Know your candidate…

THE global events point to one fact that the world longs for people who will stand up for what they believe, even if they have to stand alone, leaders whose courage has such a strong sense of purpose and security that they welcome the unknown.

May 3rd, 1963, in the sleepy but rapidly – developing town of Omi-Adio, via Ibadan, Ido Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria, late Mr. Owen Adeyinka Olowofela and his loving wife, late Mrs. Elizabeth Ajibike Olowofela were blessed with a baby boy named Joseph Adeniyi Adisa Olowofela. The boy is now Professor Joseph Adeniyi Olowofela, an academician of national and international repute, a grassroot mobilizer, political scientist, social crusader, human rights activist and an epitome of celebrated achievements whose contributions to the socio-political landscape of his community and state cannot be written off. His ilk constitutes great blessings to the black race.

Olowofela attended Hope Central Primary School, Omi-Adio between 1969 and 1975 before proceeding to United Christian Secondary School, Omi-Adio between 1976 and 1981. He later proceeded to the University of Ibadan, between 1982 – 1986 to earn his Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics, and graduated with Second Class (Upper Division).

He served at Union Secondary School Agulu, Njikoka Local Government Area (old Anambra State) as a physics teacher. And, thereafter, studied for and earned his M.Sc. in 1987 and PhD, (Solid Earth Physics) in 1995 respectively. He, also lectured at the Department of Physics, University of Ibadan, between 1994 – 2003.

Continuing, he joined the services of the Federal University of Agriculture, (FUNAAB), Abeokuta, first on a sabbatical appointment from 2003 -2004, then as an Associate Professor and Head of Department, from 2005 to 2007 before rising to the position of a Professor of Solid Earth Geophysics in 2009.

As a cerebral and highly respected scholar of no mean stature, he holds various professional qualifications which include: Certificate in Seismic Hazard Assessment obtained from Potsdam, Germany; Certificate in Water Resources in Flensburg, Germany; Certificate in Microprocessors obtained from the United Nation University, Rome, Italy as well as the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) Italy among others.

Professor Olowofela has since, successfully trained over 25,000 students, supervised over 50 B.Sc projects and more than 15 Ph.D projects, some of whom have become Professors and Associate Professors. In the course of his academic career, he had more than 70 publications to his credit, two of which are being used by University students in Germany till today.

With a passion to lift the fortunes of his community and people and with the desire to right societal wrongs, while promoting freedom and social justice, Olowofela joined active politics in the 80’s. His sole objective remains an advocacy for the improvement of the lot of his people and ensuring that young men and women coming after him in the community have a better deal through responsive, responsible and effective governance.

The Democratic Professor had served different parties and governments in various capacities which include:

* National Delegate – National Republican Convention (NRC), 1990

* Member, Governing Council, Oyo State College of Education, Oyo, 2000-2003

* Party Chairman, Alliance for Democracy (AD), Ido Local Government, Oyo State, 2002-2003

* Chairmanship Aspirant, All Nigerian People’s Party, (ANPP). He won the controversial election conducted by the then Oyo State Governor, His Excellency, Senator Rashidi Ladoja in 2007.

* He was appointed by the Governor, His Excellency, Senator Abiola Ajimobi as Transition Committee Chairman, Ido Local Government from 2011 to December, 2014.

* He was also appointed as the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Oyo state from June 2016 to September, 2018

To the glory of God, Professor Olowofela had received several awards and honours; both locally and national, they include:

√ Overall Best Performed Local Government Chairman in Nigeria, 2012 at the 19th Edition of National Award for Excellence in Grassroots Leadership, Presented by Grassroots Leadership Centre, Abuja.

√ Overall Best Performed Local Government Chairman in Nigeria, 2012 on Works/Education at the 10th Edition of the All Nigerian Local Government Chairmen Merit Award (LOGMA 2012) by Mentors Communication, Abuja.

√ Oodua Hero Council Chairman, 2013, an award presented by the Yoruba Youth Development Council, (YYDC).

√ Oyo State Commissioner of the year, at the 2017 Miss Oyo State Beauty Pageant, an award presented by Silverstone Communications.

√ Prestigious Award of Ambassador of Ethics and Conscience, and Induction into Hall of Fame, 2018 by Centre for Ethics and Self Value Orientation.

√ 2018, he emerged as one of the fifty most inspiring personalities in Nigeria according to The Guardian Newspaper.

√ Oyo State Commissioner of the year, at the 2018 Oyo Herald Magazine Annual lecture and Merit Awards

√ Award of excellence at the 2018 Prominent Oyo Peoples’ Awards (POPA 2018) by Cornerstone Media International

Olowofela is happily married and blessed with children.

He’s contesting as a representative of Ido/Ibarapa East federal constituency under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in the forthcoming general elections billed for February, 2019.