Samuel Adenitan, ace broadcaster and ally of former deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Oloye Adebayo Adelabu, has described the incoming Minister of Power as a gold fish that has no hiding place.
According to Adenitan, the appointment of Adelabu is a well deserved one going by his robust profile.
He noted that beyond just Adelabu’s relationship with President Bola Tinubu, no leader in search of good hands to work with would stumble on Adelabu’s sterling CV and not pitch his tents with him.
“When his appointment was first announced as a ministerial nominee, there were those who said it was mainly due to his personal relationship with Mr President. Yes, he has a robust personal relationship with Mr President. But something else he has is the track record of academic and professional excellence which he has leveraged on over the years to do great exploits.
“The first class graduate material rose to become the deputy governor, operations of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the 2019 Oyo State gubernatorial candidate for the All Progressives Congress.
“No doubt Adelabu has leveraged on his robust academic and professional excellence to build an enviable and irresistible profile for himself. Little wonder in the midst of so many professional bankers in Nigeria, he was spotted and given the rare responsibility of a deputy governor of the central bank by former President Goodluck Jonathan.”
Adenitan insisted that Oloye Adelabu’s appointment as Minister of Power marks a new dawn for Nigeria in the power sector as the business mogule will also bring the experience of running his strings of successful businesses to bear.
He said Adelabu has abundance of all it takes to be a minister and that given his background as a financial expert, the Ibadan born politician would fit into any portfolio given to him by the President.
“Who could be more prepared for leadership roles than a man who trod this far in search of knowledge and experience? Therefore, it would be laughable for anyone to hinge his appointment only on his relationship with President Bola Tinubu. In any case, anyone who knows the President very well knows he has a knack for intellect and would compromise everything, including relationship, but quality. This is evident in the array of intellectuals that will form his cabinet of which Oloye Adelabu is one.
“As Minister of Power, there is no gainsaying that Adelabu will be a round peg in a round hole. He has received showers of accolades from those who know what he is capable of doing since the news broke. For such people, with Adelabu on the saddle in the power sector, dark days for Nigeria are over. For those who have argued that he should have been given something related to his background and not Power, the question one would ask is what does it take to be a minister? Irrespective of the portfolio, what it takes to be a minister is education, sound track record, creativity and vision. None of these attributes has Adelabu fallen short of. As a matter of fact he has abundance of them.
“For a man who, despite his busy schedule as a banker, was able to manage his personal businesses over the years with such shrewdness that has made him a mogule, transferring his years of vast experience from a banking expert to a business tycoon and now to the power sector in Nigeria will never be a problem. There is no doubt that Nigerians are in for better days ahead when it comes to the perennial problem of faulty power sector in the country.”
Adenitan believes that Adelabu, who was in charge of Foreign Currency Operation during his time as CBN deputy governor, recorded about the highest stability in the value of the naira against the dollar, is a workaholic whose youthful verve would be needed in activating the power sector.
“Whether Oloye Adebayo Adelabu will perform is definitely not in question, what he needed was an opportunity to prove himself in government which Mr President has graciously given to him. And with the new laws backing power generation in the country I strongly believe Adelabu will excel. Nigerians should just be ready to pay for they power as they are assured of commensurate value for their money”
The media expert, in the statement he release in reaction to Adelabu’s appointment, congratulated the Minister of Power and charged him to take advantage of this rare opportunity to prove to Nigerians that there are still politicians who can be trusted to perform creditable well in the country.
He further urged Adelabu to justify his choice by Mr President as this would serve as a spring board for him to attain higher political ambitions.
Born 28 September 1970, to Aderibigbe Adelabu of Oke-Oluokun compound, Kudeti Area in Ibadan, Adelabu, the grand son of late nationalist, Adegoke Adelabu, attended Ibadan Municipal Government primary school, Agodi Ibadan from 1976 to 1982 and Lagelu Grammar School, Ibadan from 1982 to 1987.
Adelabu received a first class degree in Accounting from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and an Associate Member of the Institute of Directors of Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Adelabu has also taken up professional courses in various business schools, including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Columbia, Kelloggs, Euromoney, and the University of London.
