Lere Olayinka, the Special
Assitant to Governor of Ekiti State
of Nigeria Opens Up
Lere Olayinka is a journalist and politician who
shoots straight no matter whose ox is gored. He
is the Special Assistant on Public
Communications and New Media to the Ekiti
State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose.
Personal branding is a leadership requirement;
how far would you go in branding yourself for
the success of your career and development as
a leader? I am not a formal person. I am also
not a protocol person. I do things as my spirit
leads me. However, I love to be seen in the
picture of a problem solver, someone who is
accessible to everyone, answers all phone calls
and respond to all text messages. To achieve
this, I can go to any length and I do not mind
any inconveniences.
We know that you are a successful man; What's
success to you and how do you go about it? I do
not see myself as a successful man yet. I am
still struggling, striving to put my name on the
lips of the entire people of the world.
Nevertheless, I see success as a relative term,
just the way I see wealth.
Tell us about a project or accomplishment that
you consider to be the most significant to you?
The recent one is getting the immediate past
governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi out of
office and its eventual accomplishment. From the
very day Fayemi assumed office, I knew he was
not the desire of God for Ekiti State and I set out
to confront the government. Two weeks after
Fayemi became governor, I wrote an article
titled; “Ekiti: Between men and God” which I
ended thus; “In Ekiti, the reality is that men have
passed their own judgment, which implies that
all that is needed to win an election through the
judiciary is for a loser to destroy electoral
materials by whatever means, including setting
INEC office ablaze. The beneficiaries of the
judgment have not stopped giving glory to the
man, who made it possible. But there is yet one
other judgment that will come soon, which is
that of God. When it does, no one, except
Himself will take the glory.”
On this project, I faced death! I was brutalised,
arrested, charged to court for sedition and
detained for days.
If you were given a contract, loved everything
about it, and are paid what you asked for; what
kind of offer from another institution would
make you change your mind? If I get another
offer that will be more beneficial to the people
around me, I will change my mind on any other
offer no matter how mouth watery.
Looking back into your journey and what you
have achieved so far; who and what inspired
you? I am an independent minded person and a
realist. I do not live my life waiting for miracles
to happen because I do not believe anyone can
get to eat say Eba without having to get Gaari
and boil water. My journey of life has not been
easy, because of my background but I have
refused to be defeated by hereditary poverty and
failure. For instance, I left secondary school at
less than 14 years but instead of going further
with my education, I went into shoemaking for
six years. For six years, I was an apprentice
shoemaker and a shoemaker. I later worked for
four years as an office messenger before going to
school. All along, I have been inspired by the
desire to achieve results and make my mark
despite being born without spoon in my mouth.
If we're sitting here a year from today rejoicing
what a year it's been for you in your role as
Special Assistant to the Governor of Ekiti State
on Media; What would you say you have
achieved with your team?
I want to be seen as a bridge between the
government and the governed. The one through
whom the public gets to hear the truth, nothing
but the truth about the government. And most
importantly, I love to see myself as a changer of
the public perception of the government.
Which animal would you compare yourself
with?
I am not a lover of animal but I like the attitude
and character of dog. Dog does not betray its
benefactors. That is why the Yorubas say “aja o
kii gbagbe oloore.” Dog is also a wise animal. It
protects its own children and benefactors against
external aggression.
Do you easily get worried with any negative
comment about you or your institution?
I don’t get worried about those negative
comments. In fact, they encourage me to fire on
because when you hit the desired target as a
political communicator, your must be abused. I
have been called names, even my parents were
not spared, but I am not deterred. It is part of
game and I have played the game long enough
to know this.
You have been impacting your community, your
voice has been heard in so many platforms;
please tell us what you have done so far and
what are your plans for the future?
Unfortunately, apart from championing the cause
of the people through my job as a journalist, I
am yet to see myself as having done much for
my community.
What is the first thing you do in the morning
and the last before you sleep?
Like I said earlier, I am not a protocol person. I
do things as they come and what I do today
might not be what I do tomorrow. But in most
days, the first thing I do when I wake up is to
check my phones.
What calms you down when you are stressed?
I hardly get stressed because I work 24 hours
and do things at my own pace.
For few readers that don’t know you, what
would you like them to know about you and to
always remember you for?
Lere Olayinka is a kind of man you get to meet
on the streets. He is a free minded person. He is
a lover of peace and hater of oppression. Lere
Olayinka is someone who says his mind without
minding whose ox is gored. He hates
sycophancy and bootlicking and love to be seen
in his own mirror.
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