front. When the
governor makes a comment, you bring your
file to show that you have actually done it
but I must say this current governor is very
detailed. You don't go unprepared.
You come with facts; you come with a good
argument. I know that he has the experience,
he has the understanding and once you pay
attention to details and you seek for debt,
you will definitely focus on economically
viable projects and that definitely goes a long
way.
Political projects are the one you do in one
area and you realise “oh my God, I cannot
sustain it” then you run back to another area
but economically viable projects will go a
long way in serving the needs of everybody
in the community and I know that is where
our governor is focusing on.
Will the Dapo Abiodun administration
continue the unfinished projects of Governor
Amosun?
July 2019
I believe the governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun,
will prioritise economically viable projects,
and he will look at it. As you can see, he has
been setting up committees to review and to
make recommendations because he also
wants it to be a participatory government. He
will review those projects, look at
economically viable ones and he will finish
them. Where a project is not economically
viable, I'm sure it can be restructured to
achieve that purpose. It is not about
cancelling because I did not do it does not
mean I cannot finish it, once it is
economically viable, his interest will be Ogun
state and the good people. He will put that
first.

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What would you say Ogun State is lacking
presently that nerds urgent attention?
The private sector company industrialisation is my
thing and I see it as critical because you come to
me, you are not feeling well, you need money, if
there are jobs, companies can also help with CSR
so I always try to look at industrialisation. We
have said a lot about industrialisation, we have
the land, we are making it available, we want to
support industries; we do not have the people
compared to Lagos or Ibadan but what we need
to focus on is the tertiary industry that supports
industrialisation. First is logistics. Looking at roads
and seaports, how do we get these finished goods
to people within the community, how do we get it
to the end users.
If you go into Agbara, I have been to Agbara
several times, the journey from Abeokuta to
Agbara, your body will ache and the journey is
almost four hours. You and I know that you can
get on a plane and in those 4 hours we are out of
the country. It is not so much about the journey
but when you get into Agbara and you see the
level of investment, it is not only the
manufacturing but when you see the companies
they are building, their MDs, their staff are
coming from afar, they also have a small estate for
the expatriates. You know when you fix the road
to that area, a community will open up. People
will buy land to build bungalows, people will do
housing projects, flats and once people are living,
schools will come, supermarkets will come, all
those things will come. Of course, once they start

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living, your payee is guaranteed.
People do not need to travel
even from Akute to Agbara,
people dread the journey but we
need to have even the higher
earner and not just the menial
workers living close to the
factory but we need to have the
senior people also living in that
area because I know they will
and they are ready to.
Look at when international
breweries opened up in Sagamu,
a lot of people were looking for
accommodation and I can tell you some of
the senior people that are living in
Abeokuta, commuting to the interchange
in Sagamu but there can always be an open
up in that area for residentials. That is one
thing, the roads, getting the goods to the
consumers. We do not have the consumers
here but that is fine. We can continue to
produce while we fix our roads.
Let us look at the cost of doing business
and I will focus on Power. I say, nothing
good comes out of the dark. Let's look at
IPP projects. I know the governor is looking
at it, I can tell you even from the
recommendations of the committees. IPP
projects, alternative energy sourcing. Rite
foods, for example, I can tell you they run
on generators and they are the cheapest in
terms of quality and also quantity; value
for the product but if the cost can go further
down. Currently, they are not able to meet
their demands. I have so many people who
come up to me and want to sign up as a
distributor but they are not able to meet the
demands. If the cost of operation goes down,
it allows them to put more money back into
the business.
Another area is the area of social, health. We
need to look at health. I know the governor
has been going around looking at the
hospitals. In Odogbolu, for example, I know a
hospital that was built by Governor Gbenga
Daniel. Good structure but was not
maintained. I am the secretary to the
Odogbolu development community council
and they said they want to raise money to
build a paediatric centre for children and I
asked if they had been to the one in
Odogbolu. Whatever money we make we can

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use it to transform that place. Health is lacking.
I have had the opportunity to go around as I said, I went around some schools. I do a lot
with the primary schools- education. With the schools in Odogbolu, if we get a hundred
million, we can have walls, toilets, we can have those basic things.
Although a lot of people through the OCDC or community association are doing their
things, however, in the area of socials, those are the things from my experience.
There is a lot. The governor cannot finish all but those are the things that I know
immediately and I know he is already doing it. Even rural roads, they have already done a
list and I heard that they are looking at awarding renovation of key schools across each
local government. I think it is a certain number per local government which is a step in
the right direction.
You are an illustrious indigene of Odogbolu who has been making Odogbolu proud for
decades, some people think Odogbolu is on the outskirt of Ogun State, while others say its
marginalized, what is your opinion on this?
Odogbolu can be considered to be on the outskirt because we share a border with Epe
and I think that's to our advantage; you do business in Ogun state; you cross over to Lagos
state easily.
In the area of marginalisation, I think that is only possible when there is poor
representation at local, state and federal levels. Although I do not share that view, I
believe it can only happen when there is poor representation or when people do not get
involved in politics or let me say if the right people do not get involved in politics, then we
can have poor representation, then we can have marginalisation, but I do not think that is
the case in Odogbolu.

WHO IS
PRINCE DAPO
ABIODUN?

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EARLY LIFE:
His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun
hails from Iperu Remo in Ogun State and
belongs to a royal family. He was born
into the family of Dr. Emmanuel and
Mrs. Victoria Abiodun from Iperu Remo,
in Ogun East senatorial district on 29th
May 1960.
MARRIAGE AND RELIGION
He is happily married to Mrs. Bamidele
Abiodun and they are blessed with
wonderful children, including the late
popular Olugbenga Abiodun aka DJ Olu,
who was close friends with Nigerian
music sensation, David Adeleke
(Davido).
His Excellency Prince Dapo Abiodun is a
devout Christian and a member of the
Redeemed Christian Church of God.
EDUCATION:
His Excellency Prince Dapo Abiodun
studied Civil Engineering at the Obafemi
Awolowo University Ife, Osun State, and
Accounting at Kennesaw State
University, Atlanta Georgia, United
States of America (USA).
He holds a Honours et Doctorate Degree
in Finance from Ekiti State University,
Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State and another in
Business Administration from Adeleke
University, Ede, Osun State.

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CAREER:
His Excellency Prince Dapo Abiodun is the managing director/CEO of Heyden Petroleum Ltd
[HPL], an indigenous player in the downstream, midstream, and upstream oil and gas industry in
Nigeria. He is also reportedly the founder of First Power Limited.
POLITICS:
His Excellency Prince Dapo Abiodun is a founding member of the People's Democratic Party
(PDP) in Ogun State, although he is currently a member of the All Progressive Congress (APC)
defecting after the 2015 general elections.
He contested the Ogun East senatorial seat on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC)
in the 2015 Nigerian general elections which he lost to the People's Democratic Party (PDP)
candidate.
He was elected a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the platform of the defunct
United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) in 1998. He has served as a member of various
presidential committees and organisations.
Despite various oppositions and obstacles that followed his gubernatorial ambitions, His
Excellency Prince Dapo Abiodun, has proven himself a resilient man, a man true to his words,
and the people of Ogun state are being ushered into a new era, where they are expected to be
actively involved in building a better future together with their conscientious and unwavering
leader.

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Prince DAPO ABIODUN
Plans for Ogun State
· Embark on tuition-free programme in Ogun State.
· Grant full autonomy to local government councils in the state
· Befitting roads and new markets
· True service to the people, leadership by transparency, accountability, and
credibility, anything fair and just.
· Prompt settlement of teachers' salaries and allowances
Revisit issues of arrears of all workers' entitlements, including leave bonuses
Explore and tap all natural resources in Ogun State to create further wealth and
build more industries that will engage our youths in a gainful employment
Create an enabling environment for Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to boost
the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the state.

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The Role of
Traditional Rulers
in The Society/Politics
Can we meet you, sir?
I am Alayeluwa Oba (Engr) Munirudeen Adeposi
Bashorun, Alayo 1, Orugbogbo II, Oru of Imoru-Ijebu
Kabiyesi, one of the major roles of traditional rulers in
the society is being the custodian of culture and
tradition of their domains, with the advent of
technology and civilization, how has it been balancing
tradition and civilization with people's expectation?
Alayeluwa Oba (Engr) Munirudeen
Adeposi Bashorun, Alayo 1,
Orugbogbo ll, Oru of Imoru-Ijebu
(Ogun State)
Tradition and civilisation are working together.
The tradition is to see for the smooth running of
the communities and performing traditional
right. Although, we take care of our people too,
both the Muslims, Christians and Traditional
worshippers. We make sure that there is peace
among the three religions in other to avoid
religious crisis among themselves. It is the job of
traditional rulers to protect the interest of the
people in their domain and that is why there is
peace in every Yoruba land, that has a traditional
ruler because they are the mediators of what we
call both tradition and civilisation.
In the past, when there are issues like land
dispute and marital issues, people tend to seek
the counsel of traditional rulers in the
community which brought sanity and
calmness to the community knowing well that
verdicts and judgement will be fair and
instant, is this still being practiced now and
would you say people still prefer this
approach than going to court?
People are no more performing that culture
because the government of today is claiming
ownership of the land, and once they are the
owner, they issue C of O and take control of
the land. But if there is any of this problem in
my domain, what we do is to make peace. For
instance, we sell land but we still need to get
permission and C of O from the government
before we build, and we thanked God
everything is in order because if not so there

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will be more chaos. I remember a few years ago
when I bought a land in Lagos and saw people
fighting on another land the day I was to
commence construction on my land, with
nobody to report to, but if they had a traditional
ruler in that area, I think the ruler would have
mediated the affairs amicably. The traditional
rulers are making peace on land because they
are the owners of the land but the government
serves as the overall owner. They are the people
ruling the land before the government came in.
water for free. I also make sure that
electricity bills are paid as at when due but
whenever I see that the bills are high and my
people can't afford it, I will call my council to
come with the community money to assist in
paying.
Can you share a few words about the
governor of Ogun State, HE Prince Dapo
Abiodun and your opinion about him?
Looking at Ogun State as a whole with several
traditional rulers from different regions of
Ogun, how would you say your reigns as the
Oru of Imoru Ijebu has impacted the
community and the government as a whole?
In Imoru Ijebu, we have so many traditional
rulers in Ogun state but the Ijebu traditional
rulers are always taking care of their
communities in other to enhance peace and
stability in their domain. For instance, if we have
damaged roads in Ijebu and the government fails
to repair them, we will have to do it ourselves
just for peace to reign. If there is no stable
power supply and water, it is the traditional ruler
that will send its people to the authority in
charge. Also, in Imoru we don't sell water,
nobody is buying water. What we do is that we
maintain the boreholes and reservoir given to us
by the government. We make sure that it works
perfectly so that people can have access to
We've been under severe punishment in
Ogun State for the past eight years. We
enjoyed during the administration of Otunba
Gbenga Daniel but during the administration
of the last governor, Senator Ibikunle
Amosun, no single good roads in Ijebu. For
example, I have about three damaged
Mercedes cars parked in my garage as a result
of the bad roads. I keep spending money
every day on repairs and recently spent over
two hundred thousand to repair another one.
One hundred and fifty thousand for ABS and
fifty thousand for arms because of the bad
roads. But Dapo Abiodun has seen our
problem before he decided to come to our
aid. With Dapo Abiodun being an Ijebu man,
he has seen all that Ijebu people have
suffered. He is God sent to the people of
Ijebu and I believed he will help us ratify
these anomalies by the grace of God.
Just a week ago, the deputy governor came to
inspect Imoru to see the situation of things
and report back to the governor.

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The following day, the governor also came to
Imoru to see things for himself. This shows us
that our dream will come to reality, yearnings
will be heard and that our governor, Dapo
Abiodun, is for the masses. Unlike before
whether you cry or not, nobody is ready to give
you listening ears. For the past 10 years, we
have been maintaining this road personally
because the past governor did nothing on the
road despite calling his attention to the
situation. But presently, I know that this road is
already on the list of roads to be repaired by
Dapo Abiodun and I'm very sure he will do it,
which I will be happy with. The people of Imoru
loves Dapo Abiodun
Closing Remarks:
President Buhari is trying his best and Nigeria will
be out of this suffering soon. Also, I don't want
the people of Ogun State to be extremely
anxious. They should give the governor, Dapo
Abiodun time to settle down and let him choose
the way he wishes to operate. We are optimistic
that he will operate well politically, socially and
economically. Dapo will serve the people in the
way we've never experienced in Ogun state,
especially in Ijebu for the past eight years. The
governor should not be criticised, he should be
given at least a year to put things in order.
If there is one major challenge you want this
administration to look into and proffer
solutions urgently, what would it be?
The challenge we have here is infrastructure,
once we have it done, we will be fulfilled. Also,
the state of our rural roads; these roads links to
where we get our foods. If these roads can be
constructed and repaired, foods will be easily
transported from one village to the other.
Generally, the governor should look into
infrastructure in towns and the rural
environment because if we have good
infrastructure, the economy of Ijebu will change.

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The Essence Of
TRADITIONAL RULERS
IN OGUN COMMUNITY
Can we meet you, sir?
Oba Abdulrazak Adesina Adenugba, Ebumawe of Ago Iwoye
Kabiyesi, one of the major roles of traditional rulers in the
society is being the custodian of culture and tradition of
their domains, with the advent of technology and
civilization, how has it been balancing tradition and
civilization with people's expectation?
Well, I will start answering your question by giving glory to
Almighty God who has given us the opportunity to see
Oba Abdulrazak
Adesina Adenugba
The Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye
(Ogun State)
today and who has ordained me to exist and
be an Oba and to be a custodian of
traditional culture. There is an adage in
Yoruba that I heard from the Awujale of
Ijebu land and it goes thus; the head must
have been created, before the so called spot
or Koko are now germinated by
circumstances either by illness or striking
the head with something. Having said that,
God in his power created this world down
the lane, he created some location and
communities from one to the other and
they were all existing before socialisation
came in. Socialisation was the one that gave
birth to political segregation, that means in
a location God created what we call
differences in different factors in which we
are talking of; dialect, religion, mode of dressing,
the way we communicate or do things, and all
these varieties is what we can now say to make
one state or nation or ethic. All this came by virtue
of knowing ourselves or education and they all
encompass under socialisation, tradition has been
in existence since the world has been created,
socialisation now came as a sort of development.
If you go to the Bible, when God created Adam
and Eve, they were just naked in the garden of
Eden nothing like socialisation that was just using
leaves until their eyes were open but then nothing
like civilisation not until Eve cajoled her husband to
eat the fruit, that is why we say women are
powerful. Up to the era of NOK people when they
use a rock to crack fire, there was nothing like
civilisation then. Obas are the custodian of

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tradition and culture no doubt, Rome wasn't
built in a day and if we are to go back to the precolonial
era when our colonial masters came,
they had seen the Yorubas, especially we the
Ijebus had established the Ijebu nation, it was
like a threat to their administration when they
came, they looked for one way or the other to
learn how to suppress the authority of our
forefathers and subject them to their control so
they brought in different things to become
friends with them due to their selfish interest,
that is what led to where we are now which led
to political arrangement, merging one ethnic to
the other and state to make one nation.
In the past, when there are issues like land
dispute, marital issues, people tend to seek the
counsel of traditional rulers in the community
which brought sanity and calmness to the
community knowing well that, verdicts and
judgments will be fair and instant, is this still
being practiced now and would you say people
still prefer this approach than going to court?
The tradition in the olden days brings authority
in the land, but presently after the
amalgamation down to keeping Nigeria one
during the military regime, that led us to the
Nigerian constitution, and it preaches rule of
law and the traditional ruler were not duly or
not represented in the constitution, we have
been robbed off the authority that we inherited
from our forefathers. To answer the question,
yes it is so, if you look at the political authority
in the country today, any politician running for
office will run to the palace to seek for blessing to triumph in the election, they know that we are the
authority to bless because we are the second in command after God but now the reverse is the case,
if anyone come here with a land dispute case I will give a fair judgment because I have sworn to be
fair but now it is different, as if they are not pleased they get a lawyer and go to the court and the
court will take it to cause, in the past the judgment of the Oba was the final.
Looking at Ogun State as a whole with several traditional rulers from different regions of Ogun,
how would you say your reign as the Ebumawe of Ago Iwoye has impacted the city and the
government as a whole?
That is a very funny question, I see myself as a servant of the people. I came to the throne as a young
fellow being a banker and I socialise a lot in Lagos before my people ask me to come and ascend the
throne of my forefathers. My background still reflects my action, my humbleness, listening to people,
try to respect other views and traditions and keep to the advice of elders, especially those who are
my mates, I do relate with them but I still respect myself as the monarch, king of my people. I have
brought a lot of development to the throne, people have seen that I am a modern king, when I talk in

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any vicinity, I give all necessary, so they would
not question our credibility and I try to maintain
peace. I encountered crisis when I came in, first
between the students and myself in Ago-Iwoye,
for them to change, but it was hard for them to
change, especially those cultists and
nightcrawlers, and for us to have peace in the
community they needed to reduce it to the
barest minimum but at the end of the day we
agreed with ourselves, both the student the
lecturers and about ten years now no crisis has
occurred.
Can you share a few words about the Governor
of Ogun State, HE Prince Dapo Abiodun and
your opinion about him?
First of all I am not a politician, Prince Dapo
Abiodun happens to be a brother, and when I
talk, people think I play politics. I was just lucky
to relate with him when everybody was nobody,
and I can't disassociate myself from him because
he is now a governor because we share a strong
relationship together. Our governor is well
oriented and educated and qualified person to
rule the state, he has sojourned many in life and
he has seen and conquered, he has attained a
position in life that has brought him out. He
contested for a senator and a representative but
lost and won when he contested for governor,
he won because God wanted him there. He has
started showing his capabilities by paying the
salaries of workers on time. He is going to serve
the people, he is someone who will reshape and
restructure Ogun state, and God will see him
through.
If there is one major challenge you want this
administration to look into and proffer
solutions urgently, what would it be?
What can get the people's mind is to get all the
infrastructure working, then education and
agriculture can be worked on. People cannot
move from one location to the other easily but if
all infrastructures are put in place, good roads to
link one location to another, and safety comes
first. During our forefathers, there was nothing
like kidnapping there were Fulanis but they were
not as much as now. If you are going to Remo or
Lagos you have to pass through Ijebu ode
because no good roads in the state, whereas
from here to Sagamu 15 minutes you are there
even from Lagos to Benin was 3 hours but now
you can stay overnight before getting to your
location. The governor should first of all focus on
infrastructures and good roads for the people.
Closing Remarks
I love my people and they appreciate me and I
want to charge the media gurus because what
you are doing is an avenue to speak my mind
and for people to learn from me and vice versa
but when the media are not there I cannot just
tell someone to do a coverage for me and dump
it in my wardrobe, the media have a lot to do
because the job is very lucrative and I don't
know why they are a lot of unemployed people
in the society now unlike in the olden days when
it was just medicine and engineering that was
the courses they wanted to study. The media
holds a lot of power and can do and undo.

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Expectations
My name is Mrs. New-man Emily
We appreciate the work that has already
been done but we need more improvement
and development for Ijebu Ode because we
lack a lot of things here. No roads, no light.
When rain falls, everywhere is filled up. You
can look at the market, there's no
improvement and everywhere is very dirty
and we don't like this kind of thing. We
need development in Ijebu – Ode that's all.
My name is Hakeem Olayinka, I am a
transporter.
We are very happy with what the governor
has done in giving the public the platform
to express themselves because we the
motorists aren't happy with the state of the
roads in Ogun state. The roads are bad.
From the interchange to Ijebu Ode, the road
is bad; the road that links Ilishan to Ago
Iwoye is also bad. From Ago Iwoye to
Imowo Eleran also up to the Ibadan garage,
no road.
The former governor started that road
project but he abandoned it. We are
bearing the consequences of that and our
vehicles are becoming faulty by the day. The
money we make from our daily living is not
enough for us to maintain our vehicles.
We will, however, be happy if the new
governor can fulfil his promises to us. The
Lord will empower him; give him long life and
peace so that he can carry out all his good
plans.
We also want our education to stand out, be it
university, secondary school or primary
school.
Electricity also is another one. Sometimes, we
may not have light for three days and we are
paying our electricity bills. Things like these
were what the former governor of Lagos state
did for his people that made them enjoy the
state, so if Prince Dapo Abiodun can also do
the same for us, we will be happy. We cannot
pay for something and not be able to use it,
may God help Him to achieve greatness.
Everything the governor said he wants to do;
he didn't limit it to Iperu-Remo; he said he
wants to work throughout Ogun State. For
instance, the Omubile road is very bad now
and motorists cannot ply that road. The
former governor did nothing about it. Ibefun
road as well, from Ibefun to Ijebu-Ode as well,
the road is a write-off. As Dapo has said he
will do it, may God help him.
He didn't promise to work in Iperu alone; he
said the whole of Ogun state. Sango to
Abeokuta is another example, no road. Ijoko
to Akute to Ajuwon, all the roads are bad.
May God help the governor to do what the

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populace wants so that they can be happy
and if he does well, we will ask God to give
him the next term.
It is good for a sitting governor to listen to the
people and get advice from the people. He
should not be arrogant and think no one can
talk to him. Fine, the governor cannot go
everywhere but he should put people in
charge. He will hear the cry of the people in
the news so he should listen to their cry. It is
the people that will see what is wrong and
speak and the governor will send his people
to get to work. You cannot tell them to do
something and not monitor it. If it is not
monitored the work will not be done. Secretly
supervise those in charge and also appoint
inspectors secretly to put them in check, then
he can pick out the bad eggs in his
government.
I am a transporter. I am not from Iperu-Remo
but I am happy with the choice of our new
governor. I am from Ijebu-Ode and I Ply Ijebu-
Ode to Iperu. Our governor is a good man. He
has been a good man from the onset and I
feel he will do better than his predecessors.
You see our roads, especially that Ilishan road,
there's usually water there. Even this our
garage, if you look round, you will see water.
That is basically what I want him to do for us.
The road.
My name is Iyabo Adekoya.
I am very happy about the new governor. I
am part of the people that voted him in and I
am very happy. I am very happy he will fix the
issues in Ogun state. It is for this reason he
was voted in. What we want him to do for us
in Iperu ranges from our garage to the roads.

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There is usually erosion in Iperu. Ilishan road,
Ode road, and Sagamu roads are all bad.
Erosion affects most houses in that area.
Those ticketers collecting money from bike
men, they collect a lot and it affects those of
us living around them. When rain falls, we
cannot stay in this garage.
The past administration did not do anything in
Iperu-Remo, he only worked in Abeokuta and
that is why we have voted our own man in so
that he can work for us. I want him to make
Iperu as fine as Abeokuta.
My name is Rasaki Ayegbajeje,
Treasurer, Abeokuta Ijebu-ode unit. I am
exceedingly happy with Prince Dapo Abiodun.
This road is a priority for me and I want him to
look into it. If you were here yesterday there
would have been no place for you to stay.
Ijebu- Ode road, Iperu to Ilishan, the erosion is
bad and this has caused a lot of expenses as
regards spending for motorists plying that
route. God will help and strengthen him and
help my children to also attain the position he
has gotten to. Ibikunle Amosun did a lot for
those in Abeokuta. I do not want it to look like
I am waging war but I believe Dapo Abiodun
knows what to do. The roads are very bad but
the Sagamu road is worse. He is a good man;
he has repaired roads in the past and I know
he cannot do it alone. We will assist him with
our prayers.
want. That's my first concern. He needs to make
this garage a befitting one.
My name is Wasiu Morakinyo and I am a
cobbler.
I am grateful to God for our new governor
because I believe God chose him and God will
help him to do the best for us in Ogun state.
Dapo Abiodun has the Holy Spirit and I pray that
he will act in whatever capacity the Lord will
guide and help him to do.
I am in a garage environment and I will want him
to help us fix this garage and tar it so that it can
be ok, so that those of us in the garage will live
healthy as well.
He should also open the door for big companies
to come to Iperu so that they can bring
development to Iperu. Schools are also
important; we need more schools in Iperu so
that those of us doing petty jobs can also benefit
from it. We also need good toilets so that those
who come here to board vehicles can have a
place to use. They can also employ someone
there who will monitor the usage of the toilet so
that people do not ride themselves as regards
usage.
Ilishan road also needs to be fixed.
My name is Funke Durojaiye,
I sell things in this garage.
We have a lot of issues we face in Iperu-Remo.
We have no drainage so the flood disturbs us a
lot. From here to Sagamu road, erosion has
swept off the road, and we also need our
water to run, I mean tap water. As for the
garage, we need it to be tarred, and although a
toilet is not essential, it is part of it. We don't
have natural light; they usually give us light
three times a week.
Dapo Abiodun is a loving governor, but he
should direct people to do things that we

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My name is Solomon, I am a clergyman.
If I see Dapo Abiodun today, the first thing I will do is tell him to look into the economy of Ogun
state which is paramount to us in this state so that things can go well.
Yes, I believe in him as a man of God because we know him as a man of God and we believe that
God will direct him to make a change in this particular state.
My advice to him is that in whatever he wants to do, first and foremost he needs to seek the face
of God and let the Holy Spirit direct him, not human being, not politicians but the Holy Spirit, so
that he can spend his tenure and be successful.
I believe there is marginalisation; I cannot say how but I believe as a governor, he will know how
to fix it.
As a Christian and as a governor of the state, to me, I see him as someone who is not a governor
of a particular place. He is the governor of the state and I believe he will touch the whole part of
the state and not stay in a place. He will turn around the whole state to the extent that people will
enjoy him. He is not a man like that; he is a man of the whole state.
Sunday Awotunde – Transporter
I will advise the new governor, His Excellency Dapo Abiodun, to obey the rule of the Lord. That's the
first thing.
I will advise him to obey the rules and regulations of what he has said on the day he was sworn in
and God bless him.
I wouldn't like him to take revenge on anybody. I would advise him to go on with the job left behind.
I pray that God will surely abide with him and God will surely see him through in his lifetime.
I believe that Ogun state will develop more than before because when someone like him says he has
already set aside the salary before the allocation, I believe he is capable and definitely he is going to
do something better and God will help him.
Oluwagbemiga - Transporter
I know that Ogun state will be more developed. What Amosun has done is good and I pray that God
will give Governor Dapo Abiodun power and more encouragement to do whatever he wants to do in
Ogun state.
One thing I want him to do in my area because I am from Ijebu is what Amosun did in Abeokuta.
Onyebuchi – Trader
We need help, to improve our businesses, to make things better. To make things work very well.
When there is money to establish businesses, things will change, to put more money into circulation,
treat us well and be the best Governor in Ogun State, pay salaries regularly to workers so there can
be sales.

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I would like to thank you all for this effort, I pray that God will
crown your effort, I pray for Nigeria every day, I am passionate
about Nigeria I am determined Nigeria will succeed, to
support serious-minded leaders and to tell unserious leaders
the truth so that we can have a good Nigeria, so there is space
in the sun for every Nigerian.

To our contributors and readers,
On behalf of the editorial board and management of the governor.ng and the governor
magazine, our monthly magazine where we focus on a specific state, I will like to say a
big thank you for your participation in making this edition possible.
In particular, wonderful thank you to HRM Oba Abdul-Rasaq Adenugba, the Ebumawe
of Ago Iwoye, I also say a wonderful big thank you to his HRM Oba Adeposi Bashorun,
the Oru of Imoru for their participation and welcoming us into their palaces and for
granting us the interview and taking the time out to share with us their aspirations,
dreams, expectations, the challenges they are confronting as stakeholders in Ogun
state and how they as an institution, that is the traditional elders, the traditional rulers
can contribute to good governance of a state.
I will like to say a wonderful thank you to Dr. Deji Ashiru for taking the time out, Pastor
Ituah Ighodalo for welcoming us to his office for the interview, amiable Sola Arobieke
for the wonderful hospitality and the time spent with us.
For the citizens of Ogun state, the stakeholders from Ijebu ode to Abeokuta, Sagamu to
Iperu Remo, Yewa, Remo town, all over the state, thank you for participating. Market
women, students, elders, children, all the stakeholders, we appreciate you.
This edition would not have been possible without again the commitment, the
dedication, the readiness of the team from ibile.tv and AIG Media Pro who made it
possible day and night, went from Lagos, travelled on numerous occasions all over
Ogun state just to present this and I say thank you to you all in particular to my joint
editor, Adeyinka Igbinoba, I say a wonderful thank you for her dedication and
commitment to ensuring that we publish this edition as well as towards the future
editions. A big thank you to you all, as you read or watch this edition. We ask that you
watch out for the next edition, which we can only assure, will be better as we are
getting better from month to month.
Thank you
Henry Balogun
Publisher / Editor-in-Chief.
July 2019