Daniel urged the people of Ogun East to sustain their support for the ruling administration.
He stressed that continuity in leadership both at the federal and legislative levels was key to actualising long-held regional aspirations such as the creation of Ijebu/Remo state and the Ijebu Seaport project.

Otunba Gbenga Daniel

…SENATOR SAYS TINUBU’S REELECTION KEY TO INDUSTRIAL GROWTH AND STATE CREATION

Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, says his ongoing BATOGD Midterm Community Assessment and Review (MIDCAR) Tour is designed not as a political rally but as a grassroots listening exercise to evaluate development priorities and assess how government policies are impacting communities across Ogun East.

Speaking jebu Imushin in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun on Sunday, the former Ogun State Governor said the tour was conceived as part of a broader effort to strengthen the bond between elected representatives and the people, while showcasing tangible results of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

“For the past few weeks,” Daniel said, “we have been on tour trying to take a review of our performance in all the Local Government Council areas in our Senatorial District, to take feedback and assess the extent of our community involvement, with a view to establishing what more needs to be done as well as areas that need government’s intervention.”

He explained that the BATOGD Movement, which stands for Bola Ahmed Tinubu–Otunba Gbenga Daniel Movement, was not only a political structure but a civic-driven network aimed at mobilising community participation and accountability in governance.

Some people have asked me, what exactly are the philosophies around this BATOGD Movement and as I always told them that the system of political governance, especially in this our environment is as complex as the economics of survival, this process needs to be carefully explained and distilled down to the people in the simplest of language. Our people need to know how the activities of government have impacted directly on their lives, not in terms of statistics and figures alone. This is where the BATOGD Movement Community Assessment and Review Tour derives its core objectives.
“The MIDCAR tour,” he said, “is not just a political rally, it is a listening and feedback session to hear from our people, assess our collective progress, and highlight ongoing efforts and federal policies that will bring tangible benefits to every community in our senatorial district.”

Reviving the Bitumen Dream

Senator Daniel, who served as Ogun State Governor from 2003 to 2011, lamented the underdevelopment of Ijebu East despite its vast natural resources, especially the abundance of bitumen — a key raw material for road construction and industrial applications.

This is just as Daniel passionately urged the incumbent governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, to actualise the Olokola Deep Sea Port project at Ode—Omi community in Ogun Waterside local government area, which his administration initiated between 2003 and 2011.

That vision, he said, was abandoned after his tenure, leaving Ijebu East to languish in neglect despite its economic potential. However, the Senator expressed renewed optimism that the project would soon be revived under President Tinubu’s administration.

“During my time as governor of Ogun State, we discovered that Ogun East has the largest deposit of Bitumen anywhere in Nigeria. Our vision then was evident: to create a whole new city for Bitumen mining and exploration, which we believe would increase economic prosperity and positively impact the lives of the people in the area. We envisioned this area bubbling with multinational investments, industries, jobs, and infrastructure, all driven by bitumen exploration and processing.

“I am in contact with, and delighted to inform you that the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, under the exceptional leadership of my friend and brother, Mr Dele Alake, and in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has assured that the bitumen wealth of Ijebu East will soon be put to productive use. I have every confidence in that assurance because Dele Alake is not only a trusted colleague and friend of over four decades but a man of results”, Daniel stated.

He commended President Tinubu’s commitment to reforming the mining sector, revealing that government revenues from solid minerals had grown from ₦6 billion to ₦38 billion within a year. “This is the practical demonstration of the Renewed Hope Agenda — an agenda built on reform, innovation, and inclusive growth,” he said.

Daniel noted that the federal government had declared an end to the export of raw minerals and would henceforth only grant mining licences to investors committed to local processing and value addition. “It is about ensuring that the prosperity derived from mining stays within Nigeria,” he said.

Grassroots Development and Empowerment

Beyond large-scale projects, the Senator underscored his efforts to deliver community-based interventions across Ogun East.
He highlighted several constituency projects already completed or ongoing, including the installation of a solar-powered borehole in Igbaga, Ijebu-Imushin, which now provides safe and sustainable water for residents.

“Our representation has been deliberate and people-focused,” Daniel said. “We have carried out multiple empowerment programmes across Ogun East Senatorial District that include interest-free microcredit schemes, skills acquisition training, and the distribution of start-up kits and capital to beneficiaries to support small-scale businesses.”

According to him, over 4,000 residents from various local governments; including Ijebu East have benefited from his medical outreach, which provided free eye-care services, surgeries, and eyeglasses. He added that such interventions were “only the beginning,” emphasizing that “real development must be inclusive, people-driven, and sustainable — reaching from the top to the very last household.”

Renewed Push for Ijebu State Creation

Senator Gbenga Daniel also hinged that the long-standing agitation for the creation of Ijebu State stands a better chance of materializing if President Bola Tinubu and other supportive lawmakers, including himself, are reelected in 2027.

While explaining the need for his reelection to further drive home the state creation agenda, Daniel said:

“There is an information getting to me that for all zones, only one state will be created. And in the South West, there are others agitating for state creation, such as Ibadan State, whose bill just passed second reading in the House of Representatives last week.”

He added that Ijebu State is the only province since 1923 that has not been created into a state, urging his people to support the continuity of the Tinubu administration and his own reelection to fast-track the process.

“We have lost several opportunities because of inconsistent representation from the proposed refinery to other major federal developments,” Daniel said. “This is why I say our people have more power than they realize, and that power must reflect in the quality of representation they send to the Senate.”

Daniel emphasized that political stability and experienced representation would be critical to achieving the dream of statehood and unlocking long-stalled federal investments in Ogun East.

A Call for Collective Progress

Senator Daniel reaffirmed his commitment to leveraging his experience and connections in Abuja to attract more federal presence to Ogun East.
“When you sent me to Abuja as your Senator, I took it as a sacred responsibility, not only to make laws — which is the primary responsibility of the Senate  but also to leverage on relationships with the President and other agencies of government to influence policies and attract development projects that can revive and empower our communities,” he said.

He pledged to continue collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals, investors, and other stakeholders to ensure that the bitumen exploration and processing project becomes a model for Nigeria’s industrial renaissance.

“With the support of the Federal Government, and through continuous engagement with ministries, investors and other stakeholders in the industry, we will make this happen,” he assured. “We shall transform our God-given blessings into lasting prosperity for this generation and generations yet unborn.”