Tribute to NIWA’s Helmsman on his birthday aanniversary-By Ismail Omipidan

Bola Oyebamiji is a noble man by all standards. Humble. Generous. Hardworking. He is one individual whose love and compassion for community and the less privileged in the society is unrivalled.

My close relationship with him in the last five years showed clearly that he has no issues relating with people – mighty, high and low. He served as the Finance Commissioner, while I served as the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.

The job of propagating and publicising the activities of the government and the governor as Chief Press Secretary is never an easy one, as not everyone even within the cabinet would accord you the necessary and legitimate support to excel.

However, some cabinet members deserve special mention for supporting me with material and resources to succeed in the discharge of my duties as the Chief Press Secretary to Osun Governor (2019-2022). One of them was Bola Oyebamiji.

As the Commissioner for Finance, he ensured that whatever was approved to carry out the task of my office was released in good time. In fact, on one or two occasions, he went out of his way to ensure my team got what it needed for media and publicity without being subjected to mental torture by the ministry/ agency concerned.

Today is his birthday and I have chosen to celebrate him because of my admiration for how he has carried himself so far since he happened on the public service scene in 2012.

He belongs to the class of public servants who use power and influence positively. His dedication to supporting his boss and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola CON, to make a positive difference in the sector is truly inspiring. As the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the
the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Oyebamiji has, within one year of his appointment, turned around the fortunes of the agency, as he follows religiously the details of the Performance Bond he signed with the minister, Oyetola.

But this is not the first time Oyebamiji would be turning around the fortunes of the places he had the opportunity to oversee.

Before he was named the Managing Director of Osun State Investment Company Limited (OSICOL) in 2012, the place was almost becoming moribund. But within five years, he turned around the fortunes of company, growing it up from about N300m to about N3bn.

It was that impressive performance that threw him up for the position of Commissioner for Finance in Osun State in 2017; and when Oyetola became the governor in 2018, he did not need to look farther before settling for a man widely regarded as a public sector expert in human resources, finance and policy formation.

In my own estimation, Oyebamiji stands out in the crowd of those that may have managed Osun’s Ministry of Finance so far.

Oyebamiji was born in Ikire, Osun West part of the state, where he had his early formation. He attended ADC Primary School, Oke-Ada (1971-1977), and proceeded to Ayedaade Grammar School, Ikire, from 1978-1982 for his secondary school education.

From there, he proceeded to the prestigious The Polytechnic, Ibadan, where he obtained his Ordinary National Diploma (OND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) in Banking and Finance.

His quest to further horne his intellectual capacity saw him obtaining two master’s degrees in Public Administration and Business Administration from Lagos State University, Ojo, and the University of Ado-Ekiti, respectively.

He qualified as a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria in 2009 and he is a Fellow of various professional bodies, including the Institute of Chartered Economists of Nigeria, and the Association of Enterprise Risk Management Professionals.

An ace banker before joining the public service, Oyebamiji began his career as an Assistant Manager at Wema Bank Plc in 1989, and nine years later, he joined Trans International Bank as a Senior Manager. Here, he rose through the ranks to the position of Principal Manager and served as the Head of the Lagos Region of the bank before exiting in 2003.

For four years, Oyebamiji worked at Spring Bank Plc as the Head of Business Development, and in 2009, he joined the Enterprise Bank, where he was appointed the head of the Retail Business Unit.

Oyebamiji, so far, you have not given anybody any reason to doubt your competence, capacity and loyalty. Remain focused and do not be carried away by the new friends around you.

If you remain focused till the end, the sky would be your stepping stone. I pray those demons that confuse and derail people each time they occupy new office will flee away from you at NIWA. You must also learn to identify them and flee from them in order to fulfill your glorious destiny.

I look forward to seeing you finish well at NIWA, so that your performance at NIWA can recommend you for higher challenges, the same way your performance at OSICOL recommended you for the position of commissioner for Finance and that of Finance recommended you for NIWA.

May Allah’s love, favours, compassion, mercy, and blessings be upon you and your family today and forever. Amin.

Happy birthday to you, Alhaji Oyebamiji, my amiable egbon.

Omipidan, a journalist, writes from Ile Olorisa Compound, Eyindi, Ila Orangun of Osun State.