Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has been described as a Nigerian who not only teach and advocate the virtues of leadership but whose life has been an exemplary demonstration of true leadership in practice.
This view was expressed over the weekend by Redeemer’s International Leadership Academy, RILA, which honored the Vice President, Prof. Osinbajo as a Living Legend.
RILA also honored a few other pastors at the event over the weekend, all of whom are Pastors of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, under which the institute operates.
While presenting the Vice President for the award, Pastor J. A Bolarinwa who spoke on behalf of the institute at an event held in Lagos noted that before Pastor Osinbajo was taken away by a “national assignment,” he served in RILA as one of the faculty describing him as “a leader indeed, he did not (just) teach leadership, he lived it.”
He praised the VP’S humility, and his support for the institute where 25 years ago he himself, the VP was among the pioneer students. The institute noted that it was impressed by the service, support and contribution of Osinbajo to RILA.
The Vice President who joined virtually was honored on Saturday with the institute’s Living Legend Awards alongside Pastor Kayode Pitan, the Managing Director of the Bank of Industry, while Pastor J.A Bolarinwa , PhD, Pastor Idowu Iluyomade and Pastor Tokunbo Adesanya where also honored with the Lifetime Legend Awards. The Founding Registrar of the institute and the immediate past registrar, Pastor Alfred Olufeyimi and Pastor Ben Ewuzie were also honoured post-humously with the as RILA Legends.
In his remarks, Prof Osinbajo who gave the acceptance speech on behalf of all the honorees noted that “I am deeply honoured to have been asked to speak on behalf of the extraordinary and transformational leaders who are being honored today. I am not being modest when I say I am clearly the least in terms of those who contributed to the story that became RILA.”
The Vice President added that “RILA Legends Posthumous Awards recipient, late Pastor Alfred Olufeyimi laid the foundations of the institute almost singlehandedly,” adding that the Pastor’s contributions were “unforgettable, he led with compassion, understanding and a focus on heaven.”
The VP also praised “Pastor Kayode Pitan whose task it was to faithfully build in the great shadow of his mentor and friend and Pastor Ben Ewuzie, my friend and brother who with Pastor Kayode, Pastor Mike Oshiokameh were my classmates in the Bible school.”
Recalling the contributions of the first RILA Registrar, the VP said “in his lifetime he became Mr. RILA, literally gave everything he had for RILA. He left NAL Merchant Bank to earn N10k as the first full time administrator of RILA. Pastor Ben developed RILA to the foremost Bible and leadership training institute in Africa and developed courses and programmes always in the cutting edge, always forward thinking, and started the many Centre’s of RILA locally and internationally.”
Regarding Pastor Bolarinwa who was also honored, Prof Osinbajo described him as a “God sent to RILA,” crediting him with the successful incorporation of the institute under the structure of the RCCG. He added that Pastor Bolarinwa “has in these past years added great value to RILA as Vice Chair of its board of governors and chair of its academic board.”
The Vice President also commended Pastor Idowu Iluyomade and Pastor Pastor Toks Adesanya for their leadership and worthy contributions to RILA.
The event was part of the celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Bible School.
