REDEFINING THE TRAJECTORY OF HISTORY THROUGH PURPOSEFUL LEADERSHIP: THE JIMOH IJEGBAI EXAMPLE

By Chris Tony Akhabue

In a few months from now, the tenure of the  elected  members  into the  House of Representatives and the Senate  would come to an end.

 Stakeholders and interest groups are already taking stock of the period under review  to access and evaluate how well or otherwise the outgoing officials have performed. 

It is a period  for stocktaking and a time to  shop for replacements.

Expectedly, the die is cast, the performance  and antecedents of contenders to the various positions in their various constituencies  will no doubt provide a véritable platform for stakeholders, interest groups and the electorates to critically evaluate their preferences,

using same benchmark for determining their eligibility and suitabilities for the offices of their choice in the coming elections that may  portend varying degree of surprises for contenders. 

Some of the contenders have been able to display leadership qualities through  selfless service, putting the people first before other considerations.

It is a well known fact  that humans,  the world over , are generally attracted to benign individuals, as their dispositions are captivatingly and indubitably  alluring and therefore attractively unavoidable.

So, it is not surprising therefore, how some individuals are able to  walk their ways into the hearts of  people so effortlessly , while some others struggle to curt people's attention .

One person who has been able to achieve so much for himself and his community through selfless but people oriented  service, is Honourable ( Barr) Jimoh Ijegbai.

Hon. Ijegbai, a legal luminary, has greatly influenced the course of history through excellence, courage and relentless dedication to the pursuit of worthwhile ideals that are in tandem with the upliftment of the ordinary man on the street.

A man  of good and distinctive social position and  disposition, he has been able to power and enhance  public and private service delivery for the common good of all through distinctive innovations in human capital development.

Ijegbai, who is currently the Chief of Staff to the Edo State Government, Office of the Deputy Governor, has served in various capacities. 

He was a 

Supervisor for Health and Environment, Owan East Local Government. He was  Secretary, Edo State Petroleum Monitoring Team before he was appointed Secretary to owan East Local Government, Edo State.

 He later contested and was elected Chairman of the council.

 His successes and passion for hardwork made him to be appointed as Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs and later as  Commissioner of  Education . He was also Chairman, Local Government Service Commission.

Under his administration as the Owan East Council Boss, he  was the cynosure of other local governments in Edo State. Ijegbai prudently managed resources of the council to achieve great results. Education got a boost in several communities as he ensured what was termed the 'Oshiomhole's red roof' revolution was replicated in several communities. The schools were equipped with toilet facilities and other learning aids. He constructed drainages, grade roads and never owed local government workers. 

His achievements earned him numerous awards. He was honoured as the best Chairman due to his diligent and  prudent management  of resources 

Ijegbai is one of the finest and humane politician from the Owan extraction.

His  transparency and disposition to peoples' welfare, irrespective of political affiliations has endeared him to the people.

Born in Ohanmi, in Owan East Local government Area of Edo State in 1967, he started his education early at Ivbigun Primary School and thereafter proceeded to the famous Ikhin Grammar School, Ikhin and St Patrick's College, Asaba for his Secondary and Higher School Certificate (HSC) in 1986 where he distinguished himself in morals and in learning as the overall best Student.

The amiable  Barr at Law  was undeterred by the  unavoidable negative socio-economic climate, but  braced every storms, pushed boundaries and made positive strides to etch his  name in gold on the Sands of time.

Armed with the realisation that education was indisputably indispensable to the attainment of his dreams, he decided to enroll into the Prestigious  Bendel State University, now Professor Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State where he studied law and  obtained his LLB degree. He attended the Nigerian Law School, Lagos and was called to Bar on December 15th, 1993.

Barr Ijegbai  has well over 20 years of experience practicing law before venturing into the undulating terrain of Nigeria politics.

To  be able to restore hope to Owan constituency that has overtime been inadequately represented and to put the region on  a sure and sound footing and be repositioned for better prospects, a vibrant representative is therefore a matter of urgent necessity. 

A representative with admirable God given virtues; courage, valor, temperance, restraint, liberality, magnificence, honestly and  zeal for party supremacy and in-depth understanding of party and grass root politics of Edo state, all of  the aforementioned and more are what Honourable Jimoh Ijegbai  is unarguably and immensely, without contradiction, endowed with.

It is only a political master strategist,  a political general, a party man to the core, a grassroots mobilizer who is in tune with the political climate and dynamics of his  constituency  like   Hon Jimoh Ijegbai that can reengineer the political equation of the constituency to ensure for better democratic dividends for the constituency.

 To choose otherwise in the forthcoming election  into the House of Representatives, is to bid the well-being and the fotunes  accruable to  the constituency through purposeful representation  which Honourable Ijegbai represents, a  final goodbye.