We rise today to celebrate the life of a high-man, achiever and successful politician, who by divine providence and dint of hard work, sits pretty on life’s totem pole.
Quite many are the histories of some men who had fallen into the quicksand of time, and not even a remnant of their remains could be found. In essence, father time has faded them away from the face of life’s records.
Interestingly, in the wisdom of the Yoruba folklore, such men were proverbially admonished, “One should not shirk his responsibilities”. Those kinds made their volitional freedom from the depth of crustiness, with great confidence, which made others become lethargic for life.
Their original compassionate mien has been confiscated and replaced with stern facial expressions which however caused severe havoc to the vulnerable, as the sunburn of being helpless, petrified them like leaves in autumn. Hence, their soul died and littered the society.
Yet, counting all their austere exploits, only those as gruesome, could emulate them, because the noose which holds humanity was cut off by them. They are also leaders. Aren’t they?
A decade before Nigeria’s independence, those years, when the gathering of Elites spoke the words of freedom over and over like a school bell, Jangling colonial master tympanum, as if it was ready to shatter through it. Masses out of shiver mumbled against being a serf under alien whose father’s land is thousands of million miles away. The old hue of humanity became tainted like a wall while gutting flickers like a lamp lit and kept in the open air.
The 3rd of June, 1950 was a wonderful day, a baby was born to a family in a volitional world, where pangs stare at those who dream to make a better difference. Those who vouched to stand staid on humanity’s plinth, despite all odds to rescue masses beautiful mien.
That’s when he was born. Few years had gone little Bayo grew up and started his Elementary school at Ogbomosho.
Where he garnered and garnished the foundation of his life bastion as a well-nurtured, disciplined and courageous little boy, with an avalanche of respect, deeply etched on the template of his heart by his parent.
Thereafter, with the help of his uncle and as a curious boy, he proceeded to Ghana for his education where he attended the Kamina Barracks Middle School, 5th Battalion of Infantry Tamale through the help of his uncle who lived over there. This was however where his shimmering interest for the police force became a sunburn of a dream. The young Bayo with an understanding of volitional world nudged his thirst for deep knowledge that is sought from several schools he attended.
All through his stay at school, he retained his bibliophile proclivity towards reading, and that became his dear hobby.
Years slipped over after which Nigeria got her independence, he graduates from the University of Ibadan, the Nigerian Premier Higher Institution then, where he attended to further his knowledge base. Thereafter, he was posted to Lagos State for his Cop service (Police) where he had his appellation changed to Cop Bayo. Right from that time, the little spark of his benevolence and kindness was second to none.
According to Barrister Bankole “I am one of those little boys who enjoyed Dr Christopher Adebayo Alao Akala when he was just a cop, someone like him, loved where he came from very much and he never can trade it for anything. You see, he would sacrifice anything for an Ogbomosho indigene. I remember that day as a new student of Lagos State University, once we told him we are from Ogbomosho, he gave us his room key. We were shocked, what sort of man is this, but we didn’t know that was just a tip in his iceberg. He loosed the encumbrance of buying food from our shoulder and we lived there with him like we were with our parents. He is truly a figure worth emulating.”
Cop Bayo was a favourite of all the young bairns in his society. A young man whose popularity sounds like a thunderstorm, because whenever he is coming to Ogbomosho, those bairns would enjoy themselves, he would buy them what they like. Many of them will tell their parents “I’m going to brother Bayo” since there is always something for them to grease their throats, also, he would pet and urge them to make a difference. He is a leader from birth.
This ambidextrous man went through a lot of huddles. He trailed over hot coal of diverse disciplines, those that were capable of gilding the lustrousness in mien, which in turn authors his sternness and makes him deadly like hell.
However, the euphoria of his generosity gave him a platform in the political sphere, after his mind-blowing career as a high ranked Police Officer with many honorary awards.
His political career was outstanding amongst his colleagues, first as an understandable and vibrant Ogbomosho North Chairman, under the platform of APP in 1998. His unrelenting strides were felt in and outside of the local government while in the spurt of time, he became a rivulet of the dream in his co-chairman and young ones who craved for a political post.
Hand over hand, like a man climbing up the ladder of a dream, Chief Alao-Akala’s achievement and disciplinary congruence in the political sphere became a panoramic cynosure across the Oyo State. He whirred from being an Ogbomosho North Local Government Chairman, with the help of the great Baba Lamidi Adedibu, the strongman of Ibadan and Oyo state Politics, who was interested in his honesty.
He served as a linchpin that glued him as running mate with then-incumbent Governor Rashidi Ladoja. His loyalty to his boss is second to none, and made his boss, without hesitation, testified to the Son of Opadoyin, being stainless and innocent, before and after his impeachment from Agodi, Ibadan.
Life has its ways of appreciating responsible men by catapulting them over to the summit where they never thought of. Then-Governor Rashid Ladoja of Oyo State was reinstated in December 2006, after 11 months of Dr Alao-Akala’s succession. Thereafter, he contested and won the gubernatorial election, and became Executive Governor of Oyo State under the platform of People Democratic Party (PDP) on the 29th of May, 2007.
Besides the help of the party, Dr Christopher Alao-Akala’s existence could be likened to the statue of local Messiah in Oyo State, most especially within the Ogbomosho axis. He began his life as a grassroots political gem, he never for once shunned them. His path to political Pinnacle was controversial and surprising. Not only for the sake of winning but also for the fact that he raised the flag of Ogbomosho and proved their relevance in state politics.
In his days in office, not even a pheasant was found bruised by lack of comfortability.
The peace of mind then was common like air everybody breathed in and out, campers would sleep and rest their head on their pillow like a crown prince catching the moon and star dancing in the heart of the sky.
The economy was built on a firm platform, and not on cheating. Husbands would return home with lustrous eyes filled with joy from their various places of work.
Things were so smooth, no one would ever forget such dazzling days of this political genius.
It is unambiguous that his renowned dexterity caught the attention of kings in Yoruba land with the catharsis of interest to award him a chieftaincy in their kingship and all titles whose deep meaning lies in the calling of them. In 2009, he was installed as Bobagunwa of Ogbomosho by Oba Jimoh Oladunni Ajagungbade III, Otun of the Source, Otunba of Akinmorin, Bobajiro of Owu Kingdom, Basorun Atunluto of Akure, Mayegun of Okeho, Akogun of Ilua, Aare Asoludero of Ibarapa, Agbaakin of Iseyin, Ariwajoye of Ede land, Atunluse of Ife Odan, Balogun of Igbojaye land, and Aare Kebimapalu of Oyo State as listed in his profile, not only that but also in the religious sphere, he made the change.
Unexpectedly, and tangential to good people of Oyo state thought, he maintained the benevolent path he had made for himself right from his youth, as a father to the fatherless, helping hand to the helpless, and rising hope for the hopeless.
A man whose life has dusted poverty from many lives, and who makes himself available to everybody that seek to meet him.
His robust political masterly replete in the life of those he catapulted to the political world. He is a leading leader whose pleasure rests tenderly on making leader out of others.
As a continuous reflection, his birth was and is a cradle where humanity grows in human form, while at his growing, he became windswept that wiped away the serfdom. He hoped for peace, he chased peace and he ascertained peace and freedom for his people. No doubt, today June 3, deserves celebrating grandly. Let’s all speak of him till they take their heavenly slice, for no one can detach the noose of friendship between them. No doubt he is an angel in disguise.
Happy glorious birthday to the living icon.
