Ibadan, the capital City of Oyo State, has turned the corner in several of its challenges prior to the election of Senator Abiola Ajimobi as Governor of Oyo state in 2011. It would not be too outlandish to describe the sprawling city, before his ascendancy into office, as being in a Hobbesian state where life was brutish, frightening and short as rival thugs of political warlords made the city a battle-field and unleashed mayhem on innocent citizens on a very scary scale.
Governor Ajimobi, coming from a corporate background as Managing Director of an oil-marketing company knew all too well that no economy could thrive without guarantees for security of lives and property. He thus developed and introduced his 8 pyramids of development, top of which were safety, peace and security.
Ajimobi also developed and operated a ‘principle-centred’ governance philosophy. This meant that the good of the state would at all times supersede the good of individuals or groups of individuals and he was ready to confront all known tin-gods and so-called ‘untouchables’ who stood in the way of the realization of an equitable and progressive state.
Ajimobi was especially effective in neutralizing the notorious National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) who had virtually held the city by its jugular before his tenure. So effective that the recent death of its leader was almost unnoticed without any recriminations, street violence and revenge killings as was rife in the past.Top on his agenda was to take out the rascals, armed robbers and kidnappers of the streets. He initiated, launched and energized a special security outfit code-named ‘Operation Burst’ and launched a special fund to mobilize and equip the outfit. The Ajimobi government next commenced the installation of close circuit television (CCTV) cameras in some black spots and business districts in Ibadan metropolis as part of measures to enhance the security architecture of the city.
In order to ensure easy movement of goods and citizens as well as guarantee easy access to neigbourhoods in times of distress, Ajimobi also commenced a massive road, bridge (vehicular and pedestrian), fly-overs and urban renewal programme that has redefined the look and feel of Ibadan and parts of the state, thus boosting socio economic activities in the state on a grand scale. Ibadan even has a thriving nightlife presently, something that was hitherto unthinkable before his administration was inaugurated.
From a near pariah status, Ibadan and other parts of Oyo state have attracted about forty new major companies to set up factories with an excess of 4000 direct employees, according to figures obtained from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria.
The 2 billion USD Polaris-Pacesetter Free Trade Zone and Industrial Park is also an initiative of Ajimobi that will surely win him more accolades. It is an industrial development zone located in the vast flanks of the Lagos Ibadan Expressway which he believes will accommodate about 160 companies. The Bureau of Statistics further lent credence to this development with its rating of Oyo State as the fifth most investment-friendly state Also noting that Ajimobi’s government has attracted more than $61m (N22.4bn) foreign direct investment to the state as at the time of their report in 2017.
