Erelu Fayemi at 60: This is the humanitarian factor for me, By Olayinka Oyebode

Erelu Bisi Fayemi

Purple is the color today, without a doubt, sixties is the milestone and joy is the mood as friends, family members, associates and mentees and an army of recipients of his bounty rise in unison to celebrate one of God's gifts to humanity - Erelu Bisi Fayemi, the former first lady of Ekiti State and co-founder of the African Women's Development Fund (AWDF), considered one of the most influential non-profit organizations supporting women on the continent.

I have many good reasons to join millions of other supporters at home and abroad in celebrating Erelu Bisi Fayemi on her day. On a personal level, I attest to her magnanimity, generosity of spirit and keen interest in uplifting others and working hard to rally support, empower and raise the bar for women and girls.

"Erelu Bam Bam" or "Ochiorah", as she is affectionately known by her many admirers, means many things to many people. But the main attribute of hers that stands out from the crowd is her generosity of spirit. Apparently, she has milk of human kindness running through her veins. And for that, some call her "Mother General". She also goes by the name "Yeye Atayese". "Yeye Oba". All of these monikers speak of her royalty, the grace she wears like a garment, her loyalty to good causes, and her penchant for supporting and uplifting others.

To these qualities of genius, kindness, meticulousness, thoughtfulness, decency and civility must be added a number of others, too numerous to describe in a short tribute like this . For example, there are attributes such as his frankness, his firmness, his wit, his creativity, his eye for detail, his insatiable penchant for excellence, his ability to bring out the best in people and his love for works of art. 'art. Erelu Fayemi's unrivaled ability to mingle freely with the lowly, the fighters and the powerful is a classic lesson in relationship management. And quite remarkable is her simple way of becoming bold, brave, smart and beautiful, decked out in her favorite ankara or lace fabrics, designer bags and high-end jewelry. A prolific writer, historian, renowned advocate for the development of the genre, Erelu is at ease with words. Words – creative words are the vital flavor that spice up his weekly column in the “Loud Whispers” newspaper and his Above Whispers.com blog. His words, as Mother Teresa wrote, "leave endless echoes". His words are inspiring, reassuring and have a therapeutic effect.

In giving back to society, Erelu has mastered the art of doing so effortlessly by focusing on the change and transformation that would be on the part of the individuals, groups or communities that would benefit. This is because his motivation is rooted in the biblical injunction: “Love your neighbor as yourself”. She is not only a woman of substance with a heart of gold, she is a humanitarian who has dedicated her life to the service of humanity. No one comes into contact with Erelu without a good story to tell. Even his most rabid critic readily admits this, and his ability to use power and influence in quite positive ways.

My first meeting with Erelu Bisi Fayemi was on January 3, 2011 when I took over her duties as Special Assistant for the Media, following my appointment by her husband, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, then Governor of Ekiti State. I had returned with great enthusiasm to the governor's office that fateful morning only to be informed that I had been reassigned to the office of the governor's wife as SA Media. The development chilled my mind, having had no previous experience working under a female...