Why Ajimobi’s second term is imperative – Genny Adeosun

Chief Mrs Genny Adeosun, woman in politics advocate and wife of late former Minister of Aviation, Communication and Transport. Chief Oluwole Adeosun, who died while in active service as Chairman of the National Pension Commission (Pencom), relieved her experience to Vanguard at the family’s Victoria Island, Lagos residence last Thursday. She spoke glowingly about Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State saying for a governor who has done well in first term, a second term is deserved. Excerpts: By Bashir Adefaka & Maryam Oseni IT is a little above two years now that your husband who was a Minister of Aviation and Managing Director of First Bank, Chief Oluwole Adeosun, departed for greater beyond. How has life been with you? Genny Adeosun I just thank God because the day he passed on, I thought my life was over. I could not believe the man that I see and speak with everyday for almost 30yrs can pass on just like that without a goodbye, without preparation and unceremoniously? I just thought that my life was over because I felt how will I cope with my children? I did not know how I would handle the children without their father. My family was a very close one, it was a sample of what a family should be. The problem now is how do I play the joint role of a father and a mother to my children? I do a few businesses like a boutique, hotel called Villa Maria in Lekki, I do general trading and I am also into Real Estate. And we are blessed with very good friends. He was an extremely good man to the family, to his friends and to everybody that came his way. He touched the lives of most people that came his way one way or the other. Many of our friends have stood with us. Can we be able to know some of these friends? I don’t want to mention names because in the process I may leave out some names and those left out may get angry. I will mention just a few like the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III. He has been there for us. Governor Abiola Ajimobi, his wife and his children have been a pillar of strength and support. My family and Ajimobi family are like one family. The children have taken the responsibility of being my children’s keeper. Whenever I need a father-figure, Chief Ajimobi would tell me, “Baba ku Baba ku,” meaning that though our father that is my husband died but that we still have a father, which is the role he has been playing to us. Those that are also playing key role are Alhaja Bisi Edionseri (Cash Madam), Jim Ovia, Chief Okenla, Chief Adeyi, Arc. Femi Majekodunmi, Mr. Akin Fanimokun, Mr. Ade Coker, Goke Taylor, his club (Club 548 members,) classmates 1954 – 1958 at Abeokuta Grammar School, Abeokuta); they still hold their meeting here when it is his turn. They are carrying on as if he is still alive. And how about Chief Abiola Ajimobi? I mean what do we not know about him? Before he became governor, we were in London and he made a statement that touched me. He said to me, “My sister, this is London where light does not blink, water runs well and life is better and one could want to stay here but no. I have seen money, my wanting to be governor is not about the money nor the power. I just want to go there to make a change. I want to show them what governance is. It saddens me to see my state so dirty and nothing works.” And when he became the governor and for the first six months people were complaining that he was not doing anything, I was afraid because if he succeeds I succeed and if he fails I fail being that we are like one family. But after six months that he came out with his blueprint; I didn’t know that all that while, they were strategising. Ajimobi’s achievements Today Ibadan and Oyo State generally has changed so much for better. The first time after the transformation that I went to Ibadan, I thought my driver was in a wrong place because, in fact, I did not realize we were in Challenge. I am so proud of Governor Ajimobi’s achievements in the state in such a short time. Governor Ajimobi has really transformed Oyo State. What does Governor Is’haq Abiola Ajimobi mean to you on a birthday? I just thank God for bringing him this far and I thank God for his wife who is my very good friend. They compliment each other. He is a very good family man, good father to his children just like my husband; loving father and loving husband and my friend, Florence, is a fantastic wife who does so much on her husband. My husband used to tell me that, “Your friend, Florence, is a real mother and fantastic wife.” So, Ajimobi having her as a wife does not have to think about home front because it is well taken care of. She complements the effort of her husband with a lot of programmes for instance the aged people’s programme, ABC Clinic which is free for people that cannot ordinarily afford medical charges and she is so compassionate. Sometime ago we went to UCH and we saw a lot of people who had their sick ones admitted in the hospital but did not have where to sleep. Florence Ajimobi, the First Lady, used her personal money to build a place like a hotel and said relations of sick people in UCH who have nowhere to sleep should be accommodated free of charge. She is doing a lot of charity programme for the masses in the state from her personal resources because she has been doing successful businesses since we left school in 1979. Her husband is a confident man who also believes in making a woman financially independent like my late husband. We were once travelling to Oke ogun, she made us stop at a primary school and we saw children without shoes and then she started this programme she called, ERC, Educate a Rural Child, she pays for rural children whose parents cannot afford, buy them uniforms, shoes, books and give them food. Once a month or two we go round the 36 Local Governments, we take it one after another and she gives them rice, beans, semo, milk, tea, sugar, yam. It is her money though sometimes some philanthropies help in donating foodstuff. The husband is so strict and shrewd to the core that he does not allow government to go into her First Ladyship because, according to him, “Owo ijoba ko see na moku moku” that is government money is not meant to be spent any how. And as wife of governor, she still goes to her shop. She has a programme for the widows and she has a hospital she built on her own that even UCH sent people there for medical tests.