By Kola Animasaun

‘’Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them”- John C. Maxwell

The air has been full of felicitations for his birthday from the 28th and up to now as I write this. It covers the radio, television and then newspapers. Bola Ahmed Tinubu was 64 years old on the 29th of March. Akanbi, has not been a common man- as an Accountant and a Politician of note. He was senator of the Federal Republic and two-time governor of uncommon Lagos State.

I have not read any of the Bola Tinubu’s biographies and I bet, there are a few of them around. Some would be best sellers from the point of view of his admirers and others from his distractors. But I have experienced Bola Tinubu first hand.

My views may be mixed from the point of view of a reporter and from the political view point. And largely from his philanthropy. For Bola rubbed me on all sides.

However, what I can say is that Bola has been a progressive all the way. He either joined directly or went into alignment with those who had the progressive bent. And he was one of the directing minds.

Bola was a senator of the Federal Republic in SDP and went into exile after MKO, espousing the virtues of the progressives. He and his party held the banner aloft and suffered for it. Rather than join the PDP, Bola and his team held out alone and struggled to free the South-West and wherever possible to preach the gospel.

As an Accountant, Bola knew that Lagos was sitting on a pot of gold and it took him to mine it. And the states including the Federal Government are following his example. Bola showed that Lagos State can stand with or without statutory allocation from the federal government. He demonstrated it when he created the local government development authorities and the federal government stopped his allocations.

Bola demonstrated his tenacity and won .Many other states now see that it could be done. He brought to bear his training as an accountant and he showed how to hold on. We cannot tell the Bola story if we forget the beginning. In the beginning there was a man who called himself G.O.D.  He wanted to be the Lagos Governor but he failed. He tried to pass on to a man who he thought would be amenable. But that failed. Bola gave him everything he possibly could which included a cabinet position to the G.O.D son. He would not be placated, but Bola triumphed!

There was the case of the deputy who thought she was everything God ordered. She had to leave the position because she suffered indiscipline. Bola’s two terms as governor of Lagos were memorable. He set examples of how to work and being a man who does not believe in half measures, he went for an unknown man called FASHOLA. Little known Fashola had no antecedent in politics and no money to prosecute a political campaign. And I, personally, asked Bola why he should do that. Bola told me he saw what many did not see in him. He said he was honest. When he was in charge of his estate when he was in exile, he dealt with it honestly. And he pledged: I will spend all the money that needed to be spent. Bola was true to his words. He spent all the money and followed him to all the campaigns.

Fashola (SAN) was true to the pledge: he worked hard and brought Lagos State a notch higher. No wonder, Buhari needed a good man and an honest one and a good worker. So, he (Buhari) hired him-in three positions! And that was one up for bola!

Akinwunmi  Ambode is also recruited in the same manner. An accountant like himself, he is shaping up like his predecessors. After the election that gave Bola the first term, I went to see him. After felicitations, he asked what I could do for him. I told him I would want him to put some constituents in employment. He asked me to name them. I mentioned about seven and intrigues, not from Bola, and he is not capable of that, set in.

His so-called brother, Rafiu, told me why this people, not being Lagosians, should not be given jobs. And I told him this people did vote for the governor and did not do it because he (governor) represented clannishness. Bola gave five of the seven jobs.

Again in his second term, I asked him to employ seven more and he obliged me with five more. The ten spread over Osun, Ogun, Lagos, Ekiti, and Oyo. They form the brigade of honour for Bola Ahmed Tinubu. They are in level 10 or 12 now. When I meet them, I am always happy and I know the Asiwaju is always happy too.

How many thousands more jobs he had offered, and many more he is offering in his many openings in Lagos and across the length and breadth of this country. ‘’On his inauguration, Bola made this declaration: ‘’Bola Tinubu’s speech would rank impressively high when compared with the Obasanjo one. I particularly expected nothing less given Bola’s antecedent.

The tone carried the concern for the people of Lagos, appropriate for the occasion. Bola might have used the prompter but the delivery said so much for his education and literacy. He touched on all of our problems and he promised to do something about them.  There was a ring of honesty in his delivery and there was a feeling of confidence that he would deliver.

Like the federal boss, Bola did a few things after to leave us in no doubt.  He renamed the Mohammed Abacha Press Centre to Bagauda Kalto Press Centre. Mohammed (Abacha) had no place in our life. He was never a nationalist, journalist or publisher. It was one aberration that did not jell with the many good works of Brigadier – General Buba Marwa. I understand the dictation of self-survival and no one may do less with commission on his life.

So we not forget the hero of June 12, Moshood  Kashimawo  Abiola , Bola named the extensive Ikorodu Road after MKO.—— Sunday vanguard 6th June 1999.”

The philanthropy of Bola is unmatched. When I had a motor accident near Ogbomosho, Asiwaju came to our office in Vanguard (in 1999). He did not see me at the meeting and he asked for me. When told I was in my office, he came down to see me -all concerned. When I was also not well he arranged for me to see his doctors in London and paid the bills. He was the launcher of my book in 2012. He could not come but sent along a good man. That has always been the way of the Jagaban Borgu.

At the 8th colloquium in Abuja, the cream of society was present. The president of the Federal Republic, Muhammed Buhari, his Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) was also there.  All the notable governors and functionaries of APC were also present. They looked at the position of Nigeria and thought Nigeria must do something about her agriculture. Considering their seriousness, they mean to attack headlong! That is another good turn the Asiwaju has done us.

Chief Obafemi  Awolowo was unanimously accepted as the leader of the Yoruba; after him was Chief Micheal Ajasin. Following was Chief Micheal Adesanya and I was privilege to be present on the occasion of his unanimous declaration at the Premier Hotel in Ibadan. The Jagaban Borgu has done all to deserve the tittle of the Asiwaju of the Yoruba nation. So let us endorse him. This would make him work for us more.

Many more returns of the day.