Former Governor Reveals Sh*cking Reason Behind Stopping Pilgrimage Sponsorship

Former Ogun State Governor, Olusegun Osoba, has revealed why he discontinued sponsoring pilgrimages to Mecca and Jerusalem during his tenure.

Osoba explained that he was deeply concerned about students in public schools bringing their own desks from home, while many bright pupils were unable to sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) due to financial constraints.

To address this, he redirected funds originally allocated for pilgrimages toward education and public infrastructure. The former governor made the disclosure after being invested as Life Vice Patron of a club in Abeokuta, alongside Chief Olusegun Osunkeye.

“When I assumed office in 1999, I was troubled that students had to carry desks from home, and many talented pupils couldn’t afford WAEC fees,” he said.

Rather than spending public funds on Christian and Muslim pilgrimages, Osoba prioritized education by producing and distributing desks and chairs to schools across the state and covering examination fees for all final-year students.

“That’s why I decided to stop pilgrimage sponsorship and use the resources to construct desks and pay WAEC fees for all students, regardless of their parents’ ability to pay,” he stated.

Osoba also urged governments at all levels to ensure continuity in policy implementation, citing the lack of sustained programs as a major barrier to Nigeria’s development. He encouraged Nigerians to embrace farming as a survival strategy and called on governors to invest more in agriculture to combat food insecurity.

Reflecting on his administration, Osoba emphasized that he relied solely on career civil servants, without bringing in outsiders. “I never brought anyone from outside the state to work with me, not even a messenger. Any modest success we achieved was the work of civil servants,” he said, highlighting rural electrification projects, rural road construction, and the Abeokuta Hilltop housing estate as examples.