It is a truth universally acknowledged that great men are not always celebrated in their own time. One of the banes of genius is that an individual whose feats of success and triumph will one day cause effigies to be raised in his name is ignored while he yet draws breath. Enter, Otunba Lekan Osifeso, popular socialite, philanthropist and genius who has defied this augury and maximised the crafts of Providence to his advantage. Geeks can be popular too.
Otunba Lekan Osifeso is many things: boss, chief, father, socialite, visionary, and so on. It really depends on who is asking and why. What is not debatable about his identity is his position as the boss of one of the most reputable construction companies in the country, Lekai Construction Company. Not surprisingly, he is a clever man, and his genius has earned him a reputation among common folk. But more on this later.
Otunba’s creative genius is not resting in a vacation home somewhere overlooking a quiet sea, neither is it being employed in the dusty halls of toil-toting academia. Unlike others of his very rare kind, the Ogun state-born Ijebu lord has long since taken the initiative to engage the idealism of mind against the shortcomings of reality, literally rebuilding reality one block at a time. In fact, Otunba has been reported as being an ardent proponent of the ‘Nigerian Project’, a venture that promises to situate Nigeria among the suzerains of the world.
In addition to being intimidatingly quick-witted and quicker-tongued, the leadership skills of Otunba have been lauded as Grade-A, a compliment to his far-reaching consequences in an industry with conglomerate giants like Julius Berger. From all indications, these giants may be relegated to the bench in no time, if for no other reason but to escape the fate of that old Philistine.
But all is not business with Otunba – he has a life. He recently celebrated his birthday, but not in the style of his peers. There was no soiree, no expensive bands, not even the gathering of corporate moguls and trophy wives. It was a simple, low-key celebration and the Old Cat showed his philanthropic side by visiting orphanages in Abuja, donating handsome sums of money and generally delighting the needy with his wealth.
