Chief Raheem Adebayo Akande @76: Tribute To A Titan//Femi Oyedemi

Litany of tragedy which envoped the Nigerian social landscape in the last couple of weeks, with Saki as no exception almost enveloped the birthday celebration of this titanic and prodigious personality as he clocked 76. With or without muse, with or without untoward news and with or without big celebration, Alhaji ( Chief) Abdul Raheem Adebayo Akande is not a mean figure whose birthday should go unnoticed. He must be sung celebrated appreciated and adored while alive because Chief R A Akande tried his best for Saki community both in and out of active service. Chief is still well and kicking even at advanced age and he's still working for things to move in the right direction for Saki,Oyo State and humanity at large. When it comes to talking about technocrats who called the shots and reposition the face of things educationally and socially in Saki and Oyo State, Chief Akande towers so high that his name is almost synonymous with educational planning and administration. Chief is of noble birth,his father having being a member of the earliest wealthy and sociable corp in the Saki of the yore thus earning the appellation Akande Tipo,meaning Akande is beyond those scampering for post or recognition having made a name on his own. Baba Raji Shop was a popular and notable merchant in the early days of commerce in Saki that he was nicknamed Raji Shop. To attest to Chief Akande's towering figure,high stature and status was the crop of men who graced the burial ceremony when on the demise of his father. The whole town witnessed a carnival with the popular Ajegunle Igboro road fully blocked. The attendees were the creme de la creme of the Nigerian elite corp. People came from all walks of life ranging from academia,politics, military, top echelon civil service, business world and indeed innumerable type of people. The occasion was so grand that the order of no celebration imposed on Saki then by the league of Imams and Alfas was lifted temporarily to accommodate and entertain the huge guests that thronged the town that day.

Chief Akande had such a successful and brilliant career as a school Principal that he was appointed as one of the pioneer Permanent Secretary, School Administration after serving for over a decade as school Principal with unbroken records. As a teacher,he was an exemplar,he taught very many successful individuals in the Oyo state community including a retired Chief Judge in Oyo State and a serving Chief Justice of the Federation. Several professors, lawyers, doctors, phds.and many Commissioners and permanent sectaries. It's like he had a magic wand through which he decreed things into existence as a teacher, principal and school administator par excellence.

Chief Akande is a community leader of uncommon proportion. As the national president of Saki Parapo,his tenure was great and eventful. The present crop of the town's executive has a lot to learn from his uncommon style of administering which has capability to yield good dividends.

In his present foray into religious administration,Chief Akande is a great pillar of support for the Ansar Ur Deen Society of Nigeria where he's the first Vice Chairman of Oyo State chapter of the noble and centenarian society. In fact,Chief Akande's life of sacrifice and rare passion for human growth and development has equally rubbed off on the life of his deceased hearthrob who was convinced by her husband to jettison a lucrative job in a world class teaching hospital in order to help grow a newly established community hospital in Saki in the yeay 1987. Such is the pattern of thinking of this great man and now that he's still alive,we must pay him his due so that he doesn't think Nigerians are ungrateful lot. 

Such was the level of appreciation of this man's selfless life that when Oba Abimbola was 25 years on the throne in the year 1997 Chief Akande was conferred with the prestigious title of Akeweje of Sakiland. So huge was the aura of the accompanying celebration of the Chieftaincy that if you behold the picture of the conferment in the chief's living room it still bears great testimony of the remarkable celebration. There's always so much to say on a great person that one has to put a brake deliberately for fear of sounding  verbose.

In the name of everything great and delectable about our ancient, historical and noble town, I wish the great and illustrious Chief Raheem Adebayo Akande a resounding success in the years ahead. Long may you still live Sir.

Dr. Femi Oyedemi is a public speaker and commentator , senior lecturer at the Polytechnic Ibadan. He is an indigene of Saki,Oyo State