Mike Adenuga’s 60th Birthday Calls For A Toast – Dele Momodu

[Shola Sholaz]

Ladies and gentlemen, please join me as I raise a toast to an African icon, business titan, managerial wizard and philanthropic legend, Dr Michael Adeniyi Agbolade Isola Adenuga, as he clocks 60 on Monday, April 29, 2013. He has done more than enough to justify each of those adjectives. On a personal note and as a journalist, I've had the rare opportunity of allowing the incredible story of this extremely gifted man for the past 22 years, the reason I'm qualified to be a self-appointed toastmaster today.
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It is difficult to imagine that Adenuga was already a wealthy, accomplished man before he attained the age of 40. This obviously gave rise to all manner of speculations about his source of wealth and the perceived strength of those behind him. This riddle made me more determined to find out as much as possible about this man who seemed to have built an impregnable wall around himself and his activities.
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The more I dug into his life, the clearer I discovered that his talismanic weapon was no more than an almost manic addiction to work. He had a simple and straight forward mantra; no mountain is too difficult to climb. Dr. Adenuga's success simply teaches the world about the virtues of hard work.
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Adenuga's management style was totally alien to our clime at the time. And it remains customised to him till this day. He cuts the image of a slave driver but he obviously drives himself even harder. He is not a General who goes to sleep while his troops keep vigil.
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He stays awake like a true Civilian-Field Marshall. The workaholic keeps everyone on their toes. His job is not for the faint-hearted. In his inimitable style, the legend is that he personally supervises the appointment of every member of his large workforce.
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This is a prodigious task at the very least, but one which immediately gives him an insight into every employee and leaves no one in doubt of who is in charge. He is clairvoyant enough to spot good talents and ready to tutor and take them through the drills and grills. It produces awesome results most of the time. Many have complained that he is a bully but surprisingly they never protest when he lavishes them with gifts. Many of those who have left his company often seek to come back after trying other bosses. It is difficult to find a man that generous but every soul must earn that generosity. And he extends his legendary toughness to even members of his family.
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As a reporter chronicling the amazing lifestyles of newsmakers, I have grown totally and unrepentantly fond of many extraordinary Nigerians in my career, but Chief Moshood Abiola, Chief Abdul-Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi and Dr Mike Adenuga Jnr take the cake. They are my all-time heroes. I love them to bits for one simple reason. They shared an uncommon courage and the ability to conquer impossible challenges. While Abiola and Adenuga topped the Kilimanjaro of business, Gani headed for the Everest of Law and never stopped climbing. They dared to be different. And I learnt so much from my apprenticeship under them.
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What fascinates me endlessly about Adenuga is his unique style of doing things. Everyone talks about his stupendous wealth but ignore the fact that his is a veritable case-study in what the power of vision and tenacity can produce. True, positive accidents do occur in the journey of man that may affect his fortune drastically; this is exactly not so in Adenuga's case. There's no doubt he's made powerful friends along the way but he wasn't the only one who did. Others have since disappeared from radar and crashed into total oblivion. Not many members of the privilegentsia made anything tangible from the opportunities bestowed on them by influential benefactors. Adenuga is just in a class of his own.

[Emmy Baba]

Happy 60th Birthday, Mike Adenuga!

[Folami David]

Happy Birthday Mike Adenuga. You are a great man. Long life and prosperity to you and ur family. Cheers!