SINA KAWONISE: THE MUCH-AWAITED MESSIAH OF OGUN PEOPLE. Written by Saint-Olawale Jimoh

'And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountain shall drop new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim..'
-Joel 3:18

'Sina' in Yorubaland means 'way opener' and we all acknowledge that name is significant in human life. This man might just be the solution to the current Ogun problem.  It's obvious that people's expectations from government have not been met. The forestry authority locked forest reserve thereby making its workers, timber contractors and those in sawmilling business languishing in poverty. Ogun indigent students were much more disappointed. Few weeks ago, students of OOU Ago-Iwoye staged a peaceful protest against the neck-strangulating policies of state government and the introduction of POS as means of payment.
      Just last Wednesday, workers of the OOU Teaching Hospital, Sagamu threatened to embark on strike if the State government fails to pay their over N2billion salary arrears. The workers under the aegis of the Joint Health Sector Unions comprising the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Medical & Health Workers Union of Nigeria, Senior Staff Association and Non-Academic Union also accused the State government of being insensitive to their plight.
In fact, as I type this piece today 6th of May, 2013, Ogun State College of Health Technology, Ilese is still on strike!
    One might want to ask how relevance can this Kawonise be? Those who know Kawonise and are up to date with his political activities would readily acknowledge he's a force to reckon with.
Last July when he celebrated his 50th birthday at Conference Hotel in Ijebu Ode, there was no single political leadership that was not represented there. An event that attracted the likes of Mrs Tokunbo Awolowo, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Otunba Alex Onabanjo, Pa Lanihun, Reuben Abati (Special Adviser on media and publicity to the President), Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Prof. Muhammed Kuta Yahaya (Chief of Staff to Niger State Governor), Prince  Buruji Kashamu, Senator Lekan Mustapha, serving and former lawmakers from Ogun and neighbouring States, traditional rulers and many media giants.
 It's therefore a common fact that there are those who would feel threatened if he joins Ogun guber race to which he's readily preparing for. Perhaps the reason, he was attacked and shot on his way back from Awka where he had gone to deliver a paper at the Conference of the Nigeria Anthropological & Sociological Association. Those who shot at his car shot to kill according to reports made available had it not been for divine intervention that many him survived.
Fact is, Sina Kawonise is a moving train and on a rescue mission. A man of many parts who has got what it takes to govern Ogun and lead us to the promised land.
     He had served in various capacities in public service and private business spanning more than 20 years.  He is a  journalist, public affairs commentator, columnist, author, media consultant, businessman, former Honorable Commissioner, publisher..

  Sina Kawonise  emerged as the Best Graduating Student, in the Department of Sociology, Ogun State University, Ago-Iwoye (now Olabisi Onabanjo University) in 1988 and he passed his M.Sc. degree with distinction at the University of Ibadan in 1990.
He was one of Africa’s Winners/ Representatives in the Second World Competition for Young Sociologists in Bielefeld, Germany, July, 1994.
   At various times he was Staff Secretary, Department of Sociology, Ogun State University, Staff Adviser, Ogun State University Chapter of the National Sociological and Anthropological Students’ Association, Member, Ogun State University Press Council, Acting Treasurer, National Association of Sociologists and Anthropologists , Chairman, Faculty Open Lecture Committee (SMS), Member of NISER National Research Network on Liberalization Policies in Nigeria, Member, Governing Council, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Guest Contributor to the Opinion pages on The Guardian, Daily Times, Sunday Tribune and Saturday Tribune on Contemporary National Issues, since 1987, Consultant to the Editorial Board, Tribune Titles since December, 1991, Visiting Research Fellow, African Centre for Development and Strategic Studies (ACDESS) under the Directorship of Prof. Adebayo Adedeji since June, 1993.
     Sina Kawonise served honourably in the immediate past administration as Commisioner for Information & Strategy and he got a State Award as the best State Commissioner in
Ogun State 2011. He's till date the Chairman, Editor-in-Chief of Western Publishing Limited, the publishers of Compass and The Westerner newspapers.

He has also been involved in Fish Farming, auto Engineering and Car Dealership, Media Consultancy, Mining and Export of Solid Minerals.
Unlike some of his likes, Kawonise remains humble and approachable in spite of his achievements. He is down to earth and simple perhaps to a fault. He does not judge people based on hear say or other people’s opinion of them.


His publications includes:

-Kawonise, ‘Sina, A Sociological Analysis of Nigeria’s Political Crisis: 1960 to Date, Long Essay for B.Sc. Degree (Sociology), Ogun State University, Ago-Iwoye; 1988.

-Kawonise, ‘Sina (1989), “The Prospects of Democracy in a Neo-Colonial Economy: The Nigeria Experience”, in Prof. J Bayo Adekanye, (ed) Institutions and Processes of Democratization  in Nigeria, Ibadan: Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA), 1989.


-Kawonise, ‘Sina (1992), “Normative Impediments to Democratic Transition in Africa” in B. Caron, A. Gboyega and E. Osaghae (eds) Democratic Transition in Africa, Ibadan: Center de Recherches d’Echanges et de Documentation Universitaire, 1992.

-Kawonise, ‘Sina (Co-Author with Adebayo Adedeji & Onigu Otite) 1997, “Nigeria: Renewal from the Roots? The struggle for Democratic Development” African Centre for Development and Strategic Studies, ACDES, Ijebu Ode.

 Journal Articles:

-Kawonise, ‘Sina (1992) “The Conflict of Consciousness in State-Society Relations in Nigeria: An Explanation of Form and Essence”, Nigerian Forum, Vol. 1, No.2; May – August.

-Kawonise, ‘Sina, Civil Society and Democracy in Africa, International Sociology; 1994.

-Kawonise, ‘Sina (with Prof. Onigu Otite) (eds), Popular participation in Nigeria, African Centre for Development and Strategic Studies (ACDESS), 1995.

-Kawonise, ‘Sina, Civil Society and Democracy in Africa, being a paper presented at the 2nd International Sociological Association (ISA) World Wide Competition for young sociologists, Bielefeld, Germany, 1994.

-Kawonise, ‘Sina, Labour and Democratization : the Experience of the Labour Party in the Transition Programme in Nigeria. Being a proposal for the CODESRIA Network on Labour Movements and Policy Making in Africa, September, 1992.

-Kawonise, ‘Sina, Political Forces, State Power and the Question of Democracy in Nigeria. Being a paper presented at the National Conference on Development Directions for the 21st Century Nigeria, held at Ibadan 7th – 10th July, 1991.

-Kawonise, ‘Sina, The Prospects of Democracy in a Neo-Colonial Economy: The Nigerian Experience. Being paper presented at the 10th Annual Conference of the Nigeria Political Science Association, University of Ibadan, May 28 – June 1, 1989.

He has attended conferences home and abroad among which are:

-National Conference on “Institutions and Processes of Democratization  in Nigeria”, Calabar, July 1989.

- The XIIIth World Congress of Sociology, Bielefeld, Germany July 1994.

-National Workshop on “The World Bank Loan, the Universities and the Future of Nigeria, Ile-Ife, April 1990.

- National Conference on “Development Directions for the 21st Century Nigeria”, Ibadan, July 1991.

- National Conference on “Grassroots Democracy”, Abeokuta, July 1990.

- National Conference on “ Constitutionali sm and National Development in Nigeria”, Jos, November 1990.

- National Conference of the National Political Science Association, (NPSA) February 1994.

- African Centre for Development and Strategic Studies’ Workshop on Popular Participation in Development, June 1993.

- Centre for Democratic Study (CDS) National Conference on the Preview of the 1995 Draft Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Abuja, August, 1995.

In conclusion, this Kawonise is indeed an asset and if voted into office would not only do the needful but build impossible bridges and restore the lost glory of Ogun State.