On this day, one year ago, I was appointed by the most hardworking lawmaker representing Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency, Hon. (Dr.) Anthony Adebayo Adepoju, as Special Adviser (Media and Publicity). Working closely with him in the last 12 months has been an eventful journey, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside a visionary leader who has become a symbol of hope for our constituency and Nigeria at large.
I want to use this moment to sincerely thank my mentors, friends and family members who genuinely made me see the reason to accept this golden offer for the actualization of the kind of society we want to live in as a people. Whatever I become in life through this assignment, I acknowledge your huge contribution to such success.
I am immensely grateful to Hon. (Dr.) Adebayo Adepoju for being a leader with a difference. Without this offer of employment, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to make the relationships, connections and networking this opportunity has offered me. Your employment has made my name heard in rooms filled with opportunities and in places where money cannot access, and earlier than I ever thought possible. With that alone, for so many reasons, I feel fulfilled every day.
Dear leader, you have really built good relationships across the length and breadth of Nigeria and the world at large. In the National Assembly, your simple yet dignified approach to life has made you a centre of attraction, and we are all proud to call you our own, anytime and anywhere.
Your willingness to listen to both the old and the young has given rise to exceptionally transformative leadership, and your accessibility in office demonstrates your global exposure and simplicity in the face of wealth and power. How you have brilliantly turned the office of Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency in the National Assembly into a true public space where constituents regardless of their socio-economic background can access is worthy of emulation; this approach to governance, without any form of embellishment, cannot be said for many past and present federal lawmakers.
As I expressed in my published 22-page article on the first anniversary of your stewardship in June this year, for the sake of record, it is important to say that another recent happiest day of my life happened just yesterday, July 25, 2024, when I went to get my identity card at Anex, one of the administrative offices in the National Assembly of Nigeria. It is expected of everyone to mention their principal’s name for such an exercise. On mentioning Hon. Adebayo Adepoju, the man attending to me smiled broadly, saying, “Your principal is not part of us.”
I was seriously curious about the statement and asked why he said so, and his response was, “We did identity card for everyone in this National Assembly; the way he related with everyone in this office the day he came for his showed he is not a typical African politician; he made life easy for himself and for everyone. He sat with us, no unnecessary show of pomposity, that you even said you are one of his members of staff, you are getting this identity card today,” and lo and behold, I got it having tried unsuccessfully on many occasions due to numerous applications on their desk. And that resonates with the statement of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, to Hon. Adepoju on the occasion of the latter’s birthday, that Ibarapakan is a distinguished member of the House of Representatives who has chosen to always smile, linking that to a man who has accomplished a lot in life and who will live long.
As famously said, in life, one’s network is his net worth. I am a beneficiary of such an uncommon attribute of Hon. Adebayo Adepoju, and I promise to make that a part of myself going forward. Fortunately, you have created such a platform for everyone, including your constituents, to achieve whatever they want in life.
Today, regardless of any side of society you belong to, regardless of party affiliations, my deep gratitude goes to all of you, ever-determined constituents in Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North. Your words of encouragement have made me to meet up with the duties of my office, which include but are not limited to information dissemination and projection of the legislative activities of Hon. Adebayo Adepoju.
I know quite a good number of you must be surprised that it is a year already; that is how time flies, and a poignant reminder that if the goal is to change the world for the better, why not start now instead of waiting for another day that only God is the determinant of that?
Checking the long, beautiful proposed programmes of Hon. Adebayo Adepoju in the pipeline for the next 3 years, I can only say congratulations to the people of Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North in advance, for the future looks brighter for our dear constituency than what we have experienced so far under his stewardship.
Accepting this offer a year ago, I made eighteen promises in my acceptance speech. It gives me joy that barely nine months into my appointment, you all keep telling me that every single one of those promises has been achieved. It is not just a happy moment for me, but also I stand today as a man filled with fulfilment, pure conscience and fewer worries about what the future holds for me both in career and reputation, as the ultimate goal of accepting the offer in the first place is to change the leadership trajectory of my region rather than personal gain.
Before I end this, I want to sincerely thank my parents, friends, and especially my fiancee, who has given me the opportunity to carry out my work diligently and without any form of divided attention. All of you have been a huge fan of what I do, and I do not take your love for granted. Honestly, the past 365 days have been filled with positive experiences, and I am delighted to have gained a deeper understanding of the National Assembly, making me a more informed citizen than I was prior to my appointment. Thank you, Hon. Adepoju, for taking me like a child and not as someone who is working for you. I value your openness, proactiveness, attention to details, value for people regardless of their status in society, and I do promise to inculcate this lifetime regardless of what I become in life.
Going forward, I promise to continue to display my strong loyalty to you, dear Hon. Adepoju, support your vision for our constituency and continue to work diligently in the interests of the growth, progress, stability and development of Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency, for your success is my success and your failure is my failure. We are committed to achieving success rather than failure, and we stand by that.