DO YOU KNOW MICHAEL OPEYEMI BAMIDELE (MOB)? - 2

MOB

How did the once upon a time a beautiful bride of Ekiti politics, Honourable Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, MOB, suddenly become a “traitor” and a bad person? How did a true “omo-oko” suddenly become a typical “omo-ale”? Is it because he asked for what rightfully belongs to us all? I have read many beautifully crafted lies about MOB; many of which I found so hard to swallow. Like I said before, it is a personal tragedy to attempt to define somebody when one can not even identify oneself, albeit properly.

Do you know MOB? I’m afraid many Ekiti people will answer this question in the affirmative, but if asked to exemplify their claims, they would falter, no doubt. Let me say, like I said in the part one of this piece that the name, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, and the face can be duplicated and carried by many people, thereby, giving a false impression of who MOB really is. For this reason therefore, I have chosen to know the man, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, through his deeds (which can not be replicated, but built upon) during his sojourn in Lagos State administration.

It is only a snake that passes over a rock and leaves no traces. MOB went outside this state to the commercial nerve-centre of Nigeria and proved himself. My dearest brothers and sisters of Ekiti descent, I didn’t know MOB until I went to watch an FA Cup final between Heartland FC and Eyimba FC at the long-abandoned and derelict Teslim Balogun Stadium located at Surulere, Lagos. The magical turn-around of the abandoned edifice, the installation of the state-of-the-art sporting equipments and facilities and the beautification of the entire stadium are second-to-none. The derelict-turned edifice is what Lagos state government will guide jealously for generations to come. For this, MOB received a number of accolades. The most outstanding of these accolades and awards was the award given him by the family of Teslim “Thunder” Balogun in May 2007 as an “appreciation award for your ceaseless efforts in the completion of Teslim Balogun Stadium.”

                                                                        

Besides, MOB’s contributions to sports development in Lagos state by way of resuscitating grassroots sports, innovation and stimulation of private sector participation in sports sponsorship, establishments of coaching clinics for coaches and secondary schools’ games’ masters and the rejuvenation of Lagos state sports festival are just a few of MOB’s monumental achievements which will be the benchmark for people that would occupy the office of the Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development in the future in Lagos state.

 I do not have the telephone number of any of the present Ekiti state executive council members, not even the commissioner from my noble town, but I have all of those of Lagos state. That is an innovation of MOB to re-define governance and give it a human face. With this innovation, Lagosians are able to reach their representatives, even the state governor; at any time they so choose, thus making the government really closer to the people.

It was during MOB’s era that Lagos State Television went on DSTV and the Radio Lagos launched on cyberspace, heralding the possibility of a worldwide audience.  Unlike our own EKTV whose signal is not received in most part of Ekiti state, these innovation ensures that both Radio Lagos and the age-long LTV are received in all parts of Lagos state as well as outside the state and even outside the shores of Nigeria. This kind of intellectual innovation, apart from ensuring that vital information reaches the people and contribute to in no small measure to the development of the entertainment industry which provided employment for thousands of youth, it also has its own way of immensely impacting positively on the social and economic well-being of the state; thus contributing to the financial fortunes of both the state and her inhabitants.

                                            Are you a Politician?  Have you ever 

                             contested an election? The purpose of
                             contesting an election is winning. Learn
                             how to win elections here: 
http://www.localvictory.com/learn-how-to-win-any-election.html?hop=0

Before the coming of Opeyemi Bamidele, Lagosians just go out in the morning not knowing where there was heavy traffic or not. It was MOB who established a dedicated Lagos Traffic Radio which gives the traffic report and situation all over Lagos state, every minute. With that innovation, the days of unnecessarily running into heavy traffic, either in the morning or evening has become a thing of the past except if one chooses to.

In Lagos state today, one does not need to search for ages before one could get information of whatever kind about the state. This has been facilitated by the establishment of Lagos State Records and Archives Bureau (LASRAB). LASRAB house is in Magodo, Lagos state. The essence of this kind of an innovation is seen in the gargantuan service it portends to render to researchers from any part of the world that may require one information or the other about the state. Likewise, this kind of a work ensures that the state’s history can not be lost. For this project, my people, MOB was recognized via an award called LASRAB AWARD in 2011 “in recognition of his contributions to the development of records and archives in Lagos state.”

                                                                           

                                                           LASRAB HOUSE, Magodo, Lagos                                                           

All these and many more that ‘am not able to mention here for space and time are what MOB did even as the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, during which he also functioned as the Chief Image-maker of the state.

There are too many things to say about this enigma. In fact, twenty episodes of this kind of a write-up will never be enough to chronicle his past numerous achievements. Ekiti needs a thinking, God-fearing workaholic, industrious and sincere person to captain the ship of this state.

                                                           
                             Are you a Politician?  Have you ever 

                             contested an election? The purpose of
                             contesting an election is winning. Learn
                             how to win elections here: 
                             http://www.localvictory.com/learn-how-to-
                             win-any-election.html?hop=0