The recent and the 10th edition of the Lagos State Man of the Year award was with glamour and the most intensely competed for among the series. Series of messages were circulated by people canvassing for votes for the nominees.
The award which is being organised and collated by the Centre for Policy Development and Political Studies is witnessing increasing awareness and participation. Then total participating votes increased from 16,181 in 2017 to 53,893 valid votes in 2018, and to 61,894 valid votes in 2019. According to the organisers, the award is to identify, recognise and project genuine role models in the Centre of Excellence.
The composition of the 2019 nominees for the award is not different from the previous one with most of the nominees from the Lagos state ministries, parastatals or government agencies. However, the glamour that generated interest and momentum that led 61,894 Nigerians to incurred cost and voted for the nominees of their choice shows that that award is gaining traction and could be a platform for rewarding excellence if sustained.
The award that had among the past winners, AbdulHakeem AbdulLateef of the Lagos ministry for Home Affairs, Adebola Akindele of Courtville Business Solutions, Hakeem Bamidele of the UACN properties and George Noah of the Lagos state signage and advertising agency is becoming an annual reckoning event for the reward of services to the Lagosians and Nigerians at large.
This year nomination had an extensive coverage which include Tajudeen Obasa of the Federal House of Representative, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, the Lagos state head of service, Kolade Alabi, the chairman of Bariga LCDA, Tunde Fanimokun, the president of Eko club, Tunde Afolabi, the chairman AMNI International Petroleum Limited, Akinwunmi Odemakinde, the GMD of Deltatek group, Adejuwon Dada, the MD/CEO of the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta, Adetola EmmanuelKing, the GMD of Adron Homes and Properties Limited, Nnamdi Ezeigbo, the Owner of Slots Nigeria and Tayo Oviosu, the CEO of Page.
The 2019 Lagos State Man of the Year was a keenly contested award because without doubt the personalities nominated have made marks in their chosen careers and occupied positions of influence in their various organisations. The voting is expected to be a game of the throne of the status and influence of the nominees given that it is voluntary and will cost the voters money to exercise their franchise, at least a text message charge by the network operators is the permanent voter’s card for the exercise.
One would have expected the trend for the 2018 edition where AbdulHakeem, a sitting commissioner at the Lagos state ministry of Home Affairs took other nominees to the cleaners by getting 41, 415 votes of the 53, 893 of the total valid votes casted. It is not out of statistical order to predict that an employee of the Lagos state will win the 2019 edition given the 76.9 percent landslide win by the commissioner for Home Affairs in 2018.
Alas, the assumption was proven wrong with the emergence of Adetola Emmanuelking, the GMD of Adron Homes and Properties Limited, a private and leading real estate company as the winner of the 2019 Lagos State Man of the Year.
On the strength of the voters’ population, one would have expected the pendulum to swing in the favour of Hakeem Muri-Okunola given the potential votes from the Lagos state civil servants which are over 100,000. The workforce of Muri-Okunola is more than the total votes of 61,894 recorded for all the nominees. Hence, the Lagos state head of the service should have been the winner if it is a game of position.
The private sectors are the drivers of the economy, not the government. It is, therefore, an encouragement that a man who is not in the government is the Lagos State Man of the Year as it were two years ago. There is a likelihood that the votes are based on the influence and the impact the winner has on the voters for them to have parted with their time and money to be part of the exercise.
Adetola EmmanualKing is, no doubt a trailblazer. Hitherto, the purchase of land has been a capital project which requires years of hard work, discipline to save from one’s income and luck to acquire property without encumbrance. Adetola and his team at Adron Homes have commoditised the purchase of land and made available to the average Nigerians across the spectrum with the introduction of the weekly, monthly and daily payments for land as well as preventing buyers from land grabbers known as “Omo-Onile”. The Nigerians in the diaspora are of no exception to the efficacy of the Adron Homes’ services as this group have been saved from the unscrupulous family members who siphoned their hard-earned income in the name of building houses for them.
Aside, his business impact, Adetola’s influence that made him the Lagos State Man of the Year is likely from the effects of Adron Homes’ policies and her social responsibility projects. One of the projects is the Adron Games, an annual event in its fourth year. This event encourages the staff of the company, the students of higher institutions to show their sporting talents with notable stars like Victor Ikpeba, Aisha Falode, Peter Rufai, and Mary Onyali seated as the ambassadors for the event. Recently some young and undergraduates’ landlords were recognised and rewarded by Adrons Homes. Adetola EmmanuelKing also donated a multi-million-naira museum and park to Ode-Remo, a town in Ogun State.
The real estate mogul and the winner of the 2019 Lagos State Man of the Year has been seen giving lectures on housing deficits, how to prevent the epidemic collapse of buildings as part of his role as an industry leader. Therefore, 2019 contest for the Lagos State Man of the Year was not a game of position, but that of influence given the scenario analysed above, and more of such impact that led to the emergence of Adetola EmmanuelKing as the winner is required from business leaders especially the private sectors if real productivity and leadership instincts are being rewarded.
BABS OLUGBEMI
Olugbemi FCCA, is the chief responsibility officer at Mentoras Leadership Limited and Founder, Positive Growth Africa.
babs@babsolugbemi.org or 08025489396
