The importance of thanksgiving especially in triumph was the emphasis as the First Lady of Oyo State, Mrs Olufunke Makinde; Secretary to Ogun State government, Mr Tokunbo Talabi, and other dignitaries gathered recently at the All Souls’ Church, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, to celebrate the Founder, St Rachael Pharma, Pharmacist Akinjide Adeosun, as he turned 55. Sunday Ehigiator reports
Born 55 years ago, Akinjide Adeosun is a pharmacist by profession, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of St. Racheal’s Pharmaceutical Nigeria Limited and the Founder of the Akinjide Adeosun Foundation (AAF).
The AAF is a non-profit, non-religious and non-political organization set up by the celebrant in 2014 to leave a leadership legacy in Africa by strengthening the capabilities of today’s leaders and building a pipeline of ready future leaders by 2035.
Before founding St. Racheal’s Pharma in 2016, Adeosun was the Head of Branded Generics and a member of the Africa Leadership Team (ALT) at GlaxoSmithKline Pharma, Africa. He served meritoriously in various functional and management roles at GSK for over two decades.
He then went on to establish St. Rachael’s Pharma in his quest to improve life expectancy through the availability of top-quality affordable pharmaceuticals in Africa. The enterprise was founded on the three pillars and values of ‘Excellence, Integrity, and Empathy’.
He has always exhibited these values through his lifestyle, relationships and family life, while also happily married to his longtime friend, and former Secretary to the State Governor of Oyo State, Pharm Olubamiwo Adeosun, and both were blessed with wonderful children.
All these life feats summed together imply triumph for Akinjide Adeosun, thereby necessitating the need for a thanksgiving occasion themed, ‘Thanksgiving in Triumph’.
Thanksgiving, a Necessity
Delivering the sermon of the day, Evangelist Folayan Adebayo said thanksgiving was a necessity in every triumph, as it connects one to other open doors of blessings unmerited.
According to him, “Lamentations 3 vs 22-23 says, through the Lord’s mercies, we are not consumed because his compassion fails not, they’re new every morning, great is your faithfulness.
“We’ve all gathered here to celebrate not just another year in the life of Akinjide Adeosun but to thank God for his faithfulness, his mercies, his love, his protection, his provision, his restoration, his wisdom and his affirm and miraculous piety over passed challenges that have held this family hostage.
“We’ve gathered to give all thanks and glory to God for creating an epitome of blessing, a vessel onto all, someone as Akinjide, the vessel of vision, the vessel that is purpose-driven, the vessel moved with love, the person who we all see signs and wonders of God in his life.
“Talking about thanksgiving, there are various meanings and definitions and various things that promote thanksgiving but the cause of today and the theme being Thanksgiving in trials, I’ll say that thanksgiving is an act of different offerings to God, handing to God previous things of our lives, previous years of our lives we’ve all lived, and knowing fully well that it is not by our power nor by our might but by the mercies of God that we’ve been able to overcome all these days and years in our lives.
“Again, thanksgiving is an act of exposing to the world, the act of one’s attitude of gratitude to God. Uncle Jide is a perfect example, He has exhibited to us today one of his secret characteristics of evolving and accomplishment in his life, which is an attitude of gratitude, regardless of the danger of death that once surrounded him in 2020.
“Therefore brethren, to triumph all of us must imbibe the attitude of thanksgiving in a trial as Christians. Some of the conduct and prayers are that all should know God and trust him wholeheartedly, know your God and trust him wholeheartedly.
“Uncle Akinjide, I want you to know that the mind is a special gift, life is a privilege and not our right. Life is an investment unto God and life is about impact.
“If I were to summarise your life’s story, I’d describe you as a visionary leader, an educationist, and a lover of music. You are endowed with the gift to discover young potential leaders, you are a man of integrity, you are purpose-driven and your passion for change particularly in the leadership field is excellent. You’re generous beyond margin and to crown it all, you are an indescribable gift from God.”
Makinde extols Adeosun
Speaking about the celebrant, the First Lady of Oyo State, Mrs Makinde, described Adeosun as a pragmatic, God-fearing, and exemplary person.
“The celebrant Jide Adeosun is a friend I’ve come to know through Church and I met him about 23 years ago, almost 24 years ago.
“He is a very practical person and pragmatic when it comes to leadership. He lives an exemplary life and he works so hard to showcase what he believes in. He pushes for the best and only the best. You can see he likes bright colours and he’s also a bright person, brilliant up there and also he’s not a shady person.
“For him, integrity is something he cannot trade for anything. He’s a God-fearing person, he loves his Psalms, he loves worshipping, he’s a good husband and he works hard.
“Above all, I’d say he’s somebody that if you meet, you’d keep the relationship going because he’s always going to be pushing you to be a better person or a version of yourself.
“My wish is, Jide, go out there, keep doing what you’re doing, Love the Lord more, worship more, embrace the Lord more and do more for the people knowing that God is always there for you and he’d always uphold you. Don’t be afraid to take a step even when no one wants to step out.”
A Dependable, Faithful and Reliable Husband
Addressing the media, the wife to the celebrant, Mrs Adeosun, described her husband as a dependable, reliable, faithful, loving, and very strong person.
According to her, “What he believes in he does not suffer for, he goes for it and you heard when he talked about it. He’s very kind, though he might be stubborn to his vision, stubborn to what he believes in.
“He’s in a hurry to make an impact in the world and that’s why you can see all the various things he’s doing. He loves God, he loves his family both nuclear and extended and he’s a man of integrity.
“I pray for God’s infinite Mercies because without God’s Mercies and grace we’d be consumed. I also pray for God’s blessings upon him, I wish him a long life as well. He’s 55 years old today and I pray for the next 40 years of good health and strength for him at least.
“I wish him prosperity because we don’t want to live long and suffer, I wish him blessings, I wish him favour from God and men so that he’d look back and be happy with himself and happy with God’s blessings upon him.
“I pray that his table be surrounded by his children and his grandchildren and he’d enjoy them all to good old age, in health and vitality.”
A Man of Destiny
Earlier in his thanksgiving message, Adeosun expressed gratitude to God for allowing him to clock 55 years, while also describing himself as a man of destiny and purpose who is determined to touch lives and give back to humanity and society.
He said that the Akinjide Adeosun Foundation (AAF) was set up to leave a leadership legacy in Africa by strengthening the capabilities of today’s leaders and building a pipeline of ready future leaders by 2035
According to him, “Our foundation is aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 of Good Health and Well-being as well as Goal 4 of Quality Education. Thousands of people have benefitted from the foundation since its launch in 2015.
“We have had leadership discourses delivered in an admixture of training, case studies, and project shadowing. We have also had free medical missions executed for indigent patients.
“The foundation is executing a five-year leadership MoU at Meadowhall College in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria.’’
Adeosun also took the congregation through the many significant and remarkable times of his life, ranging from how he got enrolled to study pharmacy at the prestigious University of Ibadan, to how he met his wife, conquered his fears, and survived a terrible Delta-variant of COVID-19 in 2021 through the mercy of God.
He therefore urged his well-wishers to be focused, empathetic, determined, resilient, have leadership attributes, and most importantly to have integrity.
Also in attendance is the Oyo State Commissioner for Special Duties, Alhaja Fausat Sanni, the Lord Bishop of Ijesa North Diocese (Anglican Communion), Rt Revd. Isaac Oluyamo and wife, Mrs Margaret Oluyamo; former Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, Chief Bayo Sarumi; and the former governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Mr Jimi Agbaje, among others.
CAPTION:
L-R: Hon. Commissioner for Special Duties, Oyo-State, Alhaja Fausat Sanni; The Lord Bishop, Ijesha North, Osun-State, The Rt. Revd.Isaac Oluyamo; The First Lady of Oyo-State, Engr. (Mrs.) Olufunke Tamunominini Makinde; Former Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Chief Bayo Sarumi; The Celebrant, Founder & Chairman ST. Racheal’s Pharma, Pharm. Akinjide Adeosun; Celebrant’s wife, Pharm. Olubamiwo Adeosun and The SSG to Ogun-State, Mr Tokunbo Talabi at the 55th Birthday anniversary of Pharm. Akinjide Adeosun, themed ‘Thanksgiving in Triumph’, recently held in Lagos
