By Giwa Moore

In the past three years, Lagos State Tertiary Institutions under the leadership of Barr. Tokunbo Wahab who clocks 51 today has been enthralled by purposeful driven governance, innovative programmes and projects under a serene and placid atmosphere. In all ramifications, his 51st birthday is a worthy and fulfilled milestone which should be commemorated with pomp and wide jubilations.

Tokunbo Wahab is ever willing to render help as much as he can. He is very accessible notwithstanding that he is so busy and hard working. He is not concerned about where you come from or the colour of your skin, he is godly and fair to all and is non-judgemental. He is ever willing to guide, teach and correct. Whenever he gives you a task his major motive and interest is for you to deliver, he is a leader that believes so much in the young ones, I enjoyed working with him. He is one of the few in the world who can tell me what to do and I will do it because his actions are borne out of love and genuine intentions. Never for personal agrandization.

While he looks for intelligence, energy, integrity and humility in individuals, as a good leader would do, he never despises the weak and the oppressed, like Job, in the Bible, he ‘delivers the poor and search out a matter’. He easily forgives others their trespasses. He is a peace maker and never a user of men and women. No one that has worked with him remains on the same level.

Everyone with good intention wants to work with this man. He has large followers who believes so much in him. But what most people don’t know or understand about this man is that he does not want you to follow him but he desires others to become leaders too, with all the responsibilities that go with leading in order to have a better society. He stands by others in times of needs. The life lessons that I have gleaned from relating with this uncommon leader and mentor cannot be quantified. I will continue to celebrate this man who has touched my life and countless others.

Under his watch, the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration has commissioned library/ICT centres across Lagos State secondary schools; constructed administrative buildings at Lagos State Polytechnic, LASPOTECH, Isolo; LASU/eCornel Business School in Victoria Island; 8,700 bed space for students of LASU; and upgraded LASPOTECH, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, AOCOED, Ijanikin and Micheal Otedola College of Primary Education, MOCPED, Epe to University of Technology and University of Education.

To honour his resilience in bringing Lagos State Education to 21st century standards, Barr. Wahab was awarded the Government Official of the Year (2021) at the Excellence Recognition Awards’ 17th edition in Lagos.

Tokunbo Wahab is not just habe a selfless and service oriented ideology, he has also stayed glued to it all his life without compromising his position. To him, the confidence reposed on him by the generality of the ordinary people, worth more than silver, gold and diamond. He would rather remain friends with the people than trade them to satisfy himself, a practice that dominates our political terrain. I pray God to prolong his life in peace, good health and prosperity and to reward all his investments in humanity. Happy birthday to you Sir, as you celebrate this your special day.