The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, has called on Nigerians to build on the efforts of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to restore the nation’s greatness through hard work, determination, perseverance and honesty.
Speaking at the public presentation of the book My Participations written by Chief Bisi Akande, in Lagos, Onu, the event chair, said any Nigerian who is determined to work hard can achieve his or her life goals, irrespective of the limitations of their birth.
He described Akande as the “Politician’s politician” who, despite his success in life remained “humble and ever-smiling”, saying he remains a testament to the immense opportunities that abound in the country.
“The life story of the ever-smiling Chief Abdulakareem Adebisi Akande, the Asiwaju of Ila-Orangun, shows that our nation is a country of great opportunities. The changes that took place just within one generation, in his life, are awesome. He was born poor, but he never allowed that to deter him. He was elected governor of his state and served as national chairman of four different political parties. He became the politicians’ politician. Yet, he remained humble,” he stated.
The minister described the author as a unique person who deserves to be celebrated.
“Chief Bisi Akande is a unique personality who deserves to be celebrated. He is a self-made man, who worked very hard and was determined to succeed in life. He did not go to any secondary school, he never saw the inside of any university, except for short courses, later in life. Yet, through home studies and learning by correspondence, he worked hard to obtain the certificate of a chartered secretary and later became a qualified accountant at the tender age of 22 years. He always stood by whatever he believed in. His honesty saved him several times in his life.”
Going down memory lane, Onu said that the formation of APC was not just unique but extraordinary, in Nigeria and Africa, for political parties that controlled government to give up their identities and merge to form a political party.
“We must always remember that, in less than two years, the APC made a major and historic achievement by moving from being an opposition political party to a governing party. This was the first time in our history, for a sitting president to be defeated by the opposition,” he added.
