By Adewole Balogun, Ph.D
A unique feature of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s administration is appointing the right people in positions where they fit perfectly. And evidently, such appointments have been yielding unprecedented positive results visible in sterling performances by these technocrats and their progressive impact on the nation.
Taiwo Oyedele’s appointment as coordinating minister of Finance has yielded for our great country, more impactful and progressive economic strategy driving the nation towards a prosperous future. Dr. Tunji Alausa’s current handling of Nigeria’s education sector has brought into fruition a steady, peaceful and progressive public varsity operation and administration not threatened by the hitherto demon of industrial strike actions by ASUU. Nigeria is , in the last three years and few months of this patriotic administration, witnessing a holistic and strategic infrastructural development particularly with the yeoman’s job being progressively put up by the Works Minister, David Umahi, as evident in quality roads’ construction and others.
The security sector is equally being boosted and revamped unprecedentedly with a great win in the rescue of 46 abducted Oyo school kids and their teachers among others recently.
Two recent appointments by Tinubu stood out clearly as evidence of putting the round pegs in round holes: They are the appointment of former Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Ayodele Fayose and Ambassador Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina, immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).
It does appear that President Tinubu had chosen these two gentlemen because of their past records of excellent and highly patriotic services to the nation in various capacities they have hitherto served. Prof. Fasina has an excellent record of selfless and excellently impactful service to the nation as VC of FUOYE. The man’s Midas Touch made FUOYE a 21st century university within five years of his progressive tenure.
Besides raising the IGR of the University by 300%, he increased its faculties by almost 100% and its student population rose from over 20,000 in 2021 when he assumed duty to over 60,000 in 2026 when he left the office a tall man. Little wonder JAMB pronounced FUOYE Nigeria’s fourth most sought after public varsity during Fasina’s tenure and till date. Students and staff members were well taken great care of with great welfare and well being packages in form of hazards allowance payments, data payments for lecturers for online lectures, provision of staff buses with subsidized transportation system that ensured a significant 70% reduction in the fares. Promotion of deserving staff members was as at when due and in fact, over 100 academic staff got promoted duly to professorial cadre during this progressive minded man’s historic and impactful tenure as VC.
The infrastructural development of the University peaked unprecedentedly to the point that even the tetFUND’s Executive Secretary, Sonny S.T Echono thumbed up for Prof. Fasina in February 2026 when he came to grace the University’s convocation ceremony with a lecture that addressed challenges of university administration and government’s helpful interventions.
For Chief Ayo Fayose, Ekiti people will forever be grateful for having a man who truly love them, knows what they really want and does nothing else order than dishing out the dividends of democracy to them while he was governor of the state. Fayose was a Governor the Ekiti people would have loved to be their leader forever if the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria allows such arrangement! And if you thought I am exaggerating, take time out to come and witness how the “Oshokomole” (his political nickname) is ceremoniously hailed whenever he showed up at any public event in Ekiti.
The shout of “Oshoko”! would rent the air by an excited crowd of Ekiti people to honour him whenever this highly patriotic man shows up anywhere in the state: This unique salutation of Fayose has become a celebrated gesture in perpetual appreciation for his deep connection to the people. This is not what I was told, it is what I witnessed in twelve years of living and working in Ekiti first as a journalist and later as a University Lecturer.
Chief Fayose was always passionate in delivering his services as Governor to his people. He never delayed in taking decisions that would benefit the people most. While serving as governor for the second term, I recall a number of great decisions he took for the good of the people even when there was fierce opposition from narrow minded quarters mainly peopled by mischievous political opposition. Such decision as constructing the over-head brigde and the King’s market (Oja Oba) which mandated that many old looking houses that debased the capital city of Ekiti, Ado-Ekiti, must disappear.
Another was Chief Fayose’s great political will in safeguarding Ekiti people against the marauding herdsmen and terrorists who attacked innocent farmers in the state during his tenure as Governor between 2014 and 2018. Chief Fayose was very courageous in fiercely warring against those devils.
He never played politics with the life of his people and his great strategy and holistic approach in tackling the menace, which evidently came out of a genuine love for his people, yielded great success as the destroyers fled the state for the rest of the time he spent as Governor. It was Chief Fayose’s leadership ingenuity that brought up the grazing law which Ekiti and other states are already now deploying to tackle the menace of bandits and terrorists’ activities.
When Chief Fayose was Ekiti Chief Executive, the people felt and enjoyed fully the presence of government. This was a govenor you could pick up your phone and called directly to lodge any complaint that you have as an ordinary indigene or resident of the state! And when you do such, he was ready to personally take up the matter and ensure you are well taken care of.
He was a governor who would driver himself in the midnight to inspect infrastructures he has signed for his officials to implement. ( as a journalist, this writer has encountered Fayose personally inspecting infrastructures late in the night in the state). Chief Fayose’s deep concern for the well being of the common man led him to institute a Stomach lnfrastructure initiative in the form of a ministry on its own and with this he took great care of the masses.
Little wonder he is also christened the Senior Advocate of the Masses (SAM)!. I am pretty sure President Tinubu was well aware of these great achievements of Chief Fayose and his deep connection with the grassroots as well as his genuine love for the people hence he chose to make him chairman of an agency that would have direct impact on the masses: The Rural Electrification agency. I am sure President Tinubu knows that with Fayose manning such an agency, the people’s yearnings for an impactful power sector would be well taken care of.
This is man whose only goal is to achieve results and positive one for that matter. He doesn’t compromise when it comes to delivering great services for his people. And as for such issues on corruption destroying the power sector as has been widely observed, Fayose is not a man that would allow that to happen! . Nigerians would recall his media trial by an esthwhile EFCC Boss who had boasted that he would roast the then Governor once the protective shield of immunity is stripped off him after he leaves office as Chief Executive: lt was Fayose himself who, kitted in a T. Shirt inscribed with “EFCC I am here!”. and armed with his bag containing personal effects who first reported at the office of the graft agency a day after he left office as governor! Such courage to submit himself to constituted authority! And we also would recall that Fayose was discharged and acquitted recently on the same graft issue in court which gave him a clean bill of health.
With Fayose on board as Nigeria’s helmsman to power the nation, we are about to witness an unprecedented growth and development in the power sector of our dear country in the same way our dear chief Barrister Nyesom Wike, ex-governor of Rivers State and current Minister of FCT, is bringing admirable and highly patriotic performance to bear on the infrastructural development of Abuja.
Dr. Balogun is a public affairs analyst. He lectures media arts and Theatre Arts in UNILAG. This piece is one of his community services ‘engagements.
He is reachable via wolelovs@yahoo.com