Certain events that take place in and around us either contract or shrink the vision of short-sighted men or expands that of visionary men. Two of such events have greatly influenced the film industry and of course altered the world’s perception.
Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s 1975-1977 British TV serial, “Space 1999” was triggered/inspired by the latest discovery in science in Space exploration and man’s anxiety of the existence of the possibility of other life forms in other planet, and more also by the Space race between Russia and the United States of America. and following in quick succession were various serials along similar story lines; Star Trek, etc.
The discovery of a ‘savage’ boy of Aveyron in one remote village of Southern France around the 1800 also gave birth to the concept of a child living in the wild, and either born to a wild animal or born and abandoned by reckless human beings but who was eventually raised by animals; “Big Foot and the Wild boy”; “Tarzan and the Jungle Boy” etc.
What then looks like speculative reality of some events, were taking to some new heights of fiction by ‘vissioners’ and creative thinkers by creating a refreshing outlook which incidentally inspires, again, a new thinking and a reality.
For instance, the science fiction films opened up new vistas in the study of science and researches, if it were possible in films we should be able to draw up new realities from them, there are now frenzied studies and inventions in holograms; Time Machines; search for life forms in Mass and other planets. Definitely, from film-inspired studies, men have been able to improve their own life quality, create more challenges and alternative means of survival.
No doubt, these are complex thinking that requires highly creative intellectual strength which can only be invented by men who have the capacity to live in the Future, and are audacious enough to chase after their convictions without let. Such men can be very rare; but there are.
And in a world where they are not too many, they are either dubbed mad, but most importantly, because the rest of the world find it usually difficult to keep pace with thestrength of their vision, they are called ‘controversial’.
What distinguishes great men from others is their power of imagination. They have the capacity to think beyond the immediate, see clearly into what we can modestly call the ‘future’, and have the courage to chase after that future, as if they have lived there for some time.
Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo dared the norm in his own time and lived for the education of his people; because he had the power to live in the future. Martin Luther lived in a Protestant future and altered the world from the way he met it, so was Martin Luther King (Jr.) who lived in the future of a race less America.
All great scientific inventions from electricIty to the rail system, to the digital and cyber platforms were by men only who had and still have the capacity to live and dream in the future.
As most of his admirers roll out the drums to celebrate the former governor of Ogun State, Otunba (Engr.) Gbenga Daniel’s 60th birthday on April 6, it is more like celebrating one of such men who lives in the future of Ogun State; not in its present, neither in its past. For those who have worked closely with the Engineer/businessman-turned politician, OGD (as he is fondly called) does not seem to have the capacity to stay in the past, not even the present for much longer.
Otunba Daniel will be better celebrated as a man who lives in Ogun State of 2025 and 2050 and beyond; to him, development can only be qualified and quantified in human values; he believes that it is only the human element that can take civilisation and development beyond the present into another generation.
He lives in a future that separates human survival from artefacts of development; the foundation of a real economic development can be solid only when erected on the economic freedom of the citizens, hence, human beings should be the focus of every government policies.
To him, Development comprises of everything human, both mental and physical growth. when a child grows bodily, that is physical development, but if such growth is not attended, or accompanied by mental growth, then such a child we say is retarded, then there cannot be real development in the absence of quality livelihood of the citizens. This is the Futurewhere the former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel lives.
Otunba Daniel lives in a Future of Ogun State that refused to yield to the global economic recession of 2008, and rather than be dettered by the challenges of that proved himself a visionary leader driven by a force to reinvent survival for his people; promising “Never Again” should Ogun State be hit by any global economic epidemic.
His answer to that was simply to invent an economic wheel to be driven by large scale investments in Economic Drivers like three Free Trade Zones; (Olokola, which would have housed the OK-LNG, OK-Deep Sea Port, and attached to same is the Petro-Chemical Institute at Ooni; Kajola which was envisioned as the biggest repair yard and the railway terminus: and Ogun-Guangdong, a growing manufacturing and industrial concern); an Agro-cargo/all-purpose airport; a highly ambitious regional water scheme to connect all the major cities and towns of the State in a single pipe laying network, the type never envisaged and the longest pipe laying networks ever. That is the Future in which OGD lives.
Development in the Future Daniel lives is interpreted in warehousing investments of the state through the Gateway Holdings mortgage finance (Gateway Savings and Loans) for workers so they can live in houses of their own, it is defined as providing employment to teachers through the Voluntary Teachers Schemes, through the establishment of the first University of Education in Nigeria (Tai Solarin University of Education) and four other ICT Polytechnics, through initiatives that are meant to provide regular power supply to the people, through putting the people to work constantly and allow local talents grow as in the Ogun State Road Maintenance and Management Agency (OGROMA), OGEGEP, OGSEP, TRACE, Plantgate; Obviously, in Daniel’s Future, Development can only mean when his people are happy and not hungry, when they are healthy with quality maintenance of the hospitals and health care systems.
Daniel’s paradigm changing future is approaching governance like a serious minded business man looking for profit, and the profit he had in mind was the safety and security of the future of the state’s citizens.
He was ready to put his money wherever can guarantee the happiness and prosperity of the people in the state, earning in the process the title ‘Asoludero’ (one who makes the town easy to live in). and truly, the people were really happy for it. He ran a government that was actually bought into by the people; perhaps the largest government ever where almost all the citizens claimed ownership.
At 60, many people should be glad to live in the Utopia Future that Daniel envisioned for Ogun State and should also be glad to celebrate with the man who arrived their early.
Oliyide, a Communication Consultant lives in Ibadan, Oyo State
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