22nd September, 2010
Chairman, Yaba Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, South West Nigeria, Mr. Olajide Jimoh, has described the wife of former governor of Lagos State, Chief (Mrs.) Oluremi Tinubu, as a great woman, undisputable amazon of Lagos politics, a philanthropist, good manager of people and good wife.
Jimoh made the remarks at the council secretariat on Monday, during the commissioning of a hall named after Mrs. Tinubu in commemoration of her 50th birthday anniversary.
The hall, which is close to the main gate of the council secretariat, was formerly known as Oke Odo Hall.
Hailing Mrs. Tinubu for holding fort when her husband, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was on the political field, Jimoh noted that she was a woman, who has cut a niche for herself in every sphere of human endeavour and the reason his LCDA decided to honour, “in our little way, a woman more deserving in honours then we could possibly give.â€
Jimoh also applauded her for sustaining her pet project, the New Era Foundation (NEF), which has survived her tenure as First Lady, stressing that while other initiatives of First Ladies in other states collapsed when they left office, Mrs. Tinubuâ€
One of the programmes of the New Era Foundation, the Spelling Bee Competition organised for school children, has continued to produce one-day governors in the state.
Quoting John Greenleaf Whilter, who once said that “babies are such a nice way to start people,†the Yaba LCDA boss pointed out that the initiative, designed to develop leadership qualities in children and put them in good stead for the future, has lived up to expectation.
“Not may people of her social status give a damn about the less privileged, but the life of Chief (Mrs.) Tinubu is that of selfless giving—her time, energy, resources—the service of the people. She is obviously guided by the truth in the statement of Winston Churchill: “We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give,†Jimoh added.
While wishing the celebrant many more years of service to mankind, the council chief asked the gathering to donate to the New Era Foundation box set up by his wife, Alhaja Folake Jimoh, in aid of the NGO.
The hall, named in Mrs. Tinubuâ€
In her remarks, Tinubu, in an emotion-laden voice, thanked the chairman, members of the legislative arm and management of Yaba LCDA, for the honour.
According to her, she was in the council almost three decades ago as a fresh graduate, looking for a teaching job when Alhaji Rotinwa was the Secretary of the council.
“I came to look for a teaching job here. It is an emotional thing that the same place where I had come to look for work is where a hall is being named after me. I pray that the council will grow from strength to strength,†she added.
Describing herself as one who strove for perfection, Mrs. Tinubu pledged to contribute, in any capacity, to the beautification and maintenance of the hall from time to time, while imploring its users to be environmental-friendly.
Many chieftains of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), witnessed the occasion. They include the National Vice Chairman of the party, Prince Tajudeen Olusi; Lagos State ACN Chairman, Otunba Henry Oladele Ajomale; a Third Republic member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Wale Oshun; Olanrewaju Oshun, member representing Yaba Constituency 2 in the Lagos House of Assembly and his counterpart in the House, Kunle Ademoye, Chairman, Lagos Mainland Local Government, former Mainland council chairman, Chief Tayo Oyemade; Mr. Oladele Adekanye and his Lagos Island counterpart, Wasiu Eshilokun Sanni, wife of the host chairman, Alhaja Folake Jimoh and her counterpart from Lagos Mainland, Mrs. Anike Adekanye, Lola Akande, Yaba ACN Chairman, Alade Grillo, Leader of the Legislative Arm, Sheu Isola; the Council Manager, Babatunde Ojikutu; the Chief Imam of Lagos Mainland, Baale of Iwaya, Chief Murtala Oloko and Oba-elect of Gbobi-Sabe.
Others were the Yeye Oge of Lagos, Chief (Mrs.) Opral Benson; Mrs. Abbah Folawiyo, Mrs. Bintu Tinubu and Lagos East ACN Woman Leader, Mrs. Folake Sokunbi a.k.a. Iya Kalokalo, who accompanied Mrs. Tinubu to the occasion, among other dignitaries from all walks of life.