BAYO ADELABU:Celebrating Adelabu,the builder @49
By TRIANGLE News Media
An adage says that having had the privilege of a noble birth is not as important as giving oneself a nobler rebirth.
Excellence is never a matter of accident just the same way a rare talent cannot be a common sight. Quality is definitely not in high numbers in same vein that one glorious child will readily remain very much preferred to hundreds of buffoons. History of Oyo state since when it was crated has been formed by the good and the bad indigenes of the Pace Setter state. Some indigenes of Oyo state may have portrayed the state in bad light, but a certain family has consistently over the years showcased their enviable evidence of rare brilliance, industry, innovative ideas and infectious successes as harbinger of hope for the state.
The late Chief Adegoke Adelabu of the Penkelemesi (Peculiar mess) fame was undoubtedly a super brilliant man and a consummate politician that convincingly made his mark in education, politics and governance while he was alive. It is most heartwarming that the grandson of the late politician in the person of Adebayo Adelabu has recorded several achievements that are outstanding enough to match if not dwarf the feats attained by his late grandfather. Successes and impactful contributions of Agbaakin Parakoyi Bayo Adelabu to the Pace Setter state have become evidently undeniable that virtually everyone in the state is convinced that he is indeed a pride of Oyo State.
Adebayo Adelabu is undoubtedly an exceptionally cerebral individual who has attained career heights that are far above his years on the earth planet basically through the dint of hardworking, discipline and commitment. He is undeniably a man that is helped by God and whose legendary brilliance has open doors for him. The milk of kindness that flows in the veins of Bayo and the fact of his realization of the need to give back to the very society that made him, notwithstanding his aristocratic background have constantly reinforced the commitment of Bayo Adelabu to lending hand of help to all strata of the economically vulnerable in the whole of Oyo state. This silent philanthropist has made it a point of duty in the last twenty years albeit silently to give unfailing financial support to
indigent students, churches, mosques, orphanages and the mendicant. The Oloye Agbaakin Parakoyi has in the last two decades been selflessly serving humanity by giving hope to the hopeless, restoring smiles to sad faces and restoring sound health to the sick.
Adelabu is still very much in the business of philanthropy, but definitely not to attract any cheap publicity to himself. Bayo’s motive is rather informed by the need to appreciate the faithfulness of God in his life and the resolve to vigorously combat lack and want in the Pace Setter state. He has always been a silent achiever like a reticent knight all his life. He believes that one of the best ways to serve and appreciate God is by giving to those that are in dire need and the attendant reward will surely come from the Almighty Himself. Bayo had sometimes made news on his impact in banking but not in philanthropy.
Prodigious Bayo Adelabu is one individual that is down to earth and loves to always connect with his people for the purpose of knowing him beyond the surface. The banking guru is equally given to constantly gauging the pulse of his people especially those around him. He also believes that no effort and resources should be spared in ensuring the comfort and security of the people. He is not unmindful of the fact that giving access to people to know him beyond the superficial can only affords them insight to some hidden facts about him such as his hidden talents, invaluable ideas, interpersonal relationship, piety and leadership skills.
Bayo is the type that will willingly pull over to attend to anyone that stops his car for questioning or enquiry. He had declared on several fora that easy access of the citizens to their leaders should be an essential condition in Nigeria’s democracy. Aside his actualized philanthropic gestures, Bayo still has lots of programmes in the pipeline that he plans to unfurl soon. The philanthropic programmes are actually meant to address various societal problems ,especially poverty and unemployment. Naturally, Bayo Adelabu is not the type that will love to allow his right hand to know what the left hand is doing; but his receptive nature to new ideas has made him yielded to popular demands not to make his philanthropic gestures known only to God alone; but must likewise make them known to the people as well.
Scion of the late political icon, Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu is definitely a man of many firsts just like his grandfather. Bayo was a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Oyo State last election is fondly called and better known as Oloye had earlier had a stint at Standard Chartered Bank from 2007 to 2009 as a General Manager and the West African Regional Head of Finance and Strategy.
Oloye Agbaakin Parakoyi had previously held the positions of General Manager in charge of West African Regional Head of Finance and Strategy (Consumer Banking Business) for Standard Chartered Bank. The uncommon brilliance of Bayo, his knack for success and ethical standard and innovative accounting ideas were responsible for his being head-hunted by First Bank Plc in 2009.
Prodigious Bayo Adelabu had earlier had an upscale and very successful seven years working experience with Price- Waterhouse (now Pricewaterhouse Coopers), an international firm of Chartered Accountants and Management Consultants for seven years. It was while in this firm that he underwent his professional training as an accountant. He was only seconded to the Central Bank after leading and managing various audit and consultancy engagements for banks and other financial institutions within and outside Nigeria. Bayo was again seconded to the CBN for one year in 1999 when he led the Finance team of the apex bank on re-engineering and corporate renewal projects. Bayo left the Pricewaterhouse Coopers in year 2000 as an audit Manager and Senior Consultant to join First Atlantic Bank as the Financial Controller and Group Head of Risk Management and Controls. He later held other various positions of responsibility in the bank which included the Chief Inspector of the Bank in 2002 and Group Head of National Public Sector Business in 2003.
Bayo graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife in 1992 with a First Class degree in Accountancy . He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and member of the Institute of Directors of Nigeria (IoD). This dynamic and youthful banker of many achievements was born on September 28, 1970 in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. He attended Lagelu Grammar School, Ibadan before proceeding to the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife.
Bayo is not any different from who late grandfather who was a firebrand politician, Penkelemesi who also scored many firsts in virtually everything he laid his hands upon while alive. His late
grandfather, Chief Adegoke Adelabu, had displayed a rare prodigy in western education having earned double promotions at three consecutive times in the elementary, primary and later in secondary school. Oyo state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi praised the late Adegoke Adelabu to high heavens during the centenary posthumous birthday celebration. The governor was quoted as saying: “Today, we have not come to celebrate only his academic prowess, though, one of his immediate juniors at Government College, Ibadan, himself an erudite scholar, Professor Saburi Biobaku, had said in his book ‘When we were Young’ (1992) “Adegoke Adelabu was the brightest student that Government College has ever produced or is ever likely to produce”. His activities as a grown up and his evolved political philosophy did not only threaten, but actually culminated in the abrupt termination of promotion of British Colonial interests and hegemony at the expense of the educated Nigerians. He was a meteor, prodigy, wordsmith, an orator, peculiar and a unique personality. Ajimobi at the ocassion further described Penkelemesi thus, :”It was Dr. Victor Omololu Sowemimo Olunloyo, himself a brilliant mind, an old boy of Government College, Ibadan and a former Executive Governor of Old Oyo State, who described Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu as perhaps the most remarkable person that Ibadan has ever produced … a genius … better endowed than virtually all his contemporaries on both sides of the political divide … a deep thinker, widely read, philosophically accomplished strategist and master tactician”.
Ditto for the grandson, Oloye Agbaakin Parakoyi Adebayo Adelabu who is obviously shoulder higher than and unmatchable by his contemporaries. He is evidently poles away from nearly all his mates in intellectual contributions, innovative ideas and career and material attainments. Bayo had went ahead after graduating with a First class from Obafemi Awolowo University to pass his final examinations of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) in flying colours. He became a fellow of ICAN after two decades of joining the institute as an associate member. Oloye Bayo Adelabu had over the years attended several local and international trainings, seminars, workshops and conferences too numerous to reel out. He is a member of Ikoyi Club, 1938; Jericho Businessmen Club and an alumnus of the University of London School of Management Development and the United States Institute of Internal Auditors in Orlando, Florida.
Gregarious Adebayo Adelabu has made a huge success of himself as a family man who is happily married with kids, despite the pressures of his calling as a banker. It is without any cloud of doubt that Oyo state is fortune to have been blessed with a firmly focused, successful and integrity laden professional like Bayo Adelabu.
Happy birthday and wishing you many more glorious years of service to God and humanity.