We bless the day we found each other, thanking God for seeing us through the rocky but glorious years. Hence, we shall live together, continuing in God’s love, peace, and togetherness!
Today on the program, you shall be reading about one of the fantastic beings that really made the hilly state proud and equally made Nigeria greater than how he met it.
THE ESSENTIAL MICHAEL AYOOLA BORISADE /posthumous/
The essence of existence is not to forget those that have made life comfortable for his or her generations and the need to absolutely forget those that caused immeasurable pains to theirs. I remember today as l always do, the fine times of a fresh in mind patriot that passed through this axis and his beautiful memory of his extraordinary life.
Born in 1936 at lloro-Ekiti, bagged a Bachelor of Law Degree in 1964 from the famous London University and obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration from Obafemi Awolowo University (formerly University of lfe) in 1966.
Through conscientious efforts, he attended various management courses at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh, USA and Advanced management course of the University of Stanford France. Between 1963/65, he served as Asst. Divisional Officer Egbado Div. of today’s Ogun State.
He was the Assistant Secretary, Finance and Personnel, Military Governor’s Office, Western Region between 1966/67 and subsequently, became the Divisional Officer /D.O/Sole Administrator, Owo and Ibadan Div. between 1967/69.
He served meritoriously as Personnel Officer, Public Service Commission Western State between1969/72 and between 1975-76, he was made the Secretary, Western State Health Council.
In 1976 when Ondo state was created, he was appointed the First Secretary to the State Public Service Commission and later served as Permanent Secretary, General Admin., Public Service Matters as well as Chairman, NYSC Committee in the Military Governor’s Office between 1977-79 and later part of 1980, became the Permanent Secretary, Political/Economic Dept.
In order to fulfill his childhood dreams and natural callings, he was called to the Bar in July 1981 and thereby retired voluntarily from the service of the then Ondo state government to take up an appointment as Member of Industrial Arbitration Panel while in April 1986, he was appointed Judge of National Industrial Court and rose to become the President of the apex Industrial Court of the land, the position he was judiciously safeguarding, protecting and doing proud when God called him home in 2002.
YOU’RE HEREBY WELCOME TO THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BALOGUN(JUSTICE) MICHAEL AYOOLA BORISADE, a mahogany of the bench industry, and absolutely dedicated being that served humanity to the best of his abilities and made humanity proud, a fine administrator of immeasurable value and a community leader and builder cannot but be remembered.
The above apart, Balogun AYOOLA Borisade was a devoted Christian and was made the Chancellor, Ekiti West Anglican Diocese in June 2001 at a flashy ceremony presided over by the then Bishop of Ekiti West Anglican Diocese Rt. Rev. S.O Oke and other notable Nigerians.
As Balogun of lloro-Ekiti, a chieftaincy strictly reserved for the town’s most dignified personalities, who must have done the City on the Hill that cannot be hidden proud, he was truly the DISTINCTIVE BALOGUN. He made the town proud, changed the face of the community, affected all and sundry positively and made his foundation the cynosure of all other towns and villages in the division., and there’s no doubt that all the generations of the town will forever be remembering him for single-handedly re-written her name in GOLD.
In his capacity as a front line administrator, popular Divisional Officer, in the defunct Western Region, superb Public Service Commission Director and foremost Permanent Secretary in old Ondo State, his place of birth and the entire defunct Western State/Ondo State comprising of today’s Ekiti state benefitted immensely from his meritorious years of service.
Before bidding this part of the world bye in Sept.2002 at a tender age of 66, he was instrumental to the provision of the followings for his place of birth:
a) A modern post office
b) Two secondary schools, one established in 1977 and another,1979.
c) c, A police station
d) A branch of the defunct Co-op. Bank, now Polaris.*
e) Public pipe- born water,
f) Electricity and,
g) g, Peaceful coexistence amongst all, etc.
h)
It’s disheartening to note that just a few years after Balogun Ayo Borisade went to be with the Lord, power changed hands, and the wickedness of man to man came into fore as the bank/Skye/was relocated elsewhere./Agba kosi, ilu baje…..baale ile ku, ile d’ ahoro. His absence greatly missed.
Balogun Borisade will forever be remembered for his selfless efforts in raising some crops of intellectuals that are today the pride of Ekiti state./talk less Ondo and the entire defunct Western State/Through him, overseas scholarships were awarded to very many Ondo/Ekiti states sons and daughters. The man changed a series of ‘ almost wasted generations, heal their lands and made them today’s sound and beautiful technocrats of value.
Boris/as he was widely called by his numerous admirers was a member of a number of social organizations and church societies: Ekiti Mayegun Society, Ikoyi club 1938, Ibadan Tennis club, Akure recreation, Cathedral circle, Guild of Stewards, Cathedral church of Christ., Marina,Egbe Alaafia of his childhood church/St. James Anglican, lloro Ekiti, Past National President, lloro-Ekiti Progressive Union, Life Patron, lloro-Ekiti Progressive Union, Patron of the foremost club : THE PRESTIGE CLUB of lloro-Ekiti, amongst others.
Maritally, Ayo Borisade was a BIG success. Married to the love of his youth and our highly admired Mama Oyeyemi Abike Borisade, who stood by him through all the thick and thin, and fruitfully blessed with FOUR amazingly graceful children amongst whom are the world’s loudest boardroom giant, front line marketer, super entrepreneur and erstwhile Managing Director UTC Nig. Plc. Foluso Olaniyan, a foremost insurance prodigy Kehinde Borisade, a fine administrator Taye Boris and the incumbent Senior Special Assistant to Ekiti State Governor on New Media, Biodun Borisade.
To appreciate his indescribable love for humanity, making lloro Ekt., proud and doing his generation proud,….just like in the days of the biblical Ephraim, power CHANGED HANDS.! His church the Anglican Diocese refused to follow the normal protocol of burying ‘the dead’ in their CEMETERY, and neither was he allowed being interred in his sprawling compound… AYOOLA BORISADE was buried in front of his church at Oke – Owa lloro Ekiti /the only being to be so honoured for all to see forever……. the benefit of living one’s life for humanity.
From where he stopped, Mama Oyeyemi Abike Borisade and her children continued theirs to immortalize the prodigy that contributed his ceaseless wealth of experience to nation-building. Apart from the regular Annual Mike Ayoola Borisade Scholarship Award to students in tertiary institutions, which has been in practice for decades before the prodigy took his exit from mother earth, a befitting and modern-day library, duly equipped within the church premises for the towns primary, secondary and students in tertiary institutions of learning was put up.
Ayo Borisade lived an exemplary life. He lived all his life to serve God and humanity. He was a good supporter of good intentions, a kind-hearted statesman, a patient, honest, dedicated, caring and loving patriot. He was a height community leader, a clear-conscience generational blessing to his generation and generations yet unborn, a technocrat with a difference, a wizard of the wigs and gowns industrial and a superhuman being.
I humbly submit that JUSTICE BALOGUNMICHAEL AYOOLA BORISADE is re-presented for another round of recognition (though posthumous) going by his efforts towards making humanity his 1st. Constituency.
Comments are not limited to the citizens of Ekiti state alone but to all who might have had the opportunity of knowing him while around here, heard about him or benefitted from his largesse.
Till next week when l come your way with another PRODIGY from the mountainous state…
