The Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu said that any Nigerian who is determined to work hard can achieve his/her life goals irrespective of the tribe and background of their birth.
Onu stated this at the public presentation of the book ‘MY PARTICIPATIONS’ WRITTEN BY CHIEF BISI AKANDE, on Thursday in Lagos.
The Minister, who was the chairman of the event, said that Nigeria needs to continue to build on the efforts of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to restore to the nation, the Nigerian spirit of hard work, determination, perseverance, and honesty.
He described Chief Bisi Akande as the “Politicians politician” who despite his success in life remained “humble and ever-smiling”.
Dr. Onu described the life of Chief Akande as a testament to the immense opportunities that abound in the country.
He said: “ The life story of the ever-smiling Chief Abdulakareem Adebisi Akande, the Asiwaju of Ila-Orangun, shows that our nation is a country of great opportunities.
“The changes that took place just within one generation in his life, are awesome. He was born poor, but he never allowed it to deter him. He was elected governor of his State and served as National Chairman of four different political parties. He became the politicians’ politician. Yet, he remained humble”.
He described the celebrant as a unique person who deserves to be celebrated.
He said: “Chief Bisi Akande is a unique personality who deserves to be celebrated. He is a self-made man, who worked very hard and was determined to succeed in life.
He did not go to any secondary school, he never saw the inside of any university, except for short courses, later in life. Yet, through home studies and learning by correspondence, he worked hard to obtain the certificate of a chartered secretary and later became a qualified accountant at the tender age of 22 years. He always stood by whatever he believed in. His honesty saved him several times in his life. “
Going down memory lane, Dr. Onu said that the formation of APC was not only unique but extraordinary, in Nigeria and Africa, for political parties that controlled government to give up their identities and come together in a merger to form a political party.
In Dr. Onu’s words, “We must always remember that in less than two years, the APC made a major and historic achievement by moving from being an opposition political party to becoming a governing party. This was the first time ever in our history, for a sitting president to be defeated by the opposition.”
