Alhaji Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, who was the first Executive Governor of Osun state, died on April 23 2017 and today ,Sunday, April 23 2023 is his sixth death anniversary.
Late Isiaka Adeleke served as governor of Osun state between 1992 and 1993.
He represented Osun West in the senate from 2007 to 2011 and also between 2015 and 2017.
His father , Pa Raji Ayoola Adeleke was a senator during the second republic, history was made again on Sunday, November 27 2022 as his younger brother, Ademola Adeleke, a former senator, was also sworn in as sixth executive governor of Osun state.
Governor Ademola Adeleke is the second person from the Adeleke family to become the Chief Executive of the state and the third person to serve as senator.
Team@orientactualmags.com also presents the late Isiaka Adeleke’s evergreen interview which had one of our top editorial staff as the interviewer. He was then an editorial staff of the rested FAME Magazine.
Harrowing Story Of My First Day In America- Ex-Gov Isiaka Adeleke
Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke was one of the governors produced by former president Ibrahim Babangida in the aborted third republic.
Adeleke’s father was a senator during the second republic; his incursion into the political arena was therefore not by accident. The man, fondly called ‘seru bawon’ in the political circle in this interview with Akinlolu Abayomi assessed the Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola admnistration, bared his mind on issues of resource control, the rumoured third term agenda of Mr president and others.
Excerpts:
Your Excellency, I saw you for the first time when you came to inaugurate a streetlight project in my hometown in 1992. The handsomeness I saw then still remains fresh; do you mind sharing the secret?
I am flattered that after 13years or thereabout I am still myself. I thank God that, the observation is made and it is well-taken.
As the first Executive Governor of Osun state do you see your successors working towards the visions you had for the state?
I think the roadmaps we laid and tried to establish in the state are being pursued by the current administration especially in the aspects of road network, provision of potable water and education. I see this administration moving towards realization of our aims of the whole lot.
How would you react to the rumoured third term agenda of Mr. President?
I have been asked that question sometimes, the problem he would encounter is the constitution because there cannot be anything like that unless the constitution is amended; I know he would not do something unconstitutional.
What if he eventually makes efforts to convince Nigerians?
Then the constitution would have to be amended to allow for a third term. The constitution says you cannot contest for a position after getting voted into office on two previous occasions.
One of the governors elected on the platform of your party, the PDP, Dr. Chris Ngige recently had his election victory annulled at the election petition Tribunal, and the leadership of your party in a surprise move declared that he was on his own?
Well, honestly, I have not seen the facts of the case but based on the judgment, his election was alleged to have been fraught with irregularities and manipulations. But come to think of it, his was not the only election conducted in Anambra state in 2003 why didn’t APGA win even a seat in the state and at the Federal level in the legislative arm of government in Anambra state, there are three senate seats there, APGA didn’t win one. I believe the whole thing is targeted at an individual, if A is bad then B is equally bad, there must have been irregularities in other elections too.
What led to your defection from ANPP to the PDP ?
Nothing, I just decided to move when I realized that the ANPP was not having the consent of the people in my area. You know politics is a game of number so I had to move.
You ventured into politics in 1990 and today you conveniently control four local governments in the state, how were you able to do this?
I believe that I have endeared myself to the people in the state, I have carried them along in everything I do, I have assisted them and identified with their problems and aspirations that is why I have enjoyed a reasonable level of support from most of them.
You were believed to have won the Osun state PDP guber primary election in 2003 on two instances before the incumbent governor eventually emerged. Surprisingly, you showed good sportsmanship; you gave him your support?
In as much as I do not support irregularities and impositions, we had three primary elections, the third one happened to be held at the Eagle Square in Abuja, where policemen were at the gate screening delegates and they decided to recognize only those they had instructions to recognize. Then I felt if that was what they want, we should have been told the agenda and not to disturb ourselves. I boycotted the election and they won, I just prayed that God should keep me the way I am to support them, this is my state I have been the governor of the state before, my aim of contesting election was to assist the state to develop I have been in politics and was once a governor if God wants me to be again He will. That was the way God wanted it and I was able to overcome it.
You are one of the political leaders currently unflinching in their support for the governor?
Yes.
How has the relationship been?
It has been very cordial.
What are your plans for 2007?
I intend to represent the people of my senatorial district in the senate.
Do you hope to contest for senate presidency if the position is zoned to the southwest?
You have to become a senator before thinking of other plans, when we get there we would make our interest known.
Are you not interested in the guber race anymore?
No, it is not that I don’t want to be governor again. I am supporting him (Oyinlola) because we want him to continue his programmes, I am not ruling out being a governor whenever he finishes his term I would be 56 by then so I would still be agile.
Your father, a former senator, had his name being a household one in the political circle how would you describe him?
Oh! My father was so strict; he was a registered nurse, and a nursing superintendent I was born in Enugu in the quarters.
You can speak Igbo language?
Yes, fluently, my father was a disciplinarian but he never raised his hands against any of us throughout his lifetime, but mere looking out you would pass his message across, he would always call to correct you.
When I was the governor, he would call me to offer advice, he was my campaign manager sort of, he would direct me to meet this and that, he even disbursed money.
Your father encouraged you to join politics?
He inspired me a lot.
You took after him?
I believe so.
Some are of the opinion that Governor Oyinlola has been one of the performing governors in Nigeria while people in the opposition parties have rated him low. If he has been performing what are the areas you think he should improve on?
Like I said earlier on, I have noticed the dualization of Oke-Fia and other roads in the state capital and even the one on my street in Ede. The water scheme commissioned by the president and the Vice-President should also be mentioned and other laudable projects, so far so good he has performed.
Definitely there must be rooms for improvement?
Ehn, where I feel he needs to improve on should be a discussion between the two of us not on the pages of newspapers.
You are no doubt still capable of activating the ‘Eru’ when the need arises, how did you come about this unique alias ‘serubawon’ ?
I don’t understand what you mean by saying I am still capable of activating ‘Eru’ but I will just say the appellation was given to me by high school students. I utilized the services of a helicopter during my campaigns, each time we land on the school fields, the students would gather and be singing ‘oti seru bawon oti ja won laya’.
What about the unique way of making your caps?
The first time I wore a native dress that was how I made my cap and since then it has been like that.
Would you allow any of your children to go into politics?
Yes why not.
What is your dream car?
My dream car is a vile, it is like a house, like you are in your bedroom, and I am going to ship it home very soon.
Do you think the people of the south south are justified in their demand for a higher derivation fund?
Oh yes, have you been to some of the villages over there, especially in Ogoniland?
My mum is from Abia state, her local government is close to the Ogoni area it is a pathetic sight that all the wealth are gotten from the area they can neither fish nor farm, some of the villages do not enjoy electricity.
I believe they are not asking for too much but percentage is not even the issue. The issue is that the money should be utilized to develop the areas, let us identify their problems, roads, water, education and so on.
Apparently, they are not asking for too much, but their problems should be identified for example, you cannot construct road in Bayelsa state without bridges, the issue of percentage is less important if you add the 13 percent with NDDC it is up to 20 percent I believe that the 13 percent derivation should go down to the local government level, it is at that level, that problems would be more visible for identification. Some state governors may be favouring their areas to the detriment of other areas; the money should be judiciously spent.
You have declared your interest in the senate what about the incumbent senator who is a first- timer?
He is my boy, I was asked to go then but I asked him to go, we campaigned for him and he won.
He has always been my boy.
You think he would give in easily?
Then we would meet on the field. Somebody I installed? Then, he would be making an attempt to stop a moving train.
Serubawon?
(Laughs)
Can you share any of your bitter experiences with us?
Bitter experience? I can’t remember but my first day in the United States was harrowing. I gained admission to Kentucky University, from the airport, I joined a bus from a place to Kentucky which was about 200 miles away they had already called the bus number and I did not know I was just sitting down looking in askance.
The bus left six o’clock and I had to sleep at the bus station to join another bus the following day. I could not sleep I just sat on my box looking dejected because all my documents were inside the box. A guy approached me and thinking that he wanted to probably rob me of my luggages I didn’t give him a chance not knowing that he wanted to help me, I did not even understand what he was saying.
When I got to school, I was like why did I come here when we have OAU, U.I and others in Nigeria because I could not understand what they were saying. It was later that I started to get along.
You know what is called ‘Oracle’ (as pronounced)?
Yes , I do, Ifa?
You see, it is not Ifa, though its pronunciation sounds as ‘oracle’ but what they mean is ‘article’. (the interviewer and interviewee share a laugh) so, these are problems you encounter while over there.
Have you ever at anytime thought of quitting politics?
No, I will never quit politics.
What are your hobbies?
Well, I play lawn tennis that is basically what I do apart from traveling.
What do you love most in the woman in your life?
I have two wives and I like both of them, I would say they are good mothers, they are homely and they love my children. They also take good care of me.
You have loyalists in all local governments in the state, they have been with you since your days in power and yet they have not thought of shifting loyalty how have you been sustaining this loyalty?
Well, maybe there are certain things that I have been doing that have endeared them to me, maybe it is the way we have been relating with each other and the way I carry them along there must be certain things that have encouraged them to remain loyal to me- Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980. Thank you
