•Hon. IRETIOLU ADEOLA ADENUGBA Tells City People
Honourable Iretiolu Adeola Adenugba is a celebrity and proud daughter of Ijebuland. She is the Vice Chairman of Odogbolu Local Government in Ogun state. Honourable Iretiolu, a diligent and highly influential teacher turned politician was among the 22 eminent Ijebu indigenes who were honoured at the 2022 edition of the Ijebu Professional Excellence Merit Award ceremony, held few days ago in Ijebu Ode, Ogun state. She is a role model and inspiration to many female professionals who are interested in contributing to national development through politics.
In a recent chat with City People reporter, Jamiu Abubakar (08085185886), Honourable Iretiolu spoke about her journey into politics and how she has settled well in Ogun state politics. She also reveals why she and her group are solidly behind the candidacy of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the President of Nigeria come 2023 general elections. Read the excerpts below:
How do you feel about today’s award?
I feel so proud. I’m very, very happy and so elated. I never knew I could be awarded and I don’t know what they have seen in me to have chosen me among the awardees. So, I’m very proud and I’m very happy. I say thank you to the IPEF Governing Council.
What does this award mean to you?
It means a lot to me. It means that I should continue to strive more to do my best. I should continue to be at my best at all times. So that is how I see it.
How easy did you find switching from teaching in the classroom to being a politician?
I think venturing into politics is God’s design. I was having a very good time with my teaching profession. I love the job and I’m proud to be a teacher anytime, any day. But at a time, I was called upon to come and represent my people that it’s time for somebody from my area to be councillor. And I was approached. I started doing what I think should be the best thing to do. People believe in me; they believe I can represent them well. So that’s why I have been called upon to represent them at the councilorship level. I finished that and I’m an executive Vice Chairman of Odogbolu Local Government.
At where did you have teaching experience and at what point did you leave the teaching profession for politics?
I left teaching at level 13, just some months to level 14. The last school I taught was Lagos State Senior Model College, Meran, Lagos. Then I was the Maths teacher. I was a class teacher and house mistress because it was a boarding school.
How easy was it for you to settle into Ogun state politics?
Remember I told you initially it was God’s destiny. If you are destined to be a public figure, there’s nothing you can do. There’s no hidden place for a golden fish. At the initial stage, I found it a little bit difficult. Teaching and Politics are two different terrains and with time, I got used to it and know what it means to really be in the public sector representing people. Coming from the teaching line which is also a public sector; you know as a teacher, you’ve been teaching, you’ve been representing. As a parent in my school too, I have been in that position representing some aspects of the people, especially teachers. I have been an advocate of good governance right from my teaching profession. Being a mathematics teacher, I’m highly calculative. All those things put together have helped me settle well in politics.
How did you rise from being a councillor to your present position as the Vice Chairman of Odogbolu Local Government?
Immediately after I finished my tenure as a councillor between 2012 and 2015, I aspired for Ogun State House of Assembly twice. The first was 2015 and the second one was in 2019. I’m well known and when it was time for the chairmanship position too, I aspired for the Chairmanship position at Odogbolu Local Government. You know one thing is that so many people would aspire and only one person will become the candidate. My present boss became the candidate and I eventually became the executive Vice Chairman of the local government. We were elected under the All Progressive Congress platform (APC).
How long has your administration spent in office?
We just spent one year and a few months there. We got into the office last July.
What’s your expectation ahead of the 2023 general elections?
Our expectation is for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to become the President of Nigeria by God’s grace for the progress and the betterment of Nigeria. And I pray he will surely be there. Once he’s there and all our candidates; Governor Dapo Abiodun should be re-elected into the governor’s house in Oke Mosan and some of our candidates too to emerge is our ultimate. That is what we are hoping for and by God’s grace so shall it be.
How will you describe the chances of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and why do you think he is the best man for the job?
Let me tell you I have a group founded to canvass and mobilise for Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I’m the founder and National Coordinator of the group, Asiwaju Mandate for Better Nigeria (AMBN). The group exists across the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. All our State coordinators are doing wonderfully well over there. We believe in his candidacy because he has done it before. When he was the Governor of Lagos State, we all saw what he did. Presently, Lagos state is doing greatly. I don’t even see any state of the federation that can rival Lagos state. You know I taught in Lagos state. For that number of years that I left and going back to the school to visit some of my friends that are still in the classroom, I saw a remarkable improvement in the facilities over there.
Can you believe that all schools in Lagos State are being equipped with Solar powered energy? So, 24/7 once you are within the school arena, there’s no power failure. Students are under a conducive environment with fans. There are some schools that are with AC. Can you point to any other schools in Nigeria that have such facilities? Go and check the transport facilities, go and check the road networks and so many other things. You can’t even mention it all. Everything is perfect there. Eko is getting it right and we want other states to get it right. And who has laid that foundation? That is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. So that is why we are praying and we are working so hard for him to get there come 2023.
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