By Barr. Ladi Ahmed Jatto, OON
A few days have passed since the drums rolled, the messages poured and the world stood still to celebrate him, yet the aura of his birthday lingers like sweet fragrance, because true greatness is not celebrated in a day, it is celebrated for a lifetime.
I am talking about a man whose name has become synonymous with giving, whose presence commands respect and whose impact is felt even where he has never set foot. I am talking about Asiwaju Engr. Dr. Prince Olatunji Olusoji – Asiwaju I of Ayere Kingdom, Basorun Akinjagunla of Ogidi, Chief Executive Officer, Grosvenor Global Services Limited (Grosvenor Group), Chairman/CEO, Tratun Energy Limited, Executive Director, Regions Oil and Gas, and Founder, Prince Olatunji Olusoji Foundation (PROOF).
Asiwaju is not your everyday business mogul. He is a young, upwardly mobile, cerebral and upwardly propelled captain of industry who has redefined entrepreneurship as a tool for social transformation. In an era where many measure success by what they accumulate, Asiwaju measures success by how many lives he touches. That is what makes him a game changer for Kogi State.
From the creeks of Warri where he had his early education at Kings & Queens Preparatory School and Mother of the Redeemer Catholic Secondary School, Effurun, to the prestigious University of Benin where he bagged a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and from a humble Management Trainee at Odessa Marine Services Limited to becoming the owner of a conglomerate with interests in oil and gas, marine logistics, aviation, security, mining and infrastructure development, Asiwaju’s story is a masterclass in discipline, resilience and grace.
But what has endeared him more to the people of Kogi State, especially we from the old Kabba Province, is not his corporate exploits, but his heart of gold. Through PROOF, he has paid school fees for hundreds of indigent students, funded scholarships, equipped schools, supported widows, empowered market women and artisans, and supported security architecture of Kogi State with operational vehicles and over Ninety Million Naira intervention to combat crime. When Kogi West cries, Asiwaju answers. When Kogi State calls, Asiwaju responds.
He is a philanthropist of repute, but he does not make noise about it. He gives quietly but his impact speaks loudly. He is a Prince of the kingdom, but he relates as a servant of the people. He is a billionaire in enterprise, but humble in carriage. That is the paradox of true greatness.
As the State Project Coordinator of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project in Kogi State, I have come to appreciate men who understand that development is not only government. Asiwaju understands that. He complements government. He partners for progress. He invests where it matters – in people.
On the occasion of his recent birthday, though belated by a few days, I, on behalf of myself, my family, the Global Green Pillars Initiative (GGPI) and the entire Kogi ACReSAL family, pay tribute to this colossus, this bridge-builder, this detribalized Kogite, this beacon of hope for the Okun nation and indeed the whole of Kogi State.
Asiwaju, you are a living proof that one man can make a difference. You have made Ayere Kingdom proud, you have made Ijumu Local Government Area proud, you have made Okun and Kogi State proud.
May your new age usher in greater health, greater wealth, greater wisdom and greater influence for humanity. May God who has kept you and lifted you continue to enlarge your coast and preserve you for greater service to our dear state and nation.
You are not just celebrated, you are cherished. You are not just honoured, you are revered.
Happy Birthday once again, the Asiwaju of Africa, the People’s Asiwaju!
Barr. Ladi Ahmed Jatto, OON,
State Project Coordinator,
Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL), Kogi State,
CEO, Global Green Pillars Initiative (GGPI) To A Living Legend Of Philanthropy, Asiwaju Engr. Dr. Prince Olatunji Olusoji At Birthday
By Barr. Ladi Ahmed Jatto, OON
A few days have passed since the drums rolled, the messages poured and the world stood still to celebrate him, yet the aura of his birthday lingers like sweet fragrance, because true greatness is not celebrated in a day, it is celebrated for a lifetime.
I am talking about a man whose name has become synonymous with giving, whose presence commands respect and whose impact is felt even where he has never set foot. I am talking about Asiwaju Engr. Dr. Prince Olatunji Olusoji – Asiwaju I of Ayere Kingdom, Basorun Akinjagunla of Ogidi, Chief Executive Officer, Grosvenor Global Services Limited (Grosvenor Group), Chairman/CEO, Tratun Energy Limited, Executive Director, Regions Oil and Gas, and Founder, Prince Olatunji Olusoji Foundation (PROOF).
Asiwaju is not your everyday business mogul. He is a young, upwardly mobile, cerebral and upwardly propelled captain of industry who has redefined entrepreneurship as a tool for social transformation. In an era where many measure success by what they accumulate, Asiwaju measures success by how many lives he touches. That is what makes him a game changer for Kogi State.
From the creeks of Warri where he had his early education at Kings & Queens Preparatory School and Mother of the Redeemer Catholic Secondary School, Effurun, to the prestigious University of Benin where he bagged a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and from a humble Management Trainee at Odessa Marine Services Limited to becoming the owner of a conglomerate with interests in oil and gas, marine logistics, aviation, security, mining and infrastructure development, Asiwaju’s story is a masterclass in discipline, resilience and grace.
But what has endeared him more to the people of Kogi State, especially we from the old Kabba Province, is not his corporate exploits, but his heart of gold. Through PROOF, he has paid school fees for hundreds of indigent students, funded scholarships, equipped schools, supported widows, empowered market women and artisans, and supported security architecture of Kogi State with operational vehicles and over Ninety Million Naira intervention to combat crime. When Kogi West cries, Asiwaju answers. When Kogi State calls, Asiwaju responds.
He is a philanthropist of repute, but he does not make noise about it. He gives quietly but his impact speaks loudly. He is a Prince of the kingdom, but he relates as a servant of the people. He is a billionaire in enterprise, but humble in carriage. That is the paradox of true greatness.
As the State Project Coordinator of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project in Kogi State, I have come to appreciate men who understand that development is not only government. Asiwaju understands that. He complements government. He partners for progress. He invests where it matters – in people.
On the occasion of his recent birthday, though belated by a few days, I, on behalf of myself, my family, the Global Green Pillars Initiative (GGPI) and the entire Kogi ACReSAL family, pay tribute to this colossus, this bridge-builder, this detribalized Kogite, this beacon of hope for the Okun nation and indeed the whole of Kogi State.
Asiwaju, you are a living proof that one man can make a difference. You have made Ayere Kingdom proud, you have made Ijumu Local Government Area proud, you have made Okun and Kogi State proud.
May your new age usher in greater health, greater wealth, greater wisdom and greater influence for humanity. May God who has kept you and lifted you continue to enlarge your coast and preserve you for greater service to our dear state and nation.
You are not just celebrated, you are cherished. You are not just honoured, you are revered.
Happy Birthday once again, the Asiwaju of Africa, the People’s Asiwaju!
Barr. Ladi Ahmed Jatto, OON,
State Project Coordinator,
Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL), Kogi State,
CEO, Global Green Pillars Initiative (GGPI)
