Nigeria At A Political Crossroad

When I looked at the twists and turns around the price per barrel of crude oil on the global spot market, particularly when it crossed the $ 100 mark in January 2008 and now hovering at $ 143 per barrel, I marvel at how the fortunes of a nation can be turned around in a twinkle of an eye.

The last time Nigeria enjoyed this kind of BOOM was in the early 70’s under the military, and a brief moment under President Sheu Shagari in the early ’80s. Between those times and now, many other developing economies in the same underdeveloped rank with Nigeria had smarten up and climbed out of the morass of misgovernment and economic mismanagement.

I am talking of Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Egypt, Singapore, and to some extent, South Korea. They escaped from the trap of poverty not because of any OIL BOOM, but by dint of sheer industry and vision. My sincere and passionate prayer for Nigeria is that we would use this latest opportunity to unleash the potential for socio economic development that is latent in this awesome population of over 140 million great people.

Despite the trial by error regime of President Obasanjo, I believe God is giving Nigeria a great opportunity to correct those errors and turn the trials into triumphs of nationhood and true Federation, where the rights of all communities and constituent parts of Nigeria would be respected.

Part of my prayers is that Nigeria would graduate from the lacuna of power failure and infrastructural decay, and become truly a visionary and missionary nation, conquering her failings and frailings to propel the masses to a new prosperity that would swallow past bitterness and poverty, and promote true competition and advancement in our journey to the promised land, which, anyway, has exceeded the time bounds of 40 years by some additional overtime of 8 years now!

Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) and a Fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Nigerian Association of Technological Engineers (NATE), Nigerian Institute of Mechanical Engineers (NIMech), and Certified Marketing Communications Institute of Nigeria (CMCIN), Rauf Aregbesola has a wealth of experience garnered through dint of hard work in both the public and private sectors…

Politically, he has been no less active and forthright. His involvement dates back to his undergraduate days when he was speaker of the Students’ Parliament (1977/78) at the Polytechnic, Ibadan and the President of the Black Nationalist Movement (1978-1980). He was also an active supporter of other progressive students’ movement nationwide, which earned him, for instance, the life membership of National Association of Technological Students. In June 1990, he became an elected delegate to the SDP Inaugural Local Government Area Congress. In July of the same year, he was also a delegate to its first National Convention in Abuja.

Aregbesola as a pro-democracy and human rights activist was a major participant in the demilitarization and pro-democracy struggles of the 1990s. He is equally active in community associations, especially in Alimosho, his base, where he remains the Secretary to the LGA Elders’ Forum to date.

Prior to his appointment as the Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure (1999 till date) he was Director of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Campaign Organization (BATCO), which engineered the electoral victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the Governor of Lagos State in 1999. He performed similar feat using the platform of Independent Campaign Group (ICG)…

Since his appointment and re-appointment, Aregbesola has continued to confound all with the strength of his commitment to selfless service. His diligence, sincerity and tirelessness in the administration of the vast Ministry of Works and Infrastructure

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