SIR OLUBUNMI FAMOSAYA: A QUINTESSENTIAL PUBLIC SERVANT
By, Seye Adetunmbi
Sir Olubunmi Patrick Famosaya mni, is an accomplished technocrat who put 35 years into public service as a career civil servant. He was born on November 10, 1956 to parents who hailed from Osin-Ekiti and were career teachers. Olubunmi is a product of Aquinas College, Akure, Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti, Obafemi Awolowo University and National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos. He graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in 1978. Joined the civil service of old Ondo-State in 1980 and was deployed to Ekiti-State civil service when Ekiti-State was created in 1996. In December 2003, he became a Permanent Secretary and was appointed the Head of Service of Ekiti State Government in 2010. He retired as the Head of Service in 2014 and served briefly as an Adviser to Ekiti State Governor in 2015. Sir Famosaya was appointed Chairman of Ekiti State Civil Service Commission in 2018. He is happily married, the matrimony is blessed with successful children and many grandchildren.
Sir Famosaya is the author of two books. The first one ia "As It Was", his memoir as a career civil servant. It is a riveting and well-chronicled memoir of a distinguished technocrat and a remarkable family man who exemplifies manifestation of good upbringing that was brought to bear in his working career and relationships with people. Surviving intrigues of civil service and successive governments and getting to the peak of his career is amazing. Civil servants, politicians and the reading public would find the book interesting. The second book is an inspiring collections of his selected integrated thoughts and speeches of a remarkable civil servant who got to the peak of his career in the public service. The book is good for the library of career civil servants, all ranks of public servants, politicians, other government officials and students of public administration and management. Also, anyone who desires to learn from the experiences of others through their memoirs should read this book.
The public presentation of his two books held as scheduled on November 10, 2021, in Ado-Ekiti. Expectedly, it was a well attended event. His Excellency, Chief Egbeyemi, the Deputy Governor of Ekiti was in attendance in dual capacity while Her Excellency, Erelu Bisi Fayemi unveiled the books. His Royal Majesty, Oba Adedokun Abolarinwa, Orangun Oke-Ila and the Chairman of Ekiti-State Council of Obas, the Onisan of Isan-Ekiti graced the occasion. The public presentation of the books held on the birthday anniversary of Sir Famosaya. The outpour of love and solidarity support shown to Famo at the event made it a special birthday gift to the terrific public servant. Congratulations 
to the prolific author who presented two books to the public in one day and happy birthday 
once more.
BOOK REVIEW
OLUBUNMI FAMOSAYA: AS IT WAS: A PUBLIC SERVICE MEMOIR OF A CIVIL SERVANT; AND INTEGRATED THOUGHTS AND SPEECHES OF A CAREER CIVIL SERVANT
BY,
PROF WALE OLAJIDE, DEPUTY VICE-CHANCELLOR, EKITI STATE UNIVERSITY, ADO-EKITI, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2021, AT ADETILOYE HALL, ADO-EKITI
Your Excellencies, the Celebrant of today, the entire house, I humbly crave your indulgence to stand on the already established protocol. Sir Olubumni Famosaya, Brother Knight to Brother Knight, this assignment immediately becomes for me a call to service. It is both a duty and a delightful pleasure to be so invited by you to do a review of your two very interesting books; one, an autobiography titled ‘As it Was: A Public Service Memoir of a Career Civil Servant, and two, ‘Integrated Thoughts and Speeches of a Career Civil Servant’. I particularly found the autobiography very engaging and full of suspense. I guess, truth to tell, that makes you a very fine native story teller. It is in your DNA, and by some academic existential grounding, a good historian. Sir Olubunmi Famosaya had his Bachelors of Arts Honor’s Degree in History from the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, the name that was in 1982 first adopted, established by law and used by my university, the Ekiti State University. The story is yet to be told and the facts thoroughly checked about how that name was stripped off Ekiti State University and what if any compensation was paid till date for the act. No one would contest what late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s name is to education, not when it is in fact on record that he was physically present to perform the turning of the sod and foundation laying ceremony with his acolyte, the Late Executive Governor of Ondo State, Chief Micheal Adekunle Ajasin, in his flowing white Agbada right by his side. If it is finally established that there was no compensation paid, then with the two executive governors here present today, taking sides quite naturally with the executive governor of Ekiti State, we wish to ask for reparation for the subtle crime of stripping his university of the name that truly, legally and authentically it once bore.
That settled, I read the autobiography ‘As it Was’ twice. The first run was swift and quick allowing myself to be transported delightfully by the author from the moment of his birth to his retirement. He was simple, down to earth, frank, serious but still very detailed, painstaking with facts exuding with understandable bravado thorough knowledge and acquaintance with the bare essential configurations of his narrative, persons, names, dates, events and places. I was however careful with the second read wearing this time my caps as a natural born inquisitor, a trained philosopher, critical and ever so suspicious, particularly of some universal declarations, presuppositions, inferences and assumptions that really should pass for opinions. With the read, we meet the man, Sir Olubumni Famosaya, flesh, muscles, blood, and grit telling his story with excitement, robust swagger and transparent boldness of an accomplished technocrat with profound knowledge not only of the civil service, its inner workings and policy arrangements, but the inherent logic that informs the decision processes. The candor is palpable and that makes the book free of ambiguities and tautologies. He does not offer the reader the luxury to read between the lines. What you read is what is there, what it is what it is, period! If you do not like it as he had said it, then you might have to wait for his next book where he might perhaps apologize because no such tendering of apology exists in ‘As it Was’. Besides, as an autobiography, ‘As it Was’ is after all his story, the sum of his existential work and job engagement with the civil service; he thus has the monopoly to say it as he felt it and lived it.
The autobiography is a genius template of how to write a good story book. Each of the twenty chapters of the 355 pages’ book carries its own title, and every title bore testimony to the details of Sir Olubunmi’s very interesting action-driven intelligent display comprising the good, his birth, education and his brilliance as an outstanding civil servant, the bad as in vogue, the shades of company that he kept and the attending tales and the ugly, as in, if push comes to shuffle, I am no push over.
The background with Papa Sir Albert Adesua Famosaya, his father, and Mama Lady Janet Oyeyemi Famosaya, his sweet mother, bore testimony to where their proud son got his religious discipline, sublime disciplined character which has remained his fate and existential compass till date, his large accommodating heart, respect for all, love of the community, altruism, fairness, kindness, courage and boldness, his sense of egalitarian justice and humor. Apart from the Catholic religion where he has done so much work in building, sustaining and evangelization through substantial means, he is a knight as I am of the Catholic Church with the slight difference that in my Order, knight of St John International, which is paramilitary, we carry weapons, his does not. He would in page say: the fact that I followed my parents wherever they were posted (as teachers) made my primary school education uneventful as I ended up attending as many as about four primary schools in different locations or towns.
Sir Olubunmi Famosaya, I humbly wish to say you are wrong with your conclusion. What early life could be more exciting and eventful, starting when you were barely four years old as you changed places, got different colorful school uniforms, ate different dishes, met different teachers, imbibed different cultures and experienced different headmasters, accommodated and suffered different modes of punishments. What’s more? It is established that the first five years of a child are the most important as they provide the tools for navigating the years that would follow. Yours, as de facto omo teacher, was busy, maybe too busy as you had to follow Lady Famosaya to school very early before you were due. But you soaked so much quality, content, character formation, the sum of which in all of your years in the civil service and out of it, we all acknowledge, admire and celebrate today. Of it and with it, Ondo and Ekiti States civil service evolutionary history benefited immensely. Because you are not just Head of Service retired, you are an encyclopedia of the history of Ondo and Ekiti States’ Civil Service running with all her leaders and dramatis personae that made the states pulsate with identity, meaning and progress: Chief Micheal Adekunle Ajasin, Gov. Ekundayo Opaleye, Navy Captain Mike Ahigbe, Navy Capt. Olabode George, Lt Col Inua Bawa, Brigadier Adetunji Olurin, Engr Segun Oni, Dr Kayode Fayemi, and of course, Peter Ayodele Fayose. Both Gov Rahman Mimiko and Rotimi Akeredolu veritably played outside right and outside left. They are still firmly and faithfully keeping those earned positions because by acts of fate and providence, God that makes all things good in His own time, right from primary school, surrounded Sir Olubunmi Famosaya with those he would later need to get to where he is today. I am of course delighted that Efon-Alaye, my city which is barely short of a full republic got a good mention in the book. That was where Lady Janet Famosaya started her education at St Micheal Catholic Primary School and came back to teach. Sir Albert Famosaya also studied at Efon-Alaye.
The highly focused humane, cerebral energetic omoluabi governor of Ekiti State whom the author boldly in several places referred to as ‘my benefactor’, and ‘my co-alumnus of the prestigious Christ’s School’, and my brother would in writing the foreword to the book noted that readers of the book would learn about the author’s exploits as a students’ union activist alongside the like of Rahman Mimiko and Rotimi Akeredolu where he emerged as Director of Sports at the University of Ife, featuring at NUGA games and states’ sports festivals. He calls him a keen sportsman. He loved volleyball and football. Well well. I say to all present, do not be troubled or worried whether your eyes and ears are playing games on you or that your imagination is in some awful flight. Truly truly, I say unto you, the one you see today was indeed a sports maestro devoid, that is, of the size that would make you excuse yourself of his bear hug. As for volleyball and football, he has done his bit.
At a young age of 24, Sir Olubunmi got married and before age 30, he had had 3 children. Those very busy 6 years were spent in the company of his heartthrob, a delectable, disciplined, natural female, Lady Kehinde, a pillar of strength and a dutiful mother, who till date, has remained a true selfless friend of the author. In the book, you will find out how he climbed Taye’s back to get to Kehinde. Whatever made Sir Olubunmi Famosaya and his lady ran the swift race of procreation the way they did we perhaps would never know by reading this book and whatever position I take as an antinatalist might not have swung his decision then, but as parents they have been exemplary to their successful children – Bimbola, a medical doctor, Babafemi, a business consultant, Yetunde, a banker, Bunmi, a lecturer at the University of Cumbria, UK, and Aramide, the Informantion technologist – enveloping them in love, presence of mind, giving good example and showing them the path of God. A classic case of heritage bequeathed and legacy shared.
The creation of Ekiti State made a fantastic reading. The struggle was typical of Ekiti character and one can only continue to salute the determination and large heart of the agitations, the philanthropic selfless gestures shown when the battle was fought and won. Sir Olubunmi Famosaya with some pain narrated the not-too pleasant details of horrific hostilities visited on gentlemen and gentle ladies of Ekiti extraction. But I thought they were brothers and sisters before Ekiti State was carved out of Ondo State, eating and drinking together, taking wives and giving sons away. The venom was so thick you could infer the Cain and Abel hatred. The serious acrimony within the civil service would follow and the indiscriminate victimization in the deployment of teachers you now may read with pleasure even as you say to yourself never again. Those were terrible trouble times which would in very cruel ways unfortunately show up again in party politics.
If you wish to read about the author’s encounter and survival with Gov Peter Fayose, his coping strategies on matters of loyalty and the rare understanding received from Dr John Kayode Fayemi when he had to serve extra years with the former, the EFCC song and dance, the impeachment saga, grab the book. What about the roaring years of Gov Dr Kayode Fayemi, the 7-point agenda at the first coming, the resetting of the civil service ethos, creating room for merit over lobby, diligence and integrity over mediocrity, genuine benevolence over crude political patronage, resetting the agenda of true education beyond numeracy and literacy, grab the book. A befitting tribute is paid to the elegant unrepentant activist, a fearless advocate with zero tolerance as torch bearer on matters of gender equality, gender violence, domestic violence and girl child abuse. Her Excellency, the delectable Erelu Bisi Fayemi, wife of the Governor of Ekiti State.
The civil service aptly noted in the foreword by Dr John Kayode Fayemi is the engine room of government in its quest to deliver public goods to the people. Democracy is the platform so far chosen to achieve this noble agenda as successive government tries to arrange their priorities without shortchanging those they swear to serve. Sir Olubunmi Famosaya was right in the middle ridding the twists and turns satisfactorily until as he says, the civil service was hijacked by the political class. From that day forward, investors in political trust want returns in patronage and placements with little attention paid to urbane protocol or allied decorum that has merit boldly written all over it. Permanent Secretaries might get irritated as the difficult task of having two large listening ears belongs to the governor who belongs to a political party where lobbying, sycophancy, mudslinging, deliberate falsehood carry just one legitimate word, politics. Where the incumbent leader turns both ears to his political friends and kicks the civil service under a running bus, the die is cast. Walking the tight rope for a professional careerist and now being swept away or in fact killed in the line of duty is the story that is beautifully told by Sir Olubunmi Famosaya. Call him a survivalist and you would be right. The scars perhaps have healed or maybe not totally. I may need to speak about this with his co-travelers, friends and brothers, Mr Deji Ajayi, Lekan Ayeleso, consummate astute professionals, civil servants who knew their onions and how best to watch the back of their friend.
I read in the book about the making of a thoroughbred civil servant with quality support of ASCON and the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies at Kuru and why the appointment and elevation of the author to the lofty position of Head of Service, the peak of Civil Service career that is only reached by a few came, 16th December, 2010. It was deserving, it was rewarding, it was honorable. The task of living it to the hilt with brain, brawn, deftness in human relations, the balancing art of a seasoned technocrat, the boldness of someone that recognizes ignorance and bravado when presented fraudulently as knowledge, you must read. In sum, when it comes to the inner workings, rumblings, the staccato symphonies and smoothies of the civil service, Sir Olubunmi Famosaya brings sophisticated panace to the table with Catholic and urbane modesty. The taste of the pudding, it is said, is in the eating. I advise you to grab the book and eat it all. Of course you will encounter the sorry sad details crawling off the woodwork of the Local Government Service Commission, the pervading mediocrity, the crude and rude postures towards due diligence, accountability and self-development. I recognize the need to join in the clamor for transformational change that is positive. This the author sees as urgent even as he talks about the murky waters from page 283 of the book and the need to experiment personal transfers from Local Government Service Commission to Civil Service Commission.
I have deliberately held back on my review comments on the second text on parade by the author today, ‘The Integrated Thoughts and Speeches of a Career Civil Servant’ not because it is not as significant and engaging as the autobiography, ‘As it Was’. On the contrary, it represents elicited episodes of what ‘As It Was’ contains. Now at last you can read the two together, and digest how the author puts into hardcore dialogue with the public, his knowledge and hands on lived experience. It is just as delectable and sophisticated as we find the author try his hands on several issues of public concern testing his ideas and playing the devil’s advocate. As usual, the author knows his onions.
In his narratives, you will sometimes find Sir Olubunmi Famosaya say, ‘the truth is’, ‘the truth of the matter is’. If indeed what he perceived as ‘the truth’ is and was the truth, that would only be known to him and to him alone because as I speak, philosophers are still contending with what truth is, its nature, and meaning and if it is in fact knowable. X for example may be true, yet not be the truth. It is just like motive and interests you may know and express but motive is inscrutable, unknown and may in fact remain so even when you claim it has been verbalized. It is same with truth which I must point out is different from fact. Pilate was modest when he asked Jesus during the latter’s trial, what is the truth? Jesus did not give an answer nor a reply. If perhaps he had, philosophers would have turned to other matters. Jesus only kept to ‘truly, truly I say unto you’, which essentially is descriptive knowledge and to a large extent is derived from subjective experience, no more no less. Only Jesus has by the way called himself ‘the truth’. Maybe then whatever would pass for truth must be incarnated and even here it must still be judged subjectively. How to verify and authenticate such presentation would, I’m sure, further create some epistemological problems which I must spare this respectable audience.
When the author tells the story on page 143 of when, as Head of Service, two of his very close officers in the Service came begging to be posted to certain specific places, one to the liaison office in Lagos, the other to the government house protocol department, I am reminded of the sons of Zebedee in the Bible, who, led by their mother (not their father by the way) asking that they be given the privilege to sit on either side of Jesus in heaven. Jesus was blunt to caution that they certainly do not know what they seek. A philosopher of my bent would charge them with the fallacy of double question. They ought to settle first if indeed there is a place called heaven, only then could there be any sitting position for asking. In the case of Sir Olubunmi Famosaya and the lobbyist, he was generous, he posted them to where he thought best, and needless to say, he created two archenemies for himself from that moment on. He had been reminiscencing on his days as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Works, the bitterness the posting generated from people who believed he lobbied for the posting. Pick the book for the full juicy gist.
Conclusion
With this review exercise, I have had a ball and I thank the author for calling me out for some fresh air. His lessons are cogent, and in particular for civil servants and the civil service, their adoption and implementation should therefore serve as essential and necessary mantra. Another key lesson is this. Make genuine friends consciously as you travel on the road of life, not opportunist fair-weather ones who have helped make the words friend, brother a semantic confusion. Never lose but rather culture and cultivate them, an advice which is often unfortunately lost on me. And if you must part, leave still your door slightly opened, you just might need to go find them and let them in. Old way back friends are better than new ones.
It is common English adage that you do not judge a book by its cover. A metaphorical phrase that little does not mean not great. It is never about the size all the time. Kikere labere kere, ki se mimi fun adie, erin ati kiniun. But with the cover of ‘As it Was’, I crave the indulgence of the house to turn the metaphor into a statement of fact. From the cover of ‘As it Was’, you meet a man exuding sophistication, class, swagger and taste. A ladies’ man who would love his wine and beer and can carry them. A man of character, finesse with a charming disarming smile that will win any time any day if the task is ‘be my friend’. But I beg you, watch his eyes.
The title of the autobiography is, ‘As it Was: A Public Service: Memoir of a Career Civil Servant’. I would rather it reads ‘As it Was: Memoir of a Career Civil Servant’. That said, I thank this excellent well composed audience for your kind attention.
INTEGRATED THOUGHTS AND SPEECHES OF A CAREER CIVIL SERVANT
Author: Olubunmi Famosaya, mni
Pages: 236
Publisher: Mindscope Africa
Reviewer: Ajose Kudehinbu, NPOM.
Introduction
In more ways than one, I share with the author, Olubunmi Famosaya, mni, a number of experiences, physical or spiritual, in the journey of life. I shall mention them: we met in the Civil Service, which we had joined about the same time as Administrative Officers. At the time, Olubunmi had stood like a carpenter's roofing nail! We had before then attended the same secondary school, the iconic Christ's School, Ado-Ekiti, for the Higher School Certificate course, where we read the same set of subjects. Otherwise, I had travelled from my abode near the Atlantic Ocean, to seek knowledge on land, in addition to what the marine environment had to offer! In the Civil Service, we became Permanent Secretaries in the sister States of Ondo and Ekiti, a moment ago, one State in Ondo State. I am not done yet. Bunmi was to serve as Head of Service, Ekiti State, while I became that of Ondo State. Today, Bunmi is Chairman, Civil Service Commission, Ekiti State and I am Chairman, Civil Service Commission, Ondo State. I and Bunmi are not blood relations. If you are a literary person, you would understand the import of these chance happenings or coincidences in life. They are occurrences, Literature has tried to unravel or grapple with!
You would decide then, Ladies and Gentlemen, whether I am qualified to review 'Integrated Thoughts and Speeches of a Career Civil Servant' by Olubunmi Famosaya, mni, incumbent Chairman, Civil Service Commission, Ekiti State.
Integrated Thoughts And Speeches Of A Career Civil Servant
'Integrated Thoughts and Speeches...' chronicles the career of the author as a civil servant and begins, most appropriately, with an overview of Public Service Ethics, Rules and Regulations, drawing on Webster's dictionary's definition of Public Service as 'all branches of government which include the civil service, the military, the para-military, the navy, the legislature and the judiciary. It is the structure through which government executes its policies and programmes and its personnel hold their offices in trust for and on behalf of the entire public.'
I find this definition rewarding. For, it not only set the tone for this publication, only a few days ago, I found myself in a conversation, on the social media, defining the Public Service as the totality of government institutions and the workforce, in order to bring in the distinction between the Civil Service and the Public Service. 'Integrated Thoughts and Speeches...' therefore, lends a hand in this direction.
Early in his career, Bunmi found himself in an environment defined by certain features or characteristics. They are the virtues of discipline, loyalty, courage, civility, co-operation or team spirit, obedience and respect for superior directives and accountability. It might not have been a perfect system and in relation to the Public Service of today, those virtues belong more to the Old School than the new! In spite of its imperfections, all this shows where the Civil Service is coming from and that we can always borrow from the past in order to illuminate the present and the future. for if the Civil Service, through omission or commission, is allowed to go down, the consequences will be dire. The society goes down with it! That leaves the field for the political class, which would read from and obey its own Rules or Regulations. I shall discuss very briefly only one of the many requirements of a career civil servant, mentioned by the author: COURAGE. It has become the practice of career officers to attribute every decision of government, good or bad, to the political leadership, without wanting to take any form of responsibility, especially where the decision is bad or open to public disapproval. Rather than share in the blame, it is convenient for the bureaucracy to put up an alibi, as a defence, for its dereliction instead of having a recourse to its training as a career institution which must exhibit enough courage and advise the political leadership on an alternative perspective or course of action, if need be, on an issue. That done, the Civil Service can now truly exonerate itself. Otherwise, the admonition of a past Head of State becomes relevant: there are no bad leaders but bad advisers! My experience is that the political class is open to genuine advice and are often appreciative of an officer who offers one. As a matter of fact, they believe the career officer, the civil servant, first before they listen to their colleagues whose motives they hold circumspect.
I believe, therefore, Famosaya did well as Head of Service in the first tenure of the Fayemi Administration in Ekiti State. That is partly the reason the Administration recorded a lot of achievements and why several people found it difficult to accept the Administration lost the following governorship election in the State.
'Integrated Thoughts and Speeches... ' speaks from the heart. It discusses Public Administration, the significance of Public Sector Management, the place of Budgeting and Financial Management; Executive-Legislature Relations, and a lot more.
Subsequent chapters of the publication dwell on the remarks and the speeches of the Head of Service at retreats, seminars and workshops and contains the photo story of the author as a career civil servant. It is a long and large territory, encompassing different aspects of life. The speeches show the Head of Service in his leadership role as a figure-head, a motivator, a pathfinder and, to borrow an analogy from the transportation sector, a bus driver who has a duty and responsibility to take his passengers to the Promised Land. All this explains the diverse subjects or issues addressed on several occasions in those speeches or interventions during his tenure as Head of the Civil Service, Ekiti State. The topics include the following:
* Government and workers are both sides of a coin.
* Retirement is the ultimate.
*. Health sub-sector crucial to the Government.
* Interactive sessions break ignorance in the Public Service.
* To whom much is given, much is expected.
* Civil Service should realize its full potential through training.
* Give no room for service failure.
* Towards an effective and efficient State Civil Service, etc.
Did he succeed or not? My considered view is that he did. Not only were the issues addressed in the publication current or relevant, they provide a window to the Civil Service and help to erase some of the misgivings about a system so little appreciated by society. It is through the kind of initiative inspired by this publication that the Civil Service may redeem itself. I have little doubt Bunmi left a legacy of service. At page 109, he left a note:
Our public institutions
must ... be efficient
and incorruptible ...
when public
institutions perform
optimally, effectively
and efficiently, it is
only then that the
people can feel the
impact of
Government
I agree. The rest of the publication contains speeches at his social functions, as a church member, former student of Christ's School, guest at the 50th Birthday of Erelu Olabisi Fayemi, and friend to many other people, including a past Head of Service of Ondo State, Oluwadare Aragbaiye.
'Integrated Thoughts and Speeches of a Career Civil Servant' is one of the best books I have read on contemporary Public Administration in Nigeria, written by a practitioner who attained the peak of his career as Head of the Civil Service of his State and brought the lessons home to the public, in particular this generation of career public servants and posterity. It is a must read.
The publication marks Bunmi Famosaya's formal retirement!
10 November, 2021
Goodwill Message of Prince Tunji Adeniyi
Your Excellencies,
Lords Spiritual and Temporal,
Captains of Industry,
Top Civil Servants,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Sir Olubunmi Famosaya, mni
(Public Administration Professor of Practice)
I was fortunate to have worked with my most cherished elder brother – Sir Olubunmi Famosaya, mni – in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development of Ekiti State between 2007 and 2010.
This period provided me with a most cherished lifetime opportunity to learn the principles and practice of Public Administration at the feet of Sir Olubunmi Famosaya, mni. After I left Government, I sent friends appointed into Government to him for professional induction and guidance, which he gladly undertook, as well.
Sir Olubunmi Famosaya, mni, is an ideal leader (and teacher) who derived the bases of his influence from a unique combination of charisma, compassion, commitment, courage, knowledge and infectious professionalism. The time has come, in Nigeria, when academic appointments should be made on the basis of what people can impact on others (and not just paper qualifications) as done in other climes, where experts, like Sir Famosaya, are appointed as Professors of Practice in Universities. Sir Olubunmi Famosaya, mni, is a Professor of the Practice of Public Administration waiting to be appointed. He has done well to document his rich knowledge in a form readable by scholars and practitioners of Public Administration, to whom I commend the book.
I wish to congratulate my brother and his very supportive wife on this feat, that many in his very big shoes, have found difficult to accomplish. It is now left for me to buy 5 copies of the book for a price to be advised personally to the distinguished author. I almost said Distinguished Senator, an appellation given to him by the famous 13-13 House of Assembly of Ekiti State.
Your loving brother,
Tunji Adeniyi.
10-11-2021
AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY SIR OLUBUNMI FAMOSAYA AT THE BOOK LAUNCH AND PUBLIC PRESENTATION OF HIS BOOKS – “AS IT WAS: A PUBLIC SERVICE MEMOIR OF A CAREER CIVIL SERVANT” AND “INTEGRATED THOUGHTS AND SPEECHES OF A CIVIL SERVANT” ON WEDNESDAY, 10TH NOVEMBER, 2021
PROTOCOLS
Let me start by expressing deep appreciation to my amiable Governor, Dr John Kayode Fayemi, CON and his tireless jewel, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, for accepting to honour us with their dignified presence at today’s occasion. They have always been committed to us in my family: when they believe in you, their commitment is unwavering. It is my prayer that the Almighty God will continue to direct your steps. Next, I acknowledge with special gratitude, the presence of Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN the Governor of Ondo State. Aketi, as he is fondly called, is a man of the people whom I had known for over fifty years. This is one of the qualities that adheres his people to him. Thank you, Mr. Governor, for honouring us with your presence, in spite of your tight schedule. It means much to us. I equally want to salute our father, His Excellency, the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, thank you for honouring us. To the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Funminiyi Afuye, I appreciate your coming.
Asking my long-standing friends, Kayode Falowo and Kunle Ekundayo, to come over to Ekiti as Chief presenters today was the easiest thing for me. We have heard stories of people running after important dignitaries just to have them honour their ceremonies and they never succeed at it. Thank God my friends did not even ask for some time to think over it, what I heard was “Famoo, sebi na you; forget it, we’ll be there. Anything you ask”. Truly, great friends are hard to find. Thank you for your unalloyed friendship. I can say the same of our reviewers, Professor Wale Olajide and Barrister Ajose Kudehinbu. They readily accepted to review the books without any hesitation. May God bless you both.
I cannot but acknowledge the immense support of the Head of Service of Ekiti State, Mrs. Peju Babafemi, her predecessor in office, my brother, Deji Ajayi, who spearheaded the push for today’s event. In the same vein, I want to express appreciation to the SSG, my own brother and person, Hon. Biodun Oyebanji, the CoS, Hon. Biodun Omoleye, the Publisher, Mr. Seye Adetunbi and several others too numerous to mention, may God bless you all. My appreciation will not be complete if I do not acknowledge the unequivocal support of my wife, my children, my siblings and the members of the planning committee under the Chair of Mrs. Yewande Adesua. Thank you all for your support. Without mincing words, I humbly acknowledge all the Kabiyesis, Chiefs, Priests, my colleagues retired and serving Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries, members of my societies in the Church, Aquinas College and Christ’s School old students and all my proteges here present. Thank you all for honouring us.
Above all, my appreciation goes to God Almighty, the ultimate author of life for availing me the grace to accomplish this project. Indeed, he is the author and the finisher of all things.
In the morning of Wednesday, 15th October, 2014, the Governor of Ekiti State held a meeting with the body of Permanent Secretaries before his departure from the Government House. At the meeting, members of the body spoke glowingly of the Governor and wished him well in his future endeavours. When it was my turn to speak, I ran short of words because I didn’t even know where to start. I recall that I managed to assure the Governor that whatever I needed to say about him would be put in my memoir. That was when the idea of my public service memoir was born. From then, the urge became exerting for me to fulfil that promise and to God be the glory, we are here today to berth the initiative.
Your Excellencies, distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, these books, which can be described as the chronicles of my trajectory in life and particularly the public service, is my humble contribution to the corpus of knowledge of the public service not only in Ekiti but generally for practitioners of public administration the world over. In the words of Condeleezza Rice, the 66th United States Secretary of state, I say, “There’s no greater challenge and there is no greater honour than to be in the public service”. The best way to find your purpose in life is to lose yourself in the service of others. This is what the public service has offered me. To me, there is no higher calling than the public service, which offers a chance to make a difference in people’s lives. Let me put you on notice that this is my first ever published work, so if it comes with some level of imperfection, I want to implore the readers to bear with me.
At this juncture, let me again express appreciation to His Excellency, Dr Kayode Fayemi for taking time to go through the manuscript and for writing the Foreword to the book. Thank you, Your Excellency, for being a good leader and a true brother. Also, I want to thank Professor Ladipo Adamolekun, a retired World Bank Consultant and an independent scholar of Public Administration for going through the manuscript and for his very useful hints in shaping the output. I cannot also but mention Prof. Kunle Ajayi, Ayodeji Ajayi, Dr Bunmi Famosaya, Jnr and Seye Adetunbi, the Publisher, for their inputs in making the final product the masterpiece that it is today.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, let me confess that to me, the public service is a lifetime experience and lifetime dialogue that creates lifetime relationships. From the humble beginning of an Assistant Secretary to the exalted office of the Head of Service, the Almighty God has been very good to me. Even in retirement, my Governor felt I would still be helpful to his administration. This is what public service does to its adherents. It remains ever faithful to those who pass through it with passionate fidelity and undisguised commitment.
I had always wanted my experience, which I have succeeded in documenting to be a lesson for our young and up-coming officers who may not be in a hurry to exit the public service. I can assure you that many of you will eventually be proud to say that the public service gave you an opportunity to come across many excellent people you would probably have not met in your lifetime. I enjoin you all to appreciate the fact that the public service is more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. It must be a complete package of dedication and loyalty to the people and the nation. If you have made a choice to serve the public, then serve the public and not yourself.
Once again, I say thank you all and may God bless you richly.
