Adesoye at 70: toasts to a noble heart

IT is apparent that Chief Emmanuel Olatunji Adesoye has fulfilled a divine destiny by living up to the ripe age of 70 and still getting stronger and raring to go the extra mile in life’s adventurous journey. The Asiwaju of Offa, who attains life’s glorious height, as he celebrates his 70th birthday today, certainly, has so many stories to tell about life’s wonderful adventures and how his daring exploits and industry eventually took him to the pinnacle of success.

CHIEF Adesoye might have read about fairy tales, whose happy endings usually trigger some magical feelings in the consciousness of excitable and impressionable young minds; but the magical reality of his own life would not have come as a surprise to many people who knew him as the young enterprising boy that sold sweets at Scala Cinema in Lagos. Right from his school days, the young Olatunji knew what he wanted from life and the ending he wanted for his own life’s story. Today, the story of Chief Adesoye is one of a happy ending, exciting adventure, with its twists and turns and the suspenseful thrills that characterise literary masterpieces. From the sweets-seller boy of many years ago, he has become a builder of towns and cities, as an architect and a quantity surveyor, a builder of a business empire, a manufacturer of confectionary, an educationist and a philanthropist.

BORN on April 25, 1938, to the family of the late Abraham Adio Adesoye and Madam Marian Adeoti, at Offa, Emmanuel started his quest for a sound education at African Church Bethel School, Ebute Metta, Lagos, in 1948, but had to complete his primary education at St. Mark School, Offa, in 1952. In 1953, he enrolled at the Offa Grammar School for his secondary education which he completed in 1957, and proceeded to Yaba Technical College in 1958 to study architecture. In 1959, Emmanuel was at the College of Arts, Science and Technology , Enugu. As a member of staff of the Northern Region Ministry of Works, he was given a scholarship to study Quantity Surveying at the South East Essex College of Arts, Science and Technology, United Kingdom, between 1961 and 1963 as a strong proof of his brilliance and industry.

CHIEF Adesoye while in the employ of the government left a mark of achievements and rose to the position of chief quantity surveyor of the Northern Region. He is also the first Yoruba and Northerner to qualify as a chartered quantity surveyor. It is this bold seal of achievements in the public sector that he carried with him to stamp his authority in the private sector. Remarkably, the daring and adventurous Olatunji had, voluntarily, left the government service at the very young age of 30 which was when other people were joining the service.

TODAY, his sense of mission, dedication, commitment to a cause and a strong will to make a success of any enterprise that engages his passion have made him a remarkable personality. From Adesoye Holdings, Okin Biscuits Limited, Okin Foams Limited to Okin Fisheries, among others, it has been a remarkable story of success for Chief Adesoye.

BUT this remarkable person has never kept God’s credit for himself alone; he has made it a duty to share God’s blessings in his life with others. He has been widely acknowledged for his philanthropy and great contributions to the educational development of Nigeria. Adesoye College, Offa, is one of his commendable interventions in a moribund educational system. Unlike some others who established schools for mercantile reasons, Adesoye’s main objective for establishing the college was informed by a strong desire to build an army of intelligent future leaders for his country. To achieve this, he ensures that brilliant but indigent students are given scholarships. And many Nigerian families have been proud beneficiaries of Chief Adesoye’s generosity and large heartedness.

AS a community leader, he has not forgotten his source. His contributions to the development of the town are sterling. It is for these reasons that the people of Offa have wholeheartedly accepted him as their frontrunner as his traditional title, Asiwaju, literally means. Above all, his fear of God has further helped to shape and refine him into a rounded, adorable character. As a god-fearing man, he believes so much in the essence of serving humanity and he has spent his life doing just that.

THERE is a great lesson to be learnt from Adesoye’s life. It is the fact of being well brought up by one’s parents and being supported by a visionary wife. Chief Adesoye has never hidden the fact that his helpmate, the late Mrs. Comfort Aduke, played a critical role in his life. And the fruits of her great supports are their four beautiful children and their grandchildren.

DOES this remarkable human deserve all the accolades that are being heaped on him? He certainly does in a society like Nigeria, where the rank of god-fearing, humanity-conscious and srats? send for braithwaiteelfless people is gradually thinning out and is being replaced by devious and destructive characters. Chief Adesoye deserves our commendation for his contributions to the creation of a greater Nigeria. We wish him many more fruitful and rewarding years on earth.

rats? send for braithwaiterats? send for braithwaite

DR. Tunji Braithwaite had a programme to rid Nigeria of rats and mosquitoes. He was the founder and presidential candidate of Nigeria Advance Party (NAP). He had nothing to hide and wore dashikis and not enveloping agbadas.

THOSE who do the pools believed he was their patron saint. They are always talking about naps and Dr. Braithwaite was the presidential candidate of NAP. They bet on Dr. Braithwaite becoming the president of Nigeria.

BUT Dr. Braithwaite was misunderstood by many Nigerians. This arose from shocking ignorance. They said rats and mosquitoes were no threat and that Nigerians’ only desire was to be fed. Columnists and cartoonist laughed Dr. Braithwaite out of court.

DR. Braithwaite was not elected and the population of rats and mosquitoes has increased phenomenally in Nigeria. Rats have been eating some people out of house and home in Kano, according to a newspaper report. The rats have a multi-course meal. For dessert, they eat the soft fingers of babies.

MANY residents fear for their lives. Said one woman: “Some day, if care is not taken, they (rats) will be eating people raw.” Obviously, rats prefer human flesh that is cooked. It has, indeed, been said that rats and cockroaches are chefs in many Nigerian restaurants.

THE population of rats is exploding because there are many human rats in Nigeria. They steal public funds in the greedy manner rats have been stealing food and fingers in Kano.

DR. Braithwaites meant to rid the nation of both human and animal rats and many people laughed at him. Now they are crying. Dr. Braithwaite, your country needs you!