For a start, I would like to thank God for giving us this day and that I do not miss this glorious event. I also grant it a great honour and priviledge not only to have been invited to todays' presentation of the biography of Chief Moses Inalolaji Aboaba a senior brother for whom I have a high regard but also to have been given the responsibility to review the book (which I gladly accepted) and which is published by DAYBIS LIMITED and put together by Messrs Akinola Owolabi and Babatunde Fanawopo.

I say hearty congratulations to Chief M.I Aboaba who has brought all of us together today. Beloved brother, it is a great achievement that your life history can be put together when you are in the land of the living and people can say to you today that chief this is your life! Thank God that you have been able to weather the storms and you keep marching like a valiant soldier.

The 315 book contains Dedication, Foreword, Preface, Acknowledgment and 13 chapters. If I was given two minutes to review the monumental book, I would just have read to you the penultimate paragraph contained on page IX of the Foreword, excellently written by Chief Bisi Akande a highly respected Nigerian who was former deputy Governor in the old Oyo state and later Governor of Osun state (1999-2003). That paragraph capture the essence of “power of His Grace”. Since the question I posed is hypothetical, I would not share with you that portion of the Foreword. You can do that yourself when you procure a copy of the book

Be that as it may be, please grant me a few minutes to quickly take you through the journey of life our friend, husband and grandfather as documented in the book. Chapter 1 deals with parenthood and childhood and contains the story of Igbajo (his place of birth) (his ancestry) parent-age and vocation (saw milling) and initial Christian upbringing. The early stage of discipline was sown in Chief Aboaba as a teenager by mama. The words ANU MA DARO that is (somebody whom nobody would miss his exit) ring bells in the ears of the Chief today. Many of the societal vices we have today are rooted in the defective home foundation, parents and chilfren have a lot to learn from this chapter.

Education and career choice take the centre stage in chapter 2. I know the Chief attended Baptist Day School, Igbajo, Kiriji Memorial College (popularly known then as Western KMC) where we were both students and the University of Lagos he encountered financial challenges, before he could achieve his aim educationally. Time will fail me to enumerate the deludge of obstacles he passed through but then he was still able to make it through the help God raised for him at every stage. (e.g. Pa Amos Ajibode Fasoro, Chief Akande Dahunsi, Senator E.A Lagunju, Chief Ade Adefarati etc ) and his rugged determination not to give up. This is in line with the saying “Tough times never last, but tough people do”. The life history of Chief M.I Aboaba depicts him as a man who believes that education would guarantee a good future for him and it did.

The Chief did not arrogate his success solely to himself, he acknowledged that God, and people have assisted him. There is quite a lot of lessons to learn by the youths today in this regard. Because of the importance attached to a man's working career I would like to speak sequentially on chapter 3 (A fulfilled cicil service career) chapter 4 (Osun state and pioneering challenges) and chapter 5 (Nerfund experience and Board room politics). This is also because there is a connect among the three. Yes, Chief M.I Aboaba can beat his chest that he had a fulfilled civil service career and I can chorus it with him. He rose from being a clerk initially, to become a permanent secretary and capped it later with an appointment as secretary to government and Head of service in Osun state. As an administrative officer, he served in the headquarters and Local Government where he had to pass through many political and civil services bosses. In all this he maintained a very high standard.

The pictures of some of this political bosses (military) and civilian adorn the chapter with comments supplied where necessary. Among them are General David Jemibewon late General Abdul Kareem Adisa, Late Chief Bola Ige and Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo. We also have name of civil servants who have impacted his life, such as Late Samuel Asaba and late Princess Tejumade Alakija. Chief Aboaba, was known in the civil service as a man who presented cases as he saw it, without embellishment. No doubt he would have stepped on some toes, but what has always seen him through is in the saying “truth crushed to earth will rise again”.

His stint in Osun state (created on 27th August 1991) as a pioneer secretary to Government and Head of service is worth mentioning. Little did he know that he would assume a leadership role later in the same state when he supported others in the mobilization for the creation of the state. The names of people like engineer S.O. Fadahunsi, the then prince. Oladele Olashore who later became Ajagbusi Ekun Iloko-Ijesha and Aloko of Iloko in Osun state Dr. Chief Benjamin Abimbola Adigun, Prince (Engr) Tunde Ponle and Prince Duro Oyinlola feature prominently. It is already part of history that he served Osun state loyally under the then Col. Leo Segun Ajiborisha, in spite of challenging situation then he exited the position of secretary to Government and Head of Service on Jan 12 1992 without lobbying for an extension of tenure. What a contrast to what we experience today.

If Chief Aboaba thought then that he experienced some intrigues when he was in the Public Service, more and greater intrigues awaited him when he got appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of NERFUND –National Economic Reconstruction Fund – a federal Government owned financial institution. The first challenge was how can a former civil servant, with absolutely no banking experience head a bank institution? Details of his experience in this quasi banking organization are well sated in the book he was undaunting in his resolved to resolve to succeed and indeed he did. The writing on his career in the public and organized private sectors make an interesting reading. It will do all of us well to go through it, to enrich our life experiences.

I can summarize the Chief's career in Henry Longfellows (1807-1832) words and I quote, “the heights which great men reached and kept were not be sudden flight but while their companions slept they were toiling upward in the night”.

But in spite of his hardwork, God factor remains most important.

Who is actually Chief Moses Inaolaji Aboaba? You can find the answer in chapter 6 with the tittle “The Home Fronts” which spans pages 119-145. From the narration in the book, he undoubtedly invested time, talent and treasure in making of a home he would like to be proud that God blessed his effort. The significant role of his late wife (Mama Modupeore Oluwa) in contributing to a good home and orderly development of the children are appreciated in the book. However a great challenge came when on the 6th july 1998 the beautiful flower was plucked away by the cold hand of death (eternal rest grant her o Lord (Amen).

We however thank God today that he is not alone, as he was later blessed with mummy Adenike. The scenario of how all this came about is detailed in the book, but today we can give thanks to God that all the children are doing well in their fields of endeavor.

Chapter 7 of the pages from 146-151 is on life and its various challenges. In order to whet your appetite to read the book I will only quote the precursor to the narrative viz.

“If we are allowed to deal with small problems, we will be destroyed by slightly larger ones. When we come to understand this, we live our lives not avoiding problems, but welcoming them as challenges that will strengthen us so that we can be victorious in the future”. Jim Stovall. By this I have taken you to the river all that is left for you is to drink.

I am always amused when some people described themselves as self-made Chief M.I Aboaba does not belong to this category of people because he firmly believe that he is God's creation and that when he was on the way up the ladder some people helped. No wonder he, later in life, recognized that he must give back to the community that contributed to his progress in life. This is the crux of chapter 8 which covers pages 152-173. While at work he did not use his position to enrich himself, instead he sought for the good of his town and area in terms of departmental projects such as roads, hospitals and tertiary educational institution e.g. (Igbajo Polytechnic). Many other ways in which he enhanced the community are in the book and it is advisable you warm yourself into the publication. The lesson is that only a bastard would point wrongly to his place of birth.

Modupeoluwa Widows Assistance Fund in memory of late Chief Mrs Modupeoreolulwa Aboaba is the focus of chapter 9. The raison d'etre for the establishment of the fund and its achievement are commendable. What this teaches us is the biblical saying “sweet is the memory of the righteous”. Chapter 10 of the book is different from other chapter in the sense that it contains memorable paper presented by the celebrant of today Chief M.I. Abaoba in the public and private sectors. Among them are relationship of Higher Civil servants with Political Executives and Financing Arrangement for small and medium scale projects. Those papers are priceless gift to present corps of civil servants and budding entrepreneurs. They must read it for their own benefits.

Chapter Eleven of the book is caption “TESTIMONIES” representing tributes on Chief M.I. Aboaba. It can be regarded as book of its own. It is a plus or bonus to the book. The other good thing about the testimonies is that their heading can easily be substituted as alternative to the book tittle. “The Power of His Grace”. Example are “From a Humble Beginning To A Man Distinction” written by B.A. Osunkunle and “of character courage and service” by Olubukola Abiola Abimbola. All the testifiers write from various perspective on the Chief, but their conclusion is that he is a man who has paid his dues in service to humanity and yet he is not tired. A good example is his foundation to be launched today. For those who want to emulate the chief's good example (I believe many of them are here) you can not afford not to read this insightful testimonies. I beg you passionately to do so as you deserve to leave this world better than you met it.

Chapter 12 contains memorable pictures while chapter 13 is awash with Honours, Awards Trophies, certificates and felicitation plaques. The pictures (carefully put together by biographers) and the Chief teach a lesson in record keeping/documentation, while the awards tell us that selfless service attracts honours and celebration later in life.

Distinguished guess, as I conclude this review I would like to say briefly what should be our take away from this book, A few of them are :

• Chief M.I. Aboaba remains one of the bright stars of the old civil service whose history deserves more than cursory attention

• Challenges are bound to come in life, but they can be surmounted with positive attitude and absolute trust in the power of His Grace – i.e. God.

• When you pass through life , you connect others who become part of your tell tale an example which is the relationship between the Chief and his childhood friend Dr. Michael Adebowale Soladoye and many others.

• You must stand for the truth in whatever position you are.

• You must work hard to have a good home. Worthy of emulation.

• You must show appreciation to your community later in life. You must not forget your people.

But now, as it is usually said, the taste of the pudding is in the eating. I urge you not to depart from this place without taking copies of the well written and memorable work of art which through thorough editing I can say in the lighter mood has met the requirements of the Standard Organization of Nigeria. Don’t miss the strong message preached by the life and times of Chief M.I. Aboaba. Buy the book for yourself your family members, your institutions and give it out as present.

Once again I rejoice with our brother Chief M.I. Aboaba and family members and I really commend the biographers for their very good effort.

I thank you for your attention.