Former Ogun Governor Olusegun Osoba has declared that God, and not him, made Prince Dapo Abiodun Governor

 

The former Governor said Abiodun was never one of the aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) but God, in a mysterious way, brought him forward later and crowned him Governor.

He noted he (Osoba) was only a part of the process God used to make Abiodun Governor.

“I didn’t produce Governor Dapo Abiodun, but God produced him as governor for you in Ogun State. Let me make it clear because Bayo Onanuga was thanking me for giving Dapo Abiodun to Ogun.

“I didn’t, God made him a governor. He was not one of our party’s aspirants at the beginning but God’s ways are always mysterious,” he said.

The former Managing Director of The Daily Times spoke at the inauguration of Olusegun Osoba Press Centre located at Okemosan Governor’s Office, Abeokuta.

The centre was built by Abiodun to immortalise Osoba, one of the doyens of journalism in Nigeria.

The Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; veteran journalists such as Dr Reuben Abati, Niran Malaolu, Bayo Onanuga, Eddie Aina, Denora Badejo and Gbenga Adefaye witnessed inauguration of the edifice.

An emotional Osoba declared Abiodun has added more to his lifespan by naming the Centre after him.

According to him: “I feel very emotional because I left office 18 years ago and the first 16 years have been so traumatic as I never came back home. But to imagine that I am alive and my return to this place will be glorious is indeed, emotional to me.

“Mr. Governor, you may not know, but I must confess that you have added more to my lifespan; it could be hours, it could be days and it could be years.

“The first 8 years, I was declared a persona non grata but that is settled now. The following 8 years was so problematic.”

Abiodun said his administration elected to name monuments like the Press Centre after Osoba because the ex-Governor is many things rolled into one.

He said: “Baba has the distinction of having led three major newspapers across regions: Daily Times, which was the most widely read and authoritative in that era; Herald, which is based in Ilorin, North-Central Nigeria and Daily Sketch, which was the major regional newspaper in the South-West.

This diversity gave Baba Osoba first-hand knowledge of how to handle management of diversity and gave him an insight into leading National issues and concerns, transcending his immediate cultural environment.

That made him a cosmopolitan, suave and balanced nationalist. Baba Osoba’s nationalism and patriotic fervor cannot be divorced from his professional background and quality of practice.

This rich background and outlook have taken him to an enviable height in his politics and relationship with people.

We had always wanted to celebrate Baba in a more elaborate manner because you are worthy of praise and you are our Brand Ambassador.

As an administration that is purpose-driven, accountable, participatory, and inclusive, that also believes in the rule of law, good governance, and equity, we share all these with today’s honouree. This is our modest way of immortalising Baba Osoba.

We have Baba to thank for the brand of investigative journalism he practised and those of you in the field today have a thing or two to learn from him.”