YINKA OLATUNBOSUN: A SELFLESS POLITICIAN WITH DISTINCTION

By Jide Afolabi

2019 is significant in the history of Nigeria. It is an election year. Every election year is significant to every democratic state in the world. This is partly because it often dictates economy, security and international relations. Investors watch and monitor with keen interest, the candidates and their parties; the party’s manifestos and political stability.

This economic interest has propelled some investors especially, multinational companies to be directly and indirectly involved in who becomes leaders at different layers of government in different states and nations.

With this understanding, the nation is already preparing especially, the umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. INEC is preparing early because it has duty to improve on the last general election which was conducted under the leadership of a former Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, National President, Prof. Attahiru Jega – widely acknowledged fearless man with proven integrity. The election conducted by INEC under his leadership was adjudged by both local observers and international missions to be free, fair and credible.

The current INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood must proof his mettle by conducting a better general election in 2019. Not only INEC that are preparing for the election, the politicians are also loading their political guns. The current political calculation, fractionalisation, merger, negotiations and consultations in the country are part of the preparations toward the 2019 general elections.

Osun state is not exempted in the preparations toward 2019 as all elections save for governorship, will hold in the state.

The legislative arm of government though often lack the required recognition like the executives, it plays significant roles in shaping the government and governance. The function of legislators basically is law making for the good and betterment of the people. However, their function goes far beyond making laws. Legislators perform oversight functions thereby serving as auditors to government activities.

Yinka Olatunbosun

One of the cardinal duties of the legislative arm is to scrutinise, examine and pass the budget. This onerous task determines the economy of the state. The development of every state and even Nations is anchored on its budget and budgeting processes. Therefore, one can conclude that legislators determine who gets what, when and where annually in the state through the budget. Also, we have seen legislators bringing issues of importance and urgency to the floor of the House for discussions. These and many others are key roles been played by the legislative arm of the government.

The recent happenings in the National and State Assemblies across the country has given the impetus to the agitation of fielding and electing credible persons who are people oriented and developmental driven.

It is in view of the above that electorate’s must elect selfless, credible and capable persons to represent them in the parliament. It is this description that fits Olayinka Olatunbosun.

YK as fondly called has become a households name in Ife and Modakeke especially, Ife East State Constituency which comprises of Modakeke and some parts of Ife.

YK has become households name not because he is currently representing the constituency in any capacity but because he is a bridge builder who has intervened through his several philanthropic and empowerment programmes which have benefited people of the Constituency.

He is the Founder of Yinka Olatunbosun Foundation, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) which he has used to empower the people of Ife and Modakeke and Ife East state Constituency in particular.

Through his Foundation, YK has contributed a lot to the educational and economic development of his community by organising various educational and empowerment programmes targeting the most vulnerable in our society – women and youths.

He single handedly sponsored the National Ife Descendant Students’ Association (NIDSA) 2016 Annual Quiz and Debate Competition for Secondary Schools in Ife land. He was also sole-sponsor of 2017 Quiz and Debate Competition for Federated Union of Modakeke Students (FUMS).

Also, YK donated exercise books and other materials to NIDSA for 2017 Annual Free Summer School and co-sponsored First Edition of Ife Youth Economic Summit (IYES) in 2016 in addition to distribution of free exercise books to Secondary School students in Ife in 2016.

Yinka is a gender sensitive man who believes in empowerment of our women. In view of this, he sponsored 100 Ife and Modakeke women to participate in the 2018 Ooni Annual women empowerment programme.

Youths are part of his plans and because of this; he is currently sponsoring 2,000 Youths for 3-months Free ICT training. The process of selection of participants was very open and credible. Participants drawn from both Ife and Modakeke are currently undergoing intensive training on Information, Communication and Technology. The training is fully funded by YK through his Foundation.

Yinka comprehends the fact that sport is part of development and an engaging platform which bring youths together. He organised Football Competition for all registered clubs in Ife and Modakeke in April/May 2018 known as Yinka Olatunbosun Youth Peace Football Competition. The successful tournament saw youths promoting peace through football. This was one of Yinka’s contributions towards building lasting peace between Ife and Modakeke. He had even pledged to make the competition an annual event. Owing to his interest in youths development through sports, YK founded Yinka Olatunbosun Football Club popularly called “Bosun Boys”. The club is based in Ile-Ife Osun state.

He is an experienced administrator who has travelled widely and has attended several courses and seminars one of which is the Advanced Leadership Training Programme at the Haggai Institute, Singapore in 2007.

He is also a scholar. He possesses at least, four Masters Degree in different fields, ranging from financial to administration and education to theology. These are in addition to several professional qualifications and membership. This is one of the reasons he has relentlessly contributed to the educational growth of the youths in Ife/Modakeke.

In his school days, he was a co-founder of one of the foremost human rights groups in Nigeria, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, cdhr (Iree Chapter) and a pioneer Editor-in-Chief of The Parrot Magazine, a front line campus magazine based at the prestigious Osun State Polytechnic, Iree. He was also a onetime Editor-in-Chief of Starclass Magazine, Ile-Ife and an active member and former President of National Ife Descendant Students’ Association (Ospoly, Iree Chapter).

YK began his political career in 1992 as a member of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) and later joined the National Conscience Party (NCP) as a founding member. In 2014, he was an Aspirant for the Osun State House of Assembly on the Platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Many organisations, groups and bodies have recognised the enormous contributions of this young man to humanity and so honoured by Ife Ooye Leo Club, Rotaract Club, The Unscripted Fajuyi Community in Ile-Ife and student unions among others. He is currently the Patron of Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria, PMAN, Ife East Chapter and Youth Wing of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Bethel Chapter, Ile-Ife.

Nigeria needs people like Yinka Olatunbosun in politics and leadership because of their wealth of experience and selfless services to common good. This is so because they would be professionals in politics unlike what we have around today. He worked meritoriously and efficiently for over 15 years in the Banking industry where he rose to the position of Branch Manager in one of the leading banking institutions in Nigeria, a position he productively held for 8 years before he established Hyzik Consulting Limited, a Financial and Management Consulting firm.

Yinka is a refined gold that all political parties in Osun would be begging with their tickets in no distant time. This is evident by the clarion call by people of Ife East State Constituency; appealing to him to represent them at Osun State House of Assembly in 2019.

Yinka is an excellent and decent politician and a member of an International Political Awareness NGO known as Advocates for Right Leadership Association (aka Believers In Politics).

He is a Chartered Banker and Administrator, Financial and Management expert, Educationist, Media/Public Relations Consultant, Writer and Philanthropist per excellence. He is a member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (Federated Chapel), Osun state.

Yinka is a perfect gentleman and Church leader as well as a responsible family man who is happily married with children.