Bunmi Omoogun
As speculations begin to run rife on the new ministerial nominees by President Mohammed Buhari which is yet to be announced, one interesting thing is the way names from Ondo State have been brandished in the media to hype the credentials and profile of likely nominees.
The guessing is that within the next eight weeks we will have the list. Hence the intense lobbying from heavy weight politicians who have immersed themselves in genuine progressive politics in Ondo State.
Among the heavy weights in this unique and distinct category are Ambassador Olusola Iji from EseOdo local government in Ondo South senatorial district, former Governor Olusegun Mimiko, former APC State chairman, Isaac Kekemeke and Chief Olusola Oke (SAN).
Iji, the current Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Togo stands out as the most ranked party man. He has never dumped the progressive party even for one day. Since his foray in politics he has been a strong member of Alliance for Democracy (AD) where he was Ondo State Chairman of the party, the party then moved to Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD). Iji’s strong commitment and connection with the progressive party also nudged him to once again become the Action Congress (AC) state Chairman. He was also in Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
A lawyer and an activist who enjoys a brilliant relationship with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the former National Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Chief Bisi Akande.
Knowing how to wash his hand to dine with elders, indeed statesmen of Nigeria.
In addition to knowing how to “wash his hands”, obvious reason he is widely rated among the leaders of the APC in the state and beyond.
He is becoming more and more a classical example of one great loyal party man in Ondo . This is evidenced in the catalogue of his immense contributions to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ambassador Olusola Iji has demonstrated a burning desire to develop the party.
Months before the last general elections, Iji in his characteristics to add electoral value to the All Progressives Congress (APC) founded a Campaign group named Buhari/Osinbajo Re-Election Group (BOREG) in Ondo state. He bought and branded three buses, twelve cars, installed fourteen giant 10ft x 20ft billboards erected in strategic positions in the state, as well as a befitting office he donated to the All Progressives Congress is at the heart of the capital city.
In his one year plus in the foreign mission in Lome, Togo and in fulfillment of his core function as an Ambassador, Iji has so far excelled in his duties.
As the President’s highest ranking representative in Togo, he has personally toured all the prisons in Togo in a bid to see to the welfare of Nigerian inmates by providing them with money, toiletries, first aid kits etc and knowing them one by one as well as feeling their pulses. This has given the inmates a sense of belonging that though they are in prison in a foreign land for one reason or the other, the government of Nigeria has not abandoned them.
No doubt, Iji from his record above is poised to still render service to the people and nation. He has made a name for himself as a noted grassroots politician that delivers in and out of public office without blemish.
His meteoric rise as a technocrat, politician singled him out as a peoples’ politician. .
Ambassador Iji is setting a worthy record par excellence and looks set for more service to the people and nation considering his professional standing, resilience, endurance, loyalty and cognate experience.
