Cement giant Lafarge Africa Plc celebrated its outgoing chairman, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye, and welcomed his successor, Mr Mobolaji Balogun, in Lagos last Friday. OLATUNDE ODEBIYI was there.
Good deeds beget good reward. So it was last Friday when Chief Olusegun Oshunkeye, former Lafarge Africa Plc chairman was celebrated after bowing out. It was a twin event as his successor Mr Mobolaji Balogun, son of eminent banker Otunba Subomi Balogun was ushered in.
It was all at Shell Hall, MUSON Centre in Onikan, Lagos. Guests were the cream of society.
The women were in high heel shoes and lovely hairstyles. They moved to the red rug at the entrance to take photographs and exchange pleasantries before entering the hall.
Women in green ankara, sewn in Oleku style, ushered guests to their seats.
The hall was tastefully decorated.
Osunkeye was in white agbada with light blue cap; Balogun was in suit. They were the cynosure of all eyes. They sat on the front row with top members of staff of the company. The waiters, assisted by ushers, served guests snacks, foods and drinks at intervals.
Frank Edoho, the Master of the Ceremony, ensured that guests had a nice time.
Yinka Davies and her band led guests to recite the national anthem.
Yibs Ensemble presented a play titled: “Grip Aim” written by the late Ola Rotimi.
After the play, the firm’s Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer Guillaume Roux said the gathering was to celebrate Osunkeye who has remained committed to Lafarge Africa.
Ogun State governor’s wife, Mrs Olufunsho Amosun, who delivered her husband’s goodwill message, said Osunkeye has been supportive to her, her foundation and the state.
She congratulated Mr Balogun on his appointment, saying he is capable of stepping into Osunkeye’s shoes.
A director Mr Adebayo Jimoh, read Osunkeye’s citation. People eulogised Osunkeye. Another director, Joe Hudson, read Balogun’s citation.
Osunkeye’s first child, Mrs Kemi Adewole described him as God-fearing. “God is everything to him, he loves God, he is very passionate about God, he is Godly and he puts God in every single thing he does. He serves in church and that tells me he is a humble man. He is a rare gem, patient, diligent, compassionate, hard working and long suffering. He is a man, who brings out the best in everybody and especially his children and our spouses. He has time for everybody; he is an attentive father and attentive grandfather. He meets each of us at the point of our needs. He is generous. He is interested in what you are going through, at work and at home. He has a solution to anyone’s problem and he does not take anyone for granted. He is a leader by example. I want to say today that on behalf of my siblings, our spouses and everyone that has taken you as a father, we are proud of you, we are honoured to be your children and thank God that a day like this has come.”
Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry Otunba Bimbo Ashiru described Osunkeye as a supportive father.
A former Central Bank of Nigeria governor and former director of the company, Chief Joseph Sanusi proposed the toast. He described Osunkeye as a man who excels in everything he does. “I was on the board of Lafarge with Chief Osunkeye for about 10 years, he never came late or missed any meeting. He is always fully prepared for the meeting and he will always find an answer to every question raised. It is my pleasure tonight to propose the toast of Osunkeye, a great Nigerian, a good leader and a jolly good fellow,” he said.
He asked the gathering to rise for the toast amid singing of the popular song, “For he is a jolly good fellow”. Guests clinked glasses filled with wine.
Sanusi congratulated Balogun, wishing him a successful tenure.
Responding, Osunkeye said he was overwhelmed by the show of love for him, adding that the gathering surprised him.
He invited Balogun to the stage and introduced him as his successor. They hugged amid applause.
Osunkeye described Balogun as a thoroughbred, corporate multi-tasking, solutions bringing and result-oriented man, full of vitality in the board room, and also in the business world.
He prayed that Balogun will take the firm to greater heights. “May God bless, keep and make his face to shine upon you. May success, joy and satisfaction be yours.”
Balogun, after thanking guests and apologising for his parents’ absence, said: “I’m delighted today to have the opportunity to step into the shoes of a remarkable man and I am tremendously humbled by the opportunity that I have to follow the foot step of one of Nigeria’s greatest citizens and I am extremely blessed by the opportunity to have sat on the same board with Osunkeye for over a decade.”
“To be asked to chair this company, short of my 50th birthday is a remarkable opportunity for a young man like me,” he said.
He hoped that in the next five or seven years he would have taken the company higher than he found it.
Osunkeye was appointed to the board on October 24, 2000 and became chairman on October 1, 2009. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, the Institute of Directors and the Nigerian Institute of Management.
He is also president (and a fellow) of the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria and the immediate past chairman of International Chamber of Commerce, Nigeria Chapter.
He was Nestle Nigeria Plc and GlaxoSmithKline chairman for 14 years. He is a past president of the Nigerian Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA).
