This piece is not about his place of birth, educational background, parentage or marital life, but much more about his person, mien, innate qualities, and unmistakable love for his people of Ibadan and Oyo State in general.
In my years as the Public Relations Officer of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Osogbo (before it was split into two, and even thereafter) I came in contact with many people, some intimately and many casually. My meetings with government officials in the course of my duties as the image maker and broker of the then fledging tertiary hospital were mostly official but usually impressionable. All of the times, I was conscious and sensitive to responses, remarks and directives of the stakeholders the institution. The mien, jokes and jabs at official engagements especially meetings with policy makers had a lot of import and impact which at times could not be ignored or wished away. It was my duty to do a post meeting analysis in a passionate way to ensure that the management has a clear understanding of the underlying messages.
It is in line with this that I had a chance official mmeeting with the then Oyo State Governor, who is now His Imperial Majesty, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, Arusa I, Olubadan of Ibadanland. It was not an intimate relationship but the occasion had a lasting impression which also enhanced my principles on the essence of service and values. How did it happen?
As at the time of reference, LAUTECH was under the joint ownership of Oyo and Osun States, having been established by both states whose people have much in common than any fundamental differences. This sentiment was translated into a brotherly gesture by the then Governors Lam Adesina (Oyo State) and Bisi Akande (Osun State), the two progressively-minded proteges of the reverred Chief Obafemi Awolowo. They imbibed the philosophy that socio-political cum economic developments could only be the legendary assets rather than stashing away the nation’s wealth in a dungeon.
In their common values and purposes, Adesina and Akande thought that LAUTECH, which had earlier been established before their era as governors, and located in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, should have both its teaching hospital and medical school established as a joint ownership of the two state, and located in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, although under different managements. Both the university and the teaching hospital were to be run and funded equally by both states. By implication, the managements of the institutions were to source their personnel from both states.
It was in the course of these arrangements that the management of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo (now known and called Uniosun Teaching Hospital, Osogbo) had to present its proposal to the then Governor Ladoja, seeking funding through annual budgetary provisions. As usual, such presentations are done with mix feelings, anxiety and trepidation, especially if the Governor was a technocrat himself such that you could not confuse him with technical jargons.
That day, one could deduce that Ladoja loves facts and figures. He was thorough and painstaking and seemed not to be in a hurry. The presentation was smooth and the ambience convivial. As the presentation was about winding down, the hovernor wondered why LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Osogbo was yet to have an outreach in any part of Oyo State since its inception. He also wanted to know if such a plan was being contemplated.
The Chief Medical Director, Prof. Bisi Obisesan was taken unawares. He muttered few words, which were hardly audible. Then came the executive directive: ‘Make sure you establish an outreach of the teaching hospital in any rural town in this state (Oyo) for both medical services and rural posting of trainees and give me feedback’. It was obvious that the governor has spoken and surreptitiously “legislated”.
Few months later, the implementation of the governor’s directive became a condition for the release of the hospital’s budgetary allocation. It now dawned on the management of the hospital to fast track implementation of the directive. The search for a possible location for the outreach took a three-man committee of the hospital to Sepeteri, Igboho and Igbeti. The findings were yet to be submitted when Ladoja was impeached. The unpopular impeachment is now history.
How did Ladoja’s pet idea of a mere hospital outreach by the then LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Osogbo metamorphose into a full teaching hospital in Ogbomoso? When Adebayo Akala came on board as governor, all heads of the ministries, departments and pararastals were lined up to brief him. At the turn of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Osogbo, Obisesan gleefully narrated the plan to establish an outreach in Oyo State with the location yet to be concluded. Wow! Akala was excited. In a jiffy, he directed: ‘Go and start one in Ogbomoso’. The directive was infectious. Promptly, Chief Layiwola Olakojo, who was the Secretary to Oyo State Government, would not want to be left out, and retorted: ‘And another one in Oyo town’. That was how the small idea of a hospital outreach in any rural community as earlier mooted by Ladoja later developed into a gigantic hospital, which is now located in Ogbomoso.
The eventual establishment of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso should be seen as a metamorphosis of Ladoja’s pet idea of ensuring that Oyo State benefitted maximally from the joint ownership of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo.
Without any doubt, Kabiyesi Ladoja has always been a man who loves his people and would want them to benefit from any rightful opportunity. Definitely, in his new and greater status, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja Arusa I, Olubadan of Ibadanland would not do less for his people.
How much would it have been for me to prostrate in obeisance to our Baba, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja Arusa I, Olubadan of Ibadanland and remind him of his epoch, subtle, measured but firm directive that, as a matter of urgency, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Osogbo should have at least one outreach hospital in any part of Oyo State, a directive which eventually gave birth to the gigantic edifice in Ogbomoso and another one in Oyo that suffered a stillbirth.
Kabiyesi, you are just a history maker… Enitan ni yin, Kabiyesi. ki ade pe lori o!!!
Chief (Dr.) Adeyemo, JP, is the Asiwaju Ogobi-Ede, Ede, Osun State
