The remarkable story of Yemi, —a young Nigerian from a
humble background, who choose the path of honour and diligence; paying his dues
and following the tough intellectual path till he got to the zenith of his
career as a professor of Law and a Senior Advocate of the nation; and then
going on to become the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
—exemplifies the noblest manifestation of the Nigerian Spirit.
For those who have followed him closely, Osinbajo’s
enthralling odyssey, especially in the field of intellectualism, validates the
enduring wisdom that difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.
His unwavering sense of loyalty and duty to our nation,
rigorous erudition and professionalism, stern discipline, demonstrable
integrity and almost a child-like faith in God has activated and enlisted those
mysterious principles that guide human progress, making him an endearing figure
to millions of our citizens.
He displays these noble traits effortlessly in the academia,
legal profession, faith arena, politics and even romance. Informed minds can
attest to the fact that these deep traits have meshed to win over the needed
fundamental forces, which interfaced to leverage his life’s journey to date.
He is no less a child of providence, wielding influence with
alluring humility and exemplary focus. In line with his servant leadership
philosophy, he has demonstrated with his life’s trajectory that spirituality,
law and politics can fundamentally transform the human condition for good.
Maya Angelou, the famous American poet and essayist rightly
observed that “nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” Angelou’s
captivating insight into the existential challenges that confront great minds
succinctly captures the life story of Professor Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo, —a
man who has distinguished himself as a symbol of virtue and creative innovation
in Nigeria’s public office.
I have observed that one of the distinguishing attributes
that sets him apart as an innovative leader is his capacity to identify
problems and see them as platforms to provide opportunities for many. This
ability to see opportunities in challenges does not come cheap. Every great
mind who thinks for others knows that it often places on one a demand for
deeper level of thinking, making one to keep meditating over such challenges
until hidden opportunities begin to emerge.
It was this capacity to think very deep and see
opportunities in challenges that made Osinbajo see Fintech as a veritable
platform to encourage young people to participate in the financial sector and
thrive while he was still in office. To achieve this, he established the
Advisory Group on Technology and Creativity which he personally chaired.
This council influenced the regulatory reforms that saw the
issuance of new Licences granted to FinTechs payment processing companies by
the Central Bank of Nigeria. This singular policy directive has been so
impactful that it has produced six Unicorns (companies worth one Billion
Dollars) in just few years. This example proves that the capacity to see
opportunities in challenges remains the hallmark of innovative leadership.
Another remarkable fact that distinguishes Osinbajo as an
innovative leader is the role he played towards the activation of the usage of
the Executive Orders in Nigeria’s constitutional democracy. Records have it
that before President Buhari came into power, no civilian president ever issued
an Executive Order even though the constitution gives the President the powers
to issue such orders.
While Buhari’s administration issued more than ten Executive
Orders, many of such Orders bear the signature of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo
as Acting President. History has already recorded that it was Professor Yemi
Osinbajo’s ingenuity that practicalized the issuance of Executive Orders in our
national leadership.
One of such Executive Orders is the Executive Order 007,
(The Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit
Scheme) which was designed to empower private companies to finance construction
or refurbishment of federal roads designated as “eligible roads” under the
scheme and recoup their investments through deduction of the approved total
costs expended on the project from their annual Companies Income Tax (CIT).
Many legal minds have argued that the introduction of the
Executive Orders may be one of the outstanding legacies of Buhari’s
administration, not just because of the impact of such orders, but because of
the fact that it has awakened our national consciousness to the provisions of
the constitution towards the usage of Executive Orders by the President. For a
developing democracy like Nigeria where there is often a rancorous relationship
between the Executive and the Legislature, the usage of Executive Orders is
strategic to every president.
The foregoing may help explain why twenty-five independent
intellectuals came together in 2023 and wrote Osinbajo Strides; Defining
Moments of an Innovative Leader, a book that was written in honour of Prof.
Yemi Osinbajo before he left office as the Vice President. Speaking during the
launching of that book, His Highness, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the former Emir of
Kano, courageously voiced out what millions of Nigerians have come to know as
the truth.
The Emir stated that; “…we all agree that Nigeria is worse
off not having someone like him (Osinbajo) as president, but I do hope that he
will be available to serve and to advise and to put in his best for the country
and continue to do so…” Further stating that “Osinbajo was one of those in the
‘former’ administration willing to debate any matter and yield superior
argument.” What else can one say! Happy Birthday Prof. We love you dearly.
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