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Tag: Zach Adedeji

  • NSR boss, others mourn late colleague at Fidau

    NSR boss, others mourn late colleague at Fidau

    •As families, friends pay tributes

    The Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NSR), Dr. Zach Adedeji, Acting Executive Director, Government and Large Taxpayers Directorate, Dr (Mrs) Stella Okhagbuzo and other members of staff penned a glowing tribute as they joined families, friends and well-wishers at the three-day Fidau prayer of the late Tajudeen Abiola Durosinmi.

    The deceased, who passed on last Wednesday after a brief illness, has since being buried according to Islamic rites.

    In a statement signed on behalf of the entire staff of NSR by Dr (Mrs) Stella Okhagbuzo, Ag. Director LTD (Oil & Gas), the Service expressed its heartfelt condolences to the deceased family.

    In the statement which reads in part, it said, “We the NSR family is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Tajudeen Abiola Durosinmi, please accept our sincere condolences during this very difficult time. Please know that our thoughts are with you as we all navigate through the period of grief.

    “We had the privilege of working with Tajudeen Abiola Durosinmi and he will be remembered for his dedication, kindness, and the positive presence he brought to those around him. His contributions and character made a lasting impression on all of us. Our thoughts are with you and your families as you grieve this loss. May you find comfort in the memories you shared and in the support of friends and loved ones. Wishing you strength, peace, and healing in the days ahead.”

    Speaking earlier during the Utbah (sermon) tagged “Who’s Next?” Khalifa Musidiq Azeez the Imam Saidina Hamzat Yusuf mosque, Ijeshatedo, Surulere, Lagos, who led other Muslim clerics to the event, delivered a deeply reflective sermon titled “Who’s Next?” a message that resonated strongly among mourners.

    The clerics explained that the sermon was not meant to instil fear but to awaken spiritual consciousness, reminding believers of the words of Allah: “Every soul shall taste death, and to Us shall you all be returned.”

    Imam Azeez, who also doubles as the Secretary of the League of Imams in Ijeshatedo, noted that death does not send invitations nor recognise age, wealth, status or position, stressing that the young and old, rich and poor, healthy and sick are all subject to Allah’s decree.

    According to him, the rhetorical question “Who’s next?” is not directed at others but serves as a reminder for every believer to examine his or her life and prepare adequately for the Hereafter.

    The clerics urged Muslims to remain steadfast in Ṣalāh, uphold taqwa, maintain honesty in dealings, show compassion to humanity and remain conscious of the day each soul will stand alone before Allah.

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    Reflecting on the life of the deceased, they noted that good character, charity and service to humanity are among the deeds that continue to benefit a believer even after death, in line with the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), “When a person dies, all his deeds end except three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge and a righteous child who prays for him.”

    The prayer session concluded with supplications that Allah forgive the shortcomings of the deceased, illuminate his grave with light and grant him Al-Jannatul Firdaus, while also granting patience and strength to his family.

    Beyond his family circle, Durosinmi was widely described as a people-oriented individual who continued to touch lives even while battling illness.

    Many beneficiaries of his kindness have since testified to his generosity, noting that his benevolence extended to both those he met personally and others who would continue to benefit from his goodwill.

    Friends, colleagues and associates have remained inconsolable since his passing, a development the family said reflects the depth of love he inspired while alive.

    Family members described him as a rare gem whose life was defined by humility, kindness, generosity and unwavering support for those around him.

  • Zach Adedeji: Man in the mirror!

    Zach Adedeji: Man in the mirror!

    By Emmanuel Egboh

    Some illustration with motivational notes was recently shared on social media. It trended so well because of its inherent message – a powerful message at that. Source is though unknown, the message rankled forlorn hope and neutralised depression from failing faith.

    What’s the illustration about?

    A tattered-looking young boy standing in front of a full-length mirror saw a different person other than his real image. Staring at him in the mirror was a full-grown, smart, good-looking, and successful man.

    Sporting an expensive suit, with a nice pair of shoes and a briefcase in his hands as his dream reflection, he was yet, tattered, haggard and hungry in real life, but accompanied with a beautiful smile.

    Titled the power of vision, the illustration addressed the fact that the boy was not discouraged by his present situation, and already had an idea, where life was taking him by virtue of his ability to envision a dream, and the determination to live the dream.

    Reflecting poverty at its worst state, the boy saw himself differently because that was whom he assumed himself to be, and he seemed resolved to achieve that vision without letting his current state stifle him.

    From a sleepy village of farmers, Iwo-Ate, in Oyo State,once a little boy, Zacch Adedeji, PhD, probably inspired the illustration above. For a little boy who grew up amid plantations of all sorts as neighbors, the life he saw then and lives today summarises the power of dream.

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    With a yearning for a decent living that transcended his primitive birthplace, Adedeji dreamt a life of purpose, different from the type that shaped his forebears. He wanted to be different and made sure nothing stood in his way.

    Despite hailing from a hardly known sleepy village, he didn’t wait for opportunities to crawl his way in fulfillment of his dream. Instead, he desperately went in search of them to bring his dream into reality. At each turn in his life, he has continued to fulfill destiny.

    From a National Diploma in Accountancy at the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, to netting a First-Class degree in Management and Accounting from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, his Master’s degree and ultimately a PhD in Accounting, would later crystalise and complement his dream and vision.

    Attending the Harvard Kennedy School to sharpen his knowledge and expertise in economic development and public policy, further attested to his search for knowledge, beyond the mediocrity of sheer emphasis on degrees and certificates.

    It is no wonder, therefore, that President Bola Tinubu, the man known for raw talent hunt, found him worthy of the different appointments he had extended to him since he assumed office about two years ago.

    After all, the Iwo-Ate-born financial Czar has come to be identified as one of the best picks of the current administration. And without pushing too hard, he has been administering doses of what he’s capable of dishing out with evident results on the economy.

    At just 47, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has accomplished what many had spent their whole life chasing.

    Not only has he changed the dynamics at Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), deploying efficiency andexcellence, the agency, under his direct supervision, has utterly changed the narrative in tax revenue in the country.

    Making taxes seamless and fair is the fulcrum of the initiatives of his regime at FIRS, which seeks to balance both sides of the government and the citizenry.

    This was after his initial appointment as the Special Adviser to the President on Revenue, a stint which began the shapingof the nation’s fiscal policies, by firming up her revenue structure, soothing the economy, and arousing certainty in her body politic.

    His growth, generally, is not what anyone could gloss over. He was the Commissioner for Finance in Oyo State, where he implemented the Treasury Single Account and changed how the finances of the state were managed.

    He was also at the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), where he canvassed and led the establishment of the Nigeria Sugar Institute and secured extensions for keyprogrammes that braced the nation’s sugar industry.

    Today, people talk about Adedeji as the man of the moment as if this was served on him a la carte. That would be unfair to his culture of hard work. He got to where he is today with resilience, foresight, and untiring commitment to excellence.

    For a boy, said to have successfully managed his father’s farm accounts and now skillfully handling the country’s multi-billion dollar revenue agency, Zacchaeus Adelabu Adedeji, is truly that boy, now man, in the mirror, boasting a life of inevitable envy.

    What further testimony does anyone need aside form the one by a renowned lawyer, and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Olisa Agbakoba, who recently reminded the nation of how Adedeji, moved the economy from the proposed seemingly impossible nine trillion to an hypnotising 50 trillion in less than two years.

    It is correct to argue that the nation may not have reached the station many assumed was their desired destination, but it is also true that things have moved from where they used to be to a different terminus, courtesy the efforts and doings of someone like Adedeji, who remains focused and takes his job seriously.

    His story, especially his rise to prominence and rising successes, does not just stimulate optimism but places emphasis on hard work, vision, and the determination to consciously sculpt his path to victory. 

    • Egboh is the MD/CEO of Advonics Services Nigeria Ltd.