Gov. Abiodun
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has disclosed plans by his administration to immortalise the late former Minister of Finance and three-time commissioner in the state, Dr. Onaolapo Soleye.
Prince Dapo Abiodun made this known during the final burial ceremony of Dr. Soleye at Owu Baptist Church, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
“Baba was a gentleman, but as gentle as he was, he was also an activist; from all accounts, he was a black nationalist.
“As a state government, we have decided that we are going to immortalise this great man of Ogun State. We will be naming something after him; something that people will remember him by, as someone who served this state diligently and selflessly”, he said.
Abiodun, while acknowledging the contribution of the deceased to the development of the Western region and berthing of the Oodua Investment Group, as Commissioner for Industries, also noted that he contributed to the success of Ogun State as Commissioner for Trade, Industries and Cooperatives, Works and Housing, as well as Finance.
The state’s helmsman added that it was under the watch of the late Pa Soleye, as Commissioner for Industries, that Ogun State Gateway Hotels was built and commissioned, while he later served as Minister of Finance between 1984 and 1985, under the Military regime of General Muhammadu Buhari, where he resisted the devaluation of the Naira and ensured that new notes were printed at a time there was the trend of currency smuggling.
Earlier in his remarks, the Coordinating Minister and Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, also acknowledged the brilliance of the late former Minister of Finance, pointing out that he started the resolution of the trade crisis with initiatives that he implemented.
“Dr. Onaolapo Soleye did resolve or start the beginning of the resolution of the trade crisis. We had trade debts and through his skill, imagination and tenacity, that situation was resolved with initiatives that he implemented”, he said.
He assured Nigerians that the Nigerian economy would continue to soar higher, revealing that what is best for the country was the uppermost in President Bola Tinubu’s mind.
“What is good for Nigeria is what is uppermost in our minds, not what the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or any other foreign organisation thinks.
“Prescription for Nigerian by Nigerians and by God’s grace, under the able leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we will move forward with this economy; Nigerians will smile again”, he said.
