Written by Eleazar Olumuyiwa Ogunmilade
I join myriad of your supporters and admirers as you celebrate your 64th birthday today.
This is not just a celebration of years and times of your life, but that of recognition of success and greatness in your public life as well as celebration and joy for your unsurpassable achievements in public life.
Looking back at your life as a son of a disciplined officer, the former Govenor of the old Western Region, the late Major General Adeyinka Adebayo; a former governor and now a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, everyone will agree that you were born great and living great. And you are doing a good job by all estimation in your present portfolio.
Your modest and spartan lifestyle, clear – cut political ideology, unshaken belief in progressive politics and love for mentorship, had been recognised and adored by all across Nigeria.
You are one leader with thirst and verve for quality, zeal for knowledge and knack for progress and development. You have the Midas Touch. Whatever you touch becomes a success.
Your singular support and believe in our inspirational leader and Governor, Dr.John Kayode Fayemi, is a well amplified testimony that you love to fraternise with the best brains.
Through thick and thin, rain and sunshine , smooth and bumps, you and Governor Fayemi have partnered to rescue Ekiti from politics of tokenism and the beggarly policy of stomach infrastructure
It cannot be gainsaid that you and Governor Fayemi have done great exploits in Ekiti and history will be kind to your as one of the two great men, who made huge sacrifices for Ekiti to survive and thrive.
Ekiti will remember with nostalgia, how you inconvenienced yourself as the pioneer executive Governor in 1999, using unbefitting office, living in substandard government house to lay a solid foundation for our dear state.
Throughout that time,there was no single mention of any lamentation coming from you. Records showed that you were one of the least catered for governors of that era.
You never minded; your focus was Ekiti people and what you set your eyes on was, delivering the dividends of democracy to the masses.
Let me remind you sir, your best legacy in Ekiti State is that you joined progressive-minded people to ensure that Governor Fayemi emerged the candidate of Action Congress in 2007.
Interestingly, you repeated the same feat in 2018; we are all savouring the gains and the strides are resonating everywhere.
I say without equivocation that you are one leader with penchant for excellence.
I pray that the good Lord will sustain you for your family, admirers in Ekiti, and give you the strength to be able to contribute more to the upliftment of our dear country, Nigeria.
Congrats, our quintessential Leader.
Olumuyiwa Ogunmilade,
Executive Chairman,
Ekiti State Internal Revenue Service.