Former Ogun State Governor and veteran journalist Aremo Olusegun Osoba has identified the lack of continuity between successive governments as a major obstacle to Nigeria’s development.
Osoba spoke in Abeokuta on Sunday after being installed as the Life Vice Patron of the Abeokuta Club. He expressed concern that many state and federal administrations routinely abandon the policies and projects of their predecessors, undermining long-term progress.
Citing his own tenure, he recalled that several initiatives he introduced in Ogun State—particularly in rural electrification, water supply, road development, and the creation of Local Council Development Areas—were abandoned once he left office. He accused his successor of deliberately erasing his administration’s legacy.
“Our problem in Nigeria is the absence of continuity,” he said. “When I was governor, I created Local Government Development Councils and carved Orile-Oko out of Remo North. But Obasanjo and Daniel later cancelled the LCDAs. It’s unfortunate.”
Osoba also reflected on his decision to halt government funding for religious pilgrimages so he could redirect resources toward education. He said he ended the practice after discovering that many students were bringing desks from home and that some brilliant students were unable to sit for their WAEC examinations because their families could not afford the fees. The funds saved, he said, were used to provide desks and pay WAEC fees for all students in the state.
“No matter the honours one receives, the greatest recognition is the one that comes from your roots,” he added, pledging renewed dedication to the Abeokuta Club, which he described as “the greatest club in the world.”
The Life President and Chairman of the Club’s Board of Trustees and Elders, Prof. Afolabi Soyode, said the honours conferred on Osoba and Chief Olusegun Osunkeye were in recognition of character, service, and exemplary leadership. He praised Osoba as “one of Abeokuta’s finest gifts to Nigeria” and lauded Osunkeye as a respected corporate figure known for ethical leadership and strong governance.
ICYMI
Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to the UK, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola, described the Abeokuta Club as an intellectual hub for Egbaland and said Osoba’s new title was well-merited. He emphasized that recognition from one’s own community carries special weight.
“When you are honoured at home, it is a way of saying ‘well done, keep going,’” he said.D
