Olusesan Laoye
Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi, former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, has narrated how the late strong man of Ibadan politics, Alhaji Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu shaped his political life.
Gbolarumi spoke while addressing the crowd at the yearly “Abula Day” at his family House Olugbesan’s compound, Agbeni in Ibadan the Oyo State capital during the Eid Kabir Celebration, an occasion used to turban the head of the family (Baale) Alfa Dauda Olayiwola and the Chief Imam of the house.
The turbanning was administerebd by a popular Islamic cleric, Alfa Immam Amodu Ishola Oyedeji (Baba lamumigun).
Alhaji Gbolarumi said that he would never forget Alhaji Adedibu who was his mentor and a good leader who always thought ahead of others and made right decisions that would benefit the masses
He related an event which made a great turning point in his life, when he contested the coucilorship of his area and won but Late Adedibu asked him to drop the chancellorship and gave it another person.
He pointed out that the simple obedience of his political godfather nearly cost him is life because his followers then were angry with him on why he should obey Adedibu at the expense of what they are going to benefit if he had taken up the chancellorship position.
He said that during the heated arguement one of his followers who was so bitter and desperate about what he had planned to gain with that post “from me angrily took a bottle of coca cola fully iced, with the content in it and was about to smashed it on my head but as luck would have it, the bottle fell from his hand.”
According to him, “I am grateful to Chief Adedibu who asked me to drop the chancellorship position because later I was appointed the Secretary of the then Ibadan Municipal Council before it was split to the 11 local government councils now in the Ibadan Metropolis.
“The late Geeneral Abdukareem Adisa, then Military Governor of Oyo State inaugurated me at a colorful ceremony. That which eventually made me to be the last Secretary, in the History of the Ibadan Municipal Council.”
He urged politicians and subordinates to always listen to the advise of their boss and leaders because they always speak the truth from experience and know what the future portend for loyal and obedient servants.
He called on the youths to always listen to the voice of wisdom from the elders, noting that the family get together was meant to encourage the youths in their midst and to teach them how to live a good life that will shape them for the future.
Alhaji Gbolarumi, who also talked about the role he played for the victory of the late Executive President of Nigeria Alhaji Aliu Usman Shehu Shagari in 1988/1989, said that it was providence and God that made Shagari win the election to be the President of Nigeria under the platform of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN)
On the present political situation in Nigeria, the former Deputy Governor said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is sure of victory at the Presiential election tribunal, saying that all the evidence before the tribunal have pointed to the fact that the election was massively rigged in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
Gbolarumi who was the Presidential campaign coordinator of Atiku Presidential Campaign team in Oyo State, is also among the team of lawyers representing Alhaji Atiku Abubakar the PDP presidential candidate at the Tribunal.
He also talked about the fuel subsidy which he said if not abused could help the country grow.
He however, said that what Nigeria needs now is to find the means of how the refineries would work , saying that the country needs more of private refineries like that of Dangote “if we must survive as a nation.”
On the energy sector, he said the government should be careful over the increase in the electricity tariff because if care was not taken, an average person won’t be able to afford it and this would paralyze the economy, as the small scale industries and the artisans who need electricity to work may not be able to afford it.
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