USA Africa Dialogue Series - GREAT & WONDROUS BROTHER AYO ‹ Re:

My Great and Wondrous Brother Ayo, 

I thank you for yet another year of staunch Leadership from the Trenches; and yet Leadership also with the Overview of the Commanding General of us, your Troops of the Faithful, with un-remitting Belief in the Horizons of Hope and Light that you hold steady for us. What you achieve, year in and year out is astonishing/ of Herculean proportions. You remain a Beacon, in never-ending stormy seas. 

My Prayer for 2018? 

I Pray you may have respite; perhaps for most of the year. No one person, however strong in heart and mind, can be expected to continue operation at top level performance, to what is effectively a National Constituency of 185,000,000 local folk under the continuing and escalating pressure/ the immense burden your very difficult work entails. There are a few I can think of who could step in and keep the wheels of your Constituency turning. It is thus for one of us lesser mortals to take up the cudgels to enable you the respite you have so heroically earned. I do feel this is essential. We love you. Your huge heart that extends everywhere/ at every level is so very important to us all. You are our precious jewel. One that only could be fashioned by the arm/ the craft/ the ingenuity/ the constancy of the Creator's Touch, his Special Favour and Burden-Gift. 

As for Nigeria? It's line of movement through the coming year of 2018? Little change can be seen on the horizon. Merely a continuation of the Party Juggernauts, which serve mainly as the instruments for personal enrichment of those few who in feral quest, conspire to secure their place at the doors of the Treasury. …One can but try to keep open issues of increasingly desperate need; to provide the heart and courage to sustain the battle; to keep to the fore of one's life and engagement, the basics:  truth/ fair dealing/ integrity/ hard work/ honesty/ caring/ compassion/ kindness/ and yes, Love and Laughter. …In a world where such basic common-human-sense values are treated with derision and contempt by those who claim their right to Rule us, this is not an easy path to follow. …But then it never has been. Has it? …And while, yes, we all would much like to have our reasonable share of the benefits we've hard-earned. …But if it's a matter of choice? On which side of the line do we prefer to be? …Mmmm? 

For the rest? Well, life is Full of Surprises. As English Countryside writer, John Moore—a person safe with the ancestors—put it in his "Waters Under the Earth" when considering change in life; and indeed in the case of England, the Quiet Revolutionary Change of the past 80 years:  'the waters run quiet and fast and pure; in many places they cut their course close to the surface; they could burst forward at any moment with all that is the great force of Nature's whim/ command; and this in one place, a few, perhaps many; and while man may play an instrumental role, all, as ever it has a been, is in the seeming casual touch; or instant/ sudden overwhelming force of the Creator's ever-artful mind; the actions of his  hard-sinewed arm. 

May the Creator smile upon our Great Brother Ayo Olukotun; and may he ensure he may be provided with refreshing respite from his huge and burdensome labours; and may the Creator help steady us all in the values of Light; and strengthen our awareness of the Horizon Future, which may be approaching at far greater speed than any of us can envisage or surmise. Always there is change. And out of Evil, Good can come; just as Bright Beams can suddenly emerge from a seeming Eternity of Darkness. 

All best,  Baba m

From: Prof Ayo OLUKOTUN <ayo_olukotun@yahoo.com>
Date: Thursday, 28 December 2017 18:54
To: Prof Ayo OLUKOTUN <ayo_olukotun@yahoo.com>
Cc: Prof Toyin FALOLA <toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu>, Akinjide OSUNTOKUN <josuntokun@yahoo.com>, Tunji Olaopa <tolaopa2003@gmail.com>, USA-AFRICA dialogue <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>, <ofemibabatunde@yahoo.com>, Orogun Olanike <dam_nik@yahoo.com>, Ebunoluwa Oduwole <ebunoduwole2k2@yahoo.com>, Lanre Idowu <lanreidowu@gmail.com>, Femi_Osofisan Osofisan <okinbalaunko@yahoo.com>, Bolaji Akinyemi <rotaben@gmail.com>, Prof YACOB-HALISO <jumoyin@gmail.com>, Michael VICKERS <mvickers@mvickers.plus.com>, Prof Wale ADEBANWI <waleadebanwi@gmail.com>, Odia OFEIMUN <odia55@yahoo.com>, "Nwulu, Paul" <P.Nwulu@fordfoundation.org>, Tade Akin Aina <tadeakinaina@yahoo.com>, <adigunagbaje@yahoo.com>, Prof Jide Owoeye <babsowoeye@gmail.com>, <taleomole@yahoo.com>, Insa NOLTE <M.I.Nolte@bham.ac.uk>, Prof Richard JOSEPH <r-joseph@northwestern.edu>, Olufunke Adeboye <funks29adeboye@yahoo.co.uk>, Bolaji Ogunseye <erinje@yahoo.com>, Chibuzo NWOKE <chibuzonwoke@yahoo.com>, Ayobami Salami <ayobasalami@yahoo.com>, Prof Bayo ADEKANYE <profbayo_adekanye@yahoo.com>, Nimi Wariboko <nimiwari@msn.com>, <laioso@ymail.com>, Hafsat Abiola <hafsatabiola@hotmail.com>, Christian Ogbondah <chris.ogbondah@uni.edu>, Dr Banji OYEYINKA <boyeyinka@hotmail.com>, <rotimisuberu@yahoo.com>, <fawolew@yahoo.com>, "hassansaliu2003@gmail.com" <hassansaliu2003@gmail.com>, Jinmi Adisa <jinmiadisa@gmail.com>, "Chukwuma, Innocent" <innocent.chukwuma@fordfoundation.org>, "Dr O.A. DOSUMU" <toksx@yahoo.com>, "Prof. Lere Amusan" <lereamusan@gmail.com>, <paddykay2002@yahoo.com>, mimikofemi <mimikofemi@yahoo.com>, Prof Tunde BABAWALE <tunde_babawale@yahoo.com>, Noel Ihebuzor <noel.ihebuzor@gmail.com>, Oluwayomi D ATTE <david_atte@yahoo.com>, Attahiru Jega <attahirujega@yahoo.com>, <jadesany@yahoo.co.uk>, Prof Ogunmola Ogunmola <gbogunmola@gmail.com>, Niyi Akinnaso <niyi.tlc@gmail.com>, <adebayow@hotmail.com>, Bunmi Makinwa <bunmimakinwa@hotmail.com>, "S.O. UWAIFO" <so_uwaifo@yahoo.co.uk>, Niyi Osundare <oosunda1@uno.edu>, Toks Olaoluwa <olaoluwatokunboh@gmail.com>, OLAYODE OLUSOLA <kennyode@yahoo.com>, <fawolew@yahoo.com>, Olayemi Foline Folorunsho <offlinenspri@gmail.com>, Esther Oluwaseun Idowu <bethelidowu@gmail.com>, Idowu Olayinka <aiolayinka@yahoo.com>, <fc@hyperia.com>, Ayo Banjo <profayobanjo@yahoo.com>, Ayo Ojebode <Ayorindeojebode40@gmail.com>, Olatunji Ayanlaja <t.ayanlaja@gmail.com>, Shehu Dikko <shehuspen@gmail.com>, Dr Shola Omotola <sholaomotola@yahoo.com>, Dr Banji OYEYINKA <boyeyinka@hotmail.com>, Bolaji Ogunseye <erinje@yahoo.com>, Obadiah Mailafia <obmailafia@gmail.com>, May <mayortk@yahoo.com>, <mojubaolu@gmail.com>

Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.