Mr Hazeem Gbolarumi was rightly deemed to be late Mr Lamidi Adedibu's right hand man. He was so close to the late Garrison Commander of Ibadan politics such that baba breathed his last right in his arms.
In this capacity, he acted as the hammerhead of most of Adedibu's political battles.
He was a trusted loyalist of the Alaafin Molete.
No wonder then that apart from Mr Adebayo Alao-Akala, the rambunctious, colourful, fun-loving Ogbomosho politician, Gbolarumi was the second biggest beneficiary of the 2006 attempted impeachment of Mr Rasheed Ladoja as Governor of Oyo State.
Akala had to become governor of course given his position as Deputy to Ladoja. But to him must a deputy be found and Adedibu, who by now was the effective kingmaker of Oyo politics, settled for his trusted lieutenant - Gbolarumi.
No sooner had he settled in office as Number 2 than rumours began to swirl around about his WASC 'O'Level certificate.
Gbolarumi, in his curriculum vitae, had claimed he attended a secondary school at Ede but checks revealed that he didn't acquire the results he tendered. In other words, his certificates were what we call 'Oluwole certificates'
Anyway, the administration was terminated by a Supreme Court judgement that reinstated Ladoja in December, 2006.
Thereafter, Gbolarumi went back to school from 2007. He was determined to straighten out the academic aspect of his life. He sat for the GCE, passed and got enrolled at the university. He didn't attend one of those one-storey building universities that dot the backwater streets of many US cities or Benin Republic, no. He read law at Nigeria's first university, the University of Ibadan! Thereafter, he proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Bwari, Abuja to qualify as a barrister.
This is the example that Mr Ademola Adeleke, senator and PDP Governorship candidate in the coming election, ought to follow. He needs to dismount his high horse and take the humble pie. If you want to govern the people, try and get education.
Ditto for Mr Okoi Obono- Obla, Chairman, Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution. WAEC has categorically said his WASC certificate, with which he gained admission to the University of Jos to read law is fake.
The legitimacy of the positions that these persons hold is questionable for now.
And ditto for Mrs Kemi Adeosun who was ineligible for NYSC exemption certificate she holds but who still went ahead to procure a fake one. I wonder how she sits across the table with bank chiefs, world financial institution executives, etc, who probably know that one of the documents she tendered to get her present job is fake.
Adeleke should go back to school.
Obono-Obla should resign and go back to school.
Kemi Adeosun should resign and apologize to Nigerians.
These are the minimum requirements for redemption.
Their current attitude of stubbornly sticking to their guns is dangerous. They are telling our youths that education is useless and integrity is nothing. That should not be allowed.
Gbolarumi is waving the flag of example: of rectitude, of restitution.
• Ayoola is a former Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly
