By Dr. Akinbobola Otitoju
In the rich tapestry of Yoruba wisdom, few proverbs resonate like this: “Àjànàkú kọjá, ológbò kò rí fìrì; tí a bá rí erin, ká wí.” Its truth is timeless: when an elephant passes, no creature can credibly claim blindness. To witness greatness is to name it.
For the Okun people, Kogi’s proud Yoruba descendants; Rt. Hon. James Abiodun Faleke is that Àjànàkú. Though he represents Ikeja Federal Constituency with distinction, his ancestral heartbeat remains synchronised with Okunland. Faleke embodies a rare patriotism: one that transcends geography without forgetting roots.
Consider his recent impact: the commissioning of the Smart Police Divisional Headquarters in Ekinrin-Adde, a project he championed through the Nigeria Police Trust Fund. Yet, Faleke’s efforts didn’t end with bricks and mortar. On the very day of the station’s inauguration, he personally donated a brand-new Hilux patrol vehicle, an unmistakable sign of hands-on leadership. This wasn’t mere optics; it was real, functional security delivered to Ijumu, to Okunland, to Kogi West. And he didn’t stop there. In a decisive move to revitalize local agriculture, Faleke procured and distributed modern tractors across key farming communities; strategically sparking growth in a sector vital to our region’s prosperity. His devotion, however, stretches well beyond infrastructure and agriculture.
Yet to view these in isolation misses the forest for the trees. Faleke’s legacy is woven through consistent threads: Infrastructure that transforms landscapes, agricultural empowerment that unlocks fertile fields, advocacy that demands equity for Okun voices, empowerment that seeds human capital, and leadership that aligns with our collective dignity.
This brings to mind a poignant story told by Dale Carnegie: a farm woman, after decades of cooking without appreciation, finally served her family hay. When they erupted in anger, she replied, “Why, how did I know you’d notice? I’ve been cooking for you men for the last twenty years, and in all that time I ain’t heard no word to let me know you weren’t just eating hay.” For decades, Rt. Hon. James Abiodun Faleke has been diligently “cooking” for Okunland, how is he to know you haven’t been merely “eating hay” if your voice remains silent?
Here, then, lies our imperative: we must reject both the parable’s willful blindness and the silence of Carnegie’s unappreciated cook. When the elephant walks, we cannot let political cacophony, cultural amnesia, or quiet complacency mute our recognition. Is your community a beneficiary of good roads, streetlights, modern farming tools, or school renovations facilitated by James Abiodun Faleke? Let your voice be heard. Do not wait until you are a primary beneficiary before acknowledging the giant strides of this gift of God to Okunland. Faleke’s servant-leadership isn’t merely laudable; it’s documentable. It deserves not whispers, but resonant celebration.
In conclusion , as we build an Okun Nation anchored in unity and progress, let us lift high those who lift us. The elephant’s footprints are indelible; in safer streets, in fertile fields yielding abundance, in empowered voices. In Rt. Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, a son whose Lagos service never dimmed his Okun light, we see greatness walking. To see it is to say it. To say it is to honour it.
