From Cyriacus Nnaji, Lagos
Honourable Paul Adeboye Kalejaiye has stated that he remained focused on the best approach to advance the welfare of the poor and the development of the youth in society.Kalejaiye made the disclosure on Monday, May 17, 2021, during the Media Preview of his book, Undeterred: ‘The Pendulum Swings On’.“I have concerned myself about the welfare of the poor, and my role in the party is basically to support the youth. I have remained myself in spite of the pecks of political office,” Kalejaiye stated.The book which is billed for official launch on the 20th of May, 2021, at Lagos Country Club, Ikeja, is also designed to mark the 61st birthday of the author.Explaining what he meant by Undeterred: The Pendulum Swings On, he said the pendulum does not go back, and in life one must move on, adding that quitters don’t win and winners don’t quit. In elucidation of the reason for writing the book he said “Apart from the younger generation, the primary focus here, I was convinced also that my colleagues would benefit from this exposition of my journey thus far. The older generation will find it worthwhile too.”
He said he was a poor boy from a polygamous home, who was the third child in the hierarchy of children. Not born with a silver spoon, not even in the best environment but raised in the barracks, where negative influences abound.
In his preface he said “Though the best of education was understandably impossible, I was privileged to have an unbridled primary school education spanning thirteen schools in six years and a secondary school education in one far-flung rural location, without electricity, potable water, and good roads. Tertiary education for me was comparatively like an Israelite’s journey. Yet survival is ultimate. The struggles for relevance and competition that is unending. Yet, coming top most times, benefiting from God’s grace and mercy. Courage when failure reared its ugly head, fortitude when death struck, and determination, when the support of man failed.”
According to Kalejaiye who is described as a patient man said he takes with philosophical calmness everything that comes his way. “I take with philosophical calmness everything that comes my way. I believe that life is not a bed of roses. When disappointment comes, I see it as part of the unpredictability and insincerity of men hence I move on and look forward to the next chapter. “The road to my educational career as earlier pointed out was bumpy and akin to the Israelites’ journey to the Promised Land. However, destiny played a vital role in all of this. Disappointingly, the society in which we live has not helped matters. We have leadership problems. Leadership that is expected to set the pace for which followers should emulate has been conspicuously absent. And so, just a few leaders truly understand what leadership is about. Majority have been bedeviled by self-centredness, pride, covetousness and inordinate accumulation of wealth at the detriment of the society,” Kalejaiye said.
According to the Former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, who wrote Forward to the book said the book is a mixture of excitement, human strength, foibles and deep and impactful lessons of life without any dull moment. “My warning is, don’t be carried away by the stimulating narrative; endeavour also to learn the lessons of Life as the Pendulum Swings On.”
He described “Kalejaiye as a loyal party man “A loyal party man and great grassroots mobilizer, Hon. Kalejaiye has equally garnered vast experiences in the course of his phenomenal rise to prominence in the twin noble callings of politics and public service. Notably, among several other important roles on the political front, he served as Chairman, Mobilization Committee of the Action Congress of Nigeria which provided the platform on which I ran successfully to become Governor in 2007.
“But more importantly perhaps is the fact of his decision to put all those experiences in the public space for the benefit of humanity. I have been a strong advocate of authorship of books by professionals, experts and all others in all areas of human endeavour, who have made their marks in the society, for the benefit of succeeding generations,” Fashola said.
He said the twelve chapter book consisting of “Everyone Has a Beginning”; “My Heritage”; “Man of Destiny”; “On the Eagle’s Wing”; “Impactful on All Fronts”; “My Family Life”; “Positioned for the Challenges of Life”; “Life of Unforgettable Memories”; “Onto Greater Struggles”; “Struggles of Mixed Feelings”; “Strides Towards a Greater Tomorrow”; and “A Tomorrow Without End”, Hon. Kalejaiye in lucid, free flowing but attention grabbing prose, has put his life history and experiences in the public space for generations of up-and-coming youths to learn and be inspired to greatness.
