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Sunday, June 03, 2018

IN PURSUIT OF HIGHER SERVICE: THE BAYO ADELABU EXAMPLE BY AKINSOLA IGE

One of the most difficult decisions a man can make is to walk away from his Olympian height  while the ovation is still at its loudest. Indeed it is not in the nature of man to so do,  especially a Nigerian holding a very high position of authority  in the Nigeria clime. That difficult decision was what Adebayo Adekola Adelabu, FCA, FCIB took on May 31, 2018 when he resigned his appointment as the Deputy Governor,  Central Bank of Nigeria!

EVEN while it is no longer news that the Deputy Governor in charge of Operations of CBN had turned in the towel  at the apex bank,  the novelty of his action is what stands this youthful technocrat out as a man of example worthy of emulation by not only those who would hold positions of authority in the future but also current political and corporate leaders who view public offices as a lifetime throne. While cynics might want to argue that resignation from office is not of much ado, such nay-sayers should be reminded that walking away from the Central Bank of Nigeria as Deputy Governor and potential Governor is perhaps unprecedented in the annals of the nation's foremost banking institution.

SENTIMENTS aside, one of the takeaways or lessons to be leant from Bayo Adelabu's action is to realise that there is no position, no matter how prestigious and exalted that one can not walk away from even when there are higher prospects of moving further up. This astute banker has made a loud statement with his resignation indicating that he is of much deeper conviction and vision than the very prestigious office which he had voluntarily bid bye.

LIKE he had always done wherever he had had the privilege of serving in his over twenty five years of professional life,  this Ibadan-born banking and finance guru left the Central Bank with trail-blazing achievements that would be difficult to match in years to come at the apex bank. While transversing three of the four Directorates of CBN namely; Corporate Services,, Financial Systems Stability and lastly,  Operations, this former Chief Finance Officer of the country's oldest commercial bank,  First Bank proved his mettle as he brought novel innovations that have seen the CBN gaining worldwide applause and accolades in its statutory and other supervisory responsibilities.

UNDER the able leadership of the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele,  this First Class Accounting graduate of the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile Ife contributed immensely to the raising of standards in the banking and finance industry in Nigeria to a much higher height. Throughout his stewardship at the CBN,  his impacts on the lives of the ordinary Nigerians are not just academic but downright practical. Such populist CBN-driven financial policies like Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP), Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme(ACGS), Payment System Strategy Board (PSSB) Treasury Single Account(TSA) to mention but a few and their attendant positive impacts are the evidence of his dexterity in his four-year sojourn at CBN. However, discerning minds would not be too surprised about these Adelabu-inspired exploits. Those far reaching achievements just go to show that someone like 'Bayo Adelabu who had transversed all the foremost Business Schools in the world by the quality of his trainings is condemned to succeed wherever he is opportuned to serve.

NOW that the Chairman of the Oyo State Security Trust Fund has put his tenure at the CBN behind him, it is an open secret that his next move is towards the highest office in Oyo,  his home state. But then,  this particular Bayo that has been severally tested and has earned the trust of Nigerians nay the people of Oyo State is fast learning that the murky waters of the state's politics is not for the chicken-hearted nor lily-livered. Characterisrically, as a chip of the old block and grandson of the irrepressible Adegoke Adelabu (Penkele Messi) he has fast learnt the rope and currently the candidate to beat in this crowded race towards occupying the Agodi Hill comes May 29. 2019.

CURIOUSLY, and yet interestingly, there is somewhat a familiar trend about the trajectory of past attainments of the  immediate past CBN Deputy Governor, Operations. Recall that while he was coasting home to become the Group Managing Director of First Bank, a higher role was waiting in line for this Destiny Child. Such scenario seems to be playing out as his chances of becoming the substantive Governor of CBN is getting more plausible before his present detour into politics. The slight difference in the present scenario is that while Bayo's current political move is a sharp detour, the title and nomenclature of the highest office in CBN where he just left may be exact and same in all fours with the next one he is eyeing and destined to occupy!

BY AKINSOLA IGE, ESQ.
IBADAN
08034037151

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