By Femi Oyewale, Encomium
51 year old Lagos State gubernatorial aspirant of All Progressives Congress, Akinwunmi Ambode, has carpeted the controversial prediction by Primate Elijah Ayodele that if APC picks him, the party will lose the state.
According to the technocrat turned politician, he is not swayed by Primate Ayodele’s words, rather he is rest assured by the prophesies of Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye in 2013, which guaranteed his victory, not just at the primary but in the forthcoming election in 2015.
In an exclusive chat with ENCOMIUM Weekly on Tuesday, November 25, 2014, speaking to us through his Director of Media, Mr. Idowu Ajanaku, he said, “On June 2, 2013, the Apapa family of the RCCG organised their annual programme at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos. It comprises of Epe 47, where over 2,000 branches gather together every first week of June for Daddy G.O’s visit. Ambode was among them. When Daddy G.O mounted the pulpit, before he delivered meritorious message, he gave a word of prophecy.
“He said my father told me that the next governor of Lagos will be a member of RCCG. I have the tape here with me. Nobody knew then that he will be aspiring. But he told me that the way and manner he emerged as a guber aspirant in APC is a confirmation of that prophecy. Baba does not dabble into politics but since this development the entire members of RCCG Worldwide are praying for the confirmation of this prophecy. I don’t consider Primate Ayodele’s word as a serious prediction worthy of meditation. Ambode will not only win the ticket but will emerge winner in the election in 2015.”
Akin Ambode was the former Accountant General/Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance in Lagos, until his voluntary retirement in 2012, after 27 years service. He was probably the first civil servant to resign from such a plum position when he still had many years to go in the service.
The impression was that Asiwaju Tinubu told him to do so because he was preparing him for greater responsibility.
When he left the service, he went to Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, where we learnt he studied one or two things about governance in his preparation for the greater responsibility.
Luckily for him, while abroad studying, his wife of 18 years gave birth to a set of twins, a boy and a girl for the first time in their marriage. With the clamour for a Christian governor in the state, he has been parading himself as Tinubu’s choice as the next governor in waiting.
Ambode is from Epe in Lagos. He designed the strategy to shore up the revenue of the state when Obasanjo seized Lagos LG funds as accountant general of the state.
Born June 14, 1963, at Epe General Hospital, Epe, Lagos State, he had his primary school at St. Jude’s Primary School, Ebute Meta, Lagos, passed the National Common Entrance in Primary 5 and gained admission into Federal Government College, Warri.
Recorded the second best result in the entire West Africa in the Higher School Certificate Examinations in 1981.
Graduated with honours in Accounting from the University of Lagos at 21. He started his public service career at Lagos State Waste Disposal Board (now LAWMA) as Accountant Grade II in November 1985.
At 24, he qualified as a Chartered Accountant and completed his masters degree programme in Accounting from University of Lagos, specializing in financial management.
He was appointed Acting Auditor-General for local government in 2000 and became the youngest Auditor-General for local government in Lagos State.
He was appointed permanent secretary, Ministry of Finance in January 2005 and in February, 2006, was given the additional responsibility of Accountant-General of Lagos State.
He was the youngest permanent secretary in service and only the second person to hold both positions of permanent secretary and accountant-general at the same time.
Under his watch, the state treasury office revolutionized the way Lagos State finances were raised, budgeted, managed and planned, resulting in the state’s budget performing at an average of 85 percent annually.
He ensured payment of civil service staff salaries before the end of the month, payment of running cost by first week of each month and introduced end of the year package and special/specific welfare for staff.
He launched the e-payment platform for the monthly staff salaries. He renovated the state treasury office, created a conducive working environment, introduced a corporate dress code and provided laptops for all directors.
A scholar, accountant, administrator, an astute leader with strong emotional intelligence, he is an alumnus of Wharton Business School and has attended courses at Cranfield School of Management, Cranfield, England; the Institute of Management Development, Lausanne, Switzerland; INSEAD, Singapore and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
He retired voluntarily from public service in August, 2012; the first voluntary retirement by a permanent secretary in the Lagos State Public Service.
He established Brandsmiths Consulting Limited in 2012 and the company is today consulting for federal, state and local governments on the transition to the new International Public Service Accounting System and other financial advisory services. A stickler for high performance, he does not make decisions based on race, gender or religion.
Credit: Encomium
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