IBADAN ABROAD

Ibukun Awosika of Africa: From Oke -Foko to First Bank Plc.
  by Augustine Togonu- Bickersteth London, England
Ibukun Awosilka used to reside in Oke-Foko, an economically challenged area of Ibadan. She has come long way to   become the Chairperson of Nigeria's biggest bank_ FIRST BANK PLC.
I went to school with  Ibukun Awosika. We took physics 201 together  way back at the university of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) this was 36 years ago. I remember her as pleasant to talk with  in  her 'Hawaii shirt'. Looking back, a chemistry undergraduate ,you could see she  was already moving about like an executive  if you are to go by her ownership of a black plastic brief case.
 Now that she has confirmed she is an  'Ibadan Girl' to the gathering of 36 Governors,  I ask what  is she doing about Ibadan? All her investments  are in Lagos.  Obafemi Awolowo did remark 'Even for the saints and sinners Lagos has got socio -gravitational pull'. So all roads lead to Lagos   but someone like an ace actor Dele Odule affirmed that Lagos is too congested for creativity.
Ordinarily   Ibukun Awosika could have   been employed by any of the 36 Governors to serve tea or coffee  but what she got  recently from them there and then in the executive chamber of the Presidential Villa where matters of  of state are deliberated was a standing ovation. It's like all those Governors have read  'LET HER FLY': a fathers journey and a search for equality by Ziauddin Yousafzai  father of Malala the youngest ever to win the Nobel Prize for Peace.
They would no doubt like their daughters to be like Ibukun Awosika. In   'Let Her Fly' Yousafzai reveals the principal of his daughter's college at Oxford served  Malala some tea; it was perhaps the greatest moment of his  life
   I read the Guardian so my conscience is  clear.   In The Guardian we have  some reports  on Ibadan namely:  Ibadan the best ,(Guardian July 14,2015  Editorial Comment celebrating the World ranking of the University of Ibadan  six places to visit in Ibadan October 11,  2017 by Chidimirim Ndeche  Ibadan Media City   Culture Technology collide 17th June, 2017   by  Gregory Austin Nwakunor, So there have been so very positive write ups in the Guardian  on Ibadan City where I lived for close to 40 years.
So I had a write up titled, Of New York City and Ibadan City in the Nigerian.com sometime in April  24, 2019  and  to my surprise  on the 26th
of April, two days later was a feature in The Guardian titled, 'IBADAN IN THE THROES OF REFUSE HEAPS'  by  Muyiwa Adeyemi and Rotimi Agboluaje. I sent it to a former reporter of the Guardian, son of the soil and now a  Professor  at Indiana university    Akin Adesokan. I also sent it to Yann Leclercqre who was in-charge of the Master Plan of Ibadan City for comments. To Omoseye Bolaji  Onigege wura ( Owner of the Golden pen) of Ibadanland  then I wrote to Microsoft to ask them how they could help with solid management  in  Ibadan city  how they could help in transforming   Ibadan City into a Smart City. Just like  there is the New York Economic Development Corporation  there should also be a similar body in Ibadan preferably  with Ibukun Awosika as Chairperson. I Ibadan has hope  and potential she would just need technology and behaviour modification (  for instance through the medium of film  as in India)as far as solid waste  menace is concerned. Ibadan would have to tout her strength and opportunities and   also work hard on her weaknesses and threats.