“In politics, if you want anything said , ask a man. If you want anything done “, ask a woman .– Margret Thatcher .
Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide is felicitated in a special way every fourth of August in many quarters for her passion in providing service lights that blazon the way for others, thus inspiring change in the lives of many .
Her quantum leap as the honourable minister of state ,FCT, could not be glossed over in a jiffy as she has left unforgettable memories in the minds of the people. She is a symbol of ” what is possible when passion meets purpose”.
No wonder she was nicknamed “Mama Ona-Ara” by her fellow ministers when they noticed her incurable zeal for bringing developmental projects to Oyo state.
Hatchback to the period, I can vividly remember how she used to fight tooth and nail to bring democracy dividends to her people both at home and in the FCT. At the time, she became a sort of threat to those elements who falsely opined that she was reaching out to the nooks and crannies of Oyo State in order to become a state governor. What a fallacy of cognitive bias !
Just as Hillary Clinton would say:” There is no ceiling too high to break.”
Oloye does not believe in impossibility. By dint of hard work and political acumen ,she has shattered ceilings not with a decibel of noise but with a quiet impact on politics and professional calling. Her befitting cap is not with entitlement but with earned respect, albeit her achievements speak volumes, yet her humility remains one of her greatest strength.
The Iya yeye of Ona Ara is a strategic thinker, a doer who has silenced the naysayers. She is in all ramifications an empathetic leader who oftentimes showers her teeming admirers with empowerment and training and capacity building even outside our shoes. Her hajj / Jerusalem pilgrimage sponsorship, free health care , agricultural inputs like tractors and provision of other farm implements, soft loans to boost business enterprises, youth empowerment schemes etc. will forever linger on our skulls. This indeed was proof of her passion and unshakable purpose. Above all, Oloye is renowned for taking a bold stance, both popular and unpopular times, as she believes in people centred politics and is naturally imbued with problems solving techniques.
Amazingly, she easily let go of what she can’t control, and that’s why her political strides remain a puzzle yet to be cracked .. And a move she deployed to rupture her adversaries. Nevertheless, her political admirers never waiver as they keep chanting. “Olajumoke lawa n tele……”( Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide is a worthy leader, and We are pleased to move along with her ).
Highly cerebral, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide holds an LLB (Hons) Second Class-Upper Degree from King’s College, London University, and Masters Degree in Law (LLM) from Harvard Law School, the USA. She has dual qualifications as Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and as a Solicitor of England and Wales.
May the good Lord increase her in multiple folds and grant her long life to render more praises unto the Lord and serve humanity better.
Happy birthday, ma’am. Age with maximum grace.
Isiaka Kehinde, a former Special Assistant to the former Minister of State, FCT on Media and Publicity, writes in from Ibadan.
