By Mike Adeyemi-Ala’ato
Time is the unit of life. We are all in transit. Centuries had come and gone. Empires had risen and fallen. Life being a voyage, both powerful and weak individuals had transversed this universe.
There were times when we were not here, we are here today. There will be a time when we will no longer be present here but represented by our legacies. The shades, colours and imaginations of memories that will be held about us, depends solely on how judiciously and impactfully we use our time here while still transiting.
In the equation of life, other variables can change, but time remains eternally constant. This is one of the reasons it is important to be conscious of our time; how we spend it, and what will be remembered of us when we finally take the inevitable flight of death into eternity.
This is the philosophy that inspired the noble postulation of Williams James, American philosopher and a historian, that the great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.
Birthdays cum anniversaries are opportunities, not only to mark time as the unit of life, but windows of introspection to x-ray whether we are truly living or merely existing.
In order to make the world a better place, while we urge people to live a life of impact, we are morally obligated to celebrate those already living in that realm of positive legacies—entrenching indelible footprints on the sands of time. And elevate them to olympian height where they will be torchbearers for those coming behind.
Dr. Samuel Olubayo Olubori is an exemplar of this Illustration; an humanity personified, using his legacies to engrave his name with gold on the path of life.
As grandmaster of the universe, God programmed entrance into this physical realm in times and seasons. On March 18th, 1975, like a ship on a voyage of destiny, Olubayo Olubori anchored on the shores of late Pa. Sanni Alabi Olubori’s family—his time on earth began ticking.
The date of birth of this great man is very symbolic. He was born in a community called Ajegunle, in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, to Pa Sanni Alabi Olubori and Princess. Abigael Omorinoye Olubori(Nee Falade), who may never have imagined the great heights their son was destined to attain. His birth is a special date for outstanding leaders endowed with general skills, especially leadership and interpersonal effectiveness.
From the day Bayo Olubori was enrolled in Roman Catholic Mission Primary School, Amula Eyenla and later at Community Z.E.B Primary School, Ajegunle between 1982 and 1989, to the time he passed through Ajagun Comprehensive High School where he got the Kwara State Government nod, having seen his brilliant performance at the 1992 Junior Secondary Examination to the famous Government Secondary School, Omun-Aran and the better by far University of Ilorin, where he studied Medicine and Surgery, one thing was evident- he was destined for greatness.
I chose to celebrate one of Nigeria’s finest physician on the occasion of his 50th birthday, not out of highfalutin sycophancy or parochial interest, but as a result of my ideology which resonates with a school of thought—we should magnify the values and personalities we want to see replicated in the society, alongside the fact that he was the man whose childhood academic nittywith shapened mine.
I recalled vividly on several occasions while we were in the primary school in the 80s, at home, how a particular teacher often time then used to called him out from his class to bail us out of notty mathematical equation, despite that we edged him in class hierarchy by a year. So his ability to mantained and sustained his dazzling academic ability was indeed incredible.
In saner climes, most of the times, impresario cum egghead like him with proven track records get the admiration of their fellow citizens more than politicians, because of the impact their deeds have had on the populace.
In the United States, for example, the likes of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Mark Zuckerberg, etcetera, are revered as economic behemoths that command a lot of respect from both governments and citizens, not necessarily because of their wealth but as a result of their entrepreneurial exploits which have created opportunities for others.
Dr. Bayo Olubori has succeeded not only in the medical world but in family life. As an affectionate husband and compassionate father, Olubori has been a great role model to his wife and three children. He taught them how to step out of their parents’ legacies and make a name for themselves.
But, to him, life has not been a bed of roses for him. He has been hit by the storms in the past and was able to weather those turbulent times via courage and infinite grace of God upon his life.
Instead of giving up, he remembered that it is only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves that can never, ever, be dimmed, apologies to Doe Zantamata.
The scholarly Pathologist stemmed the tide—staged a comeback from the downfall, to reclaim his place as one of the finest medical Doctor in Nigeria. This run has deepened his belief in giving back to society, as being expressed in his various autristic milestones.
What does age 50 symbolize? According to biblical numerology, the number 50 is a symbol of freedom, release and new cycle. It is all these, Bayo Olubori embodies with grace, style, and panache.
50 years, down this glorious journey, his life has not only been a success but a huge inspiration to younger, and upcoming generations. Dr. Bayo Olubori has tasted the shoddy and the ugly of life, having rose from grass to grace. He started with fierce zeal like the son of nobody, without any privileged family background.
As the son of a well heeled Cocoa farmer, Bayo Olubori did not only sustain the father’s name but stepped out of its cloak to carve a niche for himself in the field of medicine.
Considering his unassuming mien, and self-effacing nature, ideally, Dr. Bayo Olubori, would wish his birthday went unnoticed, but the world doesn’t forget one of its most important execs and one of its finest human beings.
Not given to vain-glory, his impressive professional accomplishments, humanitarian proclivities, history recognises him as a champion for human dignity and freedom. Indeed, he is a man of uncommon grace and compassion, for whom abandoning bitterness and embracing adversaries is not just a life action approach but a way of life.
It is very instructive to underscore the goodness, clemency, and generosity that have spelled his life in these 50 years. On the role call of good men, Bayo Olubori is indeed is very outstanding, and he brings Christian clemency and brotherly charity to a profound appreciation and significance.
Across private and general spheres of influence, he makes himself the soothing balm to people’s pain.
In many and several ways, he identifies with the appalling sufferings of the needy. His activities proclaim and echo what the love of God and neighbour provokes.
Blessed with an impeccable and industrious jewel as a wife, Titilope Christy Olubori, a Nurse at Department of Nursing Service, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital and blessed with three kids, the erudite chemical pathologist found a soulmate, companion, friend, helpmate, and collaborator.
Dr. Olubori is a man that strongly proves that charity begins at home. His peaceful marriage of close to two decades to his lovely wife of pricey value is an attestation to his effective deployment of the general skills of pilotage and interpersonal effectiveness maritally.
Indeed, Dr. Bayo Olubori has ample reasons to be happy. His life has been strewn with God’s abundant grace and mercies. The years he has spent on earth have been eventful and full of achievements that many, including his peers, only dream of.
His strong passion for a life of fulfillment to humanity is best captured by his legendary benignant imprints, the countless number of persons he helped; the school fees he has paid; the hospital bills and house rents he assists in paying; are mere minuscule glimpses of his big-heart. He is a man of foresight, principled, unusual commitment, and love of good deeds.
Completing his mandatory internship at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, he moved on to be a Resident Staff Physician, Chemical Pathology, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, between 2011-2015, and 2018-2021.
Unrelenting and eager to add some lustre to his academic laurels, he went in pursuit of a specialist courses which includes, Leadership and Management in Health at University of Washington, USA, Monitoring and Evaluation in Global Health- University of Washington, USA, Quality Management System-Pathologists Overseas/American Society for Clinical Pathology, External Quality Assessment- Pathologists Overseas/ Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Programme.
Others are Laboratory Operations and Management- Bio venture for Global Health, Doctors As Educators- West African College of physicians/Royal College of Physicians, UK and Basics of Clinical Trial management- Bio venture for Global Health. He achieved these by a mixture of sheer grit and hard work, as well as love for humankind.
Acquiring the requisite knowledge, his proficiency in Medicine made him a hot-cake in around the country, as he was the erstwhile Lecturer and Coordinator, Department of Chemical Pathology, Osun State University Oshogbo, at the same time Honorary Consultant, Uniosun Teaching Hospital, Oshogbo.
Dr. Bayo Olubori is presently an Honorary Lecturer, College of Medicine, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and he is the current Head of Department, Chemical Pathology, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua Edo State, Nigeria.
Seest thou a man diligent in his works, he shall stand before kings and not mere men. Medicine, being a means to an end and not his final destination, his versatility showed he couldn’t be pigeon-holed.
Dr. Bayo Olubori is a man of unimpeachable integrity, a leader who has consistently placed the needs of his people above his own. His resilience in the face of adversity, his tireless commitment to health sector and his boundless compassion serve as an inspiration to us all.
Indeed, many individuals approach their later years unsure of their standing in the annals of history. As he gracefully navigates his years, Dr. Bayo Olubori has no such worries to contend with. His name is already secured in the hallowed hall of legends that transcends the boundaries of time and space.
Happy birthday, Doc!