Faithfully Graced: Birthday Thanksgiving To God, GSM et al
The 2002 New York Times best seller; “21 Leaders for the 21st Century: How Innovative Leaders Manage in the Digital Age”, the authors; Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner, made reference to the Virtuous Circle which partly states that “Universal rules inevitably encounter exceptions, but if we celebrate the exceptional, we can better revise and improve.”
Today, February 4, 2022 is my birthday and suffice to say that events as they unfolded in the last 48 hours, have necessitated me to create time for some introspection over life generally and especially in the last one year. In Don Moen’s voice, ‘I just want to thank you Lord!’
From what obtains on ground, it is crystal clear that my life took a turn for the better when the Governor of Oyo State; Governor Seyi Makinde FNSE (fondly called GSM), invited me to join his team officially as a political appointee in August 2021.
Today makes it two years, eight months and six days that His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde (FNSE) took the oath of office as Executive Governor of the Pace Setter State. Clearly, GSM is an exception to the (Political) rule and hence celebrating the exceptional, helps us to better appraise and improve on whatever the challenge(s) may have been.
Words fail me to appropriately appreciate my governor for triggering the plethora of beautiful happenings that have thus far characterised my last 365days. Your boy is grateful sir.
Special appreciation goes to the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Olubanwo Adeosun, The Head of Service, Ahaja Ololade Agboola, Chief of staff to the Governor; Hon Segun Ogunwuyi, Commissioner for health, Dr Bode Ladipo who moved heaven and earth during my dad’s last days before his eventual demise last year, Commissioners for Information, Lands, Local Government & Chieftaincy Matters, DG BPP/ Due Process; Ms Tara Adefope and other government functionaries.
I cannot but show immense gratitude to my mentors and allies from the media, such as the Chairman of BCOS; Prince Dotun Oyelade who interviewed and employed me to begin work on the same day in January 2020, as well as other seniors and colleagues in the fourth estate of realm. Thank you sir/ma.
A very big thank you to The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Taiwo Adisa, other media aides, members of the governors Protocol team and Security agents.
Nevertheless, the last one year was filled with a plethora of pleasant activities and a paucity of challenges, one of which is the loss of my dad on the 12th day of November, 2021…may his Soul rest in perfect peace. We miss you dad, we miss you. Suffice to say at this juncture that the love of and from family can never be over emphasised in the ramification of things with respect to a whole calendar year or more.
Immense gratitude to the set man, ministers, workers and members of Communication Gap for Jesus Ministry in Ibadan and Ekiti states. Thank you for the prayer and support in the last one year.
Finally,
“I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me.
Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward — to Jesus.
I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.
So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision — you’ll see it yet!”
- Phil 3:12–15 MSG