Power in any form is a burden that is seldom borne with the easiest of graces. Like the mythological Atlas with the earth on his strained shoulders, power has a way of sounding out the name of its bearers until the very echoes rattle the balance of its own weight – all the while, the bearer strains, and strains. And so it takes a brave and willing heart to bear this weight.
These qualities of bravery and diligence just might be the reasons behind the appointment of Tayo Ayinde as Chief of Staff to the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Knowing that this position virtually places him on the pedestal as the most powerful man in the whole of Lagos State, Sanwo-Olu has really done it this time.
The appointment is coming on the heels of many changes that have rocked the Lagos political scene. It is also the most highlighted spot on Sanwo-Olu’s list of appointments, and that is no great surprise. But mindful observers and onlookers are convinced that this is a sound decision, as Tayo Ayinde is acknowledged as a man of credibility, integrity, and class.
Surface profiling of Mr. Chief of Staff reveals that he hails from the Ikorodu area of Lagos State, attended St. Peters’ Anglican Primary School, Alausa, Ikeja, and Ogudu Grammar School, Ojota – both certificates evidently obtained from Lagos. With degrees in Banking and Finance, Accountancy, and Financial Management, the bespectacled Lagos boy has given his life to different business outfits, all of which contributed to his doggedness and resolute disposition.
In service of the Nigerian State Security Service (SSS), he met and worked with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was the Governor of Lagos State at the time. It was during this time that he became the chief security detail for Tinubu.
So close to the thick of things, Mr. Ayinde obviously got eyefuls on the inner workings of the engine of power and appraised himself to be equal to the task. That was how he joined and deliberately became ingrained with politics in 2009.
That decision, using his present appointment as proof, was a sound decision. Now at the apex of things, Tayo Ayinde is finally able to significantly contribute his bit, even as the de facto first chief of Lagos State.
