We Must Rethink Voting Investment, Says Ogunbiyi
Osun State governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Group Chairman of Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, has challenged citizens to re-think who they vote for as their leaders.
Speaking while meeting with stakeholders in Osogbo, he queried those who waste their electoral investment.
He said, “A leader’s credentials should definitely include verifiable, balanced behavioural traits, track record of people-oriented achievements, and unwavering commitment to genuine service delivery. Governance must produce meaningful, value-adding results that effectively meet the needs and aspirations of the people.
“A true leader must be compassionate and courageous. He must genuinely empower citizens and foster personal development, while also consistently achieving success and building on it.”
The APC governorship hopeful asked: “Why would anyone support a leader whose stock-in-trade is playing to the gallery to gain cheap popularity? A leader who fails to uplift disadvantaged rural communities, who ignores deepening poverty and daily struggles of ordinary citizens, and who chooses to focus on trivial, attention-seeking matters rather than addressing the real challenges confronting the people. Such leadership offers no vision, no empathy, and no meaningful progress.”
Dr. Ogunbiyi questioned why citizens would not thoroughly scrutinize the trajectory and character of those seeking public offices.
He said, “We should ask ourselves the following questions: Does the candidate genuinely listen to sound ideas and diverse perspectives? Does he demonstrate a commitment to growing his knowledge, deepening his expertise, and sharpening his wisdom? Is he even concerned with meaningful innovation and true creativity?”
Dr. Ogunbiyi said he is consistently driven by the desire for empirical creativity. He explained that he adopts practical and relevant strategies to develop and sustain people-centredinitiatives. He also noted that many of his bold interventions are already yielding significant benefits—not only in Nigeria but also in Liberia, the Niger Republic, Europe, and the United States. “My team and I are constantly delivering value, enhancing value, and creating greater value through discipline, determination, and empirical creativity,” he stated.
Speaking about his state of birth, Dr. Ogunbiyi emphasized that, “From the way things stand today, Osun State must urgently and genuinely pursue a rebirth.”
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He stressed that governance in the state must put an immediate end to the crippling consequences of Cost of Inaction (COI). He then posed critical questions: “By all standards, is Osun State truly productive and competitive? Is the state self-sustaining? Can it survive without support from Abuja? And why has no government meaningfully ‘exploited’ Osun State’s vast and diverse agricultural as well as industrial potentials?
“Do you know that entrepreneurs like myself, working with minimal support, are already establishing farm resorts as new gateways for economic opportunities? Where do we see a government-backed Adire Exhibition Centre or a dedicated marketplace that promotes indigenous creativity and culture?
“If given the opportunity to govern Osun State, my full attention would be devoted to its transformation, with a focus on providing basic needs for both rural and urban populations through empowerment initiatives.” Dr. Ogunbiyi stated.
Speaking more on his plans for the state, Ogunbiyi said, “l will pursue a policy of functional education and healthcare. Greater emphasis will be laid on education and health care services, because the two remain the bedrock of sustainable human development.
“We will invest on these two sectors to ensure sound minds, healthy and wealthy citizenry. We will also create jobs for our teeming but now largely idle youths. We will also do this by creating an enabling environment to make Osun State an investment-friendly state. If elected governor, l will also initiate and sustain an agricultural revolution in the state by utilising our vast arable land, not only to attain food security, but to generate huge revenue from the sector. We will make soft loans available for small scale farmers to produce food and crops and by so doing, provide jobs for many Osun youths.”
He continued: “We will unleash our energies and resources to boost industrialisation in the state by maximizing the benefits of our vast mineral resources – gold, kaoline, iron ore, talc, columbite and other mineral resources located in different parts of the state.
“We will intensify the mining of these deposits at a commercial level that will be beneficial to the state. We won’t play politics with such revenue -yielding ventures or enter into deals that will short-change the state.
“We will also assist artisans, women groups and youths through skill acquisition and soft loans to enable them to be self-sustaining and become employers of labour.”
Highlighting his plans to boost the tourism potentials of the state, Ogunbiyi said, “Osun State is one huge tourist site and such centres we have include Osogbo grove, Erin ljeshawaterfall and the annual Olojo festival in lle-lfe, among others.
“We will also pursue our tourism sector development by upgrading facilities at such sites and ensuring more private partnership, aimed at boosting revenue.”
He continued, “Osun should have grown beyond being a civil service state. It should by now have become an enterprising state; a state where investors rush to, to put their money. We have everything we need for a state to grow and develop. I cannot stay and watch the way things are going because it is our state, my state. I have to do something for Osun to take its pride of place among the states. It can no longer be run as a state for civil servants, teachers and peasant farmers. Osun is much more than that.
“Osun was created 34 years ago. It is still a civil service state despite the existence of enormous resources to grow the state. The bulk of the agricultural and other resources used to develop the defunct western region by Awo came from Osun and these resources are still there. All Osun needs is an entrepreneurial governor that can change the dynamics and turn things around”.
“My ingenuity is in solving problems, no matter how difficult, through smart and inventive methods. A glorious career, grand transformation achievements and renaissance are only made possible through quality education. Education guarantees value-adding freedom that leads to other freedoms. Education lights the fire and flame of adaptive leadership. It is the lifeblood of breakthroughs, momentum, purpose, energy, creativity and innovation.
“I will unlock the human capacity of Osun citizens and revive hope for development and growth. I will light the fire of industrialisation, mechanised farming, and mining. We will transparently showcase clear and specific milestones as clear evidence of our never-relenting hard work and dedicated efforts.
“I will set Osun state on the path of sustainable development. There will definitely be a paradigm shift which will ensure productive transformation. I will be the champion of productive development not political grandstanding.
“We will ensure the industrialisation of Osun state. Citizens’ livelihood will be substantially improved and the government system will work. I will generate and promote entrepreneurship, youth development, sports and skills acquisition. Osun under my leadership will become a liveable and prosperous state.”
Speaking on why he wants to govern the state, Ogunbiyi said, “My motivation for wanting to run is actually to offer service. If you look at all that is going on, you will see that I am better placed to give leadership to my state and its people. If you look at my background, I have retired from the business but I have lots of training and experience that I have acquired all of which I can use for Osun State.
“When I come in as governor, my people will see something different in creative leadership. I am not going in because of the love and perks of the office. For me, it is about service. It is about leadership. It is about harnessing the various skills and competences of our people. We will join hands with our citizens to build an enviable Osun of our dream.
“For me, it will be value creation and value delivery across all the spheres of our lives as a state. For me, it is about the Osunpeople. It is about empowerment; it is about the citizenry enjoying the basic things of life.”
He further promised that creating landmark legacies of progress would be central to shaping and defining his core values.
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
