I join millions of people to day, February 09, 2021 to say Happy birthday to the Governor of Ekiti State, HE, JKF.
There are three things worth admiring in you, from my own experience dating back to the mid- 1990s, when we rose barechest, against one of the world’s most vicious, repressive military machines.
1) First is your personal discipline about TIME. No man achieves greatness with disdain for TIME. TIME. Oh TIME. TIME is the chief pathfinder in business, politics, sports, art and in all revolutions.
For instance, former World Court Judge, Chief Bola Ajibola said when he arrived in the Hague for the meeting of World Judges (All Europeans and Asians), he would come exactly 9am only to notice that at every meeting, he was the last to come.
He then called aside his Asian friend who told him that in Europe, a 9am or 12noon meeting means you must be there 15 minutes before the the. The Judge told him strict respect for TIME was one of the secrets of European and now Asian renaissance in politics, industry, art and science.
Anyone that has no respect for time can never plan. Anyone that cannot plan, can never succeed. TIME is the key to prowess and the door to any renaissance. Just yesterday, Feb 08, 2021, I met you in your Ado Ekiti office for 45 minutes. We had a 11am appointment.
I left Lagos 4.45am and was in Ado-Ekiti 9.23am. Not to my surprise,30 minutes before the appointment, the protocols were fishing, net out. At 10.45am, the table for dialogue was set.
At exactly 10.57am, you came in and took your seat.After 45 minutes, I was done. Every minute was productive. It is normal for individuals to engage elected leaders in areas of critical public interests.
The last time I met you was for a 3pm appointment in December 2019. 10 minutes before 3pm, I was ushered in, to meet your grandeur. To me, this tells a lot about managing human beings and managing resources.
2) My second respect comes from your cool, calm and collected sense. You talk less and listen more. This has made it difficult for anyone to misquote or use your statements against you. You are not reckless in words either spoken or written. Afteral, No one can misquote silence. This makes it difficult to predict you and builds a strong armour against you. This is another exemplary character. Again, you have respect for robust debate and the art of public communication. I notice all letters written to you, to my knowledge, are acknowledged. In many instances, people in power do not even read letters or complaints from their anguished constituencies.
3) The third is what I consider your strong disposition to FORGIVENESS. You are not rigid and neither stiffened in your relationship. To me, this ought to be the past time of any one that seeks true leadership. It has strengthened you and broadened the frontiers of your real and potential friendship.
Let me add on a note of joke, that some people call you Baba Ijebu. For instance a visitor should not expect any brown envelop after any visit, so you have to arrange your own travel and accommodation costs.
So, as I was coming, I knew I should arrange my travel needs, accommodatio and all. I did with a sense of dignity and self pride.
To many of us, this is the way it should be. That is the way it is in other higher climes. That is my dream of a great society.
I wish you excellent years ahead, long life and perfect health. I wish you greater wisdom, so that you and your colleagues in the South West will uphold and remove the growing fears, despair and aspirations of your people as we collectively deal with the nightmares of history, the tribulations of the moment to avoid the cesspool that may lay siege in the future. Happy birthday to you sir.