By Adegboyega Ajadi
Ilorin was thrown into rare jubilation last week. Not because of a political rally, nor because a sitting governor commissioned a project, but because a man of destiny returned home after a meritorious career in the public service. The outpouring of love for Engr. Suleiman Bolakale Kawu Agaka was spontaneous, overwhelming, and instructive. It was a message from the people to the political class: we know who has stood with us, and we know those who only remember us when elections draw near.
From Abuja to Ilorin, the narrative was the same. Stakeholders across party lines, community leaders, Islamic scholars, friends, associates, and ordinary people celebrated a man whose works have silently reshaped lives and whose character has earned him uncommon respect. In both cities, the events were not sponsored jamborees. They were not financed with state resources. They were genuine tributes by those who have seen, touched, and felt the impact of Engr. Kawu.
At the Abuja event organised by the Ilorin community, two voices stood out in their testimonies, his boss and his subordinate.
Abba Abubakar Aliyu, his former Managing Director at the Rural Electrification Agency, confessed he had yet to come to terms with the reality of Kawu’s retirement. With emotion in his voice, he declared: “No problem within the Agency that Engr. Kale was unable to resolve. He performed every assignment with utmost dedication and commitment, even spending his own resources to achieve targets. This is unprecedented in the history of the Agency.” That is not the usual flattery of a superior; it was the acknowledgment of a colleague who had seen him go above and beyond for the institution.
On her part, Ojua Omodara, who worked directly under him, gave a subordinate’s perspective: “Engr. Kawu is a goal-getter. He gives assignments and follows through until results are achieved.” Between these two voices, superior and subordinate, lies a portrait of leadership: diligent, selfless, and result-driven.
If Abuja offered professional testimony, Ilorin presented a moral verdict. From the airport to the heart of the city, unprecedented crowds lined the streets. People came in unimagined numbers, not lured by patronage, but drawn by affection. They came with their hearts, with their voices, and with their prayers.
The Chief Imam of Ilorin led other Islamic scholars in offering supplications for his continued success, affirming what the people already knew, that his record is not only professional but spiritual, not only official but human. The prayers were thanksgiving for a man who had already touched lives in ways politics rarely does.
Here lies the prosecution: one after another, communities testified in ways more compelling than any campaign manifesto could promise. Villages spoke of how they were lit up, not by political promises, but by transformers facilitated through Kawu’s intervention. Students recalled scholarships that kept them in school when hopelessness beckoned. Families gave witness to medical support received at critical times when their loved ones would otherwise have been abandoned to fate. Villages pointed to mosques standing tall in their midst, built through his generosity. Imams bore testimony that for the past 15 to 20 years, they had been receiving salaries from him, a quiet, consistent support that kept religious institutions alive.
This was not philanthropy performed with television cameras rolling. This was not the noise of politics. These were silent deeds of service, done without the inkling of seeking political office. And yet, those who benefited never forgot. The Ilorin outpouring was their verdict: this is the kind of leadership we trust, this is the kind of leadership we deserve.
Nigeria is in search of leaders who embody the values Engr. Kawu has lived: integrity, service without expectation, empathy, and selflessness. His story demonstrates that true leadership is not the pursuit of power for its own sake but the capacity to impact lives, often quietly and sacrificially.
Those who thronged Ilorin did not come to repay political favours. They came because they recognised a man whose entire life had been service. In a society drowning in political cynicism, where people believe politicians only remember them when elections approach, Engr. Kawu’s story is a refreshing contrast. He is the reminder that leadership is not about how loudly one campaigns but about how deeply one serves.
This is why his homecoming transcends a mere celebration of retirement. It was, in truth, a referendum on the kind of leadership Nigerians yearn for. In Kwara, it was a clarion call to the political class: the people are watching, the people are keeping records, and when the time comes, the people will speak again.
Without saying it outright, the people of Kwara made a declaration last week: Engr. Suleiman Bolakale Kawu Agaka represents the kind of leadership the state deserves. His track record at the Rural Electrification Agency shows competence, accountability, and sacrifice. His silent philanthropy across Kwara demonstrates empathy, compassion, and vision. His ability to attract people across party lines, as seen in Abuja, reflects the inclusiveness and bridge-building needed in today’s polarised polity.
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The heroic welcome he received was not purchased. It was earned. It was not staged. It was organic. It was the people’s way of saying: we know you, we trust you, and we are ready to follow you if you choose to lead us further.
The lesson is simple but profound: in a country where trust in leadership has collapsed, there still exists a model of leadership that works. Kawu’s life proves that service begets loyalty, sacrifice earns trust, and consistency commands respect.
Ilorin’s historic outpouring was not just a welcome home; it was the unveiling of a man of destiny. The people did not just celebrate his past; they proclaimed their hope for the future. They see in him not only a technocrat who served diligently but a leader who can carry Kwara forward with empathy and vision.
In the end, the moral tribute becomes a political lesson: leaders are not made by titles or positions, but by the lives they touch. And in Engr. Kawu, the people have found both their hero and, perhaps, their future governor.
Adegboyega, a public affairs analyst, writes from Gaa Akanbi in Ilorin
