By Adesoro Tolu Austen
On July 17th, 2020, history was made, when a man shattered the glass ceiling at the National Assembly. On that day, Architect Ojo Olatunde Amos became the first professional Architect ever to be appointed the Clerk to the National Assembly, by the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC).
The point that must be made here is that, in becoming the number one bureaucrat of the nation’s highest legislative body, Architect Ojo Olatunde Amos crossed a very formidable hurdle because his detractors did everything humanly possible to block him.
In trying desperately to stop Architect Ojo Olatunde from becoming the Clerk to the National Assembly, his rivals indeed hurriedly dug up several flimsy and indefensible allegations, including the ‘saying’ that he could not pilot the affairs of the National Assembly effectively being a ‘professional Architect ‘.
But, about three years later on November 14th, 2023, when Architect Ojo Olatunde Amos was due to proceed on the statutory three months compulsory leave, as a prelude to his disengagement from the service of the National Assembly, he had enormously repositioned the affairs of the National Assembly to greater heights.
Therefore, as Architect Ojo bows out of office on the date of his birth on February 14th, 2023, it is nothing but a true confirmation that he is a diamond man.
Who is a diamond person? Before l will answer this question, l want to disclose how the celebration of 60th anniversary became associated with ‘diamond’. Diamond used to be associated with the age of 75 anniversary; it was when Queen Victoria celebrated her 60th birthday and decided to call it ‘diamond jubilee’ that the word got stucked with 60 year birthday.
Therefore, a true diamond person is made of high level credibility; a man who displays a good spirit and heart; a man who is ever eager to do what is right, even when those around him choose to do otherwise.
As Architect Ojo Olatunde Amos took a bow finally out of the National Assembly, on February 14, 2023, he will be remembered as a tireless administrator for positive development as the Clerk to the National Assembly.
His faithful adherence to the principles of good leadership cannot be faulted; as soon as he became Clerk to the National Assembly in 2020, he set a gigantic record by paying the ‘first 28 day’ allowance for Legislative Aides, this practice was neglected by his predecessors.
Confronted by stagnated budject allocations to the National Assembly, he had to look inwards and initiated the policy of cutting huge overheard cost of running the bureaucracy of the National Assembly. What that meant was his ability to move on doggedly by managing proactively the lean resources at his disposal.
Architect Ojo Olatunde Amos broke another record by digitalizing the plenary sessions of the both the House of Representatives and that of the Senate. He established robust sense of responsibility and maturity towards the staff of the National Assembly when the issue of welfare and entitlement became an issue, by causing to come to practical reality the historic Memorandum of Understanding ( MOU), which brought sanity between his Clerkship and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria ( PASAN).
A radiant character who genuinely created the capacity for projecting the interests and aspirations of the work force of the National Assembly, which generated a positive Condition of Service for staff of the National Assembly.
This man as Clerk to the National Assembly showcased the capacity to initiate progress and the acquisition of wisdom which made him to forge ahead in spite of real challenges to his administrative master plan; training and re- training of staff was a constant policy on his administrative dashboard.
Architect Ojo undertook and conceived conscious consultations which necessitated peace and tranquility during his clerkship of the National Assembly. He struggled vehemently to better the lots of the staff of the National Assembly than what he met on the ground; he is indeed a positive hero today as far as the affairs of the National Assembly is concerned.
Born on the 14th of February, 1963 to the Ilobu- Asake family in Osun State, the young Ojo Olatunde Amos was a very studious student. He completed his primary and secondary education with distinctions, and ended up with Masters degree in Architecture at the famous Obafemi Awolowo University, at Ile- life in Osun State.
After a brilliant display of the knowledge he aquired in the university as a professional Architect via high profile multiple private consultancy, he joined the service of the National Assembly as an in- house Architect in 2004.
Because he succeeded to exhibit not only robust persuasive instincts and absolute sense of responsibility and maturity amongst his superiors and subordinates, within the National Assembly, Architect Ojo Olatunde Amos made his mark exceedingly, where his predecessors failed woefully; that was why he indeed bowed out of the National Assembly with his head held high and his credibility intact.
We must not forget that this man rose from the nondescript valley of limitations to the crest of the hill of power and authority in the National Assembly. How did he do it?
Architect Ojo is really a monument of diligence, sacrifice and brilliance, who created path ways of efficiency, intellectuality and competence from infancy.
You will agree with me that this man via self actualization, transparent honesty, determination, scrupulousness, missionary zeal, integrity and inspirational leadership, has not only made his indelible mark, but bowed magnificently as the former Clerk to the National Assembly.
As this worthy diamond has bowed out of office glowingly, l am using this medium to wish him a super diamond celebration on the occasion of his 60th birthday, it is my sincere wish that his latter years on Earth will be more glorious from what we have seen.
Adesoro writes from the National Assembly, Abuja
