Like the wise-saying, the journey of twenty years, begins with a step. Hon Michael Opeyemi Bamidele’s journey in the world has been eventful. Though chequered and tortuous , but had been so rewarding due to God’s grace, self discipline and commitment to one’s beliefs and aspirations.
Tuesday, 29th July, 2014, Opeyemi, fondly called MOB by his admirers would clock 51. The poverty in his childhood could be succinctly interpreted as not being born with neither silver nor wooden spoon .
The great former British Prime Minister, William Churchill said: “An optimist will see opportunity in every difficulty, while a pessimist will see difficulty in every opportunity”. Opeyemi is an incurable optimist, who did not allow the difficulty in his upbringing to deter him from aiming at the top.
He weathered the storm of life and meandered the clayish path to stardom. He is now a shining star among his peers.
MOB, a Member of House of Representatives , like every other human colossus like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Abraham Lincoln, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and others saw the vicissitudes of life as opportunity and not a snag that can dim one’s desire for greatness.
Early in life, he believes that one can only have an indelible print on the sand of time through philanthropy and to always be on the side of the oppressed. And this he had been doing with passion since he broke out of the vicious circle level of poverty.
He started exhibiting his unquenchable thirst for good governance during his time as a student of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University). He was elected the Public Relations Officer of the Students’ Union Government, where he joined the vanguard that fought relentlessly against military Junta and the restoration of democratic governance for Nigerians to breathe a sigh of hope and relief .
Opeyemi carried the struggle to the University of Benin as a Law Student. As an adult then at Benin, who should be concerned with how to strive towards a bountifully prosperous life, he was elected the Chairman of the Students’ Union Government, all in a bid to fight for the masses. In 1989, Opeyemi capped his activism up with his election as the Chairman of National Association of Nigerian Students(NANS), where he brought his ingenuity, brilliance and high administrative acumen to bare. He remains one of the best to have occupied this position in history.
He began his pre-political training with his membership of the virulent National Democratic Coalition(NADECO), where he coalesced struggle with other juggernauts like : Chief Abraham Adesanya, Chief Bola Ige, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Mike Kokori, Femi Falana and other fierce Human Rights Activists that battled the Military Regimes of Generals Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and Sanni Abacha.
In the advent of democratic government in 1999, Opeyemi was appointed a Senior Special Assistant during Tinubu-led Government in Lagos State . Like the Biblical Joseph, who was enslaved in Egypt and later became a Prime Minister , even in foreign land, he also served as Commissioner of various Ministries under Tinubu and his successor, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola. His sterling performances in those offices still remain a reference point.
Like the bird that came home to roost, Opeyemi’s political edifice berthed in Ekiti in 2009, when he took the entire political space by storm, even when the incumbent Governor Kayode Fayemi was still grappling to reclaim his mandate from the Segun Oni-led Government of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Man they say proposes , but God disposes. His intention ab initio was to contest for senate in the Central Senatorial District , but was persuaded by party stalwarts in the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria to go for House of Representatives, representing Ado/Irepodun/Ifelodun Federal Constituency . His concession to this persuasion attested to his politics of civility, simplicity and humility , rather than do-or die.
His winning streak in the 2011 elections was maverick. He polled over 47,000 to trounce the candidates of PDP and LP because of his booming popularity among the masses, which festers on daily basis like a red iron in the furnace. As a Federal Lawmaker, Bamidele has impacted positively on so many lives. He had attracted about 89 projects to his constituency that had palliated the sufferings of the poverty-stricken masses.
By all assessment, Opeyemi is not that kind of a politician that discriminates. Even while representing two local governments in the Federal House, he has consistently been reaching out to other needy Ekitis in all the sixteen local government areas of the State. His philanthropy knows no bound. His political operation knows no party but all Ekiti indigenes. Little wonder, his house in Iyin Ekiti, is always a mecca of sort anytime is in Ekiti.
Ekiti people are not ingrates. They replicated this during the June 21 Governorship election in the State by their immense supports for his candidature. Opeyemi as a candidate of the lowly rated Labour Party ripped the ruling APC apart and made it vulnerable to defeat during the election. The Governor-elect and the PDP standard bearer in the poll, Mr Ayodele Fayose lent credence to this fact as he confessed openly he contributed immeasurably to his victory.
Before his foray into LP from ACN, having felt disenchanted with his former party’s penchant for imposition, LP had no structure in the State. But his popularity brought the magic wand that gave the party a life. Though, he might not be victorious in the election, but some are still nursing the excruciating injuries his participation had inflicted on them.
At an empowerment programme he initiated for the downtrodden in his constituency last year, a driver of an Ekiti-based non-governmental organization submitted that lives would have been easier for Ekiti people, if the state has two other politicians with equaled philanthropy power like Hon Bamidele.
Whichever way we assess his five decades and one sojourn on the planet earth, Opeyemi’s life has been exemplary. He has proved that goodness has no alternative. During a party thrown by his admirers in commemoration of his 49th birthday in Ado Ekiti in 2012, he promised to dedicate the rest of his life to serve humanity. This he had vividly display with numerous empowerment programmes he had initiated to bring succour to the afflicted.
The late South African leader, Nelson Mandela said: “When you successfully climb a mountain, you will realize that there are still many mountains to climb”. His quest to conquer poverty among the people is not yet done. The battle against oppression is not yet won. All he needs from Ekiti people is prayer to be able to achieve this lofty task as he looks up to many rewarding years ahead of him.
As we are celebrating you today, I wish to ask that who has the most inspiring, motivating and extra-special boss in the whole wide world? It’s Me!!!! Special wishes for a special person like you!
For all the motivation and inspiration, for all those encouragements and good action. I thank you
On behalf of myself and my family we wish you nothing but the best. Happy Birthday.
Written by Ahmed Salami, S.A. Media to Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele (MOB,MHR).
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