Although the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has many loyalists and followers who played key and vital role during the race of him becoming the Ogun State Governor, some of which are his friends and some who migrated from a political family to support his dream, one way or the other many have proved to become rain come, shine loyalists, that he also cannot do without. These set of people have their portfolio and offices but they are his key loyalist that hardly will a file or decision passed on the governor’s table without having their input and they have been productive since the governor appointed them, Ogun State Correspondent BUNMI MUSTAPHA brings you the list of the four key loyalists Governor Abiodun can’t do without.
HON. TUNJI EGBETOKUN
The Senior Special Adviser on Political Affairs, Hon. Tunji Egbetokun was Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly between 2008 and 2011. He had also served in the capacity of Senior Special Adviser, Political and Intergovernmental Affairs between 2011 and 2014. Until the arrival of Dapo Abiodun into Ogun State political scene, he was a major political compass to Solomon Adeola – Yayi in his then governorship bid. Egbetokun is a political factor, even though controversial and he is a loyal subject of Sen. Solomon Adeola.
Egbetokun who played a significant role in the emergence of Governor Ibikunle Amosun left the governor unceremoniously, though many people are wondering why he would do that based on his level of involvement and relationship with Amosun politically. But the former speaker revealed that he left Amosun based on personal conviction and not on financial issue as it is being speculated. He explained that money is not the problem because he is not a beggar but he reviewed his commitment to the governor and realized that the governor is not doing what is right for the people around him and keeping him as a political ally may jeopardize his political journey. After leaving Amosun, he joined Senator Adeola Olamilekan Yayi’s political family, his wealth of political experience played a huge role before Yayi dropped his ambition of becoming the ogun state governor. Egbtokun is one of the key loyalist is Dapo Abiodun’s government that he can do without, and he is also the only Senior Special Adviser in the Ogun State government.
OLATOKUNBO TALABI
The Chief Executive Officer of Superflux International Limited and Chairman of VDT Communications, Mr. Olatokunbo Joseph Talabi is the Secretary to the Ogun State Government, he comes to the job with a rich private sector background as a business development professional, banker and entrepreneur, and he is one of the cabinet members of Ogun State, Governor Abiodun cannot do without.
The 57-year-old Talabi holds a 1987 Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Lagos, He also trained at the Citibank School of Banking, Long Island, New York.
Mr Talabi also worked at The Nigerian Economist gaining insight on product performance, sales, marketing and financial management.
Tokunbo is the Chairman of Superflux International Limited which he grew from a 2-man trading company in 1998 to over 250 employees in a full-fledge ultra-modern manufacturing facility in Nigeria and has become the market leader and leading service provider to major financial institutions, government agencies in Nigeria and several African countries.
Prior to founding Superflux, Tokunbo served and headed various positions in Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. such as Corporate Banking, Retail Banking, Corporate Services and Banking Operations. He is a prominent knowledge contributor and serves on the board of several companies and committees. Tokunbo has been involved in various developmental programmes in Nigeria such as The Presidential weekly Business Forum, Clearing House System Automation Committee, Committee on National Cash Sorting Consortium Scheme, National Smart Card project etc.
He is a mentor at FATE Foundation and a very active philanthropist with special focus in educational upliftment. Superflux International Limited won the 2008 Legatum Pioneers of Prosperity Africa Awards for her remarkable business and development programmes.
As part of business integration, in 2003 he set up Speedyprints Limited, a pioneering secure document management outsourcing concern and Papyrus Limited, a paper handling and envelope manufacturing company. A Ghana manufacturing subsidiary is also in operation.
In more recent times, Tokunbo has made strategic acquisitions and investments in several medium scale companies in agro-allied, steel manufacturing, logistics and real estate sectors; one of such acquisitions is Courierplus Services Limited which was acquired mid-2012.
Tokunbo is a prominent knowledge contributor, debater and international speaker. He serves on the board of several notable companies and committees and is a mentor some distinguished entrepreneurial initiatives including The FATE Foundation and Entrepreneurial Development  Centre (EDC) of the Lagos Business School, Nigeria. He is a very active philanthropist with special focus in educational upliftment. Tokunbo published his first book The Mind’s Game in June 2012. The book catalogues his entrepreneurial journey with useful tips on how to venture into and succeed as an entrepreneur especially with the special challenging circumstances in Africa.
In 2008, Superflux International Limited competed and won the prestigious Legatum Pioneers of Prosperity Africa Awards as Grand Prize Winner and in 2009, Tokunbo was honoured with the FATE Foundation Entrepreneur of the year Award.
He is the Vice President (South-West) of Nigerian Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (NASME) and an active supporter of the Chartered Institute of Nigerian Printers Association (CIPPON)
Tokunbo Talabi is a prolific writer, who has spoken at many forums across the globe and is the author of the magnum opus, “The Minds Game”. He’s an affiliate of several professional associations, among which are National Association of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (NASME), Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON) and the Entrepreneurship Development Centre of the Lagos Business School.
A Physiotherapy graduate from the University of Ife, Nigeria, he obtained his MBA from University of Lagos, Nigeria. He is an alumnus of the Lagos Business School. A native of Ogun State, Nigeria, Tokunbo is happily married with 3 children.
ALHAJI SHUAIB SALISU
Alhaji Shuaib Afolabi Salisu is the governor’s Chief of Staff, the new Chief of Staff is award-winning information and communications expert and accomplished administrator. Fondly called SAS, between 2011 and 2014, Salisu served in the cabinet of the former Ogun State governor as deputy (and later acting) Chief of Staff.
He holds a 1986 second class (upper) degree in Computer Science of the University of Lagos; from where he also got two masters degrees – an MBA in 2003 and MSc in Computer Science in 2012.
A consummate intellectual, Alhaji Salisu has diverse and extensive knowledge of the corporate world, public service, and not-for-profit organizations. A Certified Business Intelligence Consultant (CBIC) and a fellow of the Computer Society of Nigeria, he has attended and delivered papers on corporate governance, ICT and management across four continents and is a respected voice in the ICT industry.
He is credited as a pivotal partner in the restoration of the integrity of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) through computer-based tests. Before then, he led the World Bank project that midwife the transport sector transformation in Lagos state and was the main ICT Consultant in Edo, Ekiti, Kano States and the FCT at different times.
In his previous “incarnation”, Salisu was a banker at the defunct Equitorial Trust Bank and Pacific Merchant Bank. The 55-year-old CoS had an early career in the Oil and Gas sector and worked variously for Total and Mobil Oil.
Until his appointment as the senior aide to Gov. Abiodun, Alhaji Salisu runs his private company, Simplex Automation System, an IT solutions providing company.
DAPO OKUBADEJO
Dapo Okubadejo is the Ogun Commissioner for Finance, he is one of the powerful commissioners is Dapo Abiodun’s cabinet. Prince Dapo Abiodun and Dapo Okubadejo go way back, their friendship dated far back over twenty years ago, apart from his huge experience in the private sector and his many success story, their friendship explains why he was made the Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor, since then he has been playing unending role in the state especially in the Finance department in the state, his wealth of experience has been speaking for him since he came on board.
Dapo Okubadejo was formerly a Partner & Africa Head of Deal Advisory & Private Equity at KPMG where he advised many local and foreign investors across Africa on Corporate Finance, M&A, Infrastructure & Project Finance Advisory, Investments Advisory and Business Transformation.
He started his professional career in Arthur Andersen in 1992 and spent over a decade where he rose to the position of Senior Manager and consulted for more than 40 companies in oil & gas, consumer goods and financial services sectors.
In 2006, Dapo was promoted to the KPMG partnership as an Equity Partner and rose to become the Head of Deal Advisory & Private Equity for West Africa and Africa in 2009 and 2012 respectively. He was elected to the KPMG Nigeria Policy Board in 2017. Dapo is a recognized expert on Africa business and investments landscape and has been invited as a resource person and speaker at many international events such as the World Economic Forum and many others. He has published many articles on Nigeria and Africa investment opportunities landscape and has delivered several lectures in these areas.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture in 1990 & as a UK FCO Chevening Scholar, holds a Master of Finance degree in International Finance with Distinction in 2003. He is a USA-Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA). He became a Fellow (FCA) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria in 2006 and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria. He is an alumnus of the Global Executive Leadership program of INSEAD, France as well as alumni of Lagos Business School, Gordon Institute of Business Studies, South Africa, London Business School UK and Harvard Business School USA, where he attended several leadership and management development courses.
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