ASIWAJU OLUYEMI OGUNYOMI’s Path To Heights Of Bliss
August 16, 1950 would remain fresh in the memories of residents of Ikorigho in Ugbo Kingdom now in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, because a shinning star was born among them.
Oluyemi Ogunyomi was the name of the little boy.
It is a proven fact that attaing stardom in life isn’t a mere wish and easy journey. History has taught the occupants of the planet earth that surely there are heights to aspire to and the routes to these places are labyrinth in nature.
Some get there fast while some traverse there in the biblical manner of the children to the promised land.
Unfortunately, nature has also made impossible for everyone to hit these heights all through their journey in the same living space.
Beginning his journey to the heights he desired, Oluyemi’s parents set him on the journey at age five, as they enrolled him at Local Authority Primary School, Ikorigho and he write his final examinations there in 1961.
The following year, he was at Secondary Modern School, Ugbonla and completed the three-year academic programme in 1965.
Having realised that his desired heights required great academic knowledge, he proceeded to Remo Secondary Commercial College, Iperu, Remo, now in Ogun State, in1968 and was through there in 1971.
He landed on Jos Campus of University of Ibadan in 1973 and was there till the following year.
He moved to the main campus of the University in Ibadan in 1974 and graduated with B.Sc. (Honors) degree in 1977.
He thereafter observed the one-year compulsory youth service to his fatherland, Nigeria,
at NYSC Cabinet office, Sokoto between 1977 and 1978.
On July 27, 1978, he secured a job in the civil/public service of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Administrative Officer Grade VIII, Cabinet office, Lagos.
He began to rise from the position to Clerk Assistant and Secretary to various committees of the House of Representatives in 1980 till 1982 when became the Senior Clerk Assistant II House of Representatives 1982 till 1983.
Oluyemi was discovered to be deligent in his job, in 1984, he was appointed Deputy Secretary, Special Military Tribunal on the recovery of public properties (Enugu zone) till 1985.
Hitting one of the night echelons of his career, Oluyemi became the Clerk of House of Representatives in 1999, the position he held till 2003.
He was promoted to as the Clerk of The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2003, where he superintended till 2005.
He was later Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly (DCNA) from 2005 to 2009, and Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA) and Head of the National Assembly Bureaucracy between 2009 and 2010.
It’s on record that the Prince of Ikorigho, who was honoured with a traditional title, the Asiwaju of Ugbo Kingdom, was the first and only Nigerian to serve in the positions of the Clerk of House of Representatives, Clerk of Senate, Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly and Clerk to the National Assembly of Nigeria (consecutively).
He’s a seasoned administrator and one of the most accomplished legislative bureaucrats the nation has ever produced.
Having done the Ugbo Kingdom proud through his high moral standard, strong character, impeccable integrity, besides being a mentor and motivator, he was decorated as Asiwaju of the kingdom.
Brilliant as he is, he has written and published many papers while some are yet to be published.
Asiwaju Oluyemi Ogunyomi’s business acumen tempted him to invest in hospitality sector of the nation’s economy.
He owns AES Luxury Apartments, Opposite CITEC Estate, Jabi, Airport Road, Abuja.
Asiwaju Ogunyomi is a philanthropist, community mobilizer, crisis and conflict resolution expert.
He had won several Awards.
During his service years at the National Assembly, he offered advice to the federal lawmakers.
He once revealed that “We were able to work with them(legislators), advise them on the best way to address this, and by 2002. We had stabilized the legislature, and the legislature, within its capacity, was able to function as a branch of government, making input into policies.”
Likewise, he disclosed that how he and sone personalities intervened in an attempt to impeach the Speaker, which later distabilized the House, and the attempt to remove the President.
But he said they were able to resolve this and the House ended the year 2003 peacefully.
He fostered cordial relationship between the executive and the legislature because if the importance of the two arms of government to the running of the nation’s affairs.
Prince Oluyemi Ogunyomi’s office initiated constituency projects for federal lawmakers to be executed in their individual constituencies.
He said “Some legislatures were allocated funds to nominate constituency projects which were to be carried out in their respective constituencies.
“By 2003, the practice had developed and matured and, thereafter,it moved to the Senate. As the Clerk of the Senate, I was doing basically the same thing as I did in the House of Representatives, except that this time ,I was in direct communication with the president, forwarding lists of concerned nominees to the president and helping the Senate to exercise its jurisdiction in the functions and power shared with the president.”
Prince Oluyemi Ogunyomi’s contributions to the development of the nation through policy-making are numerous.
He was instrumental to the drafting of policies and training of the staff and members of the National Assembly for better effectiveness and improved capacity building.
Among this is the issue of succession of the president by the vice president.
He said: “it was a very difficult period for Nigeria because there were people who believed that the vice president, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, should not automatically become the president in the absence of the president.”
“On the other hand, there were those who asserted that Jonathan, in accordance with the provisions of the constitution, should become president, which caused some uncertainty, but overall, we all worked together to resolve that.”
His desire and love for his people made him build a library at Ugbo-Nla in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
According to him, “That library would have been expanded because I still have about 10,000 more books which I intend to send there, but I have not been able to expand it because of the vissitutude of the environment.
“We also renovated another block of six classrooms in Ugbo, which has been completed with the provisions of chairs and tables, while the staff office has also been furnished .
“The renovation of another block of six classrooms in Mahin is also under way. They were supposed to have started it but due to the rain, they had to stop.
“Recent findings showed the deplorable state of many primary and secondary schools in the region.
“I became more determined to ensure that we have good primary schools to start with so that our children can have a solid start to their academic experience.”
