Babalola
Borishade
Abraham
Babalola Borishade (7
March 1946-April 26, 2017) was a Nigerian politician. Born into the Ebi Ilotin
family he was a Federal Minister in Nigeria four times, between 1999-2011. He was known
as an electrical engineer, teacher and political strategist. He died on the 26
April 2017 after a brief illness. He was 71.[1]
Education and personal life
Borishade
had his early education at St. Andrews Primary School in his home town and his
Secondary School education at Doherty Memorial Grammar School, Ijero Ekiti. In
1971, he graduated from the University of Ife with First Class Honours in Electrical
Engineering. He was retained as Graduate Assistant at the same university. In
1972, he secured a Commonwealth Scholarship for a Doctorate Degree in High
Voltage Engineering at the Victoria University, Manchester, United Kingdom. He
later obtained his PHD in 1975 and returned to Obafemi Awolowo University where
he pioneered the establishment of the Electrical Power Systems Degree Programme
and the University of Ife Consultancy Unit in the Faculty of Technology.
In
1975, Borishade was selected as a member of pioneering experts and proceeded to
train at the Nuclear and Power Engineering Station in Texas, A & M University where he obtained a certificate in Nuclear Power Development. He further undertook training
in the International Atomic Energy Agency Centre in Vienna in 1982.
Borishade
who was a registered engineer and member of Institute of Electrical Engineers
U.K, Nigerian Society of Engineers, American Nuclear Society, Science
Association of Nigeria, became an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering
O.A.U Ile- Ife in 1985. During the years of his stay at O.A.U Ile-Ife, he
served as a member of the Technical Advisory Committee at the Regional Centre
for Training in Aerospace Survey, a representative of the congregation at the
University Senate, Chairman of Project Advisory Committee and University Works
and Maintenance Service Monitoring Committee. He is married to Ireti Olubunmi
Borishade and blessed with children.
Public service
In
1988, Borishade was elected as Member of the Constituent Assembly, to review
the 1979 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He along with a group
of intellects usefully advocated for the creation of the Nigeria Energy Commission
and the Environmental Protection Commission which gave birth to the
establishment of FEPA as a precursor to the present Ministry of Environment.
Borishade was attracted and inspired by the disposition of General Sheu Musa
Yar’adua towards the establishment of bridges of understanding across the
ethnic nationalities of the country as a prerequisite for National Coalition
and Development. He joined the Generals effort in creating a Movement called
the “ the Peoples Front” which later gave birth to the formation of the Peoples
Democratic Movement (PDM), a political association that has remained dominant
in the landscape of Nigerian Politics. The PDM was in the forefront of the
struggle to restore democracy to Nigeria and became a principal partner in the
formation of Social Democratic Party created by the Babangida Military
Administration. Prof. Borishade served as Director of Research and Planning for
the defunct Society Democratic Party (S.D.P); Coordinator (Administration) of
M.K.O Abiola’s campaign; Director of Administration, Strategy and Planning for
the Obasanjo Campaign Organization in 1999; and Coordinator of the Election
Administration and Management Unit of the Obasanjo/Atiku Campaign Organization
in 2003. Prof. Borishade was appointed as Senior Special Assistant to President
Obasanjo in May 1999, initiating and convening the first Youth Forum in Abuja.
He chaired the preparation of the National Youth Policy and the blueprint of
the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP).Between February 2001 and
May 2003, he served as the Minister of Education.
In
recognition of his contributions to Education in Nigeria, Africa and the World
at large, Prof. Borishade was elected the Vice- Chairman of the E9 Group of the
United Nations,[2] President of the UNESCO International Conference on Education, as well as
Chairman Education for All (EFA) Forum of African Ministers of Education. In
2004, Prof. Borishade was appointed as Honourable Minister of State, Power and
Steel. He initiated the ‘Gas to Power Project (G2P)’ a World Bank sponsored
project designed to ensure sustained gas development and availability for power
production to meet Nigerian electricity demands. Between July, 2005 and
November 2006, Prof. Borishade was Minister of Aviation, during which a Civil
Aviation Bill was passed to replace the 1964 Act and the direct flight between
Nigeria and the United States of America was restored. His initiation of
various reforms and development in the aviation sector resulted in Nigeria
scoring 93% in the ICAO Universal Audit which made Nigeria a benchmark to
African Aviation Industry. In November 2006, he was reassigned to the Federal
Ministry of Culture and Tourism as a Minister, a position he held till May,
2007 at the expiration of Olusegun Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar tenure.
Awards and honours
National
Honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic, CFR, in recognition
of his more than three decades of service to Nigeria.[3]
References
"BREAKING: Former Minister, Prof
Babalola Borishade, is dead". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved
2017-04-26.
Copyright
- Wikipedia
No comments:
Post a Comment