Book Review
Title: Olukoga: The quintessential administrator
Author: Adul Fatai Olajide Babatunde Olukoga
Publisher: Royal Digits Limited
Pagination: 289
Reviewer: Obinna Emelike
Though Honourable Adul Fatai Olajide Babatunde Olukoga is not a first-time author, having authored a book in 2004 titled ‘Managing People’, and published articles in the Lagos State Bureaucrat, a journal of the state public service, but his latest book, ‘Olukoga: The quintessential administrator’ is a must read for many reasons.
The author, an accomplished administrator, with experiences across corporate, public and civil services has taken time to present his rich experiences in a book, a legacy, which will impact many that come across it.
These are the same views shared by Femi Akinsanya, an engineer and managing director, Royal Digits Limited, in his forward of the book.
According to Akinsanya, Olukoga’s years of public office activism commemorate and celebrate not the forces that disparage our humanity but those that propagate it.
Describing the author as a person who is admirable and adorable about humanity, he notes that the book takes the readers on a journey into the enriching life of a gem, Honourable Dr. Fatai Olukoga, a gentleman he has been privileged to meet.
Speaking further about the author, the forward writer, noted that, “He is very passionate and optimistic about the development of Nigeria”.
“The belief in the possibility of a safer, healthier and better Nigeria runs in his veins and propels him to support projects and initiatives geared towards the betterment of our richly endowed nation”.
Presented in 289 pages across 15 chapters, the book is a commemorative memoir and an attempt to capture historical perspectives and public office activism of Honourable Olukoga.
As well, it is neither a substitute for his biography nor a holistic profile of his achievements; rather it is a well-researched documentation to fill some yearning gaps in the existing literature on the public service of Honourable Olukoga.
In Chapter 1, the author takes the readers to his root, starting with his childhood and education.
The Honourable, a native of Ikorodu, one of the divisions of Lagos State, was born to Sulaimon Adebambo Olukoga and Zainab Olukoga, (Nee Bakare), both late, at Olorogun, Lagos Island on September 27, 1951.
From childhood, Honourable Olukoga has always been seen from different perspectives by many people. Some consider him as being controversial; some say he is pleasant, kind and humorous, while others say he is peace-loving and hardworking.
In all, everybody who comes across the quintessential administrator will confirm that he is passionate about the development of his fatherland, starting from Ikorodu, his native place, Lagos State and the entire country.
He had all his early education in Lagos from St. John’s School Aroloya, to Ansar-Ud-Deen College Isolo before furthering at Malcolm-X College, Chicago, Governor’s State University, Park Forest, South Illinois and United University College, Denton, North Carolina, which conferred on him an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Philosophy in Public Administration in 2004.
The Chapter also unveiled his professional experience, starting from the end of his university education in 1975 when he had a stint with the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and National Biscuit Company, both in Chicago, United States of America.
On his return to Nigeria in 1977, he worked with ITT Nigeria Limited as a management trainee, and later as assistant manager, staff development, Training Centre Shogunle.
His career with the Lagos State Public Service commenced in 1979 with the Lagos State Refuse Disposal Board, now known as Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), as assistant training manager. He spent 19 years in LAWMA serving as PR manager, assistant chief planning officer, assistant general manager, principal secretary, director corporate planning, and assistant general manager-commercial.
Having served well in Public Service, he moved to Civil Service in 1996 as assistant director, planning, research and statistics, General Service Bureau, now Public Service Office.
While in service, he attended over 40 seminars, workshops and conferences within and outside the country, and served in different capacities on various committees, boards and panels.
However, his meteoric rise has been by sheer dint of hard work and brilliant performances.
The chapter 1 also captures all the panels and committees he served, fellowships, recognitions and awards, especially Letter of Commendation in March 2008 from Babatunde Raji Fashola, the then governor of Lagos State, for outstanding performance as a member of Lagos State Electoral Review Committee.
Despite his passion for hard work, he generously enjoys social and religious life with membership of some clubs like Ikorodu Club, Island Club, Lagos Country Club, Rotary Club, Ansar Ud-Deen Society Nigeria, Lagos branch among others.
The opening chapter ended by celebrating his work and retirement from the Civil Service in May 2007 as a permanent secretary.
Following his retirement, he was chairman of Avalange Royal Insurance Brokers Limited, director, Townserve Microfinance Bank Ikorodu, director on the board of Royal Digits Limited, director, Firstrust Investment and Managers Limited, and chairman, Crescent University Parent’s Forum.
Chapter 2 displayed a collection of his awards of excellence.
Some of the numerous awards and recognitions include; Distinguished Leadership Award presented by Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, Epe, Award of Excellence by Muslim Teachers Association of Nigeria, Ikorodu branch, Meritorious Award of Excellence by International Inner Wheel among others from National Association of Niger Delta Students, National Association of Lagos State Students Laspotech chapter, Magbojuri Taiwo Initiative, Editorial Board and Nigeria Investment Newspaper, Lagos.
In Chapter 3, the author talks more about his stint as a public administrator. He reveals his work relationship with the heads of government in Lagos State from 1996 to 2015.
He served as director of planning, research and statistics for Olufunmilayo Da-Silva, the secretary to the Lagos State Government presided over then by Colonel Buba Marwa, now retired Brigadier General from 1996-1999, who he commended for his penchant for quality service delivery, void of bottlenecks.
But credit also goes to his principal, Olufunmilayo Da-Silva, who he describes as an astute and versatile administrator.
The experience working with the military administrator, according to the author, has been worthwhile because the office of the Secretary to the State Government was under the military governor and as such heat generated was exhausted directly on his office.
But unknown to him, the military administrator cherished him for his resilience, hard work and resourcefulness and later rewarded him with juicy appointments; first as the director of Personal Income Tax, Lagos State Revenue Board, sole administrator, Ojo Local Government Area for one month, and later as chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the same local government for 10 months.
It was his clean record as Chairman of the Caretaker Committee that made Bola Tinubu, during his tenure as governor of Lagos State, to appoint him permanent secretary in the state public service.
His experience under Bola Tinubu’s tenure was also worthwhile. He served as director of administration and finance under Akinsanya Sunny Ajose, the Permanent Secretary, Governor’s Office.
He commended Tinubu for choosing the best technocrats to work with and Ajose, his boss and an accomplished technocrat, for affording him the opportunity to work with Tinubu.
It was in Ajose’s office he served the longest and from where he was made permanent secretary in 2005.
He also learnt a lot from Tinubu who will not take no or impossible for answer.
He recalled one of his many feats under Tinubu’s administration to be the completion of the Teslim Balogun Stadium under six months, a project abandoned for over 19 years.
Working with Babatunde Raji Fashola was a whole lot of experience for him too. His work with the former governor started under Tinubu’s administration where Fashiola served as the Chief of Staff. He cherished the experience offered by the Fashiola and Sunny Ajose combination under Tinubu. After his retirement, the Fashiola administration appointment as a member of the defunct Lagos State Electoral Review Committee in 2007 and in 2011, he was appointed as Special Adviser on Education to Governor Babatunde Fashiola. It was a cabinet rank appointment that afforded him the opportunity to be a member of the State Executive Council, as well as intellectually rewarding and administratively enriching for him.
Again, during his tenure as the Special Adviser on Education between 2011-2015, the tertiary institutions and agencies under his purview witnessed considerable achievements.
He also gained from the Monday Executive Council Meetings under Babatunde Fashiola, who adopted a consensus approach to reach result-oriented decisions.
In Chapter 4, he enumerated his achievements as the Special Adviser on Education to Governor Babatunde Fashiola.
They include; ensuring smooth running and facilitation of prompt release of funds and completion of the School of Transport, full accreditation of majority of the courses and release of grants for staff welfare, all at Lagos State University.
He also helped the Lagos State University College of Medicine to gain some accreditations, provision of infrastructure at Lagos State Polytechnic, accreditation of courses, support for Tetfund projects like new block of classroom, offices, 700-seater auditorium at Ikorodu Campus, establishment of new schools such as Applied Science, School of Communication among others.
Micheal Otedola College of Primary Education, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, had their own share of the infrastructure development and support.
As well, he awarded bursary to over 30,000 students from 57 local government areas of the state with 5,962 from Ikorodu local government area.
He awarded foreign scholarships, partnered with Caleb University on scholarship for indigent students, paid tuition fees for the Nigerian School for the Blind, among many gestures that were commended by the beneficiaries.
Chapter 5 paraded letters of commendation from communities, organisations and individuals who appreciate his gestures and selfless service to the state and humanity.
They include; Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area, Lagos State Government Governor’s Office, Lara Narrow Way, Royal Institute of Moral, Action Congress of Nigeria, Gospel Baptist Cathedral Lagos, Asiwaju Grassroots Foundation, Olori M. Olayinka Oyefusi, among many others. He dedicated 24 pages to the commendations.
In Chapter 6, the author showcased governance in picture in about 70 pages. The displayed pictures are some of his important engagements while in service. They include familiarization tours to LASU, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, workshops, convocation ceremony at Adeniran Adesanya College of Education, event at Alternative High School for Girls, among others.
He continued the picture story in Chapter 7, while in Chapter 8, he talked about the Olukoga Support Foundation, a grassroot non-governmental organization with no religious and ethnic affiliation, which the author used to care for the people.
The foundation, which is based in Ikorodu, is established to provide better life and attract better opportunities, while undertaking massive economic emancipation of Nigerians by transforming standard of living by supporting self-development.
Chapter 9 dwelled on the first edition of Olukoga’s timeout with children all in pictures, an event that was held at Ragolis Water PlayGround in 2011.
Chapter 10 is dedicated to the care for the elderly as Honourable Olukoga had timeout with the elderly in Ikorodu division of the state.
He noted that the initiative was aimed at recognizing the elderly as co-nation builders, providing health and economic support for them, and thereby giving them a sense of belonging.
In appreciation of his gestures through the Olukoga Support Foundation and support for the elderly, he was inducted into the Elderly Club, amid a visit to the late Ambassador Olusegun Olushola’s gallery in Surulere.
In one of the pictures, he displayed a Senior Citizens Award presented to him by some elderly people in Lagos.
Chapter 12 threw up Olukoga’s political ambition. He established the Fatai Olukoga Campaign Organisation (FOCO) and visited all the six local council development areas in the Ikorodu division during his preparation for campaign for election into the Federal House of Representatives 2015. There were visits to many stakeholders including the Alhaji Etika Group, Apex Central, Igbogbo Baiyeku, Ijede, Imota, Ikorodu North, Ikorodu West Local Council Development Areas, among others.
Read also: Book Review: One-way ticket – My uninterrupted life journey from pot to factory
In chapter 13, Honourable Olukoga had timeout with widows in 2014 where he donated sewing machines, cheques and gifts to the participating widows.
He also had a timeout with members of his campaign organisation in 2014 where he gave out gift items like gas cooker among others.
In the last Chapter 15, tagged ‘Press Release’, Honourable Olukoga was captured in the eyes of the Nigerian media.
It opened with the picture where Lateef Jakande, former governor of Lagos State, was cutting a tape to declare World Book Day 2014 open.
His name made it to many newspaper headlines, including; Hon. Fatai Olukoga gets party leaders’ support for House of Reps; Olukoga: Today, rich men don’t help indigent students; Lagos doctors lack moral basis to embark on industrial action-Olukoga; Lagos tasks tertiary institutions on IGR; Participate in politics, Fashiola’s aide urges women; Lagos refunds N209m to LASU students among others.
The author recalled his first encounter with leadership and politics, trialing it to his appointment as Ojo Local Government Area administrator by the military administration of Buba Marwa, the then military governor of Lagos State. That appointment helped him gain grassroot understanding of political activities and also paved the way for him to achieve all that he has achieved in public and civil service before his retirement.
