‘First 16 years were traumatic’ — Osoba speaks on leaving office as governor

Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Ogun, has recounted his experience after leaving office.

Osoba served as governor of Ogun between 1999 and 2003, and was succeeded by Gbenga Daniel, who served for eight years, followed by Ibikunle Amosun, who left office in 2019.

Speaking on Tuesday in Abeokuta, the state capital, at the inauguration of a press centre named after him by the Ogun government, Osoba said the challenges he faced after leaving office were as a result of political interests.

“The first 16 years of my leaving this office has been very traumatic. I never came back as I became a snake that doesn’t go back to where it has shed its skin,” NAN quoted him to have said.

“This premises became a no-go area for me, and every symbol of the projects that I did was removed.

“In the first eight years, I was practically declared persona non grata in Ogun. My name was sent to EFCC so many times, and the agency investigated me severally, but found nothing.

“I couldn’t come to Abeokuta, not to talk of visiting the office of the governor. The other eight years were also problematic.”

He, however, commended Dapo Abiodun, current governor of Ogun, for overseeing an administration of “redemption and restoration”.

“To imagine that my returning to this premises, after those years will be this glorious, is something of great emotion for me. Mr governor, you will not know how many hours you have added to my life with this action today. It may be hours, it may be weeks, days, and it may be years, but you have added something very great to my life today,” he said.

In his remarks, Abiodun described Osoba as “an encyclopaedia and a veteran journalist”, noting that the former governor was deserving of the honour.