The Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, on Friday said that Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to Zambia, late Ambassador Ibironke Adefope, played a critical role in solving the age-long ownership crisis that bedevilled the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso and ensured the sole ownership of the school by the state.
Makinde revealed that the diplomat suggested the tactic, which led to Oyo State gaining the sole ownership of the institution it then shared with Osun State.
He added that she was one of his go-to persons on issues affecting the state.
Makinde stated this at the home-going service in honour of Ambassador Adefope, which was held at the St Peter’s Cathedral, Aremo, Ibadan, noting that her death meant that Ibadan, Oyo State, and Nigeria lost a rare and courageous woman.
Describing her as a personal tactician, the governor eulogised the late diplomat for her quality advice on leadership and her commitment to the progress of the state, adding that whenever he faced knotty issues, he always consulted Adefope, who he described as Mama.
The governor noted, however, that despite his grief and that of the family at losing the Amazon, there was a need to be thankful to God for the gracious and fulfilled life she lived.
He said: “Ibadan, Oyo State and indeed Nigeria have lost a rare, bold, and courageous woman, Ambassador Ibironke Olufunke Adefope.
“I personally have lost a personal tactician.
“After my first attempt to become the governor of this state in 2014/2015 ended in failure, as I didn’t even win my local government, she stayed with me.
“I call her my Mama.
“Sometimes from 2013 or thereabout and for the last 10, 11 years, till she breathed her last, we were inseparable.
“There was nothing that she would not tell me.
“Nothing.
“I remember when I just became the governor, I went on radio.
“Some of you would recall that incident where I said: ‘Look, this School Governing Council, I would scrap it because I think people are using it to siphon state money.’
“I just said at that time that the pupils would not be paying the N3,000 levy, that the government would pay so that we could have a lot of our students back in school.
“After the radio programme, I visited her and she was boiling.
“She said: ‘How would you go on radio and say that School Governing Council members are thieves.
“Don’t you know that I am also one of the Governing Council members for the school very close to our house at Bodija?’
“She said: ‘I’ve not been stealing, but I have been putting in my own money.’
“I said: ‘Mummy, calm down, I wasn’t talking about you.’
“She said to me: ‘I think you need training on public speaking.’
“So, you can imagine the depth of personal loss to me and, perhaps, the entire family.
“We can only console one another.
“When I faced any knotty issue, I would go to her.
“Sometimes in the midnight and sometimes around 1am or 2am and she would say: ‘The Gov, you have turned me to a nocturnal.’
“I know you all heard about the issue with LAUTECH.
“I made a promise to the people of Oyo State.
“I said, if you vote for me, we would take LAUTECH back.
“They voted for me and I was asked to come through on that commitment.
“I went to Mama and said: ‘So, what do we have to do here?
“Professor Omole had taken it to one level.’
“And she said it was going to be a battle: ‘Why don’t you get an Army General and with my support, we can engage them.’
“I set up the team, including General Oladayo Popoola and Mama.
“So, they went there and when the team from Osun State saw them, they said: ‘No, we are not here to fight.’
“And, then General Popoola said: ‘If you see a soldier, what happens? It means we would fight.’
“But Mama, being the diplomat, said: ‘Why don’t we just negotiate and close the deal?’
“And that was exactly what happened.
“So, that tactic worked.”
The governor maintained that despite his grief at the loss of Ambassador Adefope, who became the third person he would bury at the St Peter’s Cathedral, Aremo, Ibadan after burying his father and mother, it was celebration of a fulfilled and well-lived life.
Makinde noted that he was still thankful to God for being gracious to the families they left behind.
He said: “Even in this moment of grief, we are still thankful.
“I have been making promises each time I come here to bury them.
“This is also another opportunity for me to make another promise with a timeline to fulfil it.
“Well, on behalf of the family of Mama, we are giving the church a multimedia system and LED screen.
“I will ensure that this is done within four weeks.
“I also have a solution to the power problem for this church and I will solve it.
“Let me tell you the solution.
“The solution is not to buy gas or to bring a diesel generator.
“Now, we are expanding the Independent Power Plant at the Secretariat and I will, from that Secretariat, put the distribution point up to this church.
“So, whether we have an isolation system here or we have the IPP, which is 24-7, the important thing is to have the power problem in this church solved.
“I believe I will achieve that before the end of this year.”
In attendance at the service were the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Bayo Lawal; former Deputy Governor of Oyo State and Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja; Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin; Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Iyabo Yerima; Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Olanike Adeyemo; and Chief of Staff to the Governor, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi.
Also in attendance were members of the Oyo State Advisory Council, Commissioners, and other dignitaries.
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