Grand 50th Birthday for Former THISDAY Editor, Bolaji

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin writes that encomiums poured for former ThisDay Editor, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who also doubles as a former minister and commissioner, as he clocked his 50th birthday

The families friends, political associates and well-wishers of former minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi(MBA) recently converged on his Ilorin GRA, Kwara State capital home to celebrate with him and his entire family as he clocked his 50th birthday.

The celebration which was marked in a grand and low-key style was also attended by Muslim clerics who were at hand to pray for MBA and his entire family for more bounties, long life and good health.

Abdullahi, also fondly called by his political admirers as “Omoluabi” and friends as “BJ” is a reputable journalist per excellence, former editor with THISDAY Newspapers, author and administrator was celebrated by who is who in political, professional and social circles for this remarkable golden age.

It was observed by many of Abdullahi’s admirers that the former minister and a former commissioner in the State of Harmony, called Kwara has, since becoming a public figure, demonstrated a sterling leadership quality worthy of emulation

He was born in 1969 into the family of Alhaji Abdullahi Amao Aliyu and Alhaja Rafat Abdullahi of Apo compound, Oke Anifowose area of Ilorin in Ilorin West Local Government council area of the state.

Despite the fact that, BJ was not born with a sliver spoon by his parents, rather he had a morally and religiously sound up bringing by a disciplinarian father, who in spite of his conviction that western education was very important, he ensured that MBA was well equipped in Islamic religious knowledge and this definitely is responsible for his ability to recite Qur’an with average fluency and accuracy.

However, Mallam Abdullahi started his primary education in 1974 at the age of five at LGEA Beri in Kotangora in Niger State where and when pupils still took their lessons in the open under a tree. He started schooling that early because he wouldn’t allow his immediate elder sister, who was above six years of official age of starting primary school, to enter school leaving him behind. He was eventually allowed by the school to let peace reign after weeks of persistent breaking into the classroom.

When in primary two, he moved to LGEA primary school, Rijal, in Kotangorain Niger State where his parents spent most of their time before they returned to Ilorin in 1978 and MBA was enrolled at Barakat LGEA, Ilorin at primary four. He completed his primary education there in 1980.

He later proceeded to Iponrin Community Secondary School in 1981 for his secondary school education and he was there till 1983 when he had to leave the school at Form II due to the sudden cancelation of boarding facilities by the school management as a result of the inability of the founder Ilorin Development Progressive Union (IDPU) to continue funding the school as students were advised to secure accommodation outside the school, thereby turning the school to day school. He wanted to change his school to Mount Camel College in Ilorin but his father insisted that it’s either he went back to Iponrin or he quit schooling, he chose the latter.

After his successful outing both in West African Examination Council(WAEC) and Higher School Certificate(HSC) examination Mallam Abdullahi proceeded to the prestigious University of Lagos where he studied Mass Communication.

At University of Lagos,, BJ became the Editor-in-Chief of the institution’s magazine known as UNILAG Sun and his departmental magazine known as Masscope. On one occasion, he led the students of Unilag on a protest to support Oka’s coup during Babangida administration in 1990. The coup failed and the rest is history.

He eventually graduated with a Second Class Upper Bachelors degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos in 1994. In 2001, he enrolled at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK, on a Chevening Scholarship where he graduated with a distinction in Masters in Governance and Development.

In 1997, MBA joined the services of THISDAY Newspapers as a reporter but left a year later for the Africa Leadership Forum. His passion for writing returned him back to THISDAY in 2002 where he rose to become the Deputy Editor of the newspaper in 2003.

Subsequently, he was first appointed as Special Assistant, Communication and Strategy to the then executive governor of the state, Dr. Bukola Saraki in 2003 and later as the Special Adviser on Policy and Strategy in 2005. He was later appointed as Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology and served in that capacity between 2007 and 2011.

During the period under review, Mallam Abdullahi distinguished himself as an administrator per excellence because the education sector witnessed a pragmatic and positive change which both present and yet unborn generation would forever be remembered.

He went on to serve in the cabinet of former president Goodluck Jonathan when he was appointed as the Honourable Minister of Youth Development in 2011 and later as the Minister of Sports. His exit from the cabinet of former President GEJ was of course a dramatic one.

In December 2016, he was announced as the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress(APC) and on August 1, 2018, MBA officially resigned as the National Publicity Secretary of the APC and defected from the party to contest for the gubernatorial ticket of PDP in Kwara state which he lost to a friend and political associate of him.

At the celebration held at his GRA residence in Ilorin, l a special prayer led a Muslim cleric, Imam Mumeem Alaya was held where the gathering that include Bolaji’s associates, professional colleagues and political supporters prayed fervently for the celebrant and his family.

Imam Alaya prayed to Almighty Allah to give the celebrant grace of long live and good health so that he would serve his country and humanity further.

Also, various admirers, friends and supporters of the celebrant spoke extensively on a sterling leadership quality which they said he has displayed both within and outside public life.

Among those spoke on the celebrant’s personalities are former Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication to former governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, Dr. Muideen Akorede; former state chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers, Alhaji Farouk Akanbi; a social critic, Comrade Abdullateef Ishowo and a host of others.

In a chat with journalists shortly after the event, the celebrant, Abdullahi said he has concluded plans to initiate an endowment of N50million to provide opportunities for young people in the state on the matters of education and basic health care.

Abdullahi also said that the poor economic life of the country may continue to degenerate if the people fail to share opportunities among themselves.

He said the failure of people of the country to be brother’s keeper and share opportunities among themselves as it used to be in the past is a major challenge to the quest to see the country out of penury.

He added that a lot of people in the country who have had the opportunity to be successful in life have refused other people the benefit of such opportunity, just as he noted that pupils and students are normally encouraged to be serious with their academic pursuit so that they could be successful in life and excel above those who refused to be serious.

He said while this is true in the past when the economy is good and job opportunities abounded in the country, it is hardly true in the present time because the economy is poor and job opportunities are scarce.

Abdullahi recalled that in 1988 somebody he did not share blood relationship with gave him the opportunity to write Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination for admission into university when that person made a gift of N40 for him to seat for the examination.

He said while he is a Muslim from Ilorin in Kwara state, this his benefactor is a Christian and an Ekiti man from the then Ondo state.

The former minister advised Nigerians to promote among themselves brotherly love, just as he encouraged them to share opportunities that could check poverty and aid development of the nation.