A grandson of the late prominent politician/nationalist, Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu (Penkelemesi) and the former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Bayo Adelabu has reinstated his determination, commitment to serve the people of Oyo state.
Adelabu, who is aspiring to succeed the incumbent governor Senator Abiola Ajimobi come 2019 under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), reaffirmed his readiness to vie for the number one seat in the state during an interview session on a popular radio station in Ibadan recently. Where he described his decision, to serve his people and contribute his own quota to the development of Oyo state, as "irreversible". In the said interview, Bayo Adelabu didn't only give detailed of what prompted him into politics, he also revealed the three reasons why he wants to be governor of the pace-setter state.
According to him, " Of course it is a generally known fact to everybody now that, their son Bayo Adelabu is ready to serve the people of Oyo state. I think it is all over town; it is no longer a secret, I had already left my job which is to be sure of my readiness and preparation to give all it takes’’.
‘’And let me say it clearly here that, there are three reasons why I want to give myself out to serve the people of Oyo state and contribute my own quota to the development and transformation as a mark of continuation from where the incumbent Governor is going to drop the baton in 2019.
My first reason I will say is someone selfish, this is my state, this is where I was born, I don’t have any other place and it is been my age long intention to retire back to this state as soon as I leave active employment. In my retirement I want to see myself living in my environment as it comparable to what obtains not only in Lagos but talk about the best cities all over the world, talk about London in the U.K, talk about Dubai in the UAE and every other place that have our target for holiday and tourism. We can create our own heavens in Oyo state so I had always wanted to play my own path to contribute to its growth and development of my state. Going to CBN again has also opened my eyes to lots of things that we can do that will help us to move the state forward.
The second reason is emotional; it is sincerely a continuation of our family legacy. We have a heritage in my own family that is known for grass rooted politics, that is known for good governance, that is known for the love of the people; intellectual governance which symbolize my late grandfather, Alhaji Gbadamosi Oduola Akanbi Adegoke Adelabu also known as (penkelemesi). I think the man’s legacy has to be renewed. He died about 60 years ago and a lot of us living today were not around when he lived and those that were around were still very young. So my intention is to say that if you don’t meet Adelabu of the 40s and 50s, here we are to see the Adelabu of 2019, which is the chip off the old block. So I want to continue in that family tradition, to give our people the best of governance.
The last reason sincerely is generic which will serve as an incentive to decent young professionals to also participate in the governance of our country because this is our own, we don’t have any other place. If I come here and I become successful in my ambition, which I know I will be by the God's grace, it would serve as an incentive and encouragement to other professionals like me that have garnered experience all over the world with very sound academic qualification to make sure that they contribute to the development of their father land. It is garbage in garbage out, the quality of life we live is determined by the quality of people that are in governance and the government generally determines our standard of living and the quality of life that we live. We can’t continue to shun politics and that is why I am here’’, he stated.
On whether his decision to contest in the guber race come 2019 is irreversible or not? Adelabu has this to say, ’I know that great achievement in this world requires a lot of great sacrifice and one of those sacrifices which I have engaged myself in was to drop my job at the Central bank of Nigeria.
I have six more years to go but because of the importance and passion I have for governance of my state for my contribution to the development of my state and to continue the good work of the incumbent Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, I have to pay that sacrifice. I don’t deserve pity or sympathy from anybody, my decision is irreversible. It was an age long ambition and aspiration for me to continue with my family legacy and to be able to be remembered for what I must have done while alive. Today, I keep telling people that, if I ask you who the richest man was in the 70s, 80s or 90s? Probably you won’t be able to remember anybody. You are only know as a rich man when you are alive but for those that were not so rich but they gave themselves to the service of humanity like the likes of Awolowo, Azikiwe, Adelabu you don’t need to crack your brain before you remember those people. So it is not about wealth, it is not about money.
Once you are comfortable, you can feed your family, our needs are actually very limited if we want to be sincere with ourselves; it is our wants that is unlimited and that is what push people not to be able to do what their passion is. I left my job at CBN not because I didn’t need money any longer but I believe more in giving that sacrifice to ensure that I am able to contest for this election. I am a professional, I could have easily delayed my resignation and wait to be weighing the option of if I will be successful in the election or nor but I didn’t do that, I had to quit a job for me to aspire for another one.
You can’t be a serving public officer and still be going around politicking; it is unprofessional and unethical and it doesn’t really show a kind of determination that you have. For you to give it all that it takes you have to drop the one that you are holding, that is why I left my job and I know that with God behind me and beside me, am going to succeed. So my decision still stands, sacrosanct, it is irreversible.’’
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