Politics
Segun Odunmbaku: A Man On Mission To Transform Ojodu
By Fiyinfoluwa Nelson
Hon David Oluwasegun Odunmbaku has officially threw his hat in the ring to contest for the chairmanship of the Ojodu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State in the forthcoming Local Government elections in the state slated for July 24, 2021.
With a first and second degree in Business and Information Technology from Dublin Business School, Ireland and a Masters in Computer and Information systems from Liverpool John Moorse University, United Kingdom in 2008, still not done with his quest for educational excellence, Odunmbaku proceeded to the prestigious Havard University School of Government, Boston USA for a programme in Public Financial Management. He also has in his educational kitty an Executive Masters Certificate in Project Management as well as a Certificate in Entrepreneurial Management from Pan Atlantic University, Victoria Island, Lagos. This impressive academic feat is sure worthy of mention.
As a past Secretary to Ikeja Local Government and current Secretary to Ojodu Local Government Development Authority, he is poised to bring this over a decade experience to improve on governance and service to the people. What makes this more interesting is that he was raised in Ojodu and has remained there in the last 42 years of his life, outside of educational pursuit.
A son of a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Cardinal James Omolaja Odunmbaku, popularly known as Baba Eto, who is a prolific politician and God’s servant, one can conveniently and safely conclude that Odunmbaku is adequately equipped for a time like this.
When asked of what sets him apart from other aspirants jostling for the chairmanship position, Odunmbaku simply retorted: “My experience in governance at the local government level, being the Secretary at Ikeja Local Government and currently at Ojodu LCDA. Apart from that, my passion and love for the people which runs in my family and obviously, I have the right foundation both in terms of educational trajectory and experience to take on the challenges of modern day governance.”
On some of the current issues affecting the council, Odunmbaku said: “Just like everything Post Covid, lives and businesses have been impacted. We need to adopt the new normal and become more creative by deploying technology to tackle developmental issues, youth and women empowerment, job creation, low IGR to mention a few.
In terms of specific plans for the council, he said: “I was born and brought up in Ojodu and so the whole area is a familiar turf for me. I have the passion and desire to build on the fantastic job that the current chairman has done. I want to build and expand the legacies for the betterment of our people in the area of access to basics – health and education and empowerment. Our Agenda would also focus on building the local economy in the LCDA
“At the moment, a statutory 70 per cent of the budget goes to capital projects. There are already plans to scale up social intervention programmes designed to meet the specific needs of our people in Ojodu, especially the elderly, the youths, women, entrepreneurs, and even those that are employed and want to acquire additional skills. This category of persons will heavily benefit from our social intervention initiatives.
“We will aggressively pursue capacity building and job creation. As we are building the competences of the people, we will also put in a programme to link those who have acquired skills with people who needs their services within the locality. I will strive as a youth and member of the younger generation to ensure that the gap between capacity building and absorption for job creation is reduced significantly by calling on businesses within the locality to see themselves as stakeholders and through various CSR initiatives, create employment programmes for our people.
“We plan to invest heavily on social investment programmes that are visible. When people see their money working for them, they will be motivated to pay their taxes. We will improve our health centres and markets. We will seek support on our inner roads, street lights, access to clean drinking water, create prograammes for the less privileged, assist those in the informal sector with palliatives, small loans, as well as train and retrain our youths. In this area, the plan is that our ICT centres must be properly accredited. Being the engine room of growth and development, we will focus on the informal sector in terms of helping them and assisting them to remain in business and grow.”
Odunmbaku, who attended the recent unveiling of a 5-Year Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap (2021-2025) by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said his administration would go into partnership with the state government to scale up agriculture and food production.
For clarity, the Roadmap focuses on the development of agricultural value chains where the State has competitive and comparative advantages in order to ensure that the State’s self-sufficiency in food production moves from 18% to 40% in the next five years.
The initiative is also expected to boost food production and drastically reduce post-harvest losses thus encouraging private sector investments that would trigger agricultural transformation in the South-Western States following the examples of countries such as Kenya, Malawi, China among others who, within a 10-year period, made a significant reduction in the poverty level through Agricultural development.
According to Odunmbaku, “In terms of agriculture, post covid, Agriculture is the way to go by ensuring modern farming methods, grants, capacity building, market access and linkages are vigorously pursued to get our youths interested. Now, a lot of our youths are constantly on their mobile phones. With that, we can get our youths interested by providing revolving funds/cooperatives or we can have like Farmers Mart concept where Agricultural products can be gotten at wholesale prices, opened on designated days just like in Europe.
“We will provide off-takers for the famers in Ojodu so that when they are doing their farming, they are assured that somebody somewhere will pick it up. This will help to increase commercial activities. Therefore, we will take advantage of the newly launched 5-year Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap for the benefit of our people.”
Specifically in terms of healthcare delivery, Odunmbaku said plans have been firmed up and awaiting implementation for the Primary Healthcare Centre (PHCs) in the LCDA to function optimally and 24-hours daily.
“We will seek to provide alternative source of energy for them to function optimally. It may not be but we will ensure at least there one or two especially in areas with large concentration of people,” he said.
Another area of focus for Odunmbaku is to take advantage of the geographical location of Ojodu as one of the main gateways to Lagos by developing local economy around the Berger transport hub.
“As you know, Ojodu Berger has a major transport hub and as such, I want to create a local economy around the transport hub. We will seek the support and partnership of the state government in this regard. We want to create a lot of facilities such as shops, food courts, among others and in that way, we ensure that money circulates around Ojodu, thereby adding value to the people who are there and also developing the local economy.
“The plan is to transform Ojodu Berger to be like London King’s Cross Station. From King’s Cross Station, you can get to France, Birmingham and other locations in Europe. So also from Ojodu Berger, you can get a bus to any part of the state and anywhere in the country.
“So, I want to make Berger like King’s Cross Station in collaboration with Lagos State Ministry of Transportation. We have three hubs in Ojodu Berger, Grammar School and Ogba. We want to build on what has been done to create local economy around the parks by pushing people to the three clusters,” Odunmbaku said.
On education, it is a fact that primary school education, enrolment and teachers’ salaries are part of the functions of the local government. Therefore, the plan of Odunmbaku is to put measures in place to facilitate more enrolment of pupils.
“We want more primary schools; we want to double the enrolment of children in schools and in so doing, we are going to ensure that the children have all it takes to be interested in schooling. No one will be left behind especially in public school enrolment. We will continue to encourage parents in this regard. Also, primary school teachers’ salaries have been increased, however, as local council, we hope to do more in terms of providing better learning environment,” he said.
In linking health with environment, Odunmbaku said: “The THEMES Agenda of BABAJIDE SANWO-OLU administration has already set the tone in its Pillar 2 Health and Environment. While thanking LAWMA and the Office of Environment, we will ride on this and continue to ensure that the environment and issue of waste management will be taken seriously and properly coordinated but there is nexus between health and the environment. Yorubas say ilera loro. Ojodu is a special local government being the first point of contact to people coming from neighboring communities such as Alagbole, Akute, Ibafo, among other areas. A lot of people from these communities daily come to our health facilities to access medical care. We will continuously put measures and programmes in place to ensure no one is left behind in the LCDA.
“Health and environment are intertwined and as such we will do all possible to manage our environment in line with the policies of the state government to safeguard the health of residents. We will work on better roads, more schools, more public health facilities, and so on and so forth. I mean, the infrastructure in Ojodu must be topnotch so that the council becomes a reference point for people coming from outside,” he said.
On sports development, Odunmbaku has this to say: “We don’t have a recreation centre in Ojodu at the moment. We will work to create one. This will be one of the key priorities of our administration to engage our youths. We will also create inter-ward and inter-local government competition. Our youths will be encouraged to actively participate and this will also serve as a platform to discover talents.”
Politics
Rescue Mission 2.0: Why Governor Dauda Lawal Should Continue Rebuilding The Future Of Zamfara Through Investment in Education
Rescue Mission 2.0: Why Governor Dauda Lawal Should Continue Rebuilding The Future Of Zamfara Through Investment in Education
By: Bashorun Oladapo Sofowora
For those who know Zamfara State before Governor Dauda Lawal became Governor will appreciate the current situation in the state. The state, which used to be in the rubble, has been reconstructed into a powerhouse within its geographical location and has become an envy of others. All thanks to the visionary rescue mission 1.0 spearheaded by Governor Dauda Lawal, PhD, in 2023, when he was elected Governor of the agrarian and mineral-rich state.
Just three years ago, education in Zamfara State was in a Comatose state. It was nonexistent. No functional primary and secondary schools conducive to learning. The narrative was one of despair: schools as ghost towns, examination halls locked by creditors, and a generation of children seemingly abandoned by systemic neglect. But for Governor Dauda Lawal, a leader who views governance not as a relay race but as a rescue mission, the story has changed with just three years in charge of the affairs of the state.
When he assumed office, the education sector wasn’t just ailing; clinically, it was on life support. Massive debts had piled up, teachers had vanished into thin air and the number of out-of-school children was skyrocketing on a daily basis. However, two years into the “Lawal era,” the sound of silence in Zamfara’s classrooms has been replaced by the sound of flipping of new textbooks and the scratching of pens on examination answer sheets.
One of the cruellest legacies Governor Lawal inherited was the hostage crisis of student futures. Students could not write exams, classes were dilapidated and qualified teachers. Past administrations had failed to remit examination fees to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO). Consequently, thousands of bright Zamfaran students saw their results withheld not because they failed, but because the state failed them. Some had to travel to neighbouring towns like Sokoto, Katsina and Kano to enrol for exams risking their lives.
In a dramatic move that sent shockwaves through the opposition, Governor Lawal reached into the state’s coffers and cleared the backlog of a staggering: ₦1.4 billion to WAEC covering debts from 2018 to 2022, and a combined payment of over ₦1.34 billion to NECO covering debts from 2014 to 2021. The immediate effect was the release of all previously withheld results, allowing students to finally apply for higher education. Furthermore, the state fully funded the 2024 WAEC examinations, ensuring that no child was barred from sitting for their finals due to a lack of funds.
Governor Lawal after his swearing in, declared a State of Emergency on Education in November 2023, this meant that governance moved from the air-conditioned offices in Gusau to the muddy fields of rural schools across the state. He rolled his sleeves and got to work almost immediately fixing the rot he met. Available data from the Zamfara State Government reveals that the state has embarked on the construction and renovation of over 500 schools across all 14 Local Government Areas. This is not a cosmetic paint job, the administration is investing in modern, safe, and dignified learning environments:
Classroom Revolution: Through the UBEC-ZSUBEB Matching Grant and AGILE projects, contracts worth over ₦5.9 billion have been awarded to build schools meeting global standards.
Furniture Supply: The administration has distributed over 12,000 two-seater desks for students and over 1,000 chairs for teachers, ending the era where pupils sat on bare floors to learn.
Recruitment of more teachers and supply of more textbooks: Infrastructure without manpower is a shell. When Governor Lawal looked at the teacher-to-pupil ratio in the state, he saw a crisis. In a decisive move to reverse the brain drain, he approved the massive recruitment of 2,000 qualified teachers.
The recruitment is strategic, the first batch of 500 focuses on critical science subjects (English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics), preparing Zamfaran youth for the 21st-century economy. The government is also finalising a 120-day Rapid Intervention Action Plan to audit payrolls, map schools, and secure school environments from illegal encroachment.
For the 2025 fiscal year, Governor Lawal presented a “Rescue Budget 2.0” of N545 billion. The largest single allocation, N79.6 billion, representing 14% of the entire budget, went to Education. For 2026, the proposed budget allocates an additional N65 billion to sustain this momentum. However, a journey to the Renaissance is not complete. It is at this critical inflexion point that the people of Zamfara face a defining choice. Before Governor Lawal, Zamfara was a state where students were barred from exams due to unpaid debts. Today, those chains are broken completely. But the enemy of progress is not just failure; it is interruption. The gains made in education are still fragile and need continuous consolidation. The newly recruited teachers need continuous training and the 500 renovated schools need constant security and maintenance. The unified Education Sector Bill, designed to create a seamless system from early childhood to tertiary level, is still awaiting full legislative maturity.
To stop the “Rescue Mission 2.0” now would be to hand the baton back to those who drove the system into educational bankruptcy. The same political forces that allowed the debt to accumulate to over N2 billion are already regrouping eyeing 2027. They promise something different, but their records speak of withheld results and abandoned classrooms. Governor Dauda Lawal is not merely constructing classrooms; he is dismantling the architecture of ignorance that held Zamfara backwards for decades. He has proven that with political will, the “Education Governor” can turn around a sector that was declared dead.
To secure this legacy, to ensure that children never again sit on bare floors and to guarantee that WAEC and NECO never again hold Zamfaran results hostage, the mission must continue for a secured future. The vote for continuity is a vote for the future. By re-electing Governor Dauda Lawal, Zamfara will not just be learning to read and write, but also to win in all ramifications and also put the state on a winning streak.
Tinubu Is the ‘Surgeon’ Nigeria Needs; Opposition Lacks Courage for 2027 — Ogra
ABUJA — Senior Special Assistant to the President, O’tega Ogra, has defended the reform agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing him as a “surgeon” prepared to take difficult but necessary decisions to stabilise Nigeria’s economy, while criticising opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement titled “My thoughts on the APC, President Bola Tinubu’s reforms, and the opposition,” Ogra, popularly known as ‘The Tiger,’ said many opposition leaders lack the political will required to implement tough but beneficial policies.
‘Surgeon vs Bystander’
Drawing a medical analogy, Ogra likened the President’s leadership style to that of a specialist willing to carry out life-saving surgery, while portraying critics as passive observers.
“The difference between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and them is like comparing a surgeon willing to take a difficult but life-saving decision in the operating theatre, and a bystander more concerned with applause than outcome,” he said.
He argued that while the President is willing to endure short-term criticism in pursuit of long-term national stability, the opposition remains driven by populist considerations that could delay meaningful progress.
Structural Reforms Underway
Ogra dismissed claims that the administration’s policies are superficial, insisting they represent fundamental changes aimed at correcting longstanding economic distortions.
He cited developments in the oil and gas sector, including efforts to promote domestic refining and eliminate what he described as fraudulent subsidy regimes, as measures targeted at blocking revenue leakages. He also referenced fiscal reforms designed to boost government revenue and support infrastructure and social investments.
“These decisions are not politically convenient. They demand resolve,” Ogra said, adding that history tends to favour leaders who undertake systemic reforms rather than those who “manage decline.”
Criticism of Opposition
The presidential aide said opposition parties have “a lot to learn” from the internal workings of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing rival groups of failing to present clear and workable policy alternatives.
According to him, criticism in a democracy must be accompanied by substance and conviction.
“Nigeria does not need rehearsed outrage. It needs tested ideas and leaders willing to stand by them when it matters most,” he added.
Outlook on Reforms
While acknowledging that the reforms may take time to fully materialise, Ogra expressed confidence that early signs across key sectors point to a more resilient economy and improved fiscal discipline.
He concluded that leadership is ultimately defined by the ability to make difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions, insisting that such choices are essential for building a strong and stable nation.
Politics
Top Reps Aspirant, Abudu-Balogun Assures Constituents of Inclusive, Progressive Representation
Top Reps Aspirant, Abudu-Balogun Assures Constituents of Inclusive, Progressive Representation
It is an incontrovertible fact that Watersiders should GET IT RIGHT this time around by overwhelmingly support this distinguished Watersider, Hon. Abudu-Balogun to emerge as the Candidate of APC for the Federal House of Representative in the 2027 elections.
Apart from being a respected politician among the creme-de-la-creme professionals in politics in Ogun State, and undoubtedly a prominent grassroots politician of Waterside extraction, Hon. Abudu-Balogun has seen it all in National politics that will be of great benefits to the Federal Constituency if eventually elected.
Hmmm! With the emergence of the distinguished Senator Solomon Adeola (Yayi) as the consensus Governorship candidate of APC in Ogun State, Waterside agitation for enduring developmental projects and its realisation like Deep Sea Port, assumption of Oil producing LGA via Eba Oil deposits, sustainable Electricity Supply would be a walk-over. This anaysis is predicated upon a scientifically established empirical evidence that Hon Abudu-Balogun is a sustainable Bridge between this Federal Constituency and the Powers that be at Federal level.
He has the competence, he posseses the Capacity, he has the cognate political experience, he has fortified the developmental blueprint, he has worked tirelessly, and earned the link to facilitate the expected developmental projects to this Federal Constituency.
Above all, Hon Abudu-Balogun has concluded political and economic arrangements to galvanise support in all respects from the main actors at the National and sub-national levels in the country for the tasks ahead.
TENI NI TENI. This is the time TIME FOR “ACTION” in the realisation of the enduring Developmental Agenda (that has been eluding us from time immemorial) for the entire Federal Constituency, particularly, our dear Ogun Waterside LGA.
Distinguished Watersiders, particularly, the comrade professional politicians and the astute Professionals in politics, please factcheck this. Hon Abudu-Balogun is a very popular and honoured politician in Ijebu-North LGA, he is cherished and respected professional in politics in Ijebu-East LGA, he is a consistently consistent rare breed politician in Waterside who has the interest of Waterside development at heart.
ACTION needs our support, he needs our endorsement at this political turning point of our dear LGA, the Wealth Side of Ogun State.
Iwe teni, iwe teni, iwe teni o.
Ajuse ri Dede Eni o.
Happy Sunday to us all.
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