22092020 - S-Kaduna: No development without peace, unity— BUHARI

TRIBUTE
SOT: A Worthy Matriarch at 60
By MOBOLAJI SANUSI
Only a life lived for others is a life
worthwhile —Albert Einstein
WE, as human beings, prefer
to live. But not all lives are
worth celebrating because not all
lives qualify to be described as
impactful even when accorded an
opportunity to make it so.
However, it gives joy to state, with
all sense of decorum, that on
September 21, Senator Oluremi
Tinubu, SOT, the adorable wife of
my political father and benefactor
(omo olodo ide), Asiwaju Bola
Ahmed Akanbi Tinubu - The
Jagaban of Borgu land- falls into
the category of those who deserve
to be celebrated for her attaining
an eventfully depth-filled three
scores on mother earth.
She is a savant in the public
service of this country that is
playing a momentous
complementary role in Asiwaju’s
service to political development of
the country and humanity as a
whole.
On SOT, I have an illuminating
experience to share with readers.
In my four years, three months in
the public service of Lagos State,
SOT made an indelible impression
on me out of all the people that I
was privileged to come across as
the immediate past Managing
Director/CEO of Lagos State
Signage and Advertisement
Agency, LASAA.
In our clime where being close to
a man of immense political power,
not to talk of being the wife of such
a man, carries a lot of awesome
privileges, unnecessary hubris
and undeniable authority, SOT,
stands out for her humility,
mental acuity, no-nonsense
disposition, humane outlook and
unusual respect for those hovering
round her powerful husband
seeking one favour or the other or
sometimes coming around to pay
obeisance to the man for past
favours received, to curry
anticipated assistance, or that
daily throngs their residence to
reaffirm their continuing loyalty
to the man.
Viewed from these prisms, one
could, with all sincerity of purpose,
tell the whole world that SOT is
devoid of empty guile that is
usually the hallmark of wives/
children of powerful political
figures. As a senator, she has been
a pride to her constituents; as a
•Senator Oluremi Tinubu
wife, a devoted better half to her
husband, committed mother to
her kids, devoted Christian and a
study in humility and firmness to
the many who crossed her paths,
including someone like me in my
brief encounters with her. SOT,
from personal study, is not fond of
throwing her weight
unnecessarily around. My first
encounter with her was as
interesting as it was intriguing.
She had wanted a request for
someone and she called me directly
on my line unlike others in her
shoes who would bark orders at you
through a third party. I missed her
calls, and more intriguing with
that call was the fact that I did not
have her number on my phone.
Not minding my undue ‘insolence’
of not picking her calls, she sent
me a text message introducing
herself. When I saw the text and
her missed calls, I immediately
called her and apologised for
missing her calls and only called
back when I saw her text message.
She was on the other end very
calm and surprisingly respectful,
addressing me with the prefix ‘Mr’
and ending her statements with
‘sir’. To a minion like me in the
political compound of her powerful
hubby, it is unbelievably
commendable. SOT did not end the
call with an order but a plea to me
to meet the person she’s interceding
for and to consider her request if it
is not inimical to the interest of the
agency. I thanked her and later
met the person before getting back
to her. This is a sharp contrast from
many wives or spoilt brats of
powerful men who erroneously
believe that underserved respects
must be accorded them even when
they’re not known to have
successfully handled any known
business or occupied any noticeable
office, other than using their
patriarch’s influence to wreak
havoc on the system. SOT does not
belong in this category, for she’s
using her spousal relationship to
further elevate the BAT brand, not
to diminish it. SOT has character
which has to do with how one treats
those who have nothing to offer.
Another example was during last
year’s election when I was still the
SOT has
character
which has to do
with how one
treats those
who have
nothing to offer
head of the
outdoor
regulatory
agency,
SOT stood
o u t
amongst
t h e
candidates
of all the
political
parties that
contested in the state. It needs no
repeat to state that most politicians
exhibit lawlessness when it comes to
especially the issue of deployments
of outdoor advertising materials. The
politicians, irrespective of position,
education or class have no respect
for the law but SOT, with all sincerity
and sense of public duty, does not
belong to that lawless class. On
countless number of occasions, she
either called me personally or
through Alawiye King, the then
Director General of her campaign
office to ask for the position of the
law or how best to go before
embarking on any political
campaign materials deployment.
SOT hates being identified with
abuse of power or immoral flexing
of muscle. I say with all sense of
responsibility that she’s one of the
very few candidates who paid
outdoor advertising practitioners
for outdoor exposures, not waiting
for freebies, and the only political
figure that made my job as a
regulator easy, pre- and postelectioneering
seasons.
My very last official encounter
with her was when she sent a letter
of request for the placement of some
graduate interns in the agency -
all expenses paid by her. Despite
having sent the agency a formal
request, she, in her humble self,
followed up with a personal call to
me, taking her valuable time to
explain, the laudable objective of
the initiative to her constituents.
Without being immodest to others,
even in lesser shoes to that of SOT,
they’re known to bark orders at
you through an aide rather than
‘descend’ to the level of talking
directly with a minion head of an
agency. From personal experience,
some spoilt brats will usually expect
you to accede to their illegal
bidding because of their false sense
of importance, probably working
for your removal from office as if
that is the end of the world. SOT is
not in this misguided class.
From my psychological
dissection, as a journalist/lawyer
and trained managerial
psychologist, l could discern that
she was just acting her real,
humble, stern and firm self. Again,
my encounter with her after
leaving LASAA affirmed her
humanely humble disposition to be
real, despite being highly placed and
married to Jagaban.
I have gone this far to underscore
the fact of SOT’s humanity as
against the empty haughtiness that
is known to be the hallmark of wives
and children of powerful men of
power, in the corporate and
especially the political worlds.
Several others that l selflessly
assisted, both high and low, close or
far friends/relations, have not
deemed it necessary to check on me
not to talk of finding out whether l
am faring well but such is life.
Back to SOT, the matriarch of our
political family. She has carved an
enduring niche for herself as a
noteworthy public figure, not by
completely relying on the name of
her husband or exploiting her
feminine gender as an excuse. She
has, through her commitment to
public service and humanity in
general, become a beacon of hope
of how far and better a woman can
perform, given the right atmosphere.
As a First Lady of Lagos state, she
set up the First Era Foundation that
came up amongst others with the
pioneer Spelling Bees competition
and One -Day-Governor for the
winner of an academic competition
among secondary school students in
the state. The two competitions, still
retain their importance till date. As
a Senator of the Federal Republic,
so far, she has deployed her resources,
time and energy to truly serve
humanity. SOT is always in contact
with her constituents through her
well organized and attended Town
Hall Meeting to render accounts of
her stewardship thereby collating
cogent feedbacks in the process.
SOT is not a benchwarmer in the
Red Chamber of The Senate as her
sponsored bills have serious
positive consequences on the polity:
Is it her sponsored bill on Social
Security for Elderly Citizens; her
bill seeking amendment of the
Labour Act meant to enhance
employment opportunities for
women in the country or her
sponsored bill to provide Special
Economic Assistance to the center
of excellence to mitigate the
pressure on the state arising from
being the former federal capital
and the melting point for all ethnic
nationalities in the country. It is
on record that she gives yearly
scholarship and grants to her
constituents running into several
millions of naira.
Tertiary institutions like Sir
Michael Otedola College of
Primary Education, The Lagos State
University, Adeniran Ogunsanya
College of Education have all
benefited from her boisterous
influence in the Senate. Some
primary and secondary schools in
Lagos also got federal attention
through SOT’s influence. She is the
convener of the annual Musical
Youth Fiesta Initiative designed to
promote Godly lifestyle amongst
our youth.
SOT is deservedly a recipient of
the national award of the Order of
the Niger, OON. SOT’s life is a study
in leadership. This is a lesson to other
wives/children of powerful figures
that, being virtuous, humble,
hardworking and being committed
to a cause are four of the key
ingredients that can turn them to
successful brands that SOT has
become and not by throwing
unnecessary weight of their
husbands/parents around to compel
undue recognition.
The wives, sons and daughters of
powerful figures must learn from the
model lifestyle and positive
approach to public service of SOT
as she clocks 60 years on earth. To a
pious woman, adoring mother,
conscientious wife to Jagaban, a
committed public spirited officer
and matriarch of our political
family, l say a hearty happy 60th
birthday Yeye Asiwaju.
Congratulations Ma.
•Sanusi, immediate past MD/
CEO of LASAA, is a lawyer/
journalist, who resides in
Lagos.
Vanguard, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020—29
:Vanguard
Edo: Owan West LG boss lauds
Obaseki's victory
By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY—CHAIRMAN
Owan West local government
area, Hon Frank Ilaboya has lauded
the victory of Governor Godwin
Obaseki and his Deputy, Comrade
Philip Shaibu, describing the
victory as an expression of the
wishes of the people of Edo State.
In a press statement signed by
Ilaboya an ace Sports Journalist, he
paid tributes to Obaseki and his
administrative acumen. Owan
West local government area is the
only council Obaseki and the
Peoples Democratic Party won out
of the six councils that make up Edo
north.
Governor Godwin Obaseki, the
PDP candidate polled a total of
307,955 votes to defeat his
opponent, Mr. Osagie Ize-Iyamu of
the APC, who scored a total 223,619
Isoko North PDP resolves to retain
zoning for elective positions
By Ochuko Akuopha
OZORO—THE
Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, in
Isoko North Local Government
Area, Delta State, has reaffirmed its
resolve to retain the current zoning
arrangement and status quo of the
various elective positions in the
forthcoming elections.
Briefing newsmen on the outcome
of a joint meeting of the party's LGA
Executives and 13 ward Chairmen,
Legal Adviser of the PDP in the
council area, Mr. Isaac Atikueke,
said the resolution was in the
interest of peace, unity and stability
of the party in the local government
area.
He said the "party at both LGA
and Ward levels appreciated the
state Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa
for his unwavering support to the
party and making the party to attain
a limelight position across the state.
Atikueke disclosed that the party
constituted a seven-man
disciplinary committee headed by
Mr. Isaiah Onokowake, even as he
noted that the party called on those
"who initially left the party pre-2019
general election" to "officially return
to the party through their ward
Chairmen"
The party, at the meeting, passed
a vote of confidence on the Mr. Leo
Ogor led leadership of the party for
the manner they have been piloting
the affairs of the party in Isoko North
and the Chairman of the PDP in the
LGA, Prince Godwin Ogorugba "for
his exemplary leadership style that
is making the party more united,
peaceful and formidable in the local
government."
Edo people have proven themselves
worthy of emulation —Tajudeen
Bello-Osagie
B
ENIN CITY—A social com
mentator and businessman,
Tajudeen Osagie, has commended
the people of Edo State for a
peaceful election, devoid of violence.
According to him, "The good
people of Edo State have acquitted
themselves well in the discharge
of their civic duties and
have also proven themselves to be
worthy of emulation by other
states."
He lauded the role played by the
Oba of Benin Ewuare II, noting
"The Oba's intervention and call
for peace between the two leading
candidates of the APC and PDP
led to a dousing of tension in the
polity."
Okoko's death, huge loss to Ijaw
nation —Ezonebi
ASABA—THE
Publicity
Secretary-elect in the
inconclusive election of the Ijaw
National Congress, INC, Engineer
Oyakemeagbegha Ezonebi, has
commiserated with the immediate
family and the entire Ijaw nation on
the death of Professor Kimse
Okoko.
Ezonebi described the death of
the former president of the congress
and Emeritus Professor of Political
Science at University of Uyo as a
huge loss to the Ijaw nation and the
country at large.
votes.
The statement reads:"It was one
of the longest and toughest
electioneering campaigns ever in
the history of Edo Politics, but thank
God for giving us victory, a well
deserved one for that matter.
"Edo people spoke loudly and
clearly that we are a collection of
people whose voices and will must
be respected at a decisive moment
like this.
“It was a battle between godfather
and the good people of the state, a
battle of light over darkness, and as
always, the voice of the people
remains the voice of God.
“We give God all the glory for
making what the doubting
Thomases think was impossible.
"I have no doubt that the next four
years will witness another phase of
taking Edo State to an enviable level
that will make the citizens and
indeed all Nigerians very proud of
the governor and his team.”
He also commended President
Muhammadu Buhari for ensuring
a free and fair election in the state.
He said, "This wouldn't have
been possible without the president's
clear directive to the electoral
body, INEC and relevant security
agencies to ensure a hitch
free poll." He appealed to the President
to pass the pending Electorate
Act into law,
According to him, "This would
further entrench and imbibe the
tenets of democracy in the polity
and ensure a long and enduring
legacy for the president."
Congratulating the winner of the
election and current Governor
Godwin Obaseki for a hard fought
victory, he enjoined him to extend
a hand of fellowship to his main
rival, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu
In a condolence message he
issued in Asaba, Ezonebi expressed
shock at the passing of Prof. Okoko,
noting that the former Ijaw leader
was a source of inspiration and a
dependable mentor to the younger
generation of Ijaws.
He said: “He gave purposeful
leadership to the Ijaw National
Congress, and his wise counsel and
sense of direction would be greatly
missed.”
He urged the family to take solace
in the fulfilled and impactful life the
renowned Professor lived, praying
God to grant the soul of the departed
eternal rest.