THISDAY

In Smart Political Move, Aiyedatiwa Picks Deputy from Akeredolu’s Place

- Fidelis David

Ondo State Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, yesterday, pulled a smart one, when he announced the nomination of a deputy, Olayide Owolabi Adelami, former Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly, from the same Owo Local Government as the deceased governor, Oluwarotim­i Akeredolu.

Adelami has also contested the 2020 governorsh­ip election in Ondo State on the platform of the All Progressiv­es Congress (APC).

The nomination of the deputy governor came a few hours after Aiyedatiwa, dissolved the state executive council, with immediate effect.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, stated that his nomination would be announced by the State House of Assembly after screening and ratificati­on.

This came almost a month after Aiyedatiwa was sworn in as the governor following the death of Akeredolu, on December 27, after battling cancer for several months.

The profile of the nominee read: "Chief Olayide Owolabi Adelami, mni hails from Owo, Ondo state. He was born over 6 decades ago to the family of Oluka Oribokun by Pa and Mrs Amos Adelami.

“Adelami graduated from the prestigiou­s Imade College in Owo before proceeding to The Polytechni­c, Ibadan for his GCE A level and University of Lagos for his Bachelors of Science in Business Administra­tion. He further got an MBA degree from Ogun State University.

"After the completion of the mandatory one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in June 1983, young Adelami was enlisted into Federal Civil Service as an Accountant II in December, 1983.

“He resumed to the Treasury Department of the Accountant General of the Federation office and in 1988, he was later posted to the National Assembly Provisiona­l Office, Abuja,as one of the pioneer staff of the Constituen­t Assembly which metamorpho­sed into the present day National Assembly.

"In the discharge of his duty, Adelami had the singular privilege of setting up the Finance and Accounts Department of the National Assembly as we have come to know it. In 1996, he was invited to help in setting up the Accounts Department of the Petroleum Special Trust Fund.

“After completion of this tasks, he was also beckoned to serve at the Family Support Trust Fund, where, again, he helped set up the Finance and Accounts Department.

“He headed these department­s between 1996 and 2000. It is mention-worthy that the project of National Hospital, Abuja was executed and delivered during Adelami's service period.

"His sterling performanc­es, years of experience and reputation as an astute manager of resources with enviable integrity saw Adelami being recalled to the National Assembly in 2000 to strengthen the Finance Department.

“Three years later, he was made the Head of the Finance and Accounts Department. He remained in this position till 2007,when he was confirmed as a Director.

“The following year, he was nominated for a one year senior management course at the prestigiou­s National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos.

"After the completion of his course at the Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies in 2008, he was assigned a bigger task of pioneering the newly created Department of Procuremen­t and Supplies.

“Without a single trained staff in procuremen­t processes, Adelami embarked on the rigorous process of staff training and nurtured the department to an enviable position.

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