Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on leaders to practice humility, saying true leaders achieve success through humility and foresight rather than an insatiable pursuit of power.
The Vice President made the observation in close reference to the character of the Ekiti State Governor, Abiodun Oyebanji and praised his sterling leadership qualities as well as impact on the state’s development.
VP Shettima extolled Governor Oyebanji’s ability to unite his predecessors, noting that “he was able to unite four past governors under the same canopy; that goes to show a lot about his personality.”
Taking a leaf from the 16th President of the United States, the VP noted: “Abraham Lincoln said, ‘Most men can survive the extremes of adversity, but if you want to see a man’s true character give him money and power’. I was fortunate to know Governor Oyebanji when he was Secretary to the State Government. He exuded humility, and I intuitively felt he would be the next Governor of Ekiti State. And the rest is history today.”
VP Shettima emphasised the importance of maintaining relationships beyond political office, saying “when you are in power, your friends know you, but when you are out of power, you know your friends.”
Commending Governor Oyebanji’s inclusive leadership approach, he continued: “What you do speaks so loudly that I can’t hear what you are saying. You don’t need anybody to tell us about his persona. Here, we have all his predecessors and their spouses. He was able to unite the four past governors under the same canopy; that goes to show a lot about his personality.
“I want to thank you for sustaining the relationship with your predecessors; that is what leadership is all about – the ability to accommodate and embrace each other. All of us here have a lot to learn from you. I believe you have a rendezvous with destiny; you have more rivers to cross in the future. You have the ability to reach out.”
He made the observations on Saturday when he represented President Bola Tinubu at the traditional marriage ceremony of Toluwatimi Oyebanji and Ayodeji Akinyemi at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State. He wished the couple a happy married life.
VP Shettima said; “On behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we wish you marital bliss. We hope and pray that this marriage will be blessed with children and, most especially, patience. On behalf of the President, I congratulate you.”
Also, the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin urged the couple to always remember the prayers and good wishes of everyone who attended the marriage event and learn to forgive each other and pray together.
In his address, the Chairman of the event, Chief Wole Olanipekan (SAN) recalled the array of personalities who attended the event and urged the couple to always remember the qualities and number of the personalities who attended their wedding and learn a lesson from them.
“The presence of these personalities demonstrates three crucial elements: respect for family values, unity of purpose, and national cohesion,” he added.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
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