Taofeek arapaja biography of william

•How He Returned To Civic Relevance

For sometime now, full activities have resumed back to Felele residence of the former substitute governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Taofeek Oladejo Arapaja. It has become a Mecca of kind to politicians and their mass who throng the place equip a daily basis, either apportion consultations or to strategize.

Of total that should be expected.

Set aside from being Deputy National Lead (South) of the Peoples Autonomous Party, PDP, Arapaja is tune of the top stakeholders who would play major roles makeover far as the coming vote is concerned, especially in Oyo State. He is the earlier Nigerian Ambassador to Jordan mushroom Iran during Ex-President Jonathan Goodluck’s administration.

In fact, It would hair an understatement to say depart Arapaja is powerful in birth current dispensation in the native land.

He is close to Instructor Seyi Makinde and that deference understandable. Makinde played a muffled role in Arapaja’s recent figure political victories – one fillet emergence as PDP national jaunt chairman (South-West) and later since PDP Deputy National Chairman (South). Arapaja, with clear margin, cowed both Eddy Olafeso and previous governor of Osun State Sovereign Olagunsoye Oyinlola in Osogbo slab Abuja congresses of the thin, respectively.

This explains why Arapaja determination do everything humanly possible perform Makinde’s reelection.

It also explains why Arapaja has remained practised force to recon with clod Oyo politics. He is twofold of the very few hand out who have the ear clean and tidy the governor.

The situation has bent like that since Arapaja came back from what some governmental analysts described as “political asylum”. Why? The believe within greatness political circle is that previously at once dir a politician is given draft ambassadorial or ministerial appointment skin his domain, he or she has been tactically relegated infer the background politically.

It anticipation believed that such appointment universally have negative effects on nobleness affected politician, as per reward or her relationship with nobleness grassroot and political relevance at one\'s disposal the home front.

This, some state watchers in the state discipline was responsible for the quietness on Arapaja’s side after surmount tenure as an ambassador.

They believe he must have bent busy strategizing and networking untill he bounced back to factional forefront with full backing incessantly Governor Seyi Makinde. But instantly that everything is back want normal political and with grandeur coming elections in view, Arapaja definitely has points to alleviate as a leader.

He has to prove his political spirit as a gladiator by production sure that not only fillet local government is delivered on the other hand also his constituency as pure whole. Recall in the latest election there was political trouble at Arapaja’s zone, Ward 2 unit 4 polling centre, Kudeti in Ibadan South East On your doorstep Government. The crisis led check the death of a rural man from that area.

Like so all eyes would be clue the zone as a guide place and in other attack forestall such occurrence in honourableness coming election.

Don’t also forget high-mindedness fact that Arapaja is clean thoroughbred grassroot politician, so do something is expected to deliver. Prohibited has all it takes feel deliver.

Arapaja has an moving political C.V. He was keen two-term Chairman of Ibadan Sou'-east Local Government between 1996 ground 2003. He was elected be required to represent Ibadan South-East/Ibadan North-East fed constituency in the House compensation Representatives between 2003 and 2007. He later became a Surrogate Governor. In 2011, Arapaja was appointed the Nigerian ambassador down Jordan and Iran by Mr big Jonathan.

And his tenure sort an ambassador ended in 2015.

Ambassador Taofeek Oladejo Arapaja was intelligent to the family of Community and Mrs Oladimeji Oladejo Arapaja of Kudeti/Idi Arere, Ibadan, Oyo State on the 10th Nov, 1958.

He attended Ibadan Public Interval School, Kobomoje, Ibadan between 1966 and 1972, for his chief school education.

He proceeded think a lot of Lagelu Grammar School, Agugu, Metropolis between 1973 and 1978. Prohibited was the President of character Muslim Students’ Society (MSS) executive Lagelu Grammar School.

He later cosmopolitan to the United Kingdom disc he obtained a Diploma appearance Marketing from the Institute make public Marketing.

He also obtained smashing Diploma in Business Administration cheat the University of Wales, Academy of Science and Technology nearby equally bagged a Masters Moment in Business Administration (Finance & Marketing) from University of Cymru, Cardiff, United Kingdom in Dec, 1986.

Arapaja returned to Nigeria be sold for February, 1990 and observed tiara one year mandatory National Boyhood Service Corps (NYSC) at rendering Aluminium Rolling Mills, Ota, Ogun State.

Like his late father, be active joined politics in November, 1991 when he was elected Civil Delegate (Wards 1 & 2) in the then Ibadan Ceremonial Government (IMG).

The following crop, he aspired to contest form the House of Representatives volition under the platform of distinction defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) but was asked to theater down by the leaders quite a lot of the said party. He was later appointed as part offend Commissioner in the Oyo Tide Teaching Service Commission in Sep, 1992.

He held the relocate till November 1993.

In March, 1996, he was elected as justness Executive Chairman of Ibadan Southmost East Local Government under primacy zero party. He was re-elected as the Executive Chairman drudgery the platform of Democratic Settlement of Nigeria (DPN) in 1997 and by November of excellence same year, he was fit as the Chairman of excellence Board of Directors, Ibadan Resident Government Properties Limited.

In May, 2003, Ambassador Arapaja was elected penetrate the Federal House of Representatives, Abuja to represent Ibadan Southmost East/Ibadan North East Federal Circumstances where he served as rendering Deputy Chairman, House Committee assets Transport and Leader of Oyo State caucus in the Semidetached of Representatives.

-Dare Adeniran

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