Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti on Wednesday said the late elder statesman Bamidele Olumilua, fought for the enlistment of the old Ondo State as an oil producing state while in office.
Fayemi said this during a commendation service held for the late governor in Ado Ekiti.
He said the outstanding political will and courageous action taken by Olumilua while presiding as governor of Old Ondo State between 1992 and 1993 led to a breakthrough in revenue generation.
This, he said, also engendered massive infrastructural development in Ondo State.
Olumilua, an indigene of Ikere-Ekiti, died on June 4 at the age of 80 years.
Fayemi, in his tribute at the service held at the Adetiloye Hall in Ado Ekiti, said: “One important legacy of the administration of Evangelist Olumilua as a governor was the eventual enlistment of Ondo State as an oil producing state.
“He worked relentlessly to actualise this. He also facilitated the establishment of the Oil Minerals Producing and Development Commission(OMPADEC) in 1992.
“He had a star-studded team and in fact, his then Attorney General, Chief Wole Olanipekun(SAN), practically drafted the bill that established the commission.
” He worked hard to get the commission which has now been replaced by the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC).
“When the first tranche of N250million accrued to the state as an oil producing state , Evangelist Olumilua insisted the money must be put in a dedicated account to pursue his dream of modern urbanisation project of some select towns in the then Ondo State.
“His thought was for the state to be economically competitive because some towns needed to be deliberately transformed into modern cities where people could work, stay and enjoy their lives.
“This was commendable and I had seen that the governor of Ondo State , Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), had commended this lofty achievement of Pa Olumilua which I believe would lead to more revenue inflow to the state.”
Fayemi added that Olumilua was a detrabilised leader, saying not even agitation for the creation of Ekiti by his kinsmen could sway him as a sitting governor.
“As the incumbent governor with a mandate to govern the whole state where Ekiti was a subset , he frequently ran into disagreement with some of his Ekiti compatriots who genuinely wanted Ekiti to be created out of Ondo State.
“What we are doing today is a celebration of life and importance of Pa Olumilua in Ekiti State and Nigeria because he had left an intimidating legacy and he will continue to live in the minds of the people.
“Bamidele Olumilua belonged among great men during his lifetime. He was cerebral and had high oratorical prowess. His time was not only eventful, but his legacies were superb and efforts must be made to sustain them,” Fayemi said.
In his short sermon at the service, Pastor Ola Omoseebi said Olumilua by his discipline had taught lessons of how leaders could shun selfishness, materialism, arrogance and corruption that had been the bane of leadership in the country.
“Pa Olumilua was not materialistic ,neither was he arrogant. He was close to the rich and poor and never discriminated against anyone.
” He was modest in lifestyle and that was a good legacy for all of us.
“As the Chairman of the National Christian Pilgrims Board under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, he resigned before the expiration of his tenure.
” That was a sign of contentment which many of our leaders lack today,” the cleric said.
Those at the occasion included the Deputy Governor, Bisi Egbeyemi, wife of the governor, Bisi, Speaker of Ekiti Assembly, Funminiyi Afuye as well as family members of the deceased led by the Commissioner for Information in the state, Mr Muyiwa Olumilua,
Others included Secretary of Yoruba Council of Elders, Dr Kunle Olajide, members of the State Executive Council as well as All Progressives Congress leaders.
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