Honouring an enigma: Engr Muftau Open Salawu as Babalaje of Ogbomosoland |Sunday Adepoju

 

By Sunday Adepoju

Leaders are born, not made, they say. The case of one of the impactful, illustrious and development-inclined sons of Ogbomoso, Engineer Muftau Open Salawu, aptly portrays the benchmark of nobility expected of any leader in this modern era.

As part of the events lined up to mark the 95th birth anniversary of the Soun of Ogbomoso, His Imperial Majesty, Oba (Dr) Jimoh Oladunni Oyewumi Ajagungbade III, JP, CON, CFR, will today install Engr Salawu and his amiable wife, Mrs Olayinka T. Salawu, as Babalaje and Yeye Babalaje of Ogbomosoland respectively. Interestingly, they will be honoured along other eminent Ogbomoso indigenes who have contributed to the growth and development of the ancient city. Others in the roll include: Retired Air Vice-Marshall J.B. Adigun, Ambassador Akin Oyateru, Senator Ayoade Adeseun, Dr Akin Onigbinde and Mrs Rachael Onaolapo Philips. The wives of the male designates will be honoured with the corresponding ‘Yeye’ titles.

Born to the family of Alhaji and Alhaja Hussain Salawu of Alapa Compound, the ruling family of Okin Apa at Isale Ora, Ogbomoso, Engr Salawu was educated at the following institutions of learning: Model Primary school, Bida; St. Clare's Nursery and Primary school, Osogbo; Government College, Bida; Federal Polytechnic, Bida; Federal University of Technology, Akure; Federal University of Technology, Minna and, above all, Harvard University, USA.

With an avalanche of experiences, he is the MD/CEO, Opinior Engineering Company Limited;

Principal Partner, Opinior Engineering Consulting Limited; Director, Open Concrete Works Limited; Director, Open Industrial Development Limited; Vice Chairman, Bintal Travels Limited; Chairman, Destination Luxury Hotels Limited; Trustee, 7th Avenue Islamic Centre;

President, Open Integration of Learning Foundation (OIL Foundation). His tentacles spread to construction, consultancy, business strategy, human capital management, real estate, hotel and tourism, small and medium scales, research and leadership development.

Human resource management, human capacity and talent development, talent hunting, recruiting, selection and placement, compensation and payroll management, good knowledge of the capital market, investment and portfolio management (stocks management/ dividends recovery), sound knowledge, real estate, property investment and management are tips of the iceberg in terms of the numerous skills God endows him with.

As a technocratic politician, he was the Special Adviser on Works and Transport to Oyo State Government under Senator Abiola Ajimobi. He believes that technocrats should join politics and contest elective positions or get appointive positions. According to him, policies made by made by governments will have a direct effect on the businesses of the technocrats and business men who feel that politics should not join politics, even, with the proverbial longest spoons.

It is noteworthy to stress that since the demise of late Chief (Dr) David Adebayo Amao Alata, the last Babalaje of Ogbomoso and an acclaimed first modern Ogbomoso indigenous entrepreneur and world-class industrialist on January 8, 1994 (over 27 years ago), the position has been vacant up till yesterday. This honour, bestowed on Engr Salawu today, is unique because of the caliber of the last holder of the title and monumental contributions before he breathed his last.

This honour, therefore, does not come as a surprise; Open Salawu has paid his dues and contributed immensely to the development of the city in ways too numerous to mention. For instance, he has trained and given scholarships to many indigent students of Ogbomoso origin and beyond. He has trained 50 Ogbomoso indigenes on the use of computers and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and 50 laptops were given to them free. 

This honour, therefore, does not come as a surprise; Open Salawu has paid his dues and contributed immensely to the development of the city in ways too numerous to mention. For instance, he has trained and given scholarships to many indigent students of Ogbomoso origin and beyond. He has trained 50 Ogbomoso indigenes on the use of computers and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and 50 laptops were given to them free. He gave lifeline scholarships to 20 students of Ogbomoso from JSS1 to university level. He partnered with the Federation of Oyo State Students’ Union (FOSSU) to train 100 students in soap making and fish farming.

Also, Engr Open Salawu has planted 10,000 Ogbomoso mango trees across the five local government areas of Ogbomoso. In order to be responsive to the plight of the people in his communities, he gave large quantities of food palliatives to communities in Ogbomoso during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown that almost ruined countries of the world.

Engr Salawu is not a religious fanatic. He has helped and participated in building religious institutions, communities, aside his strong passion for education and human capital development. He does blow his own trumpet, though. He has given funds to so many churches and other Christian organisations. He gave money, donations and materials to constructions of churches. In fact, the first floor of his Al Hussain House in Sabo, Ogbomoso is occupied by a church (though paying). He has built so many mosques among which are Central Mosques in Ilajue, Surulere LGA; Central Mosque in Olokoto, Oriire LGA; Taraa Mosque, Ogbomoso; Ile Ogiri Mosque, Ogbomoso. He has given funds to some mosques and sponsored radio programmes in the last five years.

He has developed more than 10 estates and aided delivery of about 3,500 units of houses across Nigeria.

In January 2020, Engr Salawu was turbaned as the Waziri Jari Nupe (Daudu) by Etsu of Nupe, HRM Alhaji Dr Yahaya Abubakar. He was also turbaned as the Saraki Adini by the League of Imams and Alfas in Ogbomosoland.

Congratulations, Chief (Engr) Muftau Open Salawu, FNSE, FNATE, MNIM, CIWM U.K, R.COREN, JP, Waziri Jari Nupe, Saraki Adini of Ogbomosoland on your well deserved honour as the Babalaje of Ogbomosoland and Chief (Mrs) Olayinka T. Salawu as the Yeye Babalaje of Ogbomoso land today.

Adepoju is a journalist cum journalism and mass communication teacher.