Adefarati: 10 years after

Adebayo Adefarati is  a first  name leader in  Yorubaland taking after the clout   of  Obafemi Awolowo,  Adekunle Ajasin   and   such others in  that class. A strong believer in and upholder of the  political and development philosophy of Chief  Obafemi Awolowo,  his  tenure as Govemor of Ondo state between 1999 and  2003 clearly demonstrated this short of what the mainstream politics and mainstream economics of the time  promoted to devastate  the   Yorubaland  political cohesion  and  the   South  Westem Nigeria   development landscape.  He  was   a leading figure   in  the reconstruction  and  development of  Nigeria.   Now  he   is in   the   world beyond but his good  deeds follow after him.

Bom  on  the  14th February 1931, he started his primary education at the Holy Trinity School, Akungba Akoko  in  1940.He showed exceptional brilliance  and   traits   of   intellectual   endowment.  He   attended  the prestigious Victory  College,  Ikare and came out  in flying colours from  the college.   In   1958,  he   entered  the  University College,   Ibadan to  study History and  graduated in  1961 with  a honours degree in the  arts.

He  later went   back to  the   University of  Ibadan for  his  post graduate diploma in education in 1965 having taken teaching as a profession and had  to  take  educational  positions from   the stage of  a class teacher subject master to  that of a school principal. He was  a teacher in  many schools and colleges between 1961 and  1965; chief  among which was Kiilji  Memoral  College,   Igbajo,   Osun State. In   1966,  he   became the school principal of George  Burton College,  Ilesa at the  age  of 35 – a feat unusual at the time  as many of his  colleagues who  were  principals were far  older  than him.  He was  the  youngest principal in the Ilesa Township at that time.

He  was   principal of  three more schools  in quick succession,  namely Atakumosa High  School, Osu-Ijesa from  1967 to  Aug.  1975. He was the Principal of Origbo   Community High  School, Ipetumodu from  September 1975 to August 1976 and Egbeoba High  School, Ikole  Ekiti,  in  present day  Ekiti  State from  September 1976 to  October 1979 – each  school having  borne  his   landmark  achievements  very   visibly   as  schools of repute. He  left   the teaching service to  join   politics at the return to  civil  rule programme of the Murtala- Obasanjo military administration of 1976-1979. As a man who owns to the common goods of the general public, he played wonderful roles in social development of Ondo State each time he was in government.

Adefarati had been known to  pitch his tent with the sage – the Late  Chief Obafemi Awolowo  Way  back in 1954 at the very tender age  of 23,  making him  one of the youngest members of the action group party at the time. In politics he joined the UPN (Unity Party of Nigeria)  in 1978 following the lifting• of  the ban  on   politics and  politicking by   the  regime of  Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo. He  took part in all  campaign activities of the party and  he later became a  privileged member of  that  “Dream Team” put together by  Chief  1\dekunle Ajasin during the second republic. He  was Commissioner in various ministries in  the  government of  Late  Chief Ajasin whose records remain unrivalled in the history of the state.

The “Dream Team” was made of men of impeccable character who were not after the lucre of  power and who, after their tenure was able to  lift their heads up  high. It was Adefarati’s achievements in  the  Ajasin’s administration that made him to  be loved  by  all.  This paid off for  him  in 1999 when he was . to  win   the primaries to  contest the gov rnorship election on  the platform of  the Alliance for  Democracy (AD) the maker and  shaker  political party  of  post  Abacha  dictatorship  led   by   Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar which supervised the transition  to  civil  rule in 1999 though far from a democratic rule in context ahd content.

Adefarati was involved in many organizations, associations and corporate businesses. He  was  a good  grassroots man, loved,   admired and adored by  many. He  had a simple and down to  earth disposition to  issues and this  earned  him lots of  respect among the  people of  Ondo State in particular  and  Yorubaland in  general.  Hardly did   he venture taking decision without having to take inputs from the various gra sroot levels. Between 1970 and 1972 he was a member of Akoko Local  Government Magement Committee, Ikare. In  1973, he was a Director Western State Cocoa Marketing Board a post he held till  late 1976. He was chairman Ondo State Schools Sport Committee between 1997-1979. General Team Manager, Ondo State Athletic Contingent to  National Sport Competition in   Kaduna,   1977;  Team  Manager,  Football  Team  to   East  Mrican countries  of   Kenya and  Tanzania  in    1975;  Member  of   Ondo State Anglican Diocesan Board  1968 to  1980 and  a host of 9ther public and community services offers.

He was  Vice-Chairman of NADECO and Afeniferere in  Ondo  State during the  NADECO struggle days under the  chairmanship •of Late  Chief  N.F. Aina-  a position, he  held  on  to until the  death of former Head  of State, General Abacha.

Baba Peace  as Adebayo Adefarati is popularly known among the  people of Ondo  State and beyond is a virtue that lives on.

• Foluso Aminu was the chief of staff to late chief Adebayo Adefarati