O’Femi Kolawole… Legacy Driven, Patriotism Inspired

O’FEMI Kolawole is the chief executive officer of Posterity Media and convener, Posterity Media Business Forum, which engages top business, political, academic, media and other society leaders to address Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges and proffer workable insights and ideas for national development.

According to Kolawole, “Come October 29, Nigerians from all walks of life will converge on Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) to discuss the country in a symposium with the theme, Delivering the Nigeria that we need, the Benchmarks and Imperatives for National Greatness. What type of country do we want to have, thank God we are in a new dispensation, and how do we ensure that we do not go back to the past that was filled with corruption and mediocrity. Today, power supply is gradually improving, but how do we sustain it?

“When President Muhammadu Buhari appointed his kitchen cabinet and Chief of Staff people say he has appointed only the northerners, these are issues for discussion. Our football teams for instance, are we really particular about having the best of guys play to bring the trophy for us or we are particular about having national spread; as much as we want quality delivery, we also want inclusiveness and so a number of issues will be discussed.”

Dr. Christopher Kolade is chairman of symposium, which will attract human rights’ activist, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin; Mr. Eddy Odivri; Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi, who played a critical role during the rebrand Nigeria campaign; and many others as speakers.

“What we want to achieve for posterity media is a nation that gets better with citizen who participates in the direction the country takes and that is why we want to drive and inspire patriotism.

“For God to have decided to make me a citizen of this country, Nigeria, out of the over 200 countries in the world, then there must be something He expects from me. It should not always be about what you want the country to do for you. People must be posterity conscious, because a time will come, you will leave the scene. There are great people we talk about today who have gone, whose impact are still been celebrated, we remember MKO Abiola, the Awolowos, Prof Dora Akunyili, these were selfless Nigerians, who are gone but there impact are still felt.

While speaking on the issues the nation is faced with, he said, “Singapore became independent after Nigeria, but today, the country is far ahead. Many youths finish school and they don’t get jobs, how do we ensure that we have a Nigeria where it is easy for job creation to be achieved, and don’t forget power will hasten that process. Aside from that, corruption is one key problem that has drawn us backward; you hear billions of naira being stolen, we need national reorientation, and of course, we also need to put in place values that will guide us.

“We want a country of people, who are committed to excellence in all spheres. Thank God for Nollywood, we are respected and loved for it around the world, our music also, whatever sector we find ourselves, let us agree that we want to move our nation forward and be the best in the world.

Those are the standards we want to set for ourselves, the value of integrity and so Nigerians and leaders must buy into it.