ARABINRIN BETTY AKEREDOLU: A TRAILBLAZER IN HUMANITARIAN LEADERSHIP
The 21st century realities have seen to a drastic change and alteration in the significance and relevance attached to the office of the first lady, just as the role of the women in our society is changing and as they are raising from the status quo to breaking free; away from the confines of the traditional understanding of the role of women in the family and society at large to leading them to a new reality where they are frontiers in all endeavors of human advancements.
Standing tall among women and in the leagues of the first ladies that has ever graced the office of the first lady in the Sunshine State is the Wife of the incumbent Governor of Ondo state, Mrs.Betty Akeredolu. One who while others have chosen to watch from the back seat instead chose not just to compliment the beautiful strides of his amiable husband who has seen to the emergence of a new Ondo State where its populace indeed have a reason to celebrate the gains of a democratic system but have also created a brand in the state that is backed with stories of survival, resilience, grit, and undying faith to boot.
The world was thrilled to the best of classical governance and administration when one of the finest family to have ever graced the Office of the Presidency of the United States of America, The Barack Obama family redefined the importance of a strong, united and progressive family leading not just the United States of America but also the rest of the world. The ever graceful Michelle Obama silently but strongly complimented the Office of her husband as they both built a lasting legacy for all to emulate across all nations of the world.
In the same light, Arabinrin Betty Akeredolu has taken the bull by the horn, justifying the popular saying that, “Behind every great man there’s a great woman”. While others have chosen to build their names and create their legacies on the faces of tall buildings and edifices, she rose above the waters of mediocrity and self-glorifications to etching a name and a place for herself in the lofty heights of the good sons and daughters of the Sunshine State.
Starting from the very smallest unit of the human society which is the family, she has within the last few years since the inception of the Akeredolu led administration in Ondo Statestrategically tailored her projects and initiatives to address the various challenges facing the family system in the state as well as the empowerment of the girl child in the state.
Popularly known as Digital Mama, Mama Fowoso, she initiated the “Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria”, BRECAN. Spurred by her battle and victory over Breast Cancer, she rose to take the giant step of not just only inspiring and motivating women to take their health seriously but also to ensure that there is an early detection of the disease.
Over the years since the inception of BRECAN in Ondo State, the initiative has maintained its focus on early diagnosis of the disease and also encouraging the government to improve on its policies and funding for effective control to curtailing its toll on the people, especially women. It has also seen to the funding of victims treatment across the federation.
At the time when BRECAN was initiated, there was practically no coordinated effort to raise awareness about breast cancer in Nigeria. If she could survive breast cancer, then every other woman can also survive it, and ever since its inception in the year 1997, it has expanded to having eight chapters across the country, the mother chapter being in Oyo State where it all started.
Through the ingenious efforts of Arabinrin Betty Akeredolu, the association which is a Non-Governmental organization has seen to the use of an independent means of sourcing for funds for its activities; through the use of Crowd-Funding as a viable instrument to sourcing for funds which it uses to support the treatment of women with breast cancer in the state. Her impressive strides with BRECAN in Nigeria have earned her plaudits both local and international
Also in furtherance of her commitment to ensuring that the role of the women in the state is changed, enhanced and advanced against the obnoxious cultural template that relegates the place and role of the woman to behind the curtails; Arabinrin Betty Akeredolu conceived the idea of the initiation of FOWOSO in Ondo State
FOWOSO, Meaning ‘The Foundation of Wives of Ondo State Officials and Female Appointees’ was designed to reach out women in the state in form of socio-economic empowerment. The Initiative was launched on the 7th of December 2017 after the inauguration of the Arakunrin Akeredolu led administration in Ondo State.
The forum is a new facet of women empowerment initiative in the state as it adopts the approach of skill acquisition for women across the 18 local government areas of Ondo State.
Since the inception of the initiative in Ondo state, FOWOSO has been able to reach out to no less than 1,800 women in the local government areas of the state. To Arabinrin Betty Akeredolu, who is the initiator of the project; the benefits of the project are more than the immediate financial gains or reward which many people seek to gain. To her the acquisition of knowledge in form of skill empowerment for women , enlightenment on how women can actually take good care of themselves, that is their health and that of their children, mobilizing women towards increased political participation and their ability to stand against any oppressive and discriminatory behavior can be more beneficial in both long and short term, more beneficial than financial reward or gains which is temporal.
Women in the state has been taught various handiwork and crafts through the FOWOSO initiative, among which are bead making, fashion designing, event management, shoemaking, tying of gele, catering craft among other numerous skills acquisition programmes in the state.
Another among the numerous laudable initiatives and projects of Arabinrin Betty Akeredolu is the bringing into existence the BEMORE Foundation. This foundation was birthed as a result of the strong passion of Arabinrin Akeredolu to bridge the knowledge gap between the girl child and their male counterpart when it comes to technology advancement and efficiency in Nigeria.
The light of the 21st century has seen to the increased advocacy for the liberation and emancipation of the girl child away from the fangs of an obnoxious and pathetic reality that undermine the relevance and importance of the girl child by seeing them as lesser human beings to their male counterparts.
Since the inception of the project in 2017, over 1000 girls has been properly trained and fully equipped with the right incentives to excel in whatever area of training they choose to major in. it participants are not just limited to within the confines of Ondo State alone as it draws participants from states like Imo, Oyo with the view of expanding it to more states in the Federation.
The participating girls who are within the age bracket of 10-15 years who are usually made to spend two weeks in the Annual Summer Boot Camp has been exposed to solid training in renewable energy, solar panel development, solar PV installation, etc. Asides these they are also taught bead making, liquid soap making, drawing and painting, baking and pastries, gele tying among many others.
Parents and guardians of the respective participating girls as at various times come out to express their happiness and gratitude at the opportunity afforded their girls to advance themselves; many of them happily stated that the skills and knowledge acquired by their children came very handy during the lockdown imposed by the outbreak of Covid-19. They explained that there girls were able to engage themselves by putting to good use these already acquired skills all thanks to Arabinrin Betty Akeredolu.
While she at this, her husband the amiable Governor of OndoState has seen to changing the narrative of the Sunshine State by committing himself to ensuring that the state is transformed from the usual civil servant state to a growing economic hub.
The Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. SAN led government in its industrial drive in the Sunshine State saw to the establishment of the Ore Industrial which in its operations is expected to employ not less than 211,500 people in the state. Upon the visit of Mrs Betty Akeredolu to the industrial hub, she stated that the facility is for all kinds of business where people within and outside the can come and transact businesses. In her words, ‘there is no gainsaying; Mr. Governor is really working as you can see things for yourself. Majority of the people working here are youths from the state and this is another way to enjoy dividends of democracy. ‘
She also added during her visit to the hub that the beauty of doing business in Ondo State is that most of the raw materials needed are available within the state which makes it much easier. It is a commendable initiative that will help create jobs for the citizens, invite foreigners to patronize the state and improve the economy of the state.
The Ore industrial hub in its full operation has started yielding fruits as the companies cited in the facility have begun full operations. Among the various companies are the Cassava/Ethanol Plant, Agrochemicals, Peppermills factory, Medium Density Fiber Board, Plantation, Textile Industry and We-wood.
Adding to this the ancient town of Idanre saw to the establishment of the Sunshine Chocolate factory in the community, this was done by the state government to harness the Cocoa rich area of the ancient town.
Adding to this in the continual drive of the Arakunrin Akeredoluled administration in Ondo State, the state has enjoyed numerous unprecedented development in the infrastructural development in the state. The Akeredolu led administration in Ondo State has seen to the rehabilitation of several roads in the states across the 18 local government areas while it has also ensured the fixing of several federal government roads in the despite the current economic downtown affecting revenues inflow into the State.
Adding to these aforementioned, Arakunrin Akeredolu has prioritized the welfare of the salaries in the state, the state government has led by Arakunrin has ensured the constant payment of workers in the state. Record has it that it was among one of the earliest states to approve the payment of the new minimum wage in the Country. Also it will be recalled that Arakunrin Akeredolu made sure his led government ensured the payment of the 7months salaries owed by the previous government in the state.
The health sector has received a massive boost under the Arakunrin Akeredolu led administration in the state, upon his inauguration, there were two mother and child hospitals in the state, however Arakunrin Akeredolu saw to the emergence of three more Mother and Child hospitals in the State. Adding to this is the donation of medical equipment to the various health facilities in the state to ensure effective service provision in the state.
Adding to these numerous achievements, the efforts the Akeredolu led administration had not only resulted in increasing the states revenue drive, it has also put the Sunshine state in the group of states that had achieved more than the double of amount they use to realize before this time.
The IGR of the Sunshine State has moved from N10.2b in 2017 to N24.8billion in 2018. This leap jump in the IGR of the state pushed the state ranking from 20th to 9th as it was adjudged the highest IGR in 2018 and first in terms of annual growth according to the Joint Tax Board [JTB] and the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics [NBS]
While there is an endless list of projects and initiatives which has been brought into existence by the Arakunrin Akeredolu led administration in the state which has also being facilitated by the conducive and peaceful atmosphere created by Arabinrin Betty Akeredolu who has in many ways and areas served as a wall of support and motivation for Arakunrin in Ondo State; Ondo State has little to worry about.
Their commitment to ensuring continuity of good governance in the state is worthy of being extolled in the state. Even as the state approaches another gubernatorial election come October 10,2020 it is the hope of all that the people of Ondo State ensures the state is further afforded more opportunity to witness a continual sustenance of the Akeredolu led administration in Ondo State beyond 2020.