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| Late Olusegun Agagu, Former Ondo Governor |
Olusegun Kokumo Agagu
was born in Okitipupa, Ondo State on 16 February, 1948 into the family of Chief
Isaac Olorunfemi Agagu and Mrs. Leah Omopelumi Agagu. His father was a Local
Council Chairman in Okitipupa and also the Ojomo of Osooro, the third in the
traditional hierarchy of the Osooro Kingdom.
He attended his
elementary education at St. Luke’s Anglican School, (now known as St. Paul’s
Anglican School) Okitipupa, in 1954. In January 1958, he moved to live with his
cousin, Edward Fagbohun in Ibadan, where he continued his primary education at
Ebenezer African Church School, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. In 1959 he transferred to Kano
in 1959 where he studied at the Ebenezer Methodist School and Baptist Primary
School Sabon-Gari, Kano. He then moved back to Ebenezer African Church School,
Ibadan where he completed his primary education in 1960. Thereafter, he was in
Ibadan Grammar School between January 1961 and 1967 where he passed his West
African School Certificate and the Higher School Certificate examinations. He
was admitted to the University of Ibadan in 1968 to study Botany but later
changed to Geology in which he graduated with a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Second
Class Upper Division, in 1971. As an undergraduate, his academic record was
replete with laurels and prizes.
Agagu went to the
University of Texas between 1973 and 1974 for his master's degree in Geology.
Returning to Nigeria, he obtained a Ph.D degree in Petroleum Geology from the
University of Ibadan in 1978.
Upon graduation, he accepted the appointment to work as a
geologist offered by the Gulf Oil Company (now Chevron). After 14 months, he
resigned and took up employment at the University of Ibadan as an Assistant
Lecturer in Geology. His new job at the university offered half his Gulf Oil
salary but Dr Agagu’s love for intellectual rigour spurred him to continue at
the University of Ibadan where he sought the opportunity to study for higher
degrees.
He taught Geology at the
University of Ibadan for 16 years before voluntarily retiring as a Senior
Lecturer and Acting Head of Department in 1988, having made up his mind early
in life that he would retire from paid employment once he attained the age of
40 years. As an academic and researcher he published several articles in
reputable national and international journals and also authored more than 100
technical reports.
His Business
Dr. Olusegun Agagu was a geological consultant to numerous
companies and governments including the Governments of Oyo, Ogun, Osun and Ondo
States; Shell Petroleum Development Company; Mobil Producing Nigeria; Texaco;
Nigeria Agip Oil Company; Lexington Exploration U.S.A and Nitex Exploration
U.S.A.
He also established many
successful private businesses including a water borehole drilling company, a
kaolin mining and processing company and several other mining companies
including marble, feldspar and granite in different parts of the country.
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| Olusegun Agagu |
Political Carrier
He was elected Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Nigeria
from January 1992 to November 1993 during the Nigerian Third Republic, elected
on the Social Democratic Party (SDP) platform. As the Deputy Governor in Ondo
State, the combination of his knowledge as a Geologist, resourcefulness and his
untiring efforts led to the State becoming an oil producing state, a feat that
massively expanded the economic base of the State. He was forced to leave
office when the military regime of general Sani Abacha took power.
Agagu was appointed by President Olusegun Obasanjo as his
first Minister of Aviation in 1999 and then as Minister for Power and Steel
(2000-2002).
Once, while on a foreign trip, the people of Ondo received
false reports of his death.
On 29 June 2006 President Olusegun Obasanjo commended him
for the work he had done leading Ondo State, saying "You have taken time
to plan. We have also seen that the execution of the plan is now showing
results."
In September 2008 a Senate Ad-Hoc Committee investigating
the Transportation Sector summoned Agagu and others as part of its probe of the
entire transportation sector, to answer questions about his tenure as Minister
of Aviation
Olusegun Agagu resigned as a
Federal Minister in November 2002 to contest the election as Governor of Ondo
State on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria. He won
and served Ondo State as Governor from May 2003 to February 2009. As Governor
of Ondo State, he ran a clearly transparent, focused, prudent, visionary and
efficient administration that led to a visible transformation across all the
critical sectors of the State.
Some of the awards and
achievements of Ondo State under the leadership of Olusegun Agagu include:
** Best Poverty
Alleviation Programme in Nigeria by the UNDP in 2005
** Best zonal
performance by Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in 2006 and
2007 from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBE)
** 2nd best national
performance by Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in 2007 from
the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBE)
**2nd Cleanest Capital
City (Akure) in Nigeria in 2005 by the Federal Ministry of Environment
** Okitipupa LGA and Idanre
LGA declared the best run local government in Nigeria
**Designation of Ikaram
(Akoko North West LGA) as one of the 3 Millennium Development Goal projects and
Akure as one of 10 Millennium Development Cities in Africa by the UN in 2005
**Inclusion of Idanre
Hills as a UNESCO World Heritage site
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| The Death of Agagu |
His Death
Dr. Olusegun Agagu
passed away on 13 September 2013. His death came as a massive shock to the
nation.
On 3 October 2013, a day
before his burial, Associated Aviation Flight 361, the plane carrying his
corpse together with 13 passengers and 7 crew members, crashed on takeoff from
Murtala Muhammed International Airport
He was later buried
after the crash scene happened
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