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Tag: Bisi Akande

  • Akande: Of politicians’ occupational hazard

    Akande: Of politicians’ occupational hazard

    It is not just that politicians are the most distrusted group of professionals in the world, being a politician in itself is a nightmare as it carries a stigma of being an unprincipled, corruptible double-dealer. And as if to justify this, their zero-sum struggle for power is often anchored on the belief that ‘the end justifies the means’ or as John Lylys puts it in his novel Euphus: The Anatomy of Wits, ‘All, is fair in love as in war’.

    Ironically, we need politicians more than they need us. We owe our survival as organized society to their brinkmanship and skilful exploitation of our infirmities. In a world where it is the survival of the fittest, politicians are the only people who are capable of reconciling private affluence with public squalor. It is they alone that can make us dream dreams and convert such dreams to reality.

    It is this paradoxical nature of politics that is responsible for the dearth of politician statesmen. Committed politicians dedicated to the service of humanity often face what many regard as ‘politician occupational hazards.’  Nearer home, Awolowo in an effort to create a more egalitarian society for his people and the rest of the country, was framed up and jailed for 10 years by those, who because they did not share his world view, accused him of trying ‘to topple her majesty’s government’ citing as evidence, entries in his diary to the effect that he dreamt he became the Prime Minister of Nigeria. Adekunle Ajasin, Bisi Onabanjo, Bola Ige and Prof. Ambrose Alli whose only earthly possession was an empty plot of land at death, were jailed for a total of 400 years for creatively raising funds from state contractors to prosecute free education, free health and setting up of universities in their different states. Bisi Akande, Ige’s deputy was jailed 44 years.

    For standing up against his fellow politicians who wanted to loot the resources of Osun State, Governor Akande was rigged out of office as governor of Osun State in the fourth republic. Long after some of those who fraudulently took over power have been found to be men with feet of clay, Akande was described by Buhari, his former persecutor, as “a man of inflexible integrity”. 

    If there is anyone who truly understands occupational hazards of committed politicians in Nigeria, Bisi Akande fits the bill. With Ambrose Alli going blind in Buhari’s gulag and his colleagues’ untimely deaths as a result of their inhuman treatment in detention, Pa Akande is in best position to raise an alarm about the danger of allowing fraudsters posing as anti-corruption crusaders take over power in the country.

    It is from this context we must understand his last week’s timely warning about the danger that lies ahead with the prospect of take-over of power by those he described as “the new brand of vagabonds’, the drug barons, crude oil thieves,” who he claims “are among you; are richer than you; are calling you corrupt and hiding behind the cloak that they are not corrupt, but they are more corrupt and they will fight you.” For him the danger is real because “we are in a Nigeria now where everybody is struggling to be corrupt and the mind-set of everybody is corruption, and they don’t point the fingers to themselves; they are pointing it at you, politicians.”

    Successive administrations in Nigeria according Chief Akande, have failed to defeat corruption due to the mind-set of Nigerians. According to him, “In a country where everybody is corrupt like Nigeria, The mind-set is corrupt. The man who wants prosperity by miracle is corrupt. You want to own a car, or house by miracle. Such a community can never be prosperous except of course “Nigerians have a change of mind-set and embrace the virtues of dedication and hard work”.

    Akande has been around long enough to also understand Nigerian miracle seekers have short memories. He also knows how vulnerable we are as a people, especially with the advent of social media and some unprincipled main stream media who after changing all the rules of journalism, pretend to be driven by national interest.

    Two events during the 2023 election exposed their hypocrisy. Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi were leading light of PDP, a party that raped the country for 16 years. Atiku Abubakar, as Obasanjo’s VP presided over the mismanaged privatization programme and was accordingly indicted by a National Assembly report. Peter Obi, who moved from PDP to Labour on the eve of the 2023 election was mentioned by the PANDORA Papers as one of the rich people in the world “who clandestinely set up businesses operated overseas, including in notorious tax and secrecy havens in ways that breached Nigerian laws” Curiously, the duo were presented as anti-corruption crusaders trying to save the nation from Bola Tinubu who had never held public office or engaged in federal government contract.

    There was also the case of Godwin Emefiele who as sitting CBN governor, wanted to contest for the presidency of Nigeria on the platform of APC. He was ably promoted and supported by segment of the media. However as soon as his ambition was truncated by the judiciary, he donned the toga of an anti-corruption crusader. In October 2022, he embarked on a political redesign of N200, N100 and N1,000 bills. He ordered depositors to take their savings to the banks. He claimed his target were some presidential candidates and governors he accused of stashing funds to buy votes. His media promoters were less restrained. They made it clear the target was Bola Tinubu who they alleged shipped monies in bullion vans to his residence on the eve of Buhari’s 2019 contest against Atiku Abubakar.

    It turned out that enough new notes were not printed. The result was that banks and bank staff were attacked by angry depositors who could not access their deposits when needed. A number of people died on the queues while trying to make withdrawal. Intervention by the Supreme Court declaring the old note legal tender was ignored by anti-corruption crusading Emefiele. Even as Nigerians groaned, he was egged on by the social media and his mainstream media sponsors.

    Now out of office, the full report of the Special Investigator on Management of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), under anti-corruption crusading Emefiele, has revealed that the redesigned Naira is

     “illegal and should be withdrawn from circulation with immediate effect while Emefiele and his group should be made to face criminal charges for an aberration that led to the loss of lives of many Nigerians, the closure of businesses and joblessness.”

    That “The sum of N1,727,500,000, according to the Obazee report “was also spent on questionable legal fees on 19 cases that are directly traceable to the Naira Redesign and reconfiguration agenda”;

    That in the UK alone, the Special Investigator said his probe led him to 543.4 million pounds kept by Emefiele in fixed deposit accounts. The report claims Emefiele manipulated the Naira exchange rate and perpetrated fraud in the e-Naira project of the CBN.

    The investigator also discovered a “fraudulent cash withdrawal of $6.23 million” – about N2.9 billion at the then official exchange rate of N461 to a dollar.

    With the above revelations, Nigeria would have been doomed under Emefiele and his promoters. Having experienced first-hand, the betrayal of corrupt elements in borrowed anti-corruption cloak, I suspect Pa Akande is trying to remind us of the danger ahead if we allow ‘a brand of vagabonds, powerful drug barons, crude oil thieves who share the same worldview with Godwin Emefiele, the fake anti-corruption crusader, to take over power.

  • Multiple cheers for Chief Bisi Akande at 85

    Multiple cheers for Chief Bisi Akande at 85

    Millions of Nigerians at home and abroad know him today as an elder statesman. However, such a label is both too general and too restrictive to describe the person and contributions of Chief Abdulkareem Adebisi Bamidele Akande, who celebrated his 85th birthday yesterday, January 16, 2024. He is often reverently referred to as Baba Akande, not so much in recognition of his age as in recognition of his leadership role in the fight for democracy, good governance, national development, equity, social justice, and true federalism.

    While this recognition led many communities to confer on Chief Bisi Akande various chieftaincy titles, including Asiwaju, Balogun, Basorun, Agba Akin, and Jagunmolu Oodua, various political leaders across the nation recognise his many qualities with superlative accolades. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu summarised these qualities: “He has always been a progressive; always noble and disciplined in thoughts and actions, as well as given to rational and enlightened ideals. He is a cherished friend and confidant, ever so generous with his wise counsel”.

    The accolades came together yesterday at the University of Ibadan International Conference Centre, when Chief Bisi Akande’s group of friends, led by his childhood friend, Emeritus Professor Olu Aina, launched the Bisi Akande Foundation on the occasion of Chief Bisi Akande’s 85th birthday. The encomiums by various participants, from President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima to Governor Seyi Makinde, the host, and various State Governors only go to show that no single label could capture Chief Bisi Akande’s congeniality, his approachability, his invaluable counsel, and his immense contributions to education, corporate business, community development, politics, governance, statecraft, democratic growth, and national development.

    However, most Nigerians only came to know Chief Bisi Akande in the late afternoon. They marvel at the breath of his knowledge, his sagacity, and his congenial disposition, because they don’t know enough of his background. The truth is that Chief Bisi Akande is a self-made man, who, in the course of his own development, combined multiple tasks, professional orientations, and worldviews. While growing up, he freely  moved in and out of mosques and churches just as he admired his grandfather’s warring amulets, while also sympathising with his poor parents. Having lost both parents rather early, he drew strength from his traditional warrior background; multiple religious practices; complex life experiences, spanning different professions; multiple worldviews; and unparalleled self-discipline.

    Read Also; Why I didn’t sack Emefiele, Buhari explains in Adesina’s memoir

    Here is a man, who wanted to be a Mechanic but ended up as a classroom teacher for eight years between 1955 and 1963. He started building his own house in Ila with his first salary arrears at about age 20; shunned a funeral party for his mother in order to save money for his brother’s education; and, at the same time, saved enough money to enroll in correspondence tuition. After training professionally as a teacher in a Teacher Training College, he combined his teaching duties with professional training simultaneously to become a Chartered Secretary and an Accountant through correspondence courses from three different correspondence institutions in England.

    At age 23, he became an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries (ACIS) and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Cost and Management Accountants (FCMA). He would later join British Petroleum for the next 16 years, where he rose to managerial level, the last being Manager, System and Computer Services. The position opened him up to professional workshops and inservice training in Europe and the United States. The BP experience would prepare him for his respect for the management of funds, data preservation, and his current dexterity with modern technologies of communication.

    Just as he engaged in training in another profession while working as a teacher, his services with BP were interwoven with involvement in community development activities in Ila-Orangun, his hometown, until he was drafted into local politics as a Councillor and later as an elected member of the 1977 Constituent Assembly that wrote the 1979 Nigerian constitution. The experience brought him in contact with Who is Who in Nigerian politics at the time and prepared the way for his contact with Chief Obafemi Awolowo, whose political party he joined and whose model of progressive politics and governance he would adopt.

    By the time Chief Bisi Akande entered the upper echelons of partisan politics, his progressive teeth had been cut and refined, featuring a focus on projects and programmes that benefit the majority. He would serve progressive political parties as Secretary to Government, Deputy Governor, and Governor. Like Chief Awolowo, he believes that universal education and healthcare are possible, and he successfully put the ideology to test as Governor of Osun state.

    Once he quit elective politics in 2003, he was drafted again to the chair a political party. He would chair four progressive parties in a row, namely, the Alliance for Democracy, the Action Congress, the Action Congress of Nigeria, and the All Progressives Congress as foundation Chairman.

    What is easily discernible from the above summary is the progressive growth of Chief Bisi Akande’s activities from local to state to national and even international levels. As his activities expanded, so did his mind, his heart, his outlook, and the richness of his capacity to arbitrate disputes and offer invaluable advice. At the end of the day, Chief Bisi Akande became an encyclopedia of knowledge, who is able to discuss any aspect of national life as if each was his specialty.

    It is against the above backgrounds that Chief Bisi Akande’s contributions to the political process should be understood. His uncharacteristic boldness came from his warrior background; his firmness and didacticism from his teaching background; his prudence from his accounting and corporate experiences; and his foresight from his expansive store of knowledge.

    Those who know Chief Bisi Akande know that he only says what he means and means what he says. He tells it as it is, as in his autobiography, My Participation, which led Professor Wole Soyinka to tell the author to expect war, because the book burns many known politicians today with “the fire of truth’s passion that leaps at the reader from between the covers.” Similarly, Chief Bisi Akande does only what he believes in, regardless of market noise. For example, as Governor of Osun State, he had fewer than a dozen Commissioners; laid off redundant and unproductive workers; and built schools, hospitals, roads, and a monumental government secretariat being used till today, all without borrowing a penny.

    Unknown to many, Chief Bisi Akande is an avid reader and consumer of information from a variety of sources, including social media. He processes information with intellectual alacrity and writes his views in books, monographs, and speeches with uncommon clarity on topics, such as, education, devolution of powers, restructuring, obstacles to peace in Nigeria, and governance.

    I have known Chief Bisi Akande for over 70 years. One distinctive feature that has become his signature is his effusive smile, evident in photographs in which he appeared over the years. The smile is symbolic of the transparency of his inner core. With Chief Bisi Akande, what you see is what you get. He is as forthright as he is frank; as sympathetic as he is forgiving; and as true to himself as he is to others.

    May his years be long for us to continue to draw from his wealth of knowledge.

  • Torrents of tributes for Bisi Akande at 85th birthday

    Torrents of tributes for Bisi Akande at 85th birthday

    President Bola Tinubu yesterday led eminent Nigerians in extolling the virtues of elderstatesman Chief Bisi Akande, who celebrated his 85th birthday. 

    He said Akande, ex-governor of Osun State and pioneer national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has often offered him uncommon counsel. 

    Also, Vice President Kashim Shettima,  Lagos State Governor  Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Ogun, Ekiti and Oyo counterparts-Prince Dapo Abiodun, Biodun Oyebanji and Seye Makinde- paid tribute to the Asiwaju of Ila for his contributions to socio-economic and political development of the country. 

    Ministers, members of the National Assembly and scholars joined relations and associates of the party elder, who converged at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, for the historic ceremony. 

    The highlight of the event was the launching of Adebisi Akande Foundation chaired by the foremost professor of evaluation, Olu Aina. 

    At the event chaired Makinde, the birthday lecture was delivered by Senator Shettima, who was represented by Borno State Governor Prof. Babagana Zulum.

    An elderstatesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, who was Senior Special Assistant to Second Republic President Shehu Shagaru when Akande was deputy governor of Oyo State,  poured encomiums on the celebrator, describing him as a patriot and great politician.

    Read Also; Why I didn’t sack Emefiele, Buhari explains in Adesina’s memoir

    He led a delegation of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) to the occasion.

    President Tinubu, who was represented by Sanwo-Olu, described Akande as a reliable and dependable, saying that he learnt  forthrightness, integrity, reliability and spartan life from his leader, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

    He said he probably would not have been president today without Akande’s contributions.

    Tinubu said: “Baba Akande turning 85 is a landmark achievement that calls for celebration. We must also be thankful to God for his life and for giving the nation an eminent leader like him.

    “He remains one of our respected elder statesmen in Nigeria who continues to offer rare insights and counsel on how best to organise our country for effective governance.

    “I have benefited immensely from Baba Akande’s good knowledge and perspectives on a wide range of issues as they affect Nigeria and the  Western part of the country.

    “As an astute politician, Chief Akande has been part of every political epoch in our country since the Second Republic. He was one of the eminent Nigerians that drafted the 1979 constitution, which the amended 1999 constitution, currently in use, largely mirrors. “Beyond his sagely contributions to our national development and political evolution over the decades, the most enduring aspect of  his enviable life is his forthrightness, integrity, reliability and spartan life which he imbibed from his leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. All these attributes have served him well in all the positions he had the rare honour to occupy in his  illustrious life.

    “Baba Akande is a sharp and brilliant accountant. He was a former Secretary to the State Government and later Deputy Governor of old Oyo State. He dutifully served the people of Osun State as the Governor with tremendous success from 1999 to 2003.

    “A committed democrat, die-hard progressive, and prudent yet compassionate leader of men, Chief Akande has done much for this country and for the progressive family. He has been a prominent architect of our nation’s progressive political parties.

    “If anyone needs a reliable and dependable compatriot as an ally, Chief Akande is that man anyone can go to battle with. Since we transitioned from the defunct Alliance for Democracy to Action Congress, from Action Congress to  Action Congress of Nigeria and  now the governing All Progressives  Congress, Chief Akande has remained a constant feature. l salute his courage and commitment to democratic and Progressive ideals.

    “Whether in public office or later in life in his capacity as pioneer Chairman of ACN or as Interim Chairman of APC, Chief Akande brought honour and integrity into the discharge of his responsibilities.

    “He could not have done otherwise. Baba had been sold early in life on those noble values of honesty, integrity, conscience, courage, hard work, perseverance and the importance of a good name among others.

    “Highly principled and perceptive, Baba Akande is  selfless and intensely patriotic. He gave more to others than he gave himself. What he has given to his family, his Osun State, to the Yoruba race, he also gave to this country: the very best…”

    He added: “For me, Baba has been a close friend, ally and advisor through the years.

    “Perhaps, I would not be where I am today as President of this country without the help and support he has given. Many countless other people will also affirm that he has had the same positive effect in their lives as he has in mine.”

    Sanwo-Olu also personally extolled Akande’s virtues, who he described as a father, stressing that he has been a source of inspiration in the course of his career. 

    Delivering the lecture titled: “The Leadership Question: Prospects for Nigeria,” Shettima said until Nigerians take responsibility at whatever levels they find themselves, the country would abandon the responsibility of leadership to those who carry political titles.

    He said: “I have done the mathematics. A nation of 230 million people will need 230 million leaders. The premise of this statement underscores the significance of adequate leadership coverage to deliver the dream and aspiration of a whole nation.

    “Behind this statement is the recognition that unless and until everyone takea responsibility at whatever levels we find ourselves, we run the risk of abandoning the responsibility of leadership only to those who carry titles of His Excellencies, Honourable, distinguished and all sorts.”

    Shettima defined leadership as the act of leading a group of people and motivating them  to work and focus on a group objective.

    He noted that Nigeria has experienced brain drain because hopes were not met and the leadership was ill-prepared to meet hopes.

    Shettima added: “The organisers felt we have not gotten to the point in our leadership and that is why this foundation is to be established in order to groom leaders among others are the functions of this very important foundation.

    “What are the characteristics of leaders? Leaders should have confidence, strong communication, management skill, creative and innovative thinking, perseverance, willingness to take risks often to change level headed and reactivesness in times of crisis.

    “We must accept that expectations are the right of citizens and anticipation is the responsibility of leadership. Expectations for things to be better, expectations to have hope, expectations to have aspirations, for more fulfilling life are indeed the right of the citizens.

    “Leadership in whatever form or shape or level has an enviable responsibility to anticipate the yearnings of the people and to meet those expectations. When anticipation meets expectations, there is component of soc ial peace and stability. When hopes are not met because the leadership is ill-prepared to meet such hopes, then we end up with the brain drain.

    “The migration of ideas and strengths to places where they can flourish as we now call it is the ‘japa syndrome’. The perceived leadership failures over the years have led to a generation of young citizens wanting to “japa”, other generation reminiscence of fondness mixed with some level of regrets when people continue to believe that the past of a nation was better than its present, then, it is a strong call for a reassement of the place of leadership and the mutual responsibility of citizenship, nation building through identification, selection, election and development of quality leaders.

    “The leaders you choose at a point in time in history determine the life you will live, the level of improvement in social services, security, and general stability of the nation.

    “Consequently, the leadership question cannot be left in the realms of speculations for or in the spare of assumptions. That means we have some problems in the nation.

    “When we talk about sustainable development, we are talking about development that takes care of the future. For example in Ibadan, how many companies that used to be here have left and no more in operation.”

    The vice President lamented that companies, including Exide Batteries and Lister Flours  have become moribund.

    He said: “That is what we mean by sustainable development. By now, we could have had more industries than what we had before and that is why we are still crying of poor foreign exchange in our country, because we don’t produce. Unless we address these very important questions, we shall never get it right.”

    Makinde: let’s return to federalism

    Makinde recalled his first encounter with Akande in 2007 when he contested as a senator.

    He said there is the need for people to review prospects and recommendations of strategic political leaders like Akande for better service delivery.

    Makinde said: “Let me highlight few of those issues that Baba raised. There can be no better time than the occasion of this his 85th birthday to talk briefly about some of the ideals that he stood for.

    “We may not be aligned in rhe same political party, but one of the strongest beliefs of this great man is that power should be used to benefit the people. In so doing, he advocated for fiscal federalism, restructuring, state police.

    “I also agree that there’s a vital link between these three constitutional issues and people-forced type of governance. For example, fiscal federalism involves understanding which government functions should be centralised and which should be decentralised.

    “You will agree with me that if some of the functions of the Federal Government are decentralised and put in the purview of the state, the people will be begin to focus more on getting their governors to function more effectively. This is part of the article that Baba presented in 1977.

    “A case in point is the recent amendment of the recent FRN 1999 as amended devolving power generation. I spoke about this with my brother, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu yesterday.

    “Generation, transmission and distribution of power is been devolved to the state. So, here in Oyo State, citizens asked why they still do not have a state generated and transmitted power supply. They are asking me that question. So, it is a shift in focus to a level of government, which is closer to them.

    “Those are things that Baba has spoken about and presented as way forward for us as a nation for years. So far, he has been exposing these issues. So, it is not too late for us to begin to take actions that show we are learning from this thing.

    “Indeed one of the best ways of celebrating our icon past and present and honouring their legacy is by examining their thoughts and actions and implementing them in the way that will benefit our people.”

    Beware of vagabonds, says Akande

    Thanking the guests for the honour done him, Akande reflected on national security, urging the government to gird its loins.

    He alerted the nation to the growing tribe of criminals who are gaining more ground, warning that they may wage a battle against politicians in the future.

    Describing them as vagabonds who always accuse politicians of corruptio,  but who are far more corrupt, Akande listed them to include crude oil thieves, drug barons. fraudsters, ritualists, armed robbers, kidnappers, land grabbers, bandits, cut-corner agents and activists who have turned religious outfits to market to get money.

    He said  politicians should prepare for the Armageddon, which the vagabonds may plunge Nigeria into, if not curtailed.

    Akande said: “I am becoming afraid because the battle of the that is coming. I pray to be alive. If I am alive, I will be behind you. This is going to be a party of true leaders and vagabonds. 

    “They will fight a serious battle with you. Before, vagabonds were few. But they are everywhere now. They try to be in your ampit, living with you. I will name some of them so you will know them. And so you will know how to fight them. They say politicians are corrupt, but they are more corrupt, and are gaining more grounds with the people. They are coming to fight you. “This new brand of vagabonds will fight. They are a new brand of vagabonds. They are richer. They say politicians are corrupt.

    They include drug barons, crude oil thieves, fraudsters, ritualists, armed robbers, kidnappers, land grabbers, bandits, cut-corner agents and activists, they have turned religious outfits to market making so much money through them. And they are becoming many more and more popular. All business manipulators. They call you politicians corrupt, but they are more corrupt.

    “Sadly, we are in a Nigeria where everybody is getting corrupt. They are coming to fight you. They are in wards, state meetings and struggling to become leaders. The Armageddon is coming. I wish you the best.”

    At the ceremony were Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Osun State Deputy Governor Kola Adewusi; Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat; Minister of Power Chief Adebayo Adelabu and Minister of Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola.

    Others are former Governors Olusegun Osoba, Gbenga Daniel (Ogun) and Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun); former Deputy Governors Gbenga Kaka (Ogun), Iyiola Oladokun, Alake Adeyemo (Oyo) and Chief Mrs Titi Ponnle (Osun); Senators Ajayi Borrofice and Fatai Buhari; Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr Zaccheus Adedeji; Mrs Florence Ajimobi; Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN); Muyiwa Ige; Prof. Isaac Adewole;  Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle; Chief Lere Paimo; and Alhaji Kashim Imam.

    Also present were Mutiu Are; Cardinal James Odumbaku; Prince Tajudeen Olusi; Gen.  Alani Akinrinade; Managing Director BOVAS  Ltd. Mrs Victoria Samson; the Aseyin of Iseyin Oba Sefiu Olawale and Orangun of Oke-Ila Oba Abolarin; Prof Sulaiman Bogoro; Bashir Malchida;  Wale Oshun; Sen. Lekan Mustapha; Osun APC chairman Tajudeen Lawal; Sports Development Minister Sen. John Eno; DAWN Commission Director General Mr Seye Oyeleye; Group Managing Director, Odu’a Investments Ltd. Mr Adewale Raji; University College Hospital (UCH) Chief Medical Director  Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, Moyosore Ogunlewe, Kosofe Council chairman, and Lagos white cap chiefs.

  • FULL TEXT: Remarks by President Bola Tinubu at Chief Bisi Akande’s 85th birthday in Ibadan

    FULL TEXT: Remarks by President Bola Tinubu at Chief Bisi Akande’s 85th birthday in Ibadan

    It is my joy today to witness the 85th birthday of our own Chief Bisi Akande, the grand old man and one of the moving forces of progressive movement in Nigeria.

    It is delightful and gratifying to know that Chief Akande is still fit; mentally alert, in good health, and continues to contribute meaningfully, in our quest for a fairer, more just and equitable society.

    Baba Akande turning 85 is a landmark achievement that calls for celebration. We must also be thankful to God for his life and for giving the nation an eminent leader like him.

    He remains one of our respected elder statesmen in Nigeria who continues to offer rare insights and counsel on how best to organise our country for effective governance.

    I have benefited immensely from Baba Akande’s good knowledge and perspectives on a wide range of issues as they affect Nigeria and the Western part of the country.

    As an astute politician, Chief Akande has been part of every political epoch in our country since the Second Republic. He was one of the eminent Nigerians that drafted the 1979 constitution which the amended 1999 constitution, currently in use, largely mirrors. Beyond his sagely contributions to our national development and political evolution over the decades, the most enduring aspect of his enviable life is his forthrightness, integrity, reliability and spartan life which he imbibed from his leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. All these attributes have served him well in all the positions he had the rare honour to occupy in his illustrious life.

    Baba Akande is a sharp and brilliant accountant. He was a former Secretary to the State Government and later Deputy Governor of old Oyo State. He dutifully served the people of Osun State as the Governor with tremendous success from 1999 to 2003.

    A committed democrat, die-hard progressive, and prudent yet compassionate leader of men, Chief Akande has done much for this country and for the progressive family. He has been a prominent architect of our nation’s progressive political parties.

    If anyone needs a reliable and dependable compatriot as an ally, Chief Akande is that man anyone can go to battle with. Since we transitioned from the defunct Alliance for Democracy to Action Congress, from Action Congress to Action Congress of Nigeria and now the governing All Progressives Congress, Chief Akande has remained a constant feature. l salute his courage and commitment to democratic and Progressive ideals.

    Whether in public office or later in life in his capacity as pioneer Chairman of ACN or as Interim Chairman of APC, Chief Akande brought honour and integrity into the discharge of his responsibilities.

    He could not have done otherwise. Baba had been sold early in life on those noble values of honesty, integrity, conscience, courage, hard work, perseverance and the importance of a good name among others.

    Highly principled and perceptive, Baba Akande is selfless and intensely patriotic. He gave more to others than he gave himself. What he has given to his family, his Osun State, to the Yoruba race, he also gave to this country: the very best.

    Since Baba enlisted in the Action Group in the First Republic to support the progressive ideals of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, he has not looked back. He stands today even more committed to those vital and necessary ideals. He is one of the few leaders still around who can be called a true disciple of Chief Awolowo. This is hardly surprising. Chief Akande adored the late Chief Awolowo, reading all his books and interventions on public affairs. Writing on Page 17 of his 2021 book ‘My Participations,’ Baba Akande stated: “It was not surprising that as I was growing up and becoming more knowledgeable, I became totally indoctrinated and began to study Chief Awolowo and his Action Group. I read all his books and vowed to emulate him in self-discipline, fearlessness, dignity, courage and patriotism.”

    Read Also: Buhari celebrates Bisi Akande at 85

    Like Chief Awolowo, Baba Akande has devoted his public life to engendering a truly democratic, just and egalitarian society where all people are given the opportunity to attain a happy and prosperous life.

    Just as Chief Awolowo did for him, Chief Akande has been a father figure and a mentor to younger politicians across the country particularly in the South-west. He is a consummate teacher, tolerant and cosmopolitan in outlook and an excellent human being. He is charitable and equally helpful to all who came in contact with him no matter their station in life.

    Because of his characteristics as an exemplary leader and mentor, many call him Baba Awon Omo Ke ke ke, meaning the political father of the younger ones.

    For me, Baba has been a close friend, ally and advisor through the years.

    Perhaps, I would not be where I am today as President of this country without the help and support he has given. Many countless other people will also affirm that he has had the same positive effect in their lives as he has in mine.

    On this special day that we celebrate his 85th birthday, I join his family, friends and other associates to congratulate and to commend him for his outstanding contributions to democratic governance and to the cause of progressive politics and governance in our country.

    It is my prayer that God will grant Baba good health and he will continue to remain a fountain of wisdom in our midst.

    Happy 85th birthday to Chief Akande.

    State House, Abuja
    January 16, 2024

  • Tinubu, leaders eulogise ex-APC Chair Bisi Akande at 85

    Tinubu, leaders eulogise ex-APC Chair Bisi Akande at 85

    President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu have celebrated pioneer Interim National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, on today’s celebration of his 85 birthday.

    A statement yesterday in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, reads: “With a heart full of joy and gratitude to God, President Bola Tinubu celebrates his long-time confidant, Chief Bisi Akande, as he marks his 85th birthday on January 16, 2024.

    “Chief Akande, CFR, was the governor of Osun State from 1999 to 2003 and the first interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “President Tinubu extols Baba’s defining principles of integrity, loyalty, truth, and justice, recalling his exemplary leadership odyssey and selfless service to Nigeria.”

    The statement added: “Baba was a principal actor in the founding of our great party, the All Progressives Congress. He has always been a progressive; always noble and disciplined in thoughts and actions, as well as given to rational and enlightened ideals.

    “He is a cherished friend and confidant, ever so generous with his wise counsel. I celebrate him.”

    In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, the Senate said: “Sir, I am happy to identify with you and I can attest to your indelible contributions to the socio-political development of the country. As a statesman, you have always stood on the path of truth and justice, speaking truth to power.

    “As a politician, you played a pioneering role in laying the foundation for the birth of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and indeed set standards in party politics and political engineering.”

    In his congratulatory message, Speaker Abbas hailed Chief Akande for his roles as one of the founding fathers of the ruling party.

    He noted that as an elder statesman, Chief Akande has been a political mentor to many and an inspiration to the ruling class.

    Also, Deputy Speaker Kalu expressed gratitude to God for the grace of longevity He has given Pa Akande.

    Kalu described Pa Akande as a great leader who has continued to pursue the unity and progress of Nigeria with zeal and zest.

    Also, the ruling APC, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and former Youth and Sports Minister Sunday have poured encomiums on the former Osun State governor on his birthday.

    Read Also: Tinubu celebrates longstanding ally, Bisi Akande at 85

    The APC attributed its historic electoral victory in 2015 to the visionary leadership of Chief Akande.

    A statement yesterday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, reads: “The All Progressives Congress (APC) celebrates a founding visionary, interim National Chairman of our great party, and former Governor of Osun State, His Excellency, Chief Adebisi Akande, on his 85th birthday anniversary on January 16, 2024.

    “We join family, friends, associates and party faithful to give a befitting toast to a patriot, elder statesman, veteran grassroots politician, administrator par excellence, and an icon of political progressivism.

    “APC owes a debt of gratitude to Chief Akande for his invaluable contribution to the Party’s founding and for his leadership that laid the foundation for our massive and historic electoral victory in the 2015 general elections.

    “A father figure, a unifier and a strident voice of reason, Chief Akande remains a stable and selfless promoter of peace and reconciliation among leaders and members of our great party.”

    Also, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, Governor Sanwo-Olu described Chief Akande as an advocate of good governance and an epitome of true federalism.

    “On behalf of my family, the government and the people of Lagos State, I congratulate our father, Baba Omo Kekeke (Father of Youths), Chief Bisi Akande, on his 85th birthday.

    “Chief Bisi Akande, a true democrat, has been a member of the progressive camp for many decades. He has been playing active roles in party politics and governance in Nigeria since the Second Republic.

    “He is an advocate of good governance, restructuring and true federalism in Nigeria.

    “Baba Akande was an extraordinary public servant and administrator, whose commitment to selfless public service remains a lesson for those of us currently in public office and those who aspire to public service,” Sanwo-Olu said.

    Also, Dare described Chief Akande as a foremost defender of democracy.

    In a congratulatory message on his 85th birthday, Dare said: “As governor of Osun State, Baba served the public with great honour.

    “He is a distinguished elder statesman, dedicated patriot, foremost defender of democracy and one of the greatest political minds of our time who always stood on the side of truth.

    “Baba remains one of the few elders in Nigeria who have contributed immensely to the growth and development of the country.

    “As a progressive leader, he and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, now Nigeria’s President and Commander-in-Chief, consistently led us through the crucible of the struggle and towards success and many great triumphs.”

  • Akande to NASS: Throw away present constitution

    Akande to NASS: Throw away present constitution

    The first interim National chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande has urged the National Assembly to dump the 1999 constitution and embrace 1960.

    Akande while responding to questions from newsmen on Saturday ahead of his 85th birthday ceremony held that to give nod to restructuring of the country does not require much other than dumping the 1999 constitution.

    He said the 1999 constitution was not written by anybody hence National Assembly must retrace its steps on the constitution.

    According to him, “I will prefer the 1960 constitution for Nigeria, it is the best! For example, in the 1960 constitution, if you are a member of the national and state assembly, you are a part time, you go to your work, politics wasn’t work then. Farmers go to the farm, lawyers go to their chambers, doctors go to their hospitals… and when it is time for meeting they go to meeting and they pay them a sitting allowance, everybody knows that they are doing it in the interest of the public.”

    Read Also; Confusion as sacked Plateau legislators vow to retake seats

    Akande lamented that the military changed the practice by introducing money and lavish spending into politics which are not helping the country.

    He continued, “the military, because they wanted to stay permanently in power, they started using money to pay them (assembly) salary and everybody left their job to become a politician. You leave your job where you all belong, then you become a politician, you have nothing to do, nothing to produce, then you want to be materialistic. You become fake because you have departed from good things to bad.

    He warned that “Until you retrace your steps back, you can’t have it well. If you are talking about restructuring, you don’t need much, throw away this present constitution which is not written by anybody and embrace 1960 constitution, look at present day realities to adjust it.”

  • Akande to NASS: go back to 1960 Constitution, present law can’t work

    Akande to NASS: go back to 1960 Constitution, present law can’t work

    The first interim national chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Osun state, Chief Bisi Akande has urged the National Assembly to dump 1999 constitution and adopt the 1960 version.

    During a Saturday interview preceding his 85th birthday celebration, Akande expressed support for restructuring the country, emphasizing that it primarily entails discarding the 1999 constitution.

    He highlighted that the constitution was not written by anyone, urging the National Assembly to reconsider its stance on the matter.

    He said: “I will prefer 1960 constitution for Nigeria, it is the best! For example, in 1960 constitution, if you are a member of national and state assembly, you are a part time, you go to your work, politics wasn’t work then. Farmers go to the farm, lawyers go to their chambers, doctors go to their hospitals… and when it is time for meeting they go to meeting and they pay them sitting allowance, everybody knows that they are doing it in the interest of the public.”

    Read Also; Unfinished reconciliation in Osun APC

    Akande lamented that the military changed the practice by introducing money and lavish spending into politics which are not helping the country.

    He added: “the military, because they wanted to stay permanently in power, they started using money to pay them(assemblies) salary and everybody left its job to become politician. You leave your job you all belong then you become politician, you have nothing to do, nothing to produce, then you want to be materialistic. You become fake because you have departed from good thing to bad.

    He warned: “Until you retrace your steps back, you can’t have it well. If you talking about restructuring, you don’t need much, throw away this present constitution which is not written by anybody and embrace 1960 constitution, look at present day realities to adjust it.”

  • Tinubu, Akande arrive Eagles Square

    The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has arrived for the 2019 inauguration ceremony of President Muhammadu Buhari second term.

    READ ALSO: 2019 inauguration in pictures

    He arrived with Chief Bisi Akande to the Eagles Square venue of the ceremony.

    Tinubu was the Co-chairman of the 2019 Presidential Campaign Council.

    Details shortly…

  • Bisi Akande as political archetype

    IT is hard to observe the 80th birthday celebrations of former Osun State governor, Bisi Akande, last Wednesday and not be struck by the paradox of Kaduna State governor Nasir el-Rufai delivering the keynote address, a polarising politician speaking, with his customary bombast, about a unifying politician known for his measured cadence and dignified mien. Mallam el-Rufai may be a leading All Progressives Congress (APC) governor and politician, partly and mostly because of his outspokenness, but in all his years in public office, he has said nothing truly substantial or inspiring, nor done anything greatly impactful, to merit addressing the colloquium organised in honour of Chief Akande. The Kaduna governor did not of course manage to say anything worth the trouble of anybody remembering, even with his sanctimonious talk about power devolution and the APC, but it took little away from the august gathering chiefly because the celebrant is known to exude  style, carriage and grace.

    A day later, at a civic reception organised in his honour in Osun State, Chief Akande spoke of the reasons he squeezed himself through the punishing funnel of achieving greatness in life early enough. He feared he might die young, he intoned gravely. Mercifully, he lived far longer, and exultantly far larger than he dared to hope. Not only that, as proof of the solidity of his character and the great image he had carved for himself in all he did, the former Osun governor and first national chairman of the APC went beyond living for more than 50 years to becoming one of the most pivotal politicians of the Fourth Republic. His legacy in the APC has endured, to the point of even becoming the main ingredient cohering the party together through the divisive and controversial years of the John Odigie-Oyegun and Adams Oshiomhole leaderships.

    Given the statures of those who joined Chief Akande to celebrate his 80th birthday, it is an indication of his wide acceptance, political stamina, doggedness and commitment. He was not the most perceptive of politicians when he was governor, nor the most sensitive, especially considering his inability to balance the financial requirements of the state with the welfare and employment needs of the people he governed. But he more than made up for his lack of political acuity with his unquestionable fidelity to truth and financial rectitude, neither stealing state resources nor permitting anyone to steal. The state found his style and philosophy restrictive, strange and off-putting, but despite knowing or at least fearing that it could cost him votes, he stuck stubbornly to what he knew was right. It was bravado.

    In retrospect, he should probably have been less presumptuous and self-righteous in right-sizing staff of the civil service, during which he disengaged thousands of state workers in a state that was and has remained essentially civil service. But in those days, when voters in the Southwest were thought to be remorselessly leashed to their political parties, it was hardly surprising that Chief Akande embraced brinkmanship. It was lawful and economically justified to right-size as he did, but it was definitely neither politically nor socially expedient. He was, as is well known, punished during the 2003 governorship election for his brashness. But years of ineffective and controversial leadership in Osun have attenuated the misguidedness and impact of the civil service purge he initiated, and restored him into the confidence and high esteem of many in Osun and around Nigeria.

    Chief Akande may have been around for a long time in politics and acquired some reputation, but what stands him out is not even his political or biological longevity. What is most remarkable about the former governor is his character. He is unimpeachable, reliable, trustworthy and a democrat who believes in consensus. The APC could not have produced a better founding chairman, a man so moderate in speaking and uncontroversial in both his ideas and politics that he deserved a far better keynote speaker than the controversial and intemperate Mallam el-Rufai. (See next piece). It is a tribute to him that though his strength has tapered off over the decades, his robust mind and agreeable personality have retained their vibrancy and force, undiminished by age and the muck that swaddles Nigerian politics.

  • I feared I won’t live long, says Akande

    The former Osun State governor and pioneer chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Abdul-Kareem Adebisi Akande, on Thursday said he had always harbored the fear that he might die young.

    For this reason he said he was always in a hurry to make his accomplishments before he clocked 50 years old.

    Speaking at grand reception organized for him to mark his 80th birthday anniversary in his Ila-Orangun country home, Chief Akande, in a. Once laden with emotion, explained that he exercised the fear that he might not live up to 50 because his mother died when she was 45 years old and father died when he clocked 50.

    According to him, he taught it was hereditary that he would not live long.

    He said: “My father died at age fifty and my mother died at the tender age of forty-five and I thought within me that definitely, I am not going to live long. I therefore tried to achieve much early in life.

    “When I clocked fifty and did not die as expected, I decided to slow down. That is God in action. I also came to know that doing things for humanity is much more rewarding than for oneself. With my colleagues then we formed Ila Charity Club and later Ilupeju Club, from where I knew the complexity of Ila town.”

    Akande advised the politicians to be less concerned about personal issues but rather think of what will benefit the society.

    Read Also: Akande: Mentor, role model at 80

    In his remarks, Osun State governor, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola described the former governor of Osun as a person that stands out as symbol and model of politics of principle, politics without bitterness, political inclusion and integrity.

    He further described Akande as a great man by any estimation, a compassionate human being, an example of decorum in any circumstances and indeed a principled leader.

    Also speaking, the immediate past governor of Osun, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola described Chief Akande as a father to all, adding that Akande impacted positively on whosoever comes his way.

    He said: “For him, political participation is for the higher goal of improving the condition of man-galvanising the human and material resources of the society for meeting needs and solving problems and in the process bring progress.”

    Aregbesola, who posited that Osun is the most difficult of all the states of the federation to govern, said governance in the state “is not eating bread and butter.”

    According to him, Akande motivated him to come to Osun to be governor, adding that during his tenure he was always guiding him with his wisdom despite “what some element tried to doctor come between us.”

    He described him as one of his political fathers who is. outstanding, truthful, honest and has integrity.

    Also, in his remark, Senator representing Osun Central, Prof. Olusola Adeyeye, referred to Chief Akande as a father to all politicians, describing as a disciplined personality that abhors corruption.

    Dignitaries in attendance at the event, include the Osun State governor, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, and his wife, Kafayat, the former governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, and wife, Sherifat, the state deputy governor, Gboyega Alabi, former deputy governors of Osun State, Otunba Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, and Senator Christopher Iyiola Omisore, the deputy governor of Ekiti State, Bisi Egbeyemi.

    Others were the Second Republic senator and national leader of Afenifere, Chief Ayo Fasanmi, Minister for Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, senator representing Osun Central, Prof. Sola Adeyeye, Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, art. Hon. Najeem Salam, former Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adejare Bello, the Osun State Chief Judge, Justice Adepele Ojo.

    Among the traditional rulers were the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Adewale Abdul-Rasheed Akanbi, the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Olabomi, the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun, the Orangun of Ila, Oba Wahab Adedotun, and Olufon of Ifon-Orolu, Oba Adekinle Magbagbeola.