PROFILE: Omigbodun And The Passion To Modernise Osun

 

In the first of our usual series in the electoral cycle, Kazeem Badmus  beams the searchlight on the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the July 16, 2022 governorship election in the State of Osun.

Oyegoke Akinrinola Omigbodun, born about the time Nigeria was declared a Federal Republic, into the Oloba’do family of Osogbo, is a certified Architect, Estate Surveyor, Politician, Teacher, Proprietor and the first person licensed to practice Architectural and Estate Management in Nigerian.

His father, the late Venerable Julius Ladunjoye Omigbodun, was then pioneer Principal of the Osogbo Grammar School and first Chairman of the then Osogbo District Council that stretched across about five of the present Local Governments of Osogbo, Olorunda, Irepodun, Orolu and part of Egbedore. The same late Ladunjoye Omigbodun was the first University graduate from the then Osun Division and was therefore easily the scribe and spokesman of the Obas of Osun Division that initiated and wrote the first letter to the then Governor-General, Sir John McPherson, on 8th October 1950, requesting for the extraction of Osun Division from any administrative headquarters in Ibadan, a long struggle that culminated into the creation of Osun State in August 1991.

It was during the tenure of his father as the Chairman that Electricity and Pipe-borne water came to Osogbo. The first tared road in Osogbo was also done during his father’s tenure.  

These and many more landmark are what the young Omigbodun is willing to latch on as he prepares to contest the Number One seat of the State of Osun.

Omigbodun is contesting for the Governorship seat in July 16, 2022 gubernatorial election under the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and is willing and ready to serve the people of the State efficiently and transparently.  

He worked with Chief Bisi Akande during his time as governor of the state as the Chairman of Osun State Property Development Corporation (December 2000 to May 2003). He was also the State Programs Monitoring Adviser (SPMA) of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Osun (March 2001 to August 2003), and Special Adviser to the Governor on Inter-Party Relations (2008 to 2010).

Oyegoke’s mother, the late Iya-Abiye Regina Olatide Omigbodun was the daughter of the late Jagunoshin Johnson Awoyera-Awoyemi from Logun Compound, Okerewe Ile-Ife, then one of the most trusted chiefs, associates and confidants of Baba Ooni Adesoji Aderemi, first Governor of Western Nigeria. Mama Regina Olatide Omigbodun retired as the Chief Health Sister of the Old Oyo State, shortly after its creation, having served as Deputy Chief Health Sister of Western State, Nigeria.

Having a mother who worked in the health sector, Oyegoke believed so much in offering free and qualitative health to the people. The kind which will be accessible to residents of the state without having to travel abroad. 

Oyegoke Omigbodun thus had a background of great appreciation for good education and political enlightenment, from parents that mentored and sent him to All Saints Primary School, Osogbo, Government College, Ibadan (School Number 3062), then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), for B.Sc. and M.Sc. Architecture, University of Ilorin, Nigeria, for Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and the Premier University of Ibadan, for Masters in Geographical Information Systems, M.Sc. GIS.

As a lover of education and a student of history, Omigbodun is willing to provide qualitative education and believe that the state has enough resources to achieve it. He is ready to block the loopholes and retain enough resources to be able to run the state University, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education. 

Goke Omigbodun is a professionally qualified teacher, registered by the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), an Architect licensed by the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and a chartered Estate Surveyor & Valuer, registered by the Estates Surveyors & Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON).

He has travelled across countries and with his experience, he is focusing majorly on ‘Youth Development and Global Infrastructure. Omigbodun wants to channel the energies, intelligence and knowledge of Osun youths towards ensuring a well boosted state economy. He plans to make Osun state the  bulb of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and businesses in Nigeria which will in turn lead to crime reduction, youth engagement, employment and economic growth. 

He believes Osun Youths can have job status that are ICT based and be the drivers of the industrial revolution in Nigeria, just like the drivers of merchandise and industrial revolution in America located in the State of California. He sees the youths as his pillar and wants them to vote him as the next governor of Osun State to achieve this.

Goke Omigbodun once served as Caretaker Chairman of the then Alliance for Democracy (AD), in his Olorunda Local Government, and has been Deputy Chairman for about four years to date, of the Social Democratic Party in Osun State, Nigeria.

Goke Omigbodun has been a consistent strong voice for the restructuring of the Federal Government of Nigeria, to facilitate devolution of more powers to and greater resource control to federating units and their Local Government Areas. Omigbodun believes there is need for Nigeria to go back to when state government had control over what they generate internally.

The energetic progressive minded politician has been going out to campaign about restructuring and that is why he titled his Campaign ‘Yoruba e Ronu’ (Yoruba think deeply).He wants Yoruba to go back to the days of Obafemi Awolowo when cocoa money was used to build Cocoa House because he was controlling cocoa money without being forced to do so.

Osun people need a governor that is going to be a voice of the people and take us back to that time when there was resource control to the extent that Awolowo could build the tallest building yet in western Nigeria outside of Lagos.

They need a governor that is ready to prioritise youth development, provide free education, give quality health and make a good usage of the state resources. The man is Arc. Oyegoke Omigbodun. 

Goke Omigbodun’s Non-State activities include being a Co-convener and pioneer President of the Network of NGOs (NETNOS) in Osun State, Trustee of ANGELS Foundation, former Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors & Valuers (NIESV), Osun State, former Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), Osun State, and serving Ex-Officio Member of Council of the NIA. 

Goke Omigbodun is a member of the Osun Development Association (ODA), a beneficiary of the Rockefeller Foundation initiated global Leadership for Environment & Development as LEAD Fellow, as well as a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (FNIA). 

Good Governance Globally is a watchword and aspiration of the gentleman and political activist, Oyegoke Akinrinola OMIGBODUN, who is happily married to be his charming wife and help-meet, Oyinkansola, with whom God is building a strong nuclear family having a son and a daughter as members.