Several people have taken to different social media platforms to celebrate Erelu Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi’s 57th birthday. They have written so much that, at a point, I felt it was needless for me to write something. However, none has succinctly captured my views about BAF because she is truly a woman of many parts. One can only talk about the part known to one.
My relationship with the Fayemis began in 2006 but I didn’t get to know Mrs Fayemi closely until 2014 when I was preparing for my wedding. Her husband, my boss, was to chair the wedding reception but was unavoidably absent as he had an official assignment to attend to in Osogbo. He however asked his wife who had earlier taken my late mother as her own sister to stand in for him. The rest is history!
Shortly after the 2014 gubernatorial election, my mum had some discussions with BAF on phone and gave me the phone to say hi. The conversation was about a pastor who had demanded several millions of Naira to pray for Fayemi’s return. Erelu was straight to the point: “Seun, do you also believe in those people who call themselves men of God? We have been praying to God directly and I believe that you too can join us in prayers. We and Prof. Dupe (Adelabu) have been praying and we believe in God only. A true man of God cannot be inconsistent with the word of God”, she said. I was perturbed and said to myself, “This woman is not desperate to see her husband return to office at all costs”. She seemed to me an ardent believer in God. Erelu BisiAdeleye-Fayemi is a woman of faith, resilience and hope. She sees possibilities in impossibilities.
A very impressive quality I saw in BAF is her empathy for people’s situations. I was in Abuja when she got the SMS that my mum was seriously ill and needed money to undergo surgery. In less than 1 hour that she got the SMS, she transferred double the amount needed for the operation. Two days after, I was at the Government House in Ado Ekiti and saw her. I thanked her for her kindheartedness but it was nothing to her. A few minutes after she left, her SA Media and I had a discussion and she told me BAF was very sad two days ago when she got an SMS that someone was very ill. I told her it was my mum. She said Her Excellency hadn’t been happy since she got the message as she was anxious that two of her very loyal lieutenants were seriously ill (Both eventually died). BAF’s action is in tandem with author John Maxwell’s statement that “To add value to others, one must first value others.” BAF values her lieutenants and this has endeared her to them.
BAF’s other endearing quality is being motherly. Before my mother’s passing, Erelu Fayemi had called me to her office and we spoke extensively with the aim of preparing me for her imminent demise. She counselled me out of love and stood by the family after the demise. Hardly is there a week that BAF and I do not talk on phone. Perhaps these regular calls and chats revealed another thing about her. She does not give room for backbiting. Someone had called me to find out some things about her. I sent a message to BAF and in less than 20 minutes, she had replied and even called back. She probed to know who raised the issue and I told her. After she spoke with me, she called the other party who also happened to be her foster daughter. You cannot lie to BAF. She will definitely find out because she is the type who would want to know the truth tactically. No wonder her husband believes she’s the main politician in the family. She is a good grassroots mobiliser andcharismatic politician who understands the needs of the masses and balances her relations with the elite. She has consistently proffered solutions to the challenges of many less privileged. During the COVID-19 lockdown, she did well to distribute foodstuffs as palliatives to the aged, physically challenged and nursing mothers. Her love for the people also spurred her on to dole out gift items to women who gave birth during the lockdown. The beneficiaries were not members of the ruling party but Ekiti people who sent SMS to a number dedicated by Her Excellency for the nursing mothers to supply their details. That notwithstanding, BAF has defrayed the hospital bills of so many patients in the hospitals. Douglas MacArthur says “A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.” Truly, she deserves her title as Ochiora, the people’s leader.
There is so much to say about Erelu Bisi Adeleye Fayemi but suffice it to say that she has made positive impacts in the lives of so many people across the globe. Talk of her efforts in curbing gender violence in all its forms and her philanthropy, she has made indelible marks. On the occasion of her 57th birthday, my wishes for her are good health and long life so that she can continue to serve humanity selflessly. May the years ahead make her more graceful !
