NEKAN OLAGBEGI: ANSWERING THE LEADERSHIP QUESTIONS.
The most critical attribute to the success of any venture is loyalty. Loyalty is very key to business success. This is the more reason why companies would not hesitate to regularly spend hundreds of millions of naira to reward customers that portend brand loyalty in consistent patronage of their products and services. Occasional disloyalty may be permitted if a man that has accustomed his taste bud to “Star” Lager beer chooses to switch to “Trophy” brand for a change. This is far from being the case in politics. Loyalty is far more important in the political sphere because it must be total and unflinching. Loyalty in the political arena must be demonstration of absolute faithfulness and unwavering fidelity to the cause of a political direction. Anything short of this in politics will definitely be frowned at with its attendant severe sanctions.
Experience over time has shown that loyalty is often shown by an average Nigerian politician when the goings are only good. Defection to another political party where bread of politicians could be sumptuously buttered would predominantly dominate their thoughts the moment pecuniary expectations dropped short of being met. The most disappointing aspect of our politics in this side of the world is to see politicians who had hitherto enjoyed tremendous patronages through which they have become emergency billionaire suddenly became sworn enemies of their benefactors. We have become so attuned to the antics of fair weather politicians in our country that it will be difficult to believe we still have few exceptions.
This is a man that abandoned his comfort zone in the United States of America with the prime intention to better the lots of his people. He began this rescue mission by importing over a million textbooks that were distributed to both primary and secondary school students in the state. This Owo Prince followed up this intervention by bringing into the country containers of medical supplies and equipments that were distributed to the people of the state. Prince Nekan Olagbegi equally thought it necessary to procure a borehole rig which he donated and was used to sink boreholes for his people. The Financial consultant became convinced that more lives could only be touched while in position of authority; for this reason, he jumped into the ship of the Labour Party. Prince Nekan Olagbegi contested the Ondo North Senatorial slot under the Labour Party in 2007 but got robbed of victory. The electoral malfeasance meted out to him was taken with equanimity, but chose to stand by Dr Mimiko while he pursuing his case at the Tribunal. It was in the cause of efforts to reclaim the stolen mandate of Dr Mimiko that Prince Nekan Olagbegi was offered a juicy federal appointment by the late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua. A regular Nigerian politician would have jumped at this offer and gone ahead to declare an elaborate feast to mark his defection to the then ruling PDP from Labour Party where he pitched his tent. But in an unusual show of loyalty, Prince Nekan would rather prefer to decline the offer of federal appointment and stand by Dr Mimiko to lend him all forms of support.
He is a tested and trusted hand. He is a man of enviable integrity and an individual whose capacity and ability to deliver can never be in doubt. In addition, he enjoys the advantage of being from the Owo-Ose axis of the state. This is an axis that has not had the chance to produce a governor since our return to democratic rule in 1999. It is expected that PDP will concede its ticket to this axis in the interest of justice, equity and fairness. Going forward, Prince Adenekan Olagbegi has made a clear statement that he is equipped to take the Sunshine state to the much desired height of financial independence; even in the face of dwindling allocation from the federal purse. The truism which encourages that a man who is faithful with little can as well be trusted with higher responsibility, cannot be faulted if alluded to the case of Prince Adenekan Olagbegi.
The rarity of faithful loyalty of Prince Nekan Olagbegi is a worthy attribute that should be sufficiently recompensed with commensurate political reward.
industry which he had succeeded in reviving by bringing in a core investor is sure to roll out its first set of products before the end of last quarter of this year. Prince Nekan believes that not less than 500 direct jobs would be created in the ceramic industry while much more indirect jobs are to follow suit. He equally spoke on the defunct Oluwa Glass that has now been replaced with Harmony Glass.
Nekan also informed that he had worked tireless to bring in another investor for the glass project. He sounded so sure that not less than 1000 unemployed youth in the state would be engaged through this project. He was also of the belief that many more would benefit from indirect employment through the glass project.
Prince Nekan again informed his supporters that the latest of the investment he had attracted to Ondo state was a 100 Mega Watts Solar electricity project. He said this project would be at no cost to the state government except for the contribution of land. He enthused that the economic benefits of this projects would be enough to make the state economy experience a turnaround. In the words of Olagbegi, ” reality of dwindling resources from the federal purse is a clear indication that the days of freebies are over and as such, only the creative minded can give answers to the pressing issue of wealth creation in the state”.
He nonetheless concluded his address by encouraging people of the state to keep faith with PDP in the forthcoming gubernatorial election.