Olabode Garbadeen: The Exceptional Stuff Public Office Holding Is Made Of

I have had several memorable moments both when I was in the United States and here in Nigeria. Still, an encounter in 2015, with Olabode Garbadeen, Commissioner III in the Lagos State Local Government Commission, remains outstanding and excelling.

This was during the 2017 recruitment exercise of the Lagos State Government Local service commission, still, five years down the line, that encounter has remained unassailable, being a classic case of an ordinary person doing some extraordinary things to make our society better.

You could wonder why the treatise now? The answer is a message on the gentleman’s Facebook page in November 2019, which I came across recently, July 10th, precisely, recounting his experience in the last four years as commissioner III.

It was not just a message of reflection but one of appreciation that reminds me of how I benefited from the recruitment exercise primarily due to his good nature and disposition.

It is worth reflecting over, in the hope that others in the position of power would learn therefrom.
If nothing else, it drives home the message, to those privileged to hold positions, that what matters at the end of the day, is the positive impact that one was able to make with the responsibility and office entrusted in his care.

Even the season we are in, the era of COVID-19 equally underscores the point – the need for humility, in the way and manner we conduct our life and execute our official assignments.

The period has shown more palpably, how vulnerable life could be; that some of the positions and offices we cling so selfishly to, are themselves transient, just the same way as life itself,

In the dawn of celebrating four years of exemplary service to our beloved state under the auspices of Gov Sanwo-Olu, it would be expedient to drop a few lines testifying to such an illustrious example in public office holding.

It honestly reads like a fairy tale as was aptly described on his Face book page! A fairy tale but carefully scripted to redefine the spirit of altruism, a rare gesture of kindness, sacrifice, and the manifestation of the human spirit that separates an achiever from a dinosaur.

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Many other people have occupied the same office from the inception of the civil service. They might have also played their role as the commissioner did, but I cannot give a fair assessment of how well they performed since I did not have the privilege of coming in contact with them.

As Mother Teresa once said, “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”

The key to any successful venture is having the right mental, positive attitude, and perseverance, and doing whatever we do best with love.

These are the virtues this gentleman exhibited during our brief encounter. Call him a realist and an optimist; you are not too far from being right because he has the two outstanding virtues demonstrated in his style.

Call him a jolly good fellow; you are also right on point. Call him a community activist; you are stating the obvious. Whatever, Olabode Garbadeen, or Garbo, as his friends and peers fondly call him, remains a model of grace, altruism, and humility.

I do not usually sing praises of civil servants in the discharge of their statutory obligations to the public.

Having spent a significant number of my productive years in the United States, I have been part of a system where merit is the parameter to measure success, especially in public office In my own country; therefore, I could identify with sincere devotion to public duty when I see one and expressing a heartfelt appreciation, for such devotion should not be misconstrued as grandstanding.

As for recruitment exercises conducted by the Local Government service commission, it is not uncommon to have family members reach out seeking assistance for employment regardless of their discipline. A graduate of Geology working routine administrative duties at the local government is not strange. Having a laundry list of applicants seeking employment is thus common in Nigeria.

All my pleas to the family members to apply online as a prerequisite was met with skepticism. They did but were reminded that the online application without employing one’s clout was a futile exercise. One of the applicants told me that, “This is Nigeria,” which succeeded in redirecting my focus from an implied world of fantasy to the world of reality. Access to any Job in Nigeria requires connection, let alone one to a good-paying job.

I was convinced after so much persuasion that my physical presence in his office would just be magical. After so much tutorial and lecture, I proceeded to his office. I was not surprised to see the moderately furnished office crowded, a reflection of the prevailing level of unemployment at the time. Even while in the waiting room, we could hear comments that tended to reassure us that our visit would not be a futile one after all.

At our turn, we went in and presented our case. Despite the pressure, he remained unruffled, lively jovial and humble; not to mention the honesty and frankness. Our meeting was brief; still, my assessment of him was that of a man with an evident passion for helping others; any that came his way.

The trip to his office on that particular day reminded one of a similar journey I made almost ten years earlier to the then governor of Lagos State, the national leader of All Progressive Congress (APC), the Jagaban Africa, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu at his Isaac John office. It was a mission to secure employment, not for one person but forty-five Lagos State indigenes, a task that some people then had considered an uphill.

I never doubted what would be the outcome of the trip, relying on the Tinubu antecedents as an Advocate of the oppressed and voice of the voiceless. His flaws notwithstanding, but his genuine commitment to the advancement of the human race cannot be contested, more so, his love for Lagos State.

Despite the moratorium placed on employment in Lagos State at that time, Asiwaju Tinubu employed his executive power, which resulted in hiring forty-five indigenous Lagosians.

It was a gift of life as some of them today have risen to be Directors and Assistant Directors in the Lagos State Civil Service. It was that singular gesture of Tinubu that earned my respect and admiration among people, of which I will remain grateful.

Tinubu’s entire life is anchored on compassion, humanity, and kindness. Asiwaju embodies a lifetime of the uncommon spirit of altruism. He operates on a different level. He is in a unique league of those individuals that can be considered the movers and shakers of the universe, but it did not happen overnight.

It is a product of years of exhibiting the spirit of giving that has now become his way of life. Afterall there have been people that had the opportunity to lift the needy to the ladder of Success but choose not to offer any type of assistance.

The comparison between the benevolent gesture of Asiwaju and one of his sons, Bode Garbadeen, would not be a tenable one, but the similarities are evident, the results, impactful.

Through Garbadeen’s efforts, some Lagosians, including my nephew, are now gainfully employed with the Local Government service commission not to even mention his accessibility, exemplary leadership quality, and his willingness to offer assistance.

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He has optimised his position to influence and redefine the position of a commissioner III in Lagos, which is to bequeath an enduring legacy throughout the length and breadth of Lagos State.

He has given a precious gift of life to the needy and did it with such finesse and willingness to do more if given the opportunity.

I am a living witness, and I am testifying to that act of benevolence.

There have been other industrious sons and daughters of the community in various positions of authority who have leveraged their positions to better the lives of the needy.

Honorable Wasiu Odeyemi’s name stands out as one of them. Honorable Wasiu Odeyemi was a commissioner in the Lagos State Civil Service Commission who left an indelible mark during his time providing job opportunities to Epe Indigenes. I was also a beneficiary of WASTAB’s largesse.

Hon. Wasiu Odeyemi (WASTAB)

My Niece is in the civil service today with just a phone call to WASTAB. This was during the 2016 recruitment exercise into the civil service.

There are so many of like my Niece that are now in the Lagos State Government Civil service courtesy of Honorable Wastab Odeyemi

How could one forget the efforts of Otunba Dehinde Tunwashe, Former MD Lagos HOMS? He is simply another dictionary definition of humility and altruism, whose tenure witnessed several first-time homeowners. He will forever be commended for your efforts.

Mr. Dehinde Tunwashe

There is also Dr. Basirat Oladipupo, the first female professor in the Epe Division, a symbol of inspiration whose impact is legendary in the area of education.

Dr. Basirat Oladipupo

The list is endless, and includes various Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and their impact in the community.

The point is, would this type of testimony be given about you as an individual occupying a similar exalted position?

But you could work to earn it, that is what real legacy is all about.

While I want to congratulate my brother, Garbadeen, for four years of exemplary stewardship, I also want to implore him not to relent in his efforts and quest to make our society a better place. I don’t know what the future holds in the civil service, but it looks promising if he continues on the path of making lives more meaningful to those in need. He deserves the best.

Congratulations!

Otunba T. J. Abbas

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