Date: 2017-08-14

The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, clocked 48 last Saturday, though it was devoid of frenzy and celebration jamboree expected to accompany such a day. AHMED 'LATEEF writes on the sojourn of the politician.

In this part of the world, the name a new born baby is given, matters a lot. It is through that name, without any disbelief, that such a baby is watched, observed and nurtured till own metamorphosis and growing into adulthood. Through the name the baby bears, members of the immediate family and those within the neighbourhood from time to time, watch over the dos, don'ts, actions and inactions of such a baby as he grows old.

Little wonder on the day the baby is named, attendees at such ceremony will chorus 'Omo Na Atoloruko' meaning that the child will strive to bring the weightiness and richness of the name to bear' as soon as the name is publicly proclaimed by the presiding cleric.

Whenever the baby begins to exhibit certain traits of such a lofty name, the people, particularly those who knew about the birth and nurture of the baby will start to reminisce and recall the past with nostalgia. In case such child does not portray the name well, what is expected to follow is negative reactions.

That is why the process of naming a child goes beyond a play. It is the process that involves immediate family members and other stakeholders, who have a say in the nurturing and training of such child. This corroborates the common saying that only parents give birth to a child, 200 are on standby to assume responsibility of training such a child.

Whichever way it comes, the naming of a child in Africa cosmology is held in high esteem, and parents are always advised to be selective in giving beautiful names to their children, not just for naming sake but what he stands to portray in the future. Therefore, naming is part and parcel of African cultural practices. Primarily, it might be for easy identification, but most importantly, the future of such a child is presumably known from the name, ab initio.

Instances abound beyond the shores of Africa on the importance of naming in the life of a man. Most time, the name a man bears, tells a lot about his attitude, character and ultimately personality. Even with humble beginning, it matters not. What is important is the actions and inactions of the man to carry the name and bear full responsibility.

In Nigeria today, there are people of high moral standard, impeccable character and integrity, who have not only walked the talk but also portraying their names. One of the eminent Nigerians, who has shown the world that, even in the face of stiff opposition, things can change for the better is Bolaji Abdullahi. His name can be said of divine. With humble start as a son of a tailor, Abdullahi also known as 'Omoluabi', has practically risen to stardom.

Despite his shaky beginning with brighter future still shrouded in mystery, Abdullahi did not concede. His conviction solely rests on the fact that life is not built on the bed of roses, it requires striving and that goes with the saying that the pot that would eat the fat must have its bottom scorched.

The life of Abdullahi in the last 48 years is worth reflecting upon considering what he has been able to do both as a pupil and student right from the basic level to the highly reputed University of Lagos, Akoka, years back where he emerged as Mass Communication graduate with Second Class Upper.

But before he left the four walls of the Unilag as fondly called, Abdullahi, a bona fide Akokite, has started exhibiting what he believed the future holds for him. If he is called a pen sniper, one would not be incorrect, and if he is referred to as a policy formulator, a strategist, a communicator, an observer and a goal getter, all these perfectly fit into his personality.

Back then in the News Room, the life wire of any media organization, Omoluabi's column "Grains of Wit" in This Day Newspapers where he cut his teeth, became the toast of staunch readers, who so much fell in love with his mode of stylistic writing and sequential arrangement of his thoughts like movie scenes.

This particular column, where he became cynosure of all eyes, can perhaps be said to be the beginning of greater future fate has for him. His invitation and appointment in 2003 as an aide to the then Governor of Kwara State, Dr Bukola Saraki, was a precursor to put his ability to test, of which he made his mark, prompting the power that be in the state to entrust him with bigger responsibility.

Apparently satisfied with his performance, Saraki appointed him Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology in 2007 after being sworn in for second term in office. As if all he had been doing as Special Assistant and Special Adviser respectively were just a mere prelude, the real Abdullahi emerged upon assumption of office in the Education Ministry where he launched an unapologetic revolution.

For both teaching and non-teaching staff in the education sector of the Kwara State government, hearing or mentioning Bolaji's name as it were then, was the beginning of wisdom. It was same stroke of cane for pupils and students, the name that sent jitters down the spine.

The revolution in the education sector was not ill-conceived or primed to send people to the labour market but basically introduced to change the status quo that had tolerated laziness, nonchalance, indolence and other vices that had brought the system to its knees. A well thought out policy he engineered in the sector took him to all nooks and corners of the state, advocating a change of attitude among stakeholders in the sector. To him, education can only assume its place of pride when all hands are on deck, regardless of the status in which the players in the sector find themselves.

His advocacy paid off and a new in road was channelled for education sector in the state, thereby making it a model for other states in the country to understudy.

Not done with his insatiable quest to leave the sector more better than he met it, Abdullahi launched a new road map for education in the state by pioneering every child counts policy, the idea of which, had been copied by not only the states but federal government.

The new policy in the sector was all that earned Bolaji Abdullahi a fame, making his name a household one in the state. It was indeed in a new lease of life and that was all that is needed to catapult him to the stardom and in turn became cynosure of all eyes.

Abdullahi, a committed loyalist, confidant and trustworthy personality, would remain eternally grateful to his principal and the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, who saw in him a potential that culminated in his brighter future.

Sometimes later, the sojourn into federal office began with his appointment as Minister of Youth Development and subsequently his redeployment into the Ministry of Sports where he projected the nation to the world and inscribed his name in the platter of gold.

It was in his tenure of office that he made it clear that politics should not be mixed with governance or exercise the duty entrusted upon him, the same he exhibited when he served as Commissioner in Kwara State cabinet.

The fear of being perceived as a mole when supremacy battle ravaged the then Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) made Abdullahi to be apolitical to some extent. The crisis of confidence thus set in. As a man, who rose on the crest of his principal to the exalted ministerial office, he chose to stand by his boss but it was a costly decision, leading to his being relieved from the Federal Executive Council.

He endured the situation until when the 2015 general elections were around the corner following which he was appointed into the Think-Thank Unit of the presidential campaign committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the main opposition to the ruling PDP then.

However, in recognition of his versatility and astuteness, APC stakeholders unanimously picked him as the National Publicity Secretary of the party after the appointment of the former occupant of the office, Lai Mohammed, as Minister in the Federal Executive Council.

Since he came on board, Abdullahi has set his priority right and showed to those who care to look in his way that the role of party image-maker transcends being perceived as a mere spin doctor, a propagandist or an alarmist.

With Bolaji Abdullahi clocking 48 years on this planet earth in spite of his modest achievements in almost five decades, surely life has just begun.