FEMI ADELEGAN : CELEBRATING A MEDIA COLOSSUS @ 66 – Oyesiku Adelu

Trust is synonymous to loyalty. Loyalty entails absolute commitment in a relationship. Trust like loyalty is built. It- evolves. There can be no loyalty without trust. Passion is a mainframe in the architectural design of loyalty and trust. Loyalty, trust and passion are interwoven. And if consciously made available, they make relationships stable.

Mr Femi Adelegan Adelegan epitomizes these attributes. A man (or woman) with such virtues deserves to be celebrated. Birthdays offer the opportunity to express such attributes in a tribute. Mr Adelegan, or as many of his friends fondly call him, “Femoo” deserves such felicity. “Bros Femoo” as subordinates address him is a publicist is superlative adjectives, Public Administrator par excellence and prolific writer of enviable repute who has the providence of adding another year today. May you live longer than your forebears sir.

To the mammoth who truly know Bros Femoo, the avuncular media icon deserves to be celebrated particularly for his virtues of loyalty, trust and passion for excellence.

Growing up in Ibadan, the capital of the bigger Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria, in the 70’s through 80’s, one name among other big names that resonated on the radio and TV News and Current Affairs Program of BCOS was Femi Adelegan .

However, I never got to meet the popular broadcast journalist till 1996 in person when as a journalist with the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC), I was posted to the Governor’s Office as State House correspondent.

A year before, Mr Adelegan had been appointed as Chief Press Secretary by the Osun State Military Administrator, Navy Commander Anthony Udofia (As he then was) . His sagacity, eye for minute details, understanding of the psychology of how trained journalists operate, his knack for ethical practice and his unbending love for honesty were virtues that endeared him to the “Milad”. And this worked for us all. State House correspondents had all the facilities needed for the quick dispatch of our assignments courtesy the love Bros Femoo truly and deservedly earned from his principal who relied so much on his judgement when it came to media matters.

This reliability was to earn Mr Adelegan further appointments. Udofia’s successor, Colonel Anthony Obi retained him. After Obi left, Colonel Theophilus Bamigboye also retained him. Then in 1999, Nigeria reverted to democratic governance and Mr Adelegan worked briefly with Governor Adebisi Akande.

As providence would have it, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola became the Governor in 2003, and Femi Adelegan like the proverbial cat with nine lives bounced back to reckoning now on a bigger assignment as Governor’s Chief Private Secretary/Special Adviser on Policies, Programmes and Plans Implementation Monitoring. A position he held from 2003 to 2010.

Mr Adelegan is an avid reader and a prolific author with several eye-opening , mind-boggling and inspiring publications to his credit.

Widely travelled and impressively exposed, Bros Femoo served as Nigerian Government official delegation to the General Conference and Executive Board Sessions of UNESCO in France and Nigeria’s Presidential delegations to the US, China, Vietnam and the G-20 summit in Canada in 2010. The mediapreneur had in 1986 attended the 41st Session of the United Nations General Assembly held in New York, USA.

Endowed with uncommon creative mind, Bros Femoo established the thriving Terrific Investments and Consulting Ltd, Abuja where he supretends as President /Ceo. One of the major projects of the firm is the promotion of family values through the sensitization of the publics to eschew bitterness, promote love, mutual respect and discipline in the family. This Mr Femi Adelegan believes will assist Nigeria develop responsible leaders from the family and community level for overall national development.

Mr Adelegan is competent to handle such a sensitive project as a responsible family man happily married to his wife, auntie Funmi of the respectable Carew family of Ibadan. Happy 66th anniversary to the media guru.