President Tinubu: Anambra visit and the petals of inclusive leadership, by Fredrick Nwabufo

In botanical terms, inclusive leadership is like a flower of which beauty proceeds from the anatomy of each petal or the leaves of its corolla. It takes different parts to form a whole, and there is no stronger force than a united people.

President Bola Tinubu has steadily demonstrated a rare rallying quality; pulling together and not setting asunder. Whether north, south, east, or west, he has remained consistent as an even-handed arbiter, dealing graciously and honourably with everyone.

On May 2, he visited Katsina State, where he made bold and decisive declarations against banditry and terrorism in the North-West zone. He reiterated his resolve that Nigeria would never succumb to the designs of terror and asked the military to intensify its efforts to remove the vestiges of the menace.

The President visited Enugu State on January 4. The visit, his first port of call in the year, underscored the importance accorded to the South-East zone, as well as the President’s genuine effort at bringing all Nigerians together.

In Enugu, President Tinubu interacted with a melange of leaders in the South-East, listening, taking note of their concerns, and ending with a fine lexical smorgasbord of unity, hope, and compassion.

In Anambra, his second visit to the South-East in 2025, the President reprised his accustomed nationalistic aspect – not a performance or a contrivance, but an organic and time-honed disposition.

President Tinubu paid a visit to Anambra State on Thursday, May 8. He was received with flourish, elegance, and exceeding excitement — an undisputed affirmation of the Igbo saying, “Nkea bu nke anyi” (He is our own).

It was a carnival in the streets of Awka as the President’s convoy entered the city, a welcome deserving only of a well-striped warrior — Dike. The President was honoured with the foremost traditional title — Dike Si-mba of Anambra — mighty warrior/hero.

Earlier, he had inaugurated the Emeka Anyaoku Institute of International Studies and Diplomacy at Nnamdi Azikwe University; the new Government House, and Solution Funcity.

Speaking at Ekwueme Square, a stadium, where an open meeting was held with an array of South-East leaders, opinion moulders and other citizens, President Tinubu thanked the people of Anambra for the warm welcome and their support.

“I know our diversity will lead to prosperity.

“South-East, I salute your enterprise, your innovation, and commitment to progress,” the President said.

In his address, Governor Chukwuma Soludo thanked the President for honouring the state by visiting. He said the last state visit by any President was in 2012.

He commended the President for having the courage to take tough decisions that were already turning around the economy and encouraged the President to stay the course.

The governor said his support for President Tinubu was rooted in ideology and principle and described the President as the “Professor of Federalism.”

Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, also thanked the President, underscoring his expansiveness, accommodating, and fatherly disposition.

The significance of the President’s domestic trips is the exigency of solidarising, as well as of building bridges and fostering unity. Nigerians across the country can see, feel, and hear their President in the flesh. He comes to them with words of hope, encouragement, understanding, compassion, and action.

The President has shown time and time again that he is the leader that Nigeria sorely needs at this time to mend the fault lines, the fissures, and to disentangle the national antinomy.

Leadership is by example. It is in the doings. It is in the results. Little wonder Nigerians across all artificial aisles are rallying towards the President. The ability to bring people together, regardless of any unnatural boundaries, is the great stuff of leadership.

President Tinubu epitomises this outlier quality of leadership.

Fredrick Nwabufo is Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Engagement

‘You Are My Everything’: Bullion Records Boss Sparks Romance Buzz with Birthday Tribute to Wife

By Ibrahim Kegbegbe

Ogun, Nigeria – May 9, 2025

It was a heartwarming celebration at the residence of the CEO and Chairman of Bullion Records, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, as he marked the birthday of his beloved wife, Mrs. Oyindamola Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, with an intimate and spiritually reflective event.

The day began with a private prayer session held at the couple’s Ogun home, attended by close family members and friends. The quiet ceremony was filled with gratitude and reverence as Ambassador Ajadi expressed deep appreciation to Almighty God for granting his wife another year in good health and joy.

Speaking to journalists after the prayer session, the businessman, philanthropist, and political advocate described his wife as the pillar of his success and the heartbeat of his household.

“To my love! You are the reason I smile every day. You are my everything. I love you more than ever,” Ambassador Ajadi said with affection. “Wishing you the happiest day, my darling. Happy birthday to my soulmate.”

Mrs. Oyindamola, visibly touched by her husband’s emotional tributes and the warm atmosphere of the day, also expressed her appreciation. “I’m overwhelmed by the love and care I’ve received today, especially from my husband,” she said. “His words touched my soul, and I am grateful to God for giving me such a wonderful partner.”

The couple, known for their public service and humanitarian work, has been a model of unity and love in both social and business circles. While Ambassador Ajadi is a rising force in Nigeria’s entertainment and political landscape, Mrs. Oyindamola is admired for her poise, compassion, and support for youth and women empowerment causes.

Friends, family members, and fans of Bullion Records took to social media to celebrate the birthday, praising Mrs. Oyindamola for her humility and strength. Many described her as a “silent engine” behind the ambassador’s success story.

As the day unfolded, plans were also revealed for a modest evening dinner in her honour, with the presence of key personalities from the music, media, and political scenes expected.

Ambassador Ajadi’s message to his wife was not just a tribute to love but a reminder of the power of strong partnerships in achieving personal and collective dreams. In his words: “Behind every great man is not just a woman, but a woman who believes in the vision and nurtures it with love, faith, and strength.”

The Last Quarter: Reflections on Life’s Journey Through the Seasons

By George O. Sylvester

Introduction

Life, in its most poetic essence, is a journey of seasons, a passage from innocence to wisdom, from vibrancy to vulnerability. In the first quarter, we are driven by passion and purpose, in the second by ambition, in the third by responsibility and in the final quarter, by reflection. This last quarter is not merely the closing act; it is the grand culmination of the experiences, choices, triumphs and regrets that define a lifetime.

The musings on youth and old age, once viewed as distant abstractions become real, visceral truths. As beautifully captured in the prose we reflect upon: “When I was young, I found it difficult to wake up. Now I am old, I find it difficult to sleep.” This paradox highlights not only the physical shifts but the profound philosophical transformations that occur over time. This article seeks to explore the deeper truths embedded in the lived experience of aging, armed with facts, powerful expressions and timeless wisdom.

The Shifting Concerns of Life

Our priorities, fears and values evolve in tandem with our years. Youth is often obsessed with appearance ie pimples, muscles, beauty and validation; but in old age, these concerns give way to more sobering reflections: wrinkles, health, companionship and mortality. A 2022 study by the American Psychological Association found that anxiety about appearance peaks during adolescence but gradually gives way to concerns about health and loneliness after age 60.

This is poignantly expressed in the lines:
“When I was young, I was waiting to hold someone’s hand. Now I am old, I am waiting for someone to hold my hand.”
This inversion is not merely poetic, it is statistically supported. A 2020 World Health Organization report revealed that over one-third of the elderly population globally suffers from social isolation, a leading cause of mental and physical health decline.

The Illusion of Time and the Surprise of Aging

Perhaps the greatest trick life plays is convincing the young that they have all the time in the world. A 2019 Pew Research study found that people in their 20s tend to underestimate how quickly time will pass. But by age 60, many express astonishment at how fast life moved.

“I remember well, seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me… Yet, here it is!”
This bewilderment reflects what psychologists call “telescoping,” a cognitive bias where past events seem closer than they actually are. What seemed distant in youth is suddenly here and with it, a host of unexpected realities: aching joints, greying hair and nostalgic memories.

The Power of Memory and the Weight of Regret

In youth, we celebrate moments; in old age, we cherish memories. It’s a painful irony that by the time we understand the true value of time, we have so little of it left. Neuroscientific research from Harvard shows that the human brain prioritizes emotional memories in later life, particularly those tied to family, love and purpose.

“Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn’t done; things I should have done.”
Such confessions are echoed by millions in their twilight years. Bronnie Ware, a palliative nurse, documented in her bestselling book “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying”, that the most common regret was, “I wish I had lived a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”

Health is the Real Wealth

Too often, people chase money, status and possessions only to find that none of it matters when their health fails. As the writer notes:
“It is health that is the real wealth and not pieces of gold, silver or printed notes.”
This is no mere opinion; the World Bank reports that countries with higher life expectancy and health quality index also experience greater individual happiness, regardless of GDP.

Health in the later years becomes both a blessing and a burden. While youth takes mobility for granted, the elderly find triumph in tying a shoelace or walking unaided. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that by age 75, 85% of individuals suffer from at least one chronic health condition.

The Gift of Perspective

What once seemed urgent now feels trivial. Old age brings perspective, clarity and often a new appreciation for the ordinary.
“When I was young, I admired beautiful things. Now I am old, I see beauty in things around me.”
This philosophical shift is not weakness, it is wisdom. In fact, the concept of “positive reappraisal,” a coping mechanism developed more robustly in old age, helps the elderly find joy in small things and gratitude in the everyday.

As Viktor Frankl, Holocaust survivor and author of Man’s Search for Meaning, wrote:
“In the sunset of life, the meaning of existence becomes clearer and the trivial loses its grip on the soul.”

Living with Purpose, Even in the Final Stretch

The so-called “last quarter” of life must not be viewed with fear, but with reverence. It is the harvest of a life lived imperfectly, perhaps but lived nonetheless. It is a time for legacy, for reflection, for storytelling and for loving without pretense.

“Don’t put things off too long…you have no promise that you will see all the seasons of life.”
This call to action is both urgent and universal. The brevity of life should compel us to live boldly, to forgive swiftly and to invest time in relationships over possessions.

Rabindranath Tagore once said, “Let life be beautiful like summer flowers and death like autumn leaves.” There is dignity, beauty and purpose even in decline, if only we choose to see it that way.

Resolution: A Life Fully Lived

Rather than calling this the “conclusion” of life, let us embrace the term resolution. For it is in this final phase that the pieces of the puzzle finally make sense. The patterns, the missteps, the pain and the joy. They all merge into one coherent whole. And though the body weakens, the soul, if nurtured, finds strength in wisdom and peace.

The writer says it best:
“Old is good. Old is comfortable. Old is safe. Old songs. Old movies. And best of all, friends of old.”
This is not the end. It is the grand finale, the calm after the storm, the soft, golden glow after a long day’s sun. And in this gentle dusk, we find that what mattered all along was not the pace but the path, not the achievements but the affections.

So to those in their first, second or even third quarter of life, heed this wisdom. Live now. Laugh often. Love deeply. And prepare not with fear, but with faith, for that final quarter, where everything finally begins to make sense.