The new Chairman of Oluyole local government, in ibadan less city, needs no introduction, he’s the rave of the moment, a rising star who is receiving daily rousing ovation from his constituent members for his sterling performances.
As a former spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic party (the PDP), his trademark, then, was clear communication. When he lucidly spoke, people were always eager to listen, while his stoic silence was considered ominous in many quarters.
This gave some people the impression that he could perhaps man that goal post in defending the party and nothing else. Little did they know that here is a polyglot; a seasonal plant.
Now, Engineer Akeem’s leadership traits have started to blazen like a glow light. He fits snugly to the great man’s theory that “leaders assume authority when their leadership traits are needed most.”
Since that fateful day of his inauguration in May, he has started to hit the ground running as the helmsman, he’s neither fagged out, nor found wanting. And he has been keeping faith with “my mandates, my agenda” to date.
And the media blitz he enjoys compliments his unstoppable flying record in office.
I have lots of premises to back up my conclusion that “he is a local government Chairman to watch”, permit me to cite the most recent one which centres on his decisiveness, ability to make the right decisions particularly when under pressure.
The story: I got a report that a supposedly dead man was abandoned along Akala express road under Oluyole local government, and all efforts to evacuate the man proved futile. I told the news breaker to call the chairman, and she confessed that she didn’t have his contacts. Pronto, I put a call to Engineer Akeem Olatunji to lodge the complaint, not only that he didn’t allow his phone to stop beeping before he picked up, he assured us that he had risen up to the occasion and gave us good tidings that the man was not dead afterall and has been evacuated and is now being hospitalised by the joint efforts of concerned bodies.
After the call, the woman couldn’t hide her surprise that a council chairman, in spite of his palpable tight schedule, could pick up his calls and respond promptly to emergencies. She averred, “This is a noble character without superficial quality.” I smiled with a deep satisfaction, “That’s one of our first eleven in Oyo state when it comes to local government administration,” I boasted.
May Engineer Olatunji’s shining stars never dim.
Engr. Akeem Olatunji; Assuming Authority at the Prime Time || Isiaka Kehinde
