Leading voices in the Nigeria civil society community, drawn from various fields; media, academic and non-governmental organisations, have commended MacArthur Foundation for promoting transparency and credibility in governance.
The stakeholders who spoke during a virtual programme on Wednesday urged Nigerians to strive for a better society.
They also described the MacArthur Foundation Director in Nigeria, Kole Shettima as a blessing. The speakers, including feminist activist and policy advocate, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, media entrepreneur, Simon Kolawole, Television host, Kadaria Ahmed, and about 15 others who spoke on Kole Shettima reeled out attributes and listed various ways through which Dr. Shettima used MacArthur Foundation to impact individuals and NGOs in Nigeria.
According to the founder of Akin Fadeyi Foundation (AFF) organisers of the event, “the Impact Series with Kole Shettima” was put together not only to celebrate the anti-corruption investor but to create a forum for members of the civil society community to engage, evaluate and give advice where necessary on good governance and fight against corruption. Fadeyi described Dr Shettima as one change agent who lives and wakes with a thought on how to better Nigeria.
Erelu Fayemi, who described Shettima as a brother and friend who has done a lot to lift Nigeria and hold leaders accountable, commended the Akin Fadeyi Foundation for organising the impact series in honour of Shettima while he was still alive and charged all the guests on the platform to begin thinking of how best to celebrate their loved ones and leaders while they were alive.
“Today is special for me because we all gather on this platform to speak about one man who has done a lot to change our country’s narrative. Dr. Shettima is one man who has created a way to make Nigerian leaders accountable despite the challenges associated with such endeavour. Shettima has allowed us to look power in the face and ask questions where necessary. To me, he is a real hero and we must all begin to learn one or two things from him to impact our various societies further,” Erelu Fayemi said.
Media entrepreneur and publisher of The Cable Online, Simon Kolawole, though he commended Dr Shettima’s contribution to advancing press freedom and media development, quickly referenced the various leadership qualities in Dr Shettima that all leaders who wish to succeed must imbibe.
Kolawole said, “Beyond Dr. Shettima’s contribution to society growth, especially his commitment to training journalists in investigative reporting and provision of equipment and tools for the media, one more thing I have found inspiring about Dr. Shettima is his simplicity. He has a listening ear, and he operates an open-door policy -no fence around him- and he picks calls and replies to messages promptly. I think all leaders who want to govern well and succeed should emulate these attributes.”
A priest, who also doubles as the executive director of Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, Rev. Fr. George Ehusani, while commending Dr. Shettima for his contribution to humanity, said he was impressed that Shettima is accessible. According to him, he had only read or heard of his name before when he (Shettima) called and suggested an area of collaboration. According to Rev. Fr. Ehusanni, that singular call has created a lot of opportunity for his foundation and helped it in behavioural engagement and direct mentorship.
In his contribution, the publisher of Premium Times, Dapo Olorunyomi, traced what Shettima is currently doing to the route he had created for himself way back in his undergraduate days.
“As an undergraduate, Kole is committed to the betterment of Nigeria. Kole is thoughtful, and culture blind, and his humility is personified despite the power and influence he wields. I must also add that Kole Shettima is one of the few people we should appreciate for the growth and development of investigative journalism and media in general in this modern age,” he said.
A professor from Bayero University, Kano, Radda Sadiq Isah disclosed to participants on the platform that Dr. Shettima is one man whose contribution to Bayero University is difficult to forget. He also commended him for all his intervention initiatives which helped his organisation to monitor government activities and control corruption during the Buhari administration.
“It will be difficult, if not impossible to talk about progressive activism in Nigeria without talking about Kunle Shettima. He is one person who is doing a lot without attracting unnecessary publicity. His daily concern is hinged on what can be done to make Nigeria great,” Isah added.
Reacting to the torrent of tributes in his honour, Dr. Shettima admitted that what Akin Fadeyi Foundation did was nothing but a bloodless coup. He commended the organisers and appreciated all for their generous humbling contributions.
He also applauded the contributions of his team members for the impact he has made, adding that without their support, he couldn’t have done it alone.
He said, “The kind of people you work with always make the difference. Pay attention to the people you work with. I always care a lot about people, and the foundation has helped me realise my dreams.”
