It has been years since the Late Chief Dr. Bode Olowoporoku departed from this world, yet the legacy he left behind remains a testament to his monumental contributions to the creation of Ekiti State.
His vision, dedication, and relentless efforts laid the foundation for what the new generation of Politicians and Public servants now enjoy.
However, despite his pivotal role in the birth of Ekiti State, he has been vehemently conspired against in life and continues to be marginalized even after death. The intentional failure to immortalize him is akin to robbing a benefactor of their due recognition and honor.
Historically, the marginalization and blatant injustice against the Ekiti divide in the old Ondo state made the patriotic Ekiti people in the then government unhappy, leading to vigorous agitations for better treatment of Ekiti land. This agitation infuriated Chief Ajasin, who decided to sack Dr. Olowoporoku and other patriotic Ekiti indigenes in his government. This act of dismissal transformed the agitation from seeking a better life within Ondo State to a major struggle for the creation of Ekiti State.
In response to this injustice, Ekiti indigenes in that government shifted their loyalty to Chief Akin Omoboriowo who was the deputy governor, working towards making him the next governor of Ondo State. When this plan seemed not feasible within the Unity Party of Nigeria, they migrated to the NPN political party as a viable alternative political platform. The mayhem that greeted the 1983 election is now history, but the protracted struggle, which lasted two decades, eventually led to the creation of Ekiti State on October 1, 1996.
Senator Olowoporoku played a leading role in this struggle, spending substantial amounts of his resources and leveraging his Network within the Northern hegemony to push the struggle to a conclusive end. Recognizing his remarkable contribution, twenty-three chieftaincy titles were conferred upon him by frontline Ekiti Obas.
In continuation of his pragmatic service to the Ekiti people, he aspired to become the first executive governor of Ekiti State, aiming to establish a solid economic foundation for the new state.
As an economic model builder with PhD in Development Economics from the University of Manchester, he developed an economic model designed to hasten the development of Ekiti State, projecting it as a role model for other states in the nation.
Unfortunately, a deep-seated conspiracy by the elites frustrated his several attempts to govern the state, leading to the use of fire-brigade economic strategies that were too puerile to make any appreciable impact on the state’s economy or rescue the citizenry from the vicious cycle of poverty. Consequently, Ekiti State remains dependent on monthly federal allocations.
By 1996, Senator Olowoporoku had invented an “Agricultural and Industrial Diversification Roadmap” that would serve as an economic revolution for Ekiti State and a template for other states. His agricultural revolution model was based on cooperative systemic farming that would have enabled farmers to harvest multiplefold on the same portion of land. The model was projected to serve as the springboard for the small-scale industrial revolution, with all farm products and small-scale products marketed under the systemic model. He wanted to experiment with this Chinese model in Ekiti State to serve as an economic model for other states in the nation. This systemic economic development model was an original intellectual work adapted to the Ekiti environment, and the blueprint for this economic revolution is contained in a brochure titled “A Systemic Matrix Flow Chart to Fast Track Agric Revolution in Nigeria.” This economic model remains relevant to date and remains the only hope for developing the state due to the peculiar terrain of Ekiti.
Late Chief Olowoporoku’s sincerity of purpose remains unparalleled. He has a clearer vision and a keener sense of mission. He believed that those yearning to govern must be prepared for the position and that the only way to improve the quality of leadership is for aspiring leaders to serve political tutelage. This belief made him a terror to those pretenders who feigned capability without the requisite preparation.
Today, I remember the late sage, a grandmaster of Ekiti politics and a leading mastermind in the creation of Ekiti State. The role he played in the creation of Ekiti has been completely silenced by those who don’t want him celebrated as the hero of the struggle or those who want to dwarf his role to stand tall themselves. The most terrible part of this grand scheme is that no past governor has dared to celebrate or immortalize him for fear of being labeled a rebel to the grand scheme to silence his role.
I was a witness to the promises made by former Governor Fayemi at his burial ceremony. He had acknowledged Senator Olowoporoku’s role in the creation of Ekiti State and stated that his name would be immortalized. Unfortunately, this also turned out to be a mere political statement. However, I hope that the present governor of Ekiti State as a firsthand witness to the struggle by his role as the Secretary of the struggle will not similarly ignore Late Olowoporoku’s role. Moreover, those who were colleagues in the struggle also do not make any attempt to honor him, even when death has eventually cast him out of any competition.
Senator Bode Olowoporoku’s contributions to the creation of Ekiti State are invaluable and undeniable. His vision and efforts should be honored and celebrated. It is time for the government, the elite, and the political class in Ekiti State to recognize and immortalize him, ensuring that future generations remember and appreciate his legacy. Failure to do so will not only rob him of his due recognition but also deprive Ekiti State’s young generation of the inspiration and guidance that his legacy can provide. Nevertheless, the Great Men have monuments in bronze and marble set up for them, but the Late Olowoporoku lives in the hearts of millions and will live for ages immemorial.
This piece was put together by Idowu Faleye
