Lam had this dimpled chuckle on his face that afternoon of Saturday, January 9, 1999; he had just been pronounced winner of the governorship election. The teacher from Ikija Village in Oluyole Local Government Area was about to take on the most challenging job of his life. I walked up to him in his modest living room at Felele and handed him the final result. Alliance for Democracy (AD) polled 454,680 while PDP scored 219,220. ‘Happy Birthday Sir’, I said.
Bemused, he looked up from the tiny piece of paper ‘But it’s not my birthday Dotun’
‘I mean happy birthday in advance and this is the best present you can ever have sir’ He got the joke and laughed. He would be 60years in 11 days, on January 20.
When he was 70years old in 2009 and I was serving in the PDP Administration of Governor Akala, I placed a personal full page adverts in his honour, though he was in the opposition.
Our relationship transcends partisan politics. When irate striking workers attacked me on July 18, 2000, Governor Adesina insisted that the NLC National President come down to Ibadan. Comrade Adam Oshiomhole came and personally apologised to me in the Governor’s office on July 20.
He liked to philosophise a lot about life and you could see that he had that intrinsic insight into the true definition of service. On our way back from an engagement where Bishop Ayoade Ladigbolu was honoured in Ilesha, Governor Lam asked the driver to pull over at Popoola Hotel in the outskirt of Ife. There were three of us when he bared his mind on many issues and in conclusion, he said, ‘I have made many enemies because of my convictions and utterances. Winning this election was my saving grace.’ That was how close we were. On another occasion at the Oyo State Liaison Office in Abuja, he asked “Dotun have you been to the Villa before?” I said no. The following Monday, August 28, 2000, he deliberately included me in his team to attend a meeting presided over by Abubakar Atiku at the Presidential Villa.
He was that kind of person; he wouldn’t shield you off any privileges. As Governor, Lam was not money-minded and many people close to him took the advantage to the fullest and he attached a great deal of importance to issues concerning the less privileged. In fact, one of the first things he did as Governor was the setting up of an empowered Committee on Disability and Welfare, with me as secretary.
Soon, his antecedent as a civil rights activist and a foremost Governor came into play as the Arewa Forum, consisting of the cream of northern elites, politicians, industrialists and retired generals invited Lam to deliver the keynote address at its anniversary, coinciding with the first coup that killed Sardauna Ahmadu Bello, the Northern hero.
Always finicky with details, Lam and I went through his address with a fine-tooth comb and took off to Kaduna on Tuesday, January 15, 2002 to deliver an audacious address that left the hall reeling with a bitter-sweet sensation. I remember very well the crowd included Gen. Buhari, Yakubu Gowon, IBM Haruna, Liman and Adamu Ciroma, Balarabe Musa and a host of others. Lam was unsparing in his criticism of the assumptions of Northern leaders and the docility of the rest of us. The master of ceremony described the speech as ‘daring and practical’ and described Lam as the next Yoruba leader.
On our way back to the guest house later that evening, Lam told me ‘That is why I made you my Private Secretary’. Lam did his best as Governor and the most edifying testimony of his tenure was that he meant well. Just before Easter of 2002, configurations on the next election, barely a year ahead, reared its head. The Nigerian Labour Congress went on strike. There was tension in Government as accusing fingers went back and forth. Lam waded into the issue energetically but it was clear that those who already had their focus trained on the April 19, 2003 gubernatorial race were stoking the fire.
Meanwhile, Ogbomoso became restive. There was popular clamour that the cameo role that Ogbomoso land played in Lam’s Administration 1999-2003 be reversed. The Secretary to the State Government, Chief Michael Koleoso was from Oke-Ogun, the Deputy Governor Barrister Iyiola Oladokun was also from Oke-Ogun.
Ogbomoso land was given two fringe ministries managed by two young people who were barely 30 years old. So, on January 8, 2003, Ogbomoso leaders in and out of Government met the Secretary to the State Government, Chief Koleoso who in his blunt manner told them that the Senate slot for Oyo North Senatorial District comprising of Ogbomoso and Oke-Ogun had also been zoned to the latter!
The visitors were livid to say the least and left the SSG’s door ajar when they were leaving. Two days later on Friday January 10, 2003, Ogbomoso leaders including Chief Sunday Adewusi, the former Inspector General of Police, foremost industrialists like Chief L.A. Gbadamosi, Prince Abidoye Ayoola, retired Major General Oladayo Popoola and a host of other prominent Ogbomoso citizens met Governor Adesina himself who did not commit himself to anything. Then on March 6, Governor Lam Adesina came directly from the airport to a rally organised at the Governor’s office to announce that he was retaining his running mate.
The implication was very clear, a second term for Alhaji Lam Adesina will mean a continuation of lack of notable position for the whole of Ogbomosoland.
Coupled with the awesome combination of the Ladoja/Akala ticket, pockets of disenchantment among workers and profound consternation from Ogbomoso land, the journey to re-election became far more tenuous. Of course, the secret deal which the South-West Governors reached with President Obasanjo was also an albatross.
When the results were announced on Sunday, April 20, 2003, it was PDP 635,000 AD 395,000. The following morning, myself and then Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Bayo Lawal were in the Government House living room with Governor Lam when he got a call from President Obasanjo who just secured a second term. He offered Lam a place in his Government but in our presence, Great Lam cooly declined the offer and thanked the President for the call.
After the call, he told us he did not want what happened to Uncle Bola Ige to befall him.
And that sums up the man. He truly wanted to serve but not at all cost and on his own terms.
Lam typified human kindness and fairness but could also take tough decisions even when they were inconvenient.
On May 22, 1999 both of us were rehearsing his swearing-in speech which would come up on May 29 when he suddenly paused, lit his pipe and said ‘Dotun, I am not going to make you a Commissioner in my cabinet. You will be my Private Secretary’.
He asked me to go to Ogbomoso early the following morning to meet Chief Ayandele Afilu, his Action Group chum and collect the C.V. of my substitute.
‘What do you think’ Lam asked.
‘I am privileged to work with you sir’ I replied. He put a hand on my shoulder and went back to his room.
That was a bond that lasted till he died.
I stood up and threw myself at the job and to my surprise, I had more influence in government than many others because I had the confidence of my boss.
Only twice did we have open disagreements throughout the four years.
When the heat was on and it became clear that Ogbomoso was turning away from our government, Lam summoned me to Exco on March 27, 2002 and accused me of being ‘overzealous’ on the proposed controversial Ogbomoso Market.
Lam had a huge sense of humour. One of the soft jokes among close associates was his determination to dump smoking.
In a relaxed mood one late evening in the Governor’s office, I reminded him of the quotation of one of his literary heroes, Sir Walter Raleigh. ‘Smoking passes the time, improves the jokes and turns all problems into smoke’.
Lam burst into laughter and warned me ‘Don’t let my wife hear that’.
I dared not.
• Oyelade was Private Secretary to late Lam Adesina
