Thursday, May 22, 2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Ibikunle Amosun
PROFILE OF SENATOR IBIKUNLE AMOSUN, FCA, GOVERNOR, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA
Elected Fourth Governor of Ogun State, Nigeria:
On 29 May, 2011, Senator Amosun was sworn-in as the fourth elected Governor of Ogun State, having won the election held in April 2011. He contested on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). This party has since merged with other parties to form the All Progressives Congress (APC).
On assumption of office as Governor of Ogun State, he outlined the Mission to Rebuild Agenda of his administration which is anchored on a 5 point – Cardinal Programme:
- Affordable and Qualitative Education
- Efficient Health Care Delivery
- Agricultural Production and Industrialization
- Affordable Housing and Urban Renewal
- Rural and Infrastructural Development / Employment Generation
The programme is aimed at the Welfare, Prosperity and Security of the Citizenry and the State. His administration has since recorded significant achievements in various critical sectors such as Free Education, stimulation of the Investment Environment, Agriculture, Women Empowerment, Security, massive Infrastructural Development and Urban Renewal.
POLITICAL CAREER:
SIA, as he is fondly called, stepped into the political space with the singular aim of giving back to humanity what he has been endowed with by God. He was elected into the Senate, the upper chamber of Nigeria’s National Assembly, in April, 2003, representing Ogun Central Senatorial District. While in the Senate between 2003 and 2007, he served in the following capacities:
- Chairman, Senate Committee on Commerce
- Member, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Member, Senate Committee on Appropriation
- Member, Senate Committee on Privatization
- Member, Senate Committee on Security and Intelligence
Amosun lived up to his status as a Distinguished Senator by amplifying the voice of the masses. He moved several motions and sponsored many bills on issues that touched on the day-to-day lives of not only members of his immediate constituency, but also Ogun State and the nation in general.
He was particularly instrumental to some of the landmark reforms of the era, especially in telecommunications, customs and excise and other strategic sectors of the Nigerian Economy. Some of these bills include:
PROFESSIONAL CAREER:
Senator Amosun, a Chartered Accountant, started his accounting career in 1984 as an Audit Trainee with Messrs J.A.A. Adeniyi & Co. (Chartered Accountants). He later joined Lanre Aremu & Co. (Chartered Accountants), where he rose to become a manager in 1989. He was also with XtraEdge Consulting as a senior consultant.
In 1990, through industry and passion for professional excellence, he became an Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). In the same year, he established the highly successful Accounting Firm of Ibikunle Amosun & Co. (Chartered Accountants). In 2003, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) and the Institute of Taxation (FITN).
HIS PHILOSOPHY:
A social welfarist, he believes that the rich are obligated to cater for the poor and underprivileged in the society. His government policy thrust is anchored on a strong partnership between public and private sectors. While the government has the responsibility to provide the enabling environment, to achieve sustainable economic growth and social development, the private sector must play the pivotal role.
Senator Amosun’s work rate and capability for critical thinking remain his core leadership attributes, in addition to commitment to transparency and accountability. He approaches every responsibility and task with an infectious passion, commitment and perseverance. A hands-on leader who leads by example, he has the knack to identify, assemble, and nurture talents to create motivated teams with capacity to deliver optimal outcomes.
PHILANTHROPY:
SIA believes that the provision of amenities and social development cannot be left to government alone. He therefore instituted a scholarship scheme in 1986, several years before venturing into politics, which he later institutionalized by setting up the Senator Ibikunle Amosun Scholarship Foundation (SIASF) on Thursday, 7 July 2005. He has awarded scholarships to over 1,000 students of Ogun State origin, in various institutions of higher learning.
A consummate philanthropist, Senator Amosun’s generosity and quest to uplift others transcend the award of scholarships. He has instituted various other subsisting empowerment initiatives for trade groups, artisans, communities, women and other vulnerable groups in the society. His Alma Maters – African Church Grammar School, Abeokuta and Ogun State Polytechnic (now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic), also in Abeokuta - have benefited from his generous disposition to give back to the society. He built and commissioned the Administrative Block at African Church Grammar School, among other similar gestures.
LAURELS AND AWARDS:
His leadership qualities and outstanding achievements have earned him recognition nationally and internationally, some of these include:
PERSONAL DATA:
Born in Abeokuta on Saturday, 25 January, 1958, he attended the following institutions of learning:-
Senator Amosun is married to Mrs. Olufunso Amosun and the blissful union has produced five lovely children
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Senator Ibikunle Amosun FCA, Governor, Ogun State
Governor Ibikunle Amosun: A Leader of, for and
by the People
One Man. Many Missions.
A leader is one who sets an example to
be followed, bringing together a faithful dedication for the responsibility he
has been entrusted with, and never allowing his ideals to be compromised in any
way. If there were ever such a man to govern the good people of Ogun State and
to help them enjoy the benefits of the economic prosperity that Nigeria is
enjoying at the moment, then it is most certainly the good Governor Ibikunle
Amosun FCA.
Since being elected to power in 2011,
he has busied himself with the amelioration of the way of life of the people,
involving himself wholeheartedly in the improvement of not just the infrastructure,
but ensuring that Education, Employment and even Housing needs are being
addressed with a great sense of urgency. In this regard, he has gone about his
work with a fierce determination that has revealed positive results in such a
short span of time, because his driving passion is caring for the people and
their welfare, and when it comes to the people, he leaves no stone unturned and
no option unexplored to give unto them what they truly deserve. However, as is
the nature of the realm of politics, he has often been painted in a negative
light, and on occasion, vilified by his naysayers who point out to ridiculous
claims for things that he has apparently neglected.
Accusations of “Brotherly Neglect” Unfounded:
Not long after he took office as
Governor of Ogun State, SIA, as Governor Amosun is affectionately known, was
reported to have cast aside members of his own family by not addressing their
most basic needs to secure a livelihood for themselves. The online article in
question (Global News, “Gov. Amosun’s Brother Lives in Abject Poverty”, [DATE])
went on to describe how in spite of his current position, he had let his
brothers Bariyu and Sofiu Amosun fall to the wayside, by ignoring their plight,
when it was easily apparent that they were in desperate need of assistance. In
fact, the article ended with an attempt to undermine SIA’s philanthropy and
social welfare efforts entirely by drawing attention to the fact that if
“Charity begins at home,” he was “not living up to this aphorism.”
The truth of the matter is, and it
should certainly be noted by the author and this respected publication, that if
he were to overtly use this power and influence granted to him by the people of
Ogun State who voted for him, the tune being sung would have sounded a lot
like, “Gov. Ibikunle Amosun Misuses Power to Support Family,” to put it most
lightly. As a media organ that is supposed to inform the public of the real
state of affairs, it is most unfortunate that such a hardworking man as SIA is being
painted as just another politician, in spite of all the changes that he has
heralded in his tenure thus far. Furthermore, mere hearsay about the lives of
his brothers and the difficult situations that they have to deal with everyday,
not to mention the public presentation of such information as being a factual
representation in any way, is poor practice, to say the least.
A Guiding Philosophy of Philanthropy:
SIA has taken the welfare of the
people of Ogun State upon his own shoulders, making every effort to give back
to the community that has supported and sustained him. Most of all, his views
on social welfare are commendable as they don’t rely on the senseless giving of
aid, but on empowering people to rise up to the challenges they face, by
providing them with the opportunities that will help them achieve and surpass
their basic requirements. Be it the giving of scholarships to deserving
students, something that SIA established long before he even came to power as
Governor, or the empowerment of women in the community and the encouragement of
local artisans and industries to thrive and prosper, it becomes easily apparent
that his heart lies at the center of his agenda – To emancipate the minds of
the people, so that they may first dream, and then work towards realizing their
dreams.
On the surface of things,
it may be difficult to understand why a man who has himself put so much effort
to educate and acquire the lucrative qualification of FCA seems to want to
embroil himself in the politics of Nigeria, when he could have so easily enjoyed
a comfortable job working and earning aplenty. In fact, some people may even
think this to be a backward step of sorts, especially when considering the
potential dangers of being in the public eye. Yet, his stalwart determination
to carry forth a cause that he has held dear to his heart for all his life
pushes him onward, regardless of what may be said of him, because if nothing
else, he is well and truly, a leader of the people, working for the people, who
has been elected by the people. The people have recognized his true intentions,
and they have spoken. Now, it is only a matter of time before his greatness is
realized by Ogun State, and the rest of the country.
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