A Song For Olukoya Ogen: A Stout-hearted Giant

The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things."

President Ronald Reagan

The secret  diary of a true leader...

Being a leader is not about your age, speed, the number of grey hairs on your head or strength . . .
It is about understanding the real you,your setbacks your own limitations and acknowledging  the gifts of others,

It is developing and gaining experience in prudence , perception, having mastery of the number of our days, and knowing what we are capable of doing and seeking to understand us rather than being understood,
It is being tender and soft-hearted towards your followers, always hoping for, and expecting the best even when they are  not giving their best,
It is being  plucky enough to be pregnable in front of others, ever working, never relenting,
It is seeing the big picture of where things are, and building a road to the future with limited casualties and with available tools,
It is helping your followers to know who they are and empowering them to discover their inner ability,
It is working tirelessly to pave the way for young people who are aspiring to be great just like you,
It is helping each person to raise the banner with joy from the heart, and leading the people in keeping the status quo, 
It is about leading people to manage your ideas,
It is about seeing their flaws and weakness and still believe in them,
It is knowing who you are, knowing your limit and building on the strength of others,
It is helping others to become who they are and helping them to become greater than you.

by Caleb Bresh.

Prof. Olukoya Ogen  is currently the Provost of Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo State also a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Department of African Studies and Anthropology, University of Birmingham. The award of this 5-year (2012-2017) visiting fellowship emanated, first, from his role as the Nigerian Co-ordinator of the ‘Knowing Each Other’ ERC grant, second, his research engagements with Insa Nolte since 2009 which culminated in her own appointment by Osun State University as a Visiting Research Professor from 2012-2017, and finally, his contributions to African historical scholarship globally.
Prior to his new position at DASA, he has been a Leventis Scholar at SOAS, University of London in 2008, a British Academy Visiting Fellow at the University of Birmingham in 2009, a DASA Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow in 2010, and an American Council of Learned Societies (AHP) Postdoctoral Fellow in 2011. As the Nigerian Coordinator and Co-Investigator of the ‘Knowing Each Other’ ERC grant on ‘Everyday Religious Encounters and Social Identities in Southwest Nigeria,’ I am directly responsible for the academic, administrative and financial management of the project in Nigeria.