Awo’s shoes too big for me, says Daniel – May become a pastor

Posted by admin Headlines, Ogun, State News Sunday, May 22nd, 2011

Outgoing Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel has said the shoes of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo were too big for him to step into. Speaking at the 10th Synod of the Remo Diocese of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State, Daniel said the 12-Storey OPIC Office Complex he built in Abeokuta and commissioned two weeks ago was the tallest building ever built by any state government in all the states that constituted the old Western Region after Awolowo built the 25-Storey Cocoa House in Ibadan over 50 years ago.

Daniel said if all he could do was built a 12-Storey which was less than half of 25-storey built by Papa over 50 years ago and remain the tallest, ever built (outside Lagos State which had always been Federal Capital and now the economic nerve centre of Nigeria) by any state government in the region where Papa was premier, it then meant that Papa’s shoes were too big for any of the politicians of today to step into. “Count me out of wearing Awolowo’s shoes. None of us can wear Awolowo’s shoes. They are too big for us,” he said emphatically.

Daniel, who was the chief launcher at the fundraising ceremony organized at the St. Saviour’s Anglican Church Ikenne, said when he decided to return many missionaries schools to their owners, a lot of people criticized him, thinking that he was doing that to dodge financial responsibilities of government. He argued that he did that because he realized that public schools were no longer giving the necessary moral training, missionary schools were giving the young ones in the olden days.

He therefore agreed to host the synod of the Remo Diocese in 2013 in the big church he is building at Sagamu, as the Asiwaju Onigbagbo of Remo (Leader of Remo Christians), the chieftaincy title the Diocese bestowed on him few years ago. The Bishop of the Remo Diocese, Rt. Rev. Olusina Fape, then urged the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and other Nigerian leaders to ensure they fulfil their electioneering campaign promises. The event organized to raise funds towards building a church in honour Mama HID Awolowo was chaired by General Yakubu Gowon (Retd.).

Former Military Head of State, Yakubu Gowon had described the eight-year administration of Daniel as resounding and stated, his contributions to the economic development of the state would ever remain evergreen. Gowon who spoke in Sagamu yesterday during a thanksgiving service to mark the successful eight years of the governor and dedication and consecration of Abraham’s Tabernacle built in honour of his father, Most Rev’d Abraham Adebola Daniel. He added that the developmental achievement of government remained what people of the state and outside the state had continued to serve as reference point.

According to him, “going through the major areas in the state showed that the state was not how it was in the last eight years.” He said the value of what the governor had done in road constructions mostly in Obafemi-Owode, Ijebu-Ode, Abeokuta, among other areas should be appreciated, adding that “the eight years of the governor was not wasted because he touched some major developmental programmes.’’

The event also witnessed a book presentation: ‘Daniel in the Lion’s Den’ written by the governor and was attended by former Commonwealth Secretary, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, and other distinguished Nigerians among whom were former Chief of Army Staff, General Oladipupo Diya and former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola. among others.

-Sunwp_posts