Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has announced that plans are underway to associate the Oba Sikiru Adetona College of Governance with the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Jos, to train senior government officials.
Governor Abiodun shared this during the celebration of the 90th birthday and 64th coronation anniversary of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, at the Cathedral Church of Our Saviour in Ijebu-Ode on Sunday.
The governor revealed that the initial group of participants in this collaboration would be Permanent Secretaries from Ogun State. He further explained that he had received approval from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to grant the college the status of a campus of NIPSS.
“I informed Kabiyesi this morning that our Permanent Secretaries will be the first group of students at the Oba Sikiru Adetona College of Governance, gaining from the Awujale’s vision,” he said. “I have also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to recognize the college as a campus of NIPSS, which the President has kindly approved.”
Abiodun praised Oba Adetona, describing him as an icon and a figure whose reign has brought significant pride and achievement to Ijebuland and Ogun State.
According to Governor Abiodun, Oba Adetona embodies the essence of the Ijebu people’s traditions. His dedication to governance and education inspired the Oba Sikiru Adetona Professorial Chair in Governance within the Political Science Department at Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ago-Iwoye.
“This initiative led to the creation of the Oba Sikiru Adetona School of Governance, a pioneering institution in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Abiodun noted. “Oba Adetona also spearheaded the Ijebu Development Board on poverty eradication, which serves as a model across the nation.”
In his sermon titled “Serve the Lord with Gladness,” the Most Reverend Dr. Ephraim Adebola Ademowo, Dean Emeritus of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), said that serving God without expecting anything in return is mankind’s ultimate duty.
He lamented that many Nigerian leaders fail to view themselves as servants once they are in positions of power, advocating for a shift in perspective to move the nation forward.
Quoting Psalms 100:2, Reverend Ademowo highlighted the need for a national revival, starting with family units, to restore the nation’s former glory.
The cleric also described Oba Adetona as a unifier and a towering figure in the world of monarchy. The Awujale, according to him, has brought together Ijebu sons and daughters from various backgrounds during his 64-year reign and has significantly impacted lives through his philanthropic initiatives.
