BTRKINGS:

It was in the 19th century, when Joshua Gilberth Holland offered that ardent prayer for England “ God give us men (and Women), a time like this demands, strong minds, great heart, true faith and ready hands, men who the spoils office cannot buy, men who possess opinions and will, men who have honour, men who will not lie, men who can stand before a demagogue, and damn his treacherous flatteries without winking, tall men, sun-crowned, who will live above the fog in public duty and in private thinking. O God, give us these men!


We have no doubt in our minds that Joshua Gilberth Holland has men in the mode of Hon. Abiodun Akinlade Isiaq in mind, when he was offering that great and benevolent prayer which cannot be apter to our society nay Ogun State today, where all sorts of men and characters are jostling to govern the state rather than lead us as Hon. Abiodun Akinlade has demonstrated over time.
We the entire members of Akinlade Beneficiary Forum (ABEF) are not unaware of the series of shenanigans going on in our dear home state. We are quite aware that politics is in the air. Much as we also aware that election is drawing nearer day by day. We are very much aware also that our benefactor, the one God had sent to bring meaning to our various lives, the one God has used to be the harbinger of hope and sustainable future to us, the one who is rare and uncommon among men. The amiable lawmaker, the lifter of the hopeless and the oppressed in our society, the one who is not the biological father of any of us but who has played more than fatherly role and shouldered that parental responsibilities in the lives of over 192 of us, who are members of ABEF, who has secured employment to Federal parastatals and agencies is also aspiring to be the next governor of our dear state; Ogun.


Fittingly, we view this aspiration with a great relief, excitement and a welcome development. Having been piling serious pressure on him covertly and overtly to aspire to greater height, where he can have more avenue and opportunity of creating the greatest happiness to the greatest numbers in our society, through this action Hon. Akinlade has indeed lift our spirit. Overtime through his action Hon. Akinlade, with his present mandate at House Representatives, where is currently the Chairman House Committee on Science and Technology, a position he had used to turn the lives of many around. He had been able to light a fire in the minds of a lot our people in the Ogun West and by extension the whole of Ogun state because of outstanding performance and quality representation. Of a fact, Hon. Akinlade do not seems to give-in, to spin publicity and self aggrandizement but occupied himself with the general upliftment and total emancipation of our people, if not, the Akinlade should be in the front burner of National discourse today.
Be that as it may, Hon. Akinlade has recorded some great feat that is unequalled in the history of Ogun West. No leader dead or alive can match what Hon. Akinlade has done to add value to the general happiness and well-being of our people. We at ABEF are not praise singers neither are we sycophants. We are professional in our own right. We are people of proving integrity. We are people that the Nigeria society had tried to enslave. We are people that the lack of focus and ineptitude in leadership in the country had brought anything but sorrow to our lives. We are all well read and educated, who have pass through the four walls of our various higher institutions, without anything to show for it at the end of the day, even after our service to the father’s land at the end of the day. But thank goodness for Hon. Abiodun Akinlade Isiaq. God has actually used him to wipe out our tears away.


We commend him much as we give God all the glory. In an era where governance, government and representation democracy have been reduced to name calling, have been reduced to charade, have been reduced to serving ones ego and personal enrichment. The effort of Hon. Akinlade needs and should be commended by all fair minded individuals not just in Ogun state, but across Nigeria. It is in the light of that, that we give our total and unrestrained support to his aspiration to become the next governor of the state. We urged all and sundry to do so. Because this man is indeed capable and able of turning the hope and aspiration of our people into reality, just as he has done to us. That this man is indeed understands what governance is all about. That this man,will definitely turn the fortune of our state around. If anyone is in doubt, we put our collective honour on the line, base on the available records and statistics of the achievements of this gentle man Hon. Member.
Hon. Akinlade is a man that have recorded some first in the recent past. A few of his giant strides suffice here which should prove to all doubting Thomas that, Hon. Akinlade is indeed an achiever per excellence. On the physical and infrastructural development, we have the first Bio- Resource centre in the whole of the South- western part country and second in Nigeria sited at Owode Yewa. The first Vocational Centre in Ogun state built by National Agency for Building and Road Research Institute (NABBRI) but facilitated by Hon. Akinlade. There is Research center by NASENI. This is in line with his believe that for any nation to develop, such a nation must attached serious importance to Research and Development. There is Information Technology Centre fully equip with modern facilities at Idiroko in Ipokia L G A. This same Information Technology facility was also replicated at Owode and in Ilaro both in Yewa South L G A.

On road fascilated by Hon.Akinlade and constructed we can name at our finger tips that of Ipokia /maun, Eredo /Iwoye , oke-odan road, Alagbon/Agosasa road, Ilobi,Erija,Ihunbo, Itaegbe in Ipokia L.G.A, just to mention few. On electrification, nearly all the major towns and communities in both Ipokia and yewa south L.G.A has been el solar wise all courtesy of Hon Akinlade. Hon Akinlade is also a good lover of good education been acquired in a conducive environment. This, he has demonstrated by building computer classroom at Imotu community commercial academy school Ifonyintedo, first of its kind in the area. Same at District High school Ipokia. He constructed a block of 3 classroom fully equipped with Desk and benches at Area community High school owode and Oronna High school Ilaro. He also has to his credit computer classroom at Itolu community High school in Ilaro.In an era, when government continues to treat education sector with levity. Akinlade is demonstrating the fact that he has the interest of the common people at heart. He also set up a scholarship scheme to help brilliant but indigent student to further their academics careers to demonstrate his seriousness in this regards.

While we at ABEF will not forced our view on anybody, much as we recognized the fact that everybody is entitled to their opinion. However, we will enjoin all and sundry to put sentiments and myopic interest aside and look at the common good. Akinlade has shown that he can be a facilitator of the common good to all. No wonder a professor of note from one of the tertiary institutive in Ogun State opined sometime ago that, has it been our past leaders at all strata of governance have done half of what Hon Akinade has done within the short time frame, the all the hues and cries of marginalization will not have arise in the first place in Yewaland. We believe that Hon Akinlade contribution to social justice, struggle for human liberation of Yewas from the shackle of poverty is legendary. This is indeed not an over statement. For us at ABEF, we have started to view the next 10 years of our life in our various agencies. Our rise to enviable height with commensurate benefit to go with can better be imagined. Our tax payment will also contribute to national economic development. Hon Akinlade is indeed exemplary and a visionary personality. He stands out among his contemporary. And just as Harold Green said “performance stand out like ton of diamonds. Non- performance can always be explained away”. Hon Akinlade should stand out because his contribution to human development so far is legendary in this clime of ours.


Above all, we are not under illusion that it is only Hon. Akinlade that can lift ogun state because as we are told, there are two kind of people on earth; “those who lift and those who lean” Hon Akinlade is a lifter, he has been lifting us, and will continue to do so. And at this point in time, we believe he is the best among equal to lift ogun state and her people to the Eldora do we all have been waiting for.
Having said all of that, much as are ready to contribute our own little quota, even financially no anatter how token it is to the success of this governorship agenda which we viewed as collective project, because we feel our brothers and sisters across the length and breath or ogun state needs feel “the “can do attitude” in herent in this personality called Akinlade. Therefore, we enjoin Hon Abiodun Akinlade Isiaq, our benefactor, our God sent, to feel compelled to pursue this governorship agenda to it’s logical conclusion, not just for himself and perhaps least of all to fulfill personal ambition, but simply because it is there, our people in ogun state needs him and history seems to home defined him as the most apt person in his generation to achieve it. So we say, Go for it Akinlade, the good Lord is your strength.



LUKMON OYEDOKUN KASSIM OMOTOSHO
President (ABEF) General Secretary (ABEF)

OGUNDELE SHINA
Publicity Secretary (ABEF