A Tribute to a Ready Writer
by
His Excellency
Dr. Kayode FAYEMI
Governor, Ekiti State, Nigeria
in honour of
Mr. Sesan Ogunro
(Thursday, May 1, 1952 – Monday, December 23, 2013)
“… My heart is inditing a good matter:
I speak of the things which I have made touching the king:
my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips:
therefore God hath blessed thee forever.”
Psalm 45: 1-2
King James Bible
Uncle Sesan was a very likeable person. He had a luminous charm and warmth that made everyone that came into his presence feel at peace. He was approachable by the young and old alike and was very popular.
We had a unique friendship that spanned over 10 years, and he was one of my most trusted confidants. I was privileged to have met him very early in my post-Abacha sojourn in Nigeria at about the time Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu had just assumed duties as Governor of Lagos State.
As a senior alumnus of my alma mater, Christ School, Ado-Ekiti, we shared the same values of selfless service and an unfeigned love for the common good. I held him in very high esteem. It was therefore expected that he was one of the first people I confided in when I decided to pursue my gubernatorial ambition. He supported me from the very start and earned a most honourable place in the story of our historic struggle to liberate Ekiti.
Uncle Sesan put the entire human and material resources of his full service agency, Eminent Communications at the disposal of our campaign. He gave our briefs priority, far above other high budget blue chip clients. More so, he led his team from the front, rolling up his sleeves and spending long hours into the night helping us develop a most compelling campaign. This was consistent with his pedigree as arguably the most accomplished Political Communications expert in the country, who leveraged our brief by availing his experience working on high profile campaigns such as M.K.O. Abiola’s Presidential campaign, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Governorship campaign, Governor Babatunde Fashola’s Governorship campaign to mention a few. He was skilled in the art of ideation and like the psalmist in the Bible, his “tongue was like the pen of a ready writer” – Psalm 45:1. He was one of the finest copy writers Nigeria has ever produced and was very well respected within his professional circles.
For Uncle Sesan, pecuniary gain for his efforts was secondary. He had found fulfillment in contributing to the struggle to redeem the desolation of our land and generation, by putting his professional competencies at the disposal of those who in his keen consideration, held a promise of delivering on the mandate of the people if given a chance.
Even when we assumed office, it was far from Uncle Sesan to display any iota of entitlement. He kept a respectable distance but was always there to work closely with us in developing our communication structures. He bent backwards for us countless times in helping us cope with the fast paced nature of public sector communications. He contributed a great deal to the launch of our new brand identity: Land of Honour – Ile Iyi, Ile Eye, and was central to our multi-media “Testimonials” campaign that celebrated the achievements of great sons and daughters of Ekiti. He was until his death on a crucial assignment to reposition the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State as Chairman.
Uncle Sesan was a thoroughbred Ekiti son who consistently demonstrated in his private and professional dealings, our pristine values of integrity, diligence, excellence and love for the common good. He was a leading light whose altruism found expression in his active participation in countless worthy causes in his Church and other faith-based organizations; professional bodies to which he belonged, including the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria and others.
It is sad that such a beautiful and harmless soul could be taken away from us so suddenly and tragically, with so many fruitful years ahead of him. It is commonplace to question God when we encounter such an unfortunate loss, but who are we to question God who in His infinite wisdom has called him home. Yet, we must ask what is wrong with a country that wastes its best and brightest to random violence and senseless killings. We must all collectively reflect on the future of a country that makes itself a ready venue for tragedy and despair.
The words of the famous English poet Philip James Bailey (22 April 1816 – 6 September 1902), in his poem Festus is most instructive at this time:
“We live in deeds, not years;
in thoughts, not breaths ;
In feelings, not in figures on a dial.
We should count time by heart-throbs.
He most lives who thinks most – feels the noblest – acts the best.”
Festus (1839)
Uncle Sesan lived well and has bequeathed to us a legacy of how to live a fulfilled life spent in the pursuit of the common good. He lives on through the lives of the highly accomplished offspring he left behind, and in the hearts and minds of those he touched positively.
The government and people of Ekiti State Nigeria mourn the passage of an illustrious son. I am deeply pained by the loss of my valued ‘egbon’, confidant and comrade-in-arms for a greater Ekiti. May God grant the dear departed eternal rest in His bosom and may his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.
Dr. Kayode Fayemi
Governor of Ekiti State, Nigeria
Tuesday, January 7, 2013
Ekiti State Government Press Release
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1 Comment
May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.