Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun has admonished the new Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu to be conscious of the enormity of the challenges lying ahead of him in the ministry the president has assigned to him.
The monarch made this remark when the minister paid a courtesy visit to him in his Alarere residence and described the ministry as very central to every household in the country.
Adelabu, who came alongside some of his supporters, was received by the monarch and two of his Advisory Council members, Oba Abiodun Kola-Daisi and Oba Hamidu Ajibade, Ashipa and Ekerin Olubadan respectively.
Olubadan, who spoke through his Ashipa, Oba Abiodun Kola-Daisi said the critical and strategic role the ministry constitutes in the life of the country places a huge burden on his shoulders as the minister.
He equally charged Adelabu to put it into his consciousness at all times that his record at the ministry would rub off on Ibadan, his place of birth and all the sons and daughters of Ibadan, both at home and in the diaspora would be looking unto him as their ambassador.
“All of us will be praying for your success and we want you to remain our pride”, Olubadan added.
Earlier the minister in his presentation, said he was quite aware of the task ahead of him and his posting to the ministry by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was deliberate and a function of trust and confidence in his ability to deliver and maintain that with the support and prayer of everybody, he won’t let the President and the nation down.
“I have come home to receive prayers from my father, the Olubadan of Ibadanland because, it is said that there’s no prayer that is as efficacious as parental prayers for a child. I decided to move around to thank all the critical stakeholders that made contributions to my emergence one way or the other before the job actually starts in earnest.
“I know it is not going to be a tea party and I am ready for the challenge. Mr. President acknowledged that I have the strength and energy to run around which informed the posting.
“He said he won’t put me in a place where I can be effectively functioning, even in my bedroom because of my background as a banker/accountant, rather, he wants me to exert my energy and I’m ready to do my best”, Adelabu said.
He disclosed that he was determined not to fail in the ministry, not minding the legacies left behind by his predecessors.
“I want to go into study of what has been happening in all the departments, why people have been failing and the fact that others have failed in the past doesn’t mean I must fail like them because I am not them and they are not me.
The minister also called on politicians generally to relegate politics to the background now and face governance, stressing that there is time for everything.
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