The transition of a titan
Ultimately, it is not the years of your life that matter. It is the life in your years – Abraham Lincoln.
By Kola Adesina
Why are we here? What is the purpose of man on earth? This ordinary and simple question has challenged the greatest minds since the beginning of time. It has also posed an unending challenge to kings, philosophers, well-decorated scholars, and researchers. In one of such attempts for an answer, one of the greatest Chinese philosopher-kings of the 12th Century assembled one thousand best thinkers and opinion leaders of his time and gave them a ten-year assignment to supply answers to two troublesome questions. Their first task was to deliberate and agree on one statement that would always be true and relevant until the end of time. After a decade of intense debate and research, they could only agree on “Whatever has a beginning must have an end”.
The second assignment is the theme of this piece, “Why are we here? The Chinese richest minds of that era could not agree on a single answer and their report to the king was that each person must find a personal solution and reaction to the golden question. Apart from the Chinese philosophers, other well-endowed minds including Aristotle, Socrates, Pluto, and even Einstein have failed to find a universally acceptable solution to the question. Therefore, it became incumbent on each individual to fashion out a reaction and to chart a course for his sojourn on earth.
In furtherance of this need for finding a purpose for life, many people have gone into the arts, humanities, science, and religion, everyone coming up with different purposes and outlines, some noble, others, negative and unenviable. In looking for great men of noble purposes of this era in human existence one cannot but mention Femi Iyanda the toddler who rose from the remote vastness of Delesolu, Awaiye and Olooshii compounds in Abeokuta, south-west Nigeria to the very heights of international journalism and public relations practice.
Against this background, one could justifiably and without equivocation pick Femi Ogunleye for a case study on great men who have created a purpose for themselves; those who imprinted indelible footprints on the sands of time through dint of hard work, commitment to serve humanity and the fear God.
In fathoming a philosophy of life, the young Femi Ogunleye benefitted firstly from Yoruba practical realism underpinning the philosophy behind informal education handed down by elders in the family compound (Agbo-Ile) setting in Abeokuta. In these classrooms of culture, extensive and appropriate application of Yoruba proverbs, imagery, good conduct and values of honesty, and modesty are taught and encouraged.
As a young son of peasant farmer/hunter of those days, he had a tough beginning trying to acquire Western education and had to settle for primary school and a bit of modern school education. He later left for Jos, Northern Nigeria where he learnt typewriting and shorthand which got him a job with Nigeria Post and Telecommunication (P&T) of those days. He also passed his O Levels as an external candidate and moved to reporting.
Femi Ogunleye started his media career as a typist and rookie reporter pounding the streets of Kano and Jos. He later moved to Lagos to train in print journalism as an apprentice at the Daily Times training school and the prestigious University of Lagos for the academic touch. His sojourn at the Daily Times earned him employment as first Public Relations Officer of the defunct Nigeria Airways. Towards the tail end of his meritorious but often tempestuous stint at the former national carrier, Femi Ogunleye, his pen name in journalism, ventured into publishing with the launch in Akinale of Nigeria’s first rural newspaper, THE VILLAGE NEWS and later an aviation newsmagazine titled FLIGHT AFRICA and a newspaper called the FLIGHT EXPRESS. The Village News then operated almost on zero budget and was driven by dogged leadership from Olufemi Iyanda Omo Baale (a pen nick name for Femi Ogunleye) and committed followership from this writer and host of colleagues and friends, who are still making waves in various sectors of the media industry.
The long list includes, Oba (Professor) Adeyemi Obalanlege, current Olota of Ota a top Mass communication lecturer at the department of Mass Communication, Crescent University, Abeokuta, Dr Niran Malaolu, CEO of Rock City FM and a former Commissioner of Information in Ogun State, Dr. Sina Aina, former Head of Department of Mass Communication Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) Abeokuta, Dr Goke Raufu, also former Head of Department of Mass Communication and later Director, School of Communication and Information Technology (MAPOLY). Dr. Goke Rauf is currently, the Rector, D.S Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori.
Others include; Olatunde Abatan, former Senior Special Assistant (Media) to the former Deputy Governor of Lagos State and currently Editor in Chief and CEO of New Dawn, an upwardly mobile online news medium, as well as Femi Dokunmu who retired as Public Relations Officer of Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority. On the list is also Barrister Femi Aina, a London based lawyer who is currently the publisher of Village News after acquiring the title few years back.
From its Akinale base, The Village News and offices in Abeokuta and Ikeja in Lagos was able to play effective advocacy roles in governance, especially with successive military governments in Ogun State. One of the earliest triumphs in this regard in the 80s, was the campaign led by the Village News in Ewekoro /Elere axis that forced Ewekoro Cement Factory (now Lafarge) to start paying serious attention to its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts. The Village News should take appreciable credit for the current expansion of this (CSR) programme among villages in that corridor. After his turbulent tenure with Nigeria Airways, Kabiyesi Oba Femi Ogunleye went into full blown consultancy in Public Relations and journalism
THE BURDEN OF HISTORY
Oba Ogunleye also got fascinated by the internal traditional politics of his hometown, Abeokuta, partly because of his involvement in media coverage of events and people in the city. Just like many indigenes of Abeokuta, he had to a maintain a balancing act under the burden of history. It was indeed a burden and a challenge for all indigenes of Abeokuta whose great forefathers migrated in linguistic groups from various parts of Yorubaland with their distinct crowns and personages. This demand for dual loyalty was managed by the author and was rewarded with the title of Ekerin Apagun Egba, by late Oba Oyebade Lipede, quickly following the footsteps of a thoroughbred Egba Patriot, the late Apagun Oluwole Olumide, the first Apagun Pote of Egbaland. It must be underlined here that history will remember Apagun Olumide for the time, money and material he expended on promoting development in Abeokuta.
KABIYESI AT LAW
Few years ago, Oba Femi Ogunleye visited Crescent University, Abeokuta and got fascinated by law study. He immediately enrolled on a Diploma Course as ladder into the LLB Law programme which he later capped with an LLM and PhD in Law from Babcock University. Oba Ogunleye later extended his coast with a sojourn into law training and practice ranging from alternative dispute resolution, conflict prevention and peace sustenance, as well as arbitration.
Though Oba Ogunleye returned to formal university education after the age of 70, his itinerary graphically show that he was already an excellent product of the University of Adversity where he learnt among other virtues, resilience, determination to succeed against all odds, exemplary courage and adaptability. He life also depicted strong optimism, exceptional problem-solving skills, deep empathy with others and a mindset built positive growth. Throughout his sojourn on earth, adversity, to him has always been a challenge and a stepping stone to success. Here was a man of many parts who touched so many lives and will always be remembered by many across the world. Therefore, a publication like this book of tributes can only manage a peep into the life and times of this dignified personage. It is just a key-hole view into his achievement- laden life as there can never be enough time to wade through an ocean of information available on him worldwide.
It is also impossible for find enough space for all condolence messages and tributes from friends, relatives, colleagues and acquaintances all over the world. It is pertinent here to draw attention to one of Oba Ogunleye’s abiding philosophical compasses. It is a golden view of service to humanity in all its shapes and ramifications. This code of conduct brings out the best in humanity and beautifies the purpose of man on earth. It was coined, actualised and popularised by late Judge Bola Ajibola of blessed memory throughout his life. One can also see it clearly in the speeches and performance of the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, HRM Oba Professor Saka Matemilola FNSE, who has opened another chapter in service-centred approach to traditional rulership
“What is required in life is more than the mundane activities of caring for our family and ourselves alone. Animals too, do that. To those who are privileged and blessed to do, life needs value added contribution. Something has to be put into it to make it a better place than we found it. Caring for one’s family alone will not amount to good reason for not caring for our fellow men and women. Caring for people is not limited to gifts of money; people with no money or materials can give their time or utilise their knowledge in reaching the same goal”
Kola Adesina, PhD, is head of department of Mass Communication, Crescent University, Abeokuta
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