16022021 - Nigeria’s security architecture being re-jigged — SERVICE CHIEFS

28 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
TRIBUTE
Oyinlola: Prince, soldier and politician @ 70 (2)
The first part of this tribute published last
Friday commended the lifestyle of Prince
Oyinlola. This is the concluding part.
By DR (HON) MUYIWA & PROF
(MRS) B.Y OLADIMEJI
THE veteran broadcaster/administrator
Chief Yemi Faroumbi who had been
appointed as Chairman of Osun State
Broadcasting Corporation, OSBC, during the
Chief Bisi Akande tenure, was reappointed to
the position by Governor Oyinlola while I was
appointed by the Senate President, Adolphus
Wabara as Senior Special
Adviser on Political Affairs.
Thus, my involvement with the
Osun State Government and
party apparatchik during
Oyinlola’s Government first
tenure (2003-2007) was
minimal. Nevertheless as a
loyal party man and by his own
open door policy, I had good
access to Governor Oyinlola
himself. A few of the notable events/
achievements of that first tenure were:
• Full and prompt payment of workers' and
teachers' salaries, and promotion that had
been denied by the previous regime.
• Full accreditation of all the tertiary
institutions (two polytechnics and two colleges
of education) owned by Osun State.
• Completion and extension of some
abandoned civil works projects.
• Extension and expansion of OSBC coverage
and construction of new offices
• Prompt payment of Osun State contributions
to LAUTECH University Ogbomosho and the
Teaching Hospital, Osogbo.
• Full accreditation of LAUTECH Teaching
Hospital Osogbo.
•Establishment of Osun State University with
six campuses.
• And many more.
In the second tenure of Governor Oyinlola, I
was appointed chairman of LAUTECH
Teaching Hospital Board. After the second year
of that tenure things were not as peaceful and
stable as before essentially because of fifth
columnists and treacherous over-ambitious
elements within the government and within
the Osun State PDP itself.
The Yoruba adage Ti Ogiri ko ba la, Alangba
kole wo inu ile - “The lizard cannot enter a
house if the walls aren’t cracked.” This was
essentially because some PDP gubernatorial
aspirants were beginning to hustle and oil their
campaign
machineries for
the election
since that was
the final tenure
of the Oyinlola
administration.
Paradoxically
these elements
As a Prince,
Oyinlola was born
great and as a
retired General
and former
governor, he
achieved greatness
unwittingly
emboldened the Lagos ragamuffins aided by
a very un-independent INEC and some
compromised judicial elements; the table was
unexpectedly turned upside down. Oyinlola’s
government was eased out by judiciary fiat to
a former Lagos based ex-commissioner, whose
tenure was characterised by garrulous drama,
petty left wing radicalism and infantile
extremism, tagged progressivism.
Let’s fast-forward. Oyinlola was not one to cry
over spilt milk: he contested and became the
National Secretary of PDP at the national
convention but his detractors weren’t done. War
was waged from many sides to deny him
occupancy of the Wadata Plaza office.
Unfortunately some of his previous co-travellers,
surrogates and appointees became easy tools to
the mischief and treachery.
As it was in Osun State, so it was in some other
states: the PDP witnessed exodus of some
governors with former Vice President Atiku,
Oyinlola, Saraki and many other big wigs under
the Bamanga Tukur’s Chairmanship of PDP and
Dr. Ebele Goodluck Jonathan’s first tenure as
elected President of Nigeria.
It seemed a state of paranoia had enveloped
both the Aso Villa and Wadata Plaza landlords
of the time and their henchmen were in a state of
“grandeur delusion", hence did nothing to
checkmate this exodus until PDP was swept out
of presidency and consequently in many other
•Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola @70
states. It is, therefore, only appropriate to state
that the APC victory was as a result of the
instability, over confidence, mischief and
treachery that percolated through the PDP both
at Osun State and national levels.
This tribute is about Olagunsoye Oyinlola, not
about the political rascality, lack of content of
the immediate post-Oyinlola government or
even about the ineptitude, nepotism,
ethnocentricity of the present Federal
Government that is extremely hegemonistic and
unappreciative of the diversity of the country. It
has lost sight of the fact that this enabled it to
occupy Aso Villa after two previous disastrous
outings but seems to be excited at tearing a fragile
nation Nigeria into country states.
Ten years ago, I and my Government College
Ibadan school mate, Niyi Owolade (former Osun
State Commissioner and later Attorney-General)
sat together in the church at Okuku during Prince
Oyinlola’s 60th birthday which was attended by
many very eminent personalities (President
Obasanjo, Governors, e.t.c) and not attended by
some of those Oyinlola’s former emergency golfer
friends and lobbyists but notwithstanding, the
Church was full.
Humble
lifestyle
I remember like yesterday, that Princess
Omolola Oyinlola and the children rendered a
song: Count Your Blessings, name them one by
one and it will surprise you what the Lord has
done. That song was very appropriate for the
occasion.
Ten years later now as Olagunsoye Oyinlola is
celebrating his 70th birthday, we are celebrating
with a man who has seen it all; as a soldier on the
battle field, life and death, as a politician, love
and betrayal. Mahatma Gandhi once remarked:
“Service is a duty and a duty is a debt which is a
sin not to discharge.” Perhaps this is why this
retired General, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola
though very blessed is still not tired of service,
and his soldierly gaits, humorous and humble
lifestyle belies the 70 years he is now attaining.
It was Willian Shakespeare in Twelfth Night
that said: “Some are born great, some achieve
greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon
‘em". Of Prince Gen. Olagunsoye Oyinlola it is
very correct to state only “that as a Prince, he was
born great and as a retired General and former
governor, he achieved greatness.” So while we
can still join the family to render, Count your
blessings name them one by one.... it will surprise
you what the lord has done, many of us his friends
and co-travellers on this Naija enterprise will
also sing, Great Is Thy Faitfulness, O God Our
Father.
In conclusion, my wife and our entire family
wish our very accomplished Prince of peace,
gentleman Gen (retd). Olagunsoye Oyinlola on
his 70th birthday celebration some more decades
in good health, abundant, peace, joy, progress
for you and all yours everywhere and continuous
blessings of the Omnipotent God in Jesus mighty
name.
Hurray!! and Happy 70th Birthday Brig. Gen
(retd) Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola
•Dr. Oladimeji is a former member of House
of Reps and PDP chieftain in Osun State
Ehingbeti: Expediting the
transformation of Lagos
By Babajide Komolafe
Since 2000, Nigeria’s
commercial capital and
Africa’s sixth largest economy,
Lagos State, has been going
through landmark policy and
infrastructural
transformation to a modern
city.
Driving this transformation
is the Lagos Economic
Summit, a private sector-led
participatory forum, also
known as ‘Ehingbeti’.
Notwithstanding the
absence of Ehingbeti between
2015 and 2019, the
significance of the Lagos
Economic Summit is evident
across the State.
Even though the private
sector-led conversation
continues with the
2021edition holding this
week, implementation of
some of the consensus reached
at pre-2015 summits, also
demonstrated that Ehingbeti
is an unending dialogue in the
quest for socio-economic and
infrastructural development
in Lagos State.
From the beautiful bus
terminals across the State to
hundreds of Mass Transit
Buses procured to partly tackle
the transportation challenges,
it was clear that Lagos was
beginning to embrace the
realities of its megacity status
expressed by representatives
of the UN Habitat at one of
the planning sessions that
heralded the inaugural
edition of Ehingbeti.
Before Ehingbeti
Lagos before 2000 was
awfully chaotic. Aside from
the throbbing of
infrastructural deficit, the
population was growing at a
riotous rate. This was the
beginning of the 4th republic,
after 16 years of military rule.
Democracy ushered in relief,
and citizens began to aspire
to a decent life after a long
era of repression.
The new aspiration put
Lagos under pressure because
it was the only State in Nigeria,
with the possibility of
restoration. So, the State
became a point of attraction
to everyone seeking survival
and prosperity, when its newly
democratically elected
government was struggling
with extremely lean resources
to start the business of
governance, for which it was
voted by the people.
Evidence of the decade-long
abandonment and halted
development was visible in
every corner of the State. The
indicators that would justify
the transition to civil rule were
in the urgent need to address
infrastructural deficit, poor
transportation system, fix bad
roads, improve health
services, abate growing
insecurity improve the socioeconomic
climate for general
habitability in the State.
Lagos offered a glimpse of
hope to the people because of
its status as a former capital,
but the threatening twinkles
of expectation had made the
need for the State to ‘take-off’
really necessary, less the State
denigrated into total
commotion.
The Beginning of Ehigbeti
Worried about the
consequences of inaction, the
crop of technocrats and eggheads
pulled to government
by the allure of democracy
and Governor’s believability
got to work on social services
development and planning.
The visual mess had to go, and
disintegrating infrastructure
needed to serve the people,
Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu
while scaling-up became a
major item on the State
government agenda.
“The state of things was
scary. We had to keep late
nights at Akodo resort,
brainstorming on how to get
tonnes of wastes off the streets
of Lagos. The disorderliness
intensified by the
transportation system then
was an eyesore. Every day in
Lagos was a new heartbreak
for everyone in government”,
said Mr. Yemi Cardoso,
Chairman, Citibank Nigeria,
who was Lagos State
Commissioner for Economic
and Budget Planning in
1999.
“The need to create a
functional State, with great
infrastructure was
undeniable. At the Cabinet
level, we saw that things
needed to transform rapidly,
even though our reality was
that the transformation can
only be gradual. With an
enduring commitment, the
leadership of the State
encouraged and supported a
rigorous planning process,
propelled by a clear vision
about the projected
development, with tangible
milestones”, he added.
The nights of sweats and toils
in the bush of Akodo did not
only have the Governor and
his cabinet wandering for
solutions to the socioeconomic
and infrastructural
challenges of Lagos State,
most of the leading lights in
the private sector in Lagos
State were also on the hunt
for ideas that would not only
make Lagos habitable, but
also prosperous, in the Akodo
bush.
The fading signs of
squalour of the era and
sprouting of modern
architectures brightened by
increasing presence of street
lights in the state are
testaments to the effectiveness
of collaboration between the
private and public sector. In
fact, Ehingbeti has proven that
tough and sincere
conversations are paths to
building an enduring
relationship and an
engendering atmosphere of
mutual trust.
There was a gust of ideas
from the different Working
Groups, requiring discipline
of purpose to translate into
executable projects, but more
important at the stage was
taking the idea to the market.
And this required committed
partnership, which only a
shared vision could deliver.
Ehingbeti 2021
“In the last two decades,
Ehingbeti has played a
pivotal role in the
transformation of Lagos
State, with useful inputs into
Lagos State Development
Plans (LSDP)” said Sam
Egube, the current
Commissioner for Economic
Planning and Budget, who is
also a Co-chair of the Steering
Committee said.
“Our realities from 2000
when the first Ehingbeti held,
exactly 20 years ago, have
significantly changed. As a
state, we now have to cater to
the infrastructural needs of
more than 22million
population and ensure that
Lagos remains on the path of
continuous growth”
“These considerations are
the groundwork of the
Babajide Sanwo-Olu
administration THEMES
Agenda, but translating the
agenda to benefits for our
people will require
collaborations amongst
stakeholders, and a
determination to deepen the
foundation for sustainable
development and growth of
our society. So, Ehingbeti
2020 offers us a platform to
address all these”, concluded
Egube. “It is clear that
private sector setting an
implementable agenda for
government and
championing the process of
implementation has pushed
Lagos far ahead of States in
Nigeria and countries in the
African sub-region”
submitted Sam Egube,
Commissioner for Economic
Planning and Budget in Lagos
State, “but development of the
State is not a destination, but
a journey. We need to continue
to work at as a government
and people”.
This view reflects the
government’s thinking
towards development in the
State. It is safe to infer that the
government is keen on
stretching its collaboration
with the private sector to
improve infrastructure,
echoing Professor Utomi’s
thought that as successful
Lagos may be in terms of
infrastructural development
“the room for improvement
exists with the utilization of a
portent economic planning
tool like Ehingbeti”.
With the theme ‘For a
Greater Lagos: Setting The
Tone For The Next Decade’,
this edition of Ehingbeti will
certainly rekindle the
conversations that will enable
optimization of the inherent
opportunities in Africa’s 6th
largest economy and offer
perspectives on how to
manage the peculiar socioeconomic
landscape of the
State in the coming decade.
The Lagos Economic
Summit Group (LESG), with
this edition of Ehingbeti, is
strengthening the existing
relationship between
government, and
emphasizing that greater
private sector participation in
governance is a prerequisite
for a functional state.
Since the inaugural summit
in 2000, Ehingbeti has gained
useful insights from
innumerable business and
political leaders, renowned
economists, notable
development experts and
outstanding scholars, who
have participated from
different parts of the world.
Ehingbeti is the first
institutionalized economic
forum by any state in Nigeria
and is an ingenuous socioeconomic
apparatus that has
contributed significantly to
the evolution of Lagos State
into a major economy in sub-
Saharan, with expanding
potentials.
The summit, hosted by
successive governments in
Lagos State since the
beginning of the 4th republic,
has consistently redefined the
dynamics of public-private
sector collaborations for
development across social
and economic indices in the
Lagos State.