ESSENTIAL SEGUN ONI
By
Seye Adetunmbi, 22/11/O6
This article was first written just before Chief Segun Oni contested for Governorship Ekiti State in 2007 and posted to Ekitipanupo Forum. The article was revised for publication in Ekitipanupo Legacy Book in 2015 and updated for the this blog in 2018 and 2024 with the 70th birthday celebration photos.
This is about volunteering information. One of the things that are responsible for wrong decisions in the Nigerian society is lack of information and accurate data that could facilitate good judgment on policy issues that would do the nation good. Also most of the wrong choices made in the past into the elective positions in Nigeria could have been averted if only people spoke out about the aspirations and candidacies of most of these people in position of authority in good time. It is a different thing if people volunteer what they know and the electorate vote otherwise, or the system votes out capable and reliable hands. Then, it would not be because the people miss it due to lack of knowledge, but indeed a matter of choice which allies with the common saying that every polity deserves the kind of leader they have.
By way of background, Engineer Segun Oni was born into the Christian Oni family in Ilogbe quarter of Ifaki-Ekiti on the 5th of September 1954. His father was the Baba-Egbe of Methodist Cathedral Ifaki. He grew up at Ifaki where he had his basic primary education and Modern School education before gaining admission to Wesley College, Ibadan (1969-1971). What made him to stand out among his peers in his teenage days was his brilliance. He belonged to the class of students who were leading their classmates in academic pursuits. He was among the youngest in his set that passed his WASC/Cambridge through correspondence which later qualified him for admission into University of Ife in September 1974 through preliminary examination. He came out of Ife with Second Class Upper and was indeed a shining example to the upcoming younger generation of Ifaki indigenes. He graduated with B.Sc. Honors in Chemical Engineering from University of Ife in June 1979 and MBA from the University of Lagos (1982).
Platinum Birthday Jubilee in Pictures🎂
Apart from the brief teaching period as Arithmetic, Mathematics and Geography teacher at Community Modern School, Ido-Ekiti and Aiyetoro-Iloro High School from January 1972 to September 1974, his first corporate job was with Ajaokuta Steel Development Company after his NYSC compulsory national service. He later joined the Delta Steel Company, Aladja (1982-1984) after his post-graduation at the University of Lagos. Thereafter, he had a fairly long and stimulating working career at Rank Xerox Company. Engineer Segun Oni is dogged, a dedicated worker who diligently served the company, Rank Xerox, and delivered superlative results in all the units he worked. This was what earned him a posting to Kenya (1992-1995) as a Customer Service Operations Manager by Rank Xerox Headquarters (UK) as an expatriate, the first time an African was so treated. Until he left the company in 2000, he was the Regional Director for Xerox Nigeria in charge of Northern Region and Abuja.
One thing that must be mentioned here was the deliberate efforts Engineer Oni made to look out for opportunities for all ranks of people in his constituencies in every place where he had worked. He did not limit himself to Ekiti people and those who were academically qualified. If it is menial job that one merits, he will arrange for such person to prospect for appointment whenever the company throws such opportunity open. Through his benevolence Rank Xerox offered me Sales Man job in 1990 and I would have taken up the vocation but have commenced a career as a Stockbroker.
The beginning of his sojourn in partisan politics could be traced to an unequivocal association with the aspiration of Professor Tunde Adeniran who contested for the Governorship of Ekiti State in 1999 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). No doubt Engineer Segun Oni is always loyal to any cause he believed in, and would use everything at his disposal to propagate his mission. Recalling an encounter on the 6th of December 2003 when the first Ekiti day was held during which we both played active roles. After a sumptuous pounded yam meal in the residence of my friend, I told him of my wish to serve Ekiti State in 2007. He then said, and quote: “aburo may be I have not told you, I want to contest for Governorship in 2007” I then took him up for not contesting the primaries of PDP in 2003 which to me would have been strategic for him which he admitted kind of! However, as a dedicated person to the party hierarchy, he gave all his support to the then most favored candidate, Chief S K Babalola who after all efforts did not pick the ticket.
During fund raising dinner for him at Airport Hotel, Ikeja in 2007
He faced herculean task of being part of PDP under the auspices of the controversial Governor, he stuck to the party to confront injustice. Different people deployed various means to fight the unpopular disposition of the troublesome Governor at a distance. Engineer Oni was one of the few front-line PDP members who suffered physical assault in the hands of the collaborators of the tyrant. It was not surprising when he found his way back to the party fold when a better level playing ground has finally come to reality in a party where he had been one of the leading benefactors.
He is the brain behind Ekiti Development Agenda (EDA) and the native catchphrase of his campaign organisation and structure on ground in Ekiti is Irewolede. His organization EDA has been involved with the sponsoring of JAMB students for 2 years by obtaining Jamb forms, in 2005 for 1600 qualified Ekiti State students that cut across all the local government areas (100 students per LGA) and Jamb Study Centers (16 in number) for 3 months yearly. As a matter of fact 10 of the students he sponsored in the scheme scored 295 and above in the 2005/2006 JAMB examination result. His dedication to PDP and resourcefulness earned him an appointment in the board of Education Trust Fund representing the South West geo-political unit. He also used this medium to reach out to as many people as possible and his professional disposition no doubt made it possible to serve in the Board of Trustees for many years.
No doubt for someone with his kind of inclination, his impact in Ifaki community was felt and recognized. He was installed the Baba-Egbe of Methodist Cathedral, Ifaki in 2006, a position his father once occupied. It is not only by sheer providence, he earned it. His house in Abuja was always a meeting point for Ekiti elite and anyone who required short-stay in Abuja. The few times I had cause to be in Abuja on official assignment in the past and was not compelled to lodge elsewhere, I stayed with him. His, is certainly that of a prophet appreciated by his people as evident in the award of Ifaki Progressive Union during the 2006 Ifaki Day celebration.
The conventional trend is for people to be clannish and want their person to be the anointed or generally because a Governorship aspirant or candidate comes from one's hometown, then support should be given to such person without any reservation. Of course, it is only natural for me to customarily wish to pitch my camp with my fellow Ifaki brother coupled with the fact that I have had a good relationship with him. However, I am not really inclined to dogmatic principle of this sort; my first consideration is to go for what I consider is in the best interest of the people while showing understanding to such person if there is any inadequacy. It does not matter if the person is a relation or a neighbor, I will say it the way I see it through the grace of God. Engineer Oni no doubt is far more capable than most of the aspirants so far because he has indisputable good fundamentals in his favour. Incidentally, my elder brother too, a tested technocrat to the core with robust intellect is contesting under Action Congress for Senatorial seat. He is equally up to the task for what he is bidding for and would in fact do Nigeria proud at the upper house red chamber. Ordinarily, their scenario would have called for one to give way for the other in the final analysis if sharing of elective post were to be based on geographically spread among other considerations. Nevertheless, reason had since prevailed that the community should wait until after the primaries since they do not belong to the same political party anyway.
The conventional trend is for people to be clannish and want their person to be the anointed or generally because a Governorship aspirant or candidate comes from one's hometown, then support should be given to such person without any reservation. Of course, it is only natural for me to customarily wish to pitch my camp with my fellow Ifaki brother coupled with the fact that I have had a good relationship with him. However, I am not really inclined to dogmatic principle of this sort; my first consideration is to go for what I consider is in the best interest of the people while showing understanding to such person if there is any inadequacy. It does not matter if the person is a relation or a neighbor, I will say it the way I see it through the grace of God. Engineer Oni no doubt is far more capable than most of the aspirants so far because he has indisputable good fundamentals in his favour. Incidentally, my elder brother too, a tested technocrat to the core with robust intellect is contesting under Action Congress for Senatorial seat. He is equally up to the task for what he is bidding for and would in fact do Nigeria proud at the upper house red chamber. Ordinarily, their scenario would have called for one to give way for the other in the final analysis if sharing of elective post were to be based on geographically spread among other considerations. Nevertheless, reason had since prevailed that the community should wait until after the primaries since they do not belong to the same political party anyway.
In essence, my involvement in Ekiti politics and position here is not about any dynasty, my hometown, Ekiti North senatorial zone thing or personal interest, it is about what is deemed best for Ekiti indigenes that are in the majority. Therefore, what informed this write-up was born out of the innate desire to bring to the limelight more facts which the polity may not be known about this brilliant, cultured, generous and promising Ekiti son. This becomes expedient now that people were calling for more information on political elective office aspirants. His candidacy no doubt would be an asset to any political party who fields him and his emergence will do Ekiti proud if elected. If I do not believe in his competence, I would rather keep quite or find a way to make my position known to those who will take decision. The beginning of a new dawn in Ekiti is for all the political parties to field the best such that in the final analysis whoever wins Ekiti would be better for it irrespective of political platform. This is why I remain an unrepentant advocate of the call for Ekiti electorate to be candidates driven.
By extension, those people who have worked under a constituted authority in a commercial enterprise setting charged with targets and deliverables and rose to the top management level in their calling like Engineer Oni; Ekiti people should watch out for such candidates with this pedigree and vote for them in all tiers of government. While it is not sacrosanct to say government contractors, people who have been predominantly self-employed, managers of non-profit organisations or those with no strong private sector exposure at top management level in the corporate sector would not be suitable for governance in Nigeria, it is imperative for people in this category to justify why they should be entrusted with the serious business of governance at state and national levels. Those people who have not been used to taking orders, being guided by company policies derived from the power entrusted in the hands of the board of directors by duly constituted shareholders’ forums, must realize that governance in a democratic setting is a different ball game. It is real business and people with professional disposition are bound to excel and make a whole world of difference. Ekiti people must find a way to get it right as a going concern.
