Olabisi Onabanjo
Encyclopedia
Victor Olabisi Onabanjo was governor of Ogun State
in Nigeria
from October 1979 – December 1983, during the Nigerian Second Republic
. He was of Ijebu
extraction.
. He was educated in Lagos and at the Regent Street Polytechnic
in the United Kingdom
, where he studied journalism between 1950 and 1951.
He worked as a journalist for several years before becoming a full time politician.
His column Aiyekooto (parrot - known for telling the plain truth) appeared in the Daily Service and Daily Express newspapers between 1954 and 1962.
Local Government Area in 1977 under the tutelage of Chief Obafemi Awolowo
.
He was elected governor of Ogun State
in October 1979 on the Unity Party of Nigeria
(UPN) platform.
He was known as an unpretentious and plain-speaking man, and his administration of Ogun State was considered a model at the time and later.
On May 13, 1982 he commissioned Ogun Television.
The Ogun State University, founded on 7 July 1982 was renamed Olabisi Onabanjo University
on May 29, 2001 in his memory.
He established the Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, but General Oladipo Diya
who became military governor in 1983 closed the school down, only to be re-opened after the return to democracy in 1999.
took power, he was thrown in jail for several years.
After release, he returned to journalism, publishing his Aiyekooto column in the Nigerian Tribune from 1987 to 1989.
Onabanjo died on April 14, 1990. Selected articles from his column were published in a book in 1991.
Ogun State
Ogun State is a state in South-western Nigeria. It borders Lagos State to the South, Oyo and Osun states to the North, Ondo State to the east and the republic of Benin to the west. Abeokuta is the capital and largest city in the state...
in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
from October 1979 – December 1983, during the Nigerian Second Republic
Nigerian Second Republic
The Second Republic was the republican government of Nigeria between 1979 and 1983 governed by the second republican constitution.- Founding :...
. He was of Ijebu
Ijebu
Ijebu was a Yoruba kingdom in pre-colonial Nigeria. It formed around the fifteenth century. According to legend, its ruling dynasty was founded by Obanta of Ile-Ife...
extraction.
Background
Oloye Victor Olabisi Onabanjo was born in 1927 in LagosLagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
. He was educated in Lagos and at the Regent Street Polytechnic
University of Westminster
The University of Westminster is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its origins go back to the foundation of the Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1838, and it was awarded university status in 1992.The university's headquarters and original campus are based on Regent...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where he studied journalism between 1950 and 1951.
He worked as a journalist for several years before becoming a full time politician.
His column Aiyekooto (parrot - known for telling the plain truth) appeared in the Daily Service and Daily Express newspapers between 1954 and 1962.
Political career
Olabisi Onabanjo was elected chairman of the Ijebu OdeIjebu Ode
Ijebu Ode is a Local Government Area and city located in south-western Nigeria, close to the A121 highway. The city is located 110 km by road north-east of Lagos; it is within 100 km of the Atlantic Ocean in the eastern part of Ogun State and possesses a warm tropical climate.With an...
Local Government Area in 1977 under the tutelage of Chief Obafemi Awolowo
Obafemi Awolowo
Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo was a Nigerian politician, trade unionist, author and statesman. A Yoruba and native of Ikenne in Ogun State of Nigeria, he started his career as a regional political leader like most of his pre-independence contemporaries and was responsible for much of the progressive...
.
He was elected governor of Ogun State
Ogun State
Ogun State is a state in South-western Nigeria. It borders Lagos State to the South, Oyo and Osun states to the North, Ondo State to the east and the republic of Benin to the west. Abeokuta is the capital and largest city in the state...
in October 1979 on the Unity Party of Nigeria
Unity Party of Nigeria
The Unity Party of Nigeria was a Nigerian political party that was dominant in western Nigeria during the second republic. The party revolved around the political leadership of Obafemi Awolowo, a sometimes polemical but effective administrator. However, the party's main difference with its...
(UPN) platform.
He was known as an unpretentious and plain-speaking man, and his administration of Ogun State was considered a model at the time and later.
On May 13, 1982 he commissioned Ogun Television.
The Ogun State University, founded on 7 July 1982 was renamed Olabisi Onabanjo University
Olabisi Onabanjo University
Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, is a state-owned and -operated university in Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State Nigeria. The university was founded July 7, 1982 as Ogun State University and was renamed Olabisi Onabanjo University on May 29, 2001 in honour of a great citizen of the state, Chief Olabisi...
on May 29, 2001 in his memory.
He established the Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, but General Oladipo Diya
Oladipo Diya
Donaldson Oladipo Diya is a retired Lt. General in the Nigerian Army.He was appointed Military Governor of Ogun State from January 1984 to August 1985....
who became military governor in 1983 closed the school down, only to be re-opened after the return to democracy in 1999.
Later career
After the military take-over in December when General Muhammadu BuhariMuhammadu Buhari
Muhammadu Buhari was a military ruler of Nigeria and an unsuccessful candidate for president in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 presidential elections...
took power, he was thrown in jail for several years.
After release, he returned to journalism, publishing his Aiyekooto column in the Nigerian Tribune from 1987 to 1989.
Onabanjo died on April 14, 1990. Selected articles from his column were published in a book in 1991.