Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has shared an inspiring story which is trending of how diligence and hardwork paved the way for a junior typist identified as Adereni to become an adviser to Hon. Bola Ajibola, who became a judge of the World Court.He added that Adereni later got him a car as a show of gratitude.
The law professor shared this at the 10th Convocation ceremony of Lead University, Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital held on Thursday, November 9.
‘University Degree Not Enough To Be Successful’ – Osinbajo
He also shared it on his Facebook and Twitter accounts and it has gone viral gathering lots of shares and retweets.
Read the story below;
While I was teaching at the University of Lagos, as a young lecturer, in the department of Public Law in the Faculty of Law, there were 3 typists in the department. The chief typist, senior typist, and the junior typist. Because in those days before laptops and personal computers, typists in universities had to do a lot of work and they were very important because you always needed to type all your materials.
When there was work to do, what l discovered was that the chief typist would disappear. He works only till 4 pm. The senior typist would be nowhere to be found. But a gentleman called Adereni the junior typist, who only had his school certificate, was remarkably hardworking. Sometimes I would drop him off at his home at 1am.
Years after I was working as an adviser to the then Attorney-General of the Federation Hon. Bola Ajibola, who later became a judge of the World Court. While in the court at The Hague, in the Netherlands, one day he called me and asked if I could recommend a good secretary who is hard working and could do long judgments. I had three options, chief typist, senior or this junior typist, but the junior typist at a time had only school certificate, he didn’t have any other qualification but l choose him. He got to the Hague, and typically worked hard and diligently. Every judge in the court wanted him to work with them. He later moved his family over to the Hague and got degrees and made a good living for himself. One day he remembered me and actually sent me a car.
I turned 60 early this year.
It was one of the greatest surprises I ever experienced. One minute I am 21 years old and the next, I am 60 years old.
Permit me to share with you the story I shared at Lead City University a few days ago on some lessons I have learnt so far.
