26th October, 2010
Sir Kesington Adebukunola Adebutu is unarguably one of the greatest men of our time who discovered their purpose early in life and derive so much joy and happiness in helping others to live their dreams and to fulfil their own purpose too. He is not only concerned about the condition of the poor and the aggravated sense of rage of the depraved, he is also worried about the agony of the needy, the characteristic pain of the helpless and the unending frustrations of the man on the street. This is why perhaps he constantly shifts focus from himself and family to others and the society at large. Those who go through the starting gate of life like Sir Adebutu never forget their past as they strive consistently not to make others pass through the painful, windy and winding roads that they themselves had gone through in the past.
People who grew up with philanthropic zeal like Sir Kesington are likely to be more liberal than most of us. They are full of introspection because of the pain they had suffered. They are highly focused and they make up their mind early in life about what they will do with wealth, if they get rich. Such people do not mind the cost of doing good. They do not count their effort but let their efforts count for them in the way they help to move society forward. Is anyone still in doubt as to why Sir Adebutu has done so well and indeed performed better than many of his peers worldwide, in his chosen ‘career’ – philanthropy? In the last five years since he set up the Kesington Adebukunola Adebutu Foundation as the warehousing route for his social commitments, Sir Adebutu has spent no less than N3.5 billion in developing people, building communities and integrating societies.
While several companies and individuals get involved in social philanthropy so they can secure extensive tax rebates and exemptions for themselves and businesses, Sir Adebutu’s involvement in this self-engaging commitment is both self-less and natural. He has this sharp instinct and urgent sympathetic feeling for the less privileged, so much so that he goes out of his way most of the time to look for people who need help, an act some will cynically regard as preposterous! In the process, he has re-emulsified the technical ingredients of corporate social philanthropy into a refreshening and satisfying cocktail of benevolence for others to drink from. The result is his emergence as a first rate international philanthropist who does not bother about how much he gives but how well people’s lives are touched by his efforts.
In the world which is populated by selfish individuals who seek wealth for wealth sake, Sir Adebutu’s originality and creative philanthropy has pushed the boundaries of wealth creation from the doorstep of one man into the larger public domain where his Premier Lotto company has become the Stock Exchange Market for the masses. His unflinching passion for supporting good causes has put him in a special class with probably two other world class billionaire legends – Warren Buffet and Bill Gates - the duo who are presently involved in a joint benevolent excursion that is similar to what Sir Adebutu is doing singularly here in Nigeria and indeed Africa today.
He is not involved in stacato-hand-outs like some people do when they attain a certain age or achieve a particular accomplishment in life and suddenly remember that the poor needs help. He is fastidiously engaged in the act of giving without looking back to seek any political benefit, social gain or subterranean returns from anyone, institutions or groups of people. This is rare and highly commendable. Even among his own class of social benefactors, Sir Adebutu has a slight edge above people like Warren and Gates. While both men may be responding to regulatory pressures for businesses to become more socially responsive and accountable to society within their own environment in the USA, it is most unlikely that Sir Adebutu is under similar regulatory pressures in Nigeria, except the pressure from his background and upbringing which constantly nudges his conscience as he remembers his late mother’s exhortation to him: “it is better for society to trouble you with its problems, than for it to consider you irrelevant to their solutions!†Those words remains deeply etched on Sir Adebutu’s consciousness even up till today.
His relentless pursuit of high moral values and responsible social actions without minding the costs makes him the most engaging philanthropist in Africa today. For Sir Adebutu, his involvement in doing public good has been a long journey, but one with good results to show for his efforts. As the Pearl of our time, Sir Adebutu deserved the best wishes from all Nigerians on his 75th birthday anniversary which came up on Sunday 24 October in Lagos. A rare gem and a great role model of our time like Sir Adebutu deserves to be warmly congratulated not only for his noble achievements but also for his benevolence to society. He is the pearl of our time.
•Yemi Ajayi writes from Lagos
