It was a gathering of dignitaries, family, friends, and colleagues on Tuesday as Deacon Taiwo Olafimihan Adewale retired from the Oyo State Local Government Service Commission after 35 years of dedicated service.
The event, held at the Local Government House, featured glowing tributes to the retired Permanent Secretary, who began his career on September 10, 1990, as an Agriculture Officer II.
Over the years, Deacon Adewale served in several local governments including Ogo Oluwa, Ibarapa Central, Oyo West, Oluyole, Iseyin and others rose through the ranks to become Permanent Secretary of the Oyo State Local Government Service Commission in 2023.
In his sermon titled “Serving Your Generation” (Acts 13:36), Rev. Dr. J. A. Babalola commended Adewale for his diligence and commitment, noting that he gave his very best in service to the state.
Among several top government functionaries at the event includes the Majority Leader of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Sanjo Adedoyin; Hon. Dele Adeola; Hon. Olajide Akintunde; Bashorun Akinwale Akinwole Chairman Oyo state local government service commission, Hon. Kamoru Abiodun Aderibigbe, Chairman of the Oyo State Civil Service Commission; Chairman of Ogo Oluwa Local Government, Hon. Seun Ojo; Alhaji Yusuf Alli; Mrs. Nike Arewa; Hon. Akeem Ademola Ige, Chairman of the Local Government Pension Board; and the Commissioner for Lands, Hon. Williams Akin Funmilayo.
Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, Bashorun Akinwale Akinwole, in his goodwill message, acknowledged Adewale’s immense contributions and support to the commission. “If I had the power to retain or extend his tenure, I would have done so. He received us with open arms and proved to be an exceptional and wonderful human being,” Akinwole said.
Hon. Funmilayo described Adewale as a man of “discipline, courage, and integrity,” praying for him to enjoy a long and healthy life after service. Similarly, Mr. Adebayo Solaja, Head of the Local Government Commission, hailed the retiree as an embodiment of professionalism and humanity, adding that retirement would give him an opportunity to live life on his own terms.
Hon. Olajide Akintunde praised Adewale for retiring with a clean record, never once being summoned to defend himself before the House of Assembly. He urged government agencies to continue engaging retirees so they could share their wealth of experience with those still in service.
Other speakers, including Hon. Akeem Ige, Pastor Adeola, and Alhaji Kamoru Aderibigbe, described Adewale as a man of honor and one of the most respected Permanent Secretaries who served Oyo State meritoriously.
The event drew a large audience including serving and retired permanent secretaries, heads of local government administration, members of the Conference of Retired Heads of Local Government Administration, and officials of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).
In his response, Deacon Taiwo Adewale expressed gratitude to God for His mercies throughout his career. Despite the challenges “He saw me through right from the begining to this day I returned all Glory to Him” He also thanked his wife, colleagues and the staff of the Local Government Commission and the people of Oyo State for their love, support, and cooperation during his years of service.
