The amazing moves of Olukunle Olusanya from board-game gambling to boardroom decision making

Aremo Joseph Akinwunmi Olusanya is an inspiration, enigma, philanthropist and activist.

As an employee; he is loyal to the core. As an employer; he emphasizes quality disposition. As an entrepreneur; his acumen is as sharp as an eagle’s and as a government official; he heralds people’s opinions and connects the government to the people.

Knowing this man from success perspective might paint a false-belief that he was one of those guys who got to the top because they have the right counsels, consultants and constituencies – but for Kunle, streets were his counsel, wayward guys were his consultants and slum was his constituency. He started out with nothing; no support, no money, no mentor – but determination.

“After my O’ Level, I decided to fend for myself. I didn’t want to depend on my ageing parents and I didn’t want my siblings to see me as a parasite. I struggled to raise money to establish a gaming centre where I envisaged bountiful profits from the teeming youths in my community – but sooner had I started the centre than it became a gambling den and I was so engrossed in the act because of the quick return.” Aremo Joseph recollected.

“My good intention was misunderstood and I became a prey to the Police who checked-in regularly for extortion and harassments. The neighbourhood became unbearable as neighbours see me and my customers as potential suspects for all lost items in the ‘hood.” 

“I and my business were objects of allegations and accusations. My family tagged me the black sheep; no dignity, no pride and no respect.”

“After the birth of my third child, I asked myself, ‘Is this how I will live my entire life?’ Immediately, I discovered what to stop doing and what to start doing instead.”   What a great riddle the right question can solve in one’s life. 

Olusanya rechanneled his resources to remodel his life. “I spoke to my brother-in-law, Mr. J. A. Ariyo whom I thought would at least lend me money (if he cannot give) to start a big business but he refused, saying I will lavish it on gambling and advised me to return to school instead.”

“I heeded his advice.” Aremo confirmed.

He left his usual community and travelled into a far countryside to sit the WAEC/GCE which he passed with excellent grades. With that feat, he studied further and harder for his JAMB examinations and hit the mark when the result came out. He was admitted to study Banking and Finance at the Ogun State University.

“When I had something to use as a navigator, I intimated my only sister on how far I had come – and with her help, I gained the supports and confidence of other siblings and my parents – and the rest is history.”

Joseph Akinwunmi Olusanya graduated with Second-Class-Upper-Division and that was what helped him secure an employment at the Equatorial Trust Bank, from where he joined Mike Adenuga Holdings where he invested a good number of years before deciding to retire to start a personal business. Today, he is a Board member of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

His hotel, Safeland Hotel, is a citadel of excellence and hospitality den for the people seeking home away from home – and his other fleet of businesses have become cash cows that add to Joseph Akinwunmi’s treasury. 

Joseph Akinwunmi Olusanya’s special way of making the saddest heart laugh with his rib-cracking jokes is a quality that makes him attractive to all and sundry – most especially when he speaks  his commonest slogan, ‘Give it your best!’

Aremo is married with children; three of which are graduates making marks in Accountancy, Administrations and Telecommunication.

Love Others The Way God Loves You --- Rick Warren

“Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up” (1 Corinthians 13:7 GW).

The same love that God gives to you, he wants you to offer to everybody else that you come in contact with. It’s not an option or a suggestion. It’s a command from Jesus himself: “Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” (John 13:34 NLT).

If you are a follower of Christ, you must love everybody — whether you like them or not — in the same way that Christ loves you. That means you are to accept them completely, love them unconditionally, forgive them totally, and consider them extremely valuable.

Loving others in this way will transform your relationships!
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:7, “Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up” (GW).

This is how God loves you. God never stops being patient with you. God never stops believing in you. God never stops hoping for the best in your life. God never gives up on you. And that’s what God wants you to do with everybody else.

“Love never stops being patient.” That means love extends grace. You need to offer grace to others.

“Love never stops believing.” That means it expresses faith. You tell someone, “Even though we’re having a tough time, I will never stop believing in you.”

“Love never stops hoping.” That means love expects the best. Are you expecting the best in your marriage, or have you settled for less than the best?

“Love never gives up.” That means love endures the worst. It means you can look at the other person and say, “You can throw everything at me, but I’m going to keep loving you, no matter what.”

Prayer
If you want to start transforming your relationships today, then I invite you to pray this prayer to God: “Dear God, I admit that I have made a mess in my relationships. They’re complicated and broken, and I’ve often settled for less than the best. They need a transformation! I’d like you to begin by changing me. Deliver me from my fears, because I can see how they make me distant and defensive and even demanding. Today and every day from now on, I want to surrender my heart to you. I want to learn to live my life in your love and be filled with your love.
“Help me to accept others, just as you’ve accepted me. Help me to love others unconditionally, just as you have loved me. Help me to forgive others totally, just as you’ve forgiven me. And help me to value others as much as you value me. Help me to extend grace to and express faith in the people around me. Help me to expect the best in others, and help me to endure the worst when it happens. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

5 – Deadly Mistakes Most Leaders Make

My mother once said to me, “You may be wiser than the people who follow you but do not ever call them fools or make them look stupid before you – or else, you will lose their loyalty.” 

Good talk! But these days, I see many leaders falling into this deadly traps by their actions and peradventure you are doing this unknowingly, read the the following points carefully and adjust as soon as possible.

I know it All – When you begin to see yourself as an Island of knowledge, you have begun to shoot your success on the legs – and you will soon fall. Opinions of other people are so important, it may not be as vital or relevant as you envisage but do not make light their contributions.

Looking and Talking Down the Subordinates – everybody wants to be valued, respected and treated with dignity – and that includes our pets – but when you ridicule your subordinates, reducing them to crumbs; you will soon be deserted and you will see yourself standing alone in the crowd.

I am in charge – It is true that bosses are in charge but s/he needs to respect those working for him and at least appreciate them for their contributions, no matter how little or insignificant it is. For example, the Doctor in the hospital needs to respect the cleaner; though he performs surgery, he won’t arrange the bed or push the wheelchair. 

Nobody can question my authority if I break the rule – Good, you call the shot as the boss but the workers are working your footsteps. If you love coming late to the office, your workers will become habitual latecomers and if you are the type who wastes resources, your workers will do worse.

Calling the subordinates names or denying them their rights – You can succeed at this for a while but it will soon dawn on you that you can only pull that prank for a while. You will soon lose the grip – and whatever they have learnt from you will be used to beat you in the open market.

Life Transforming Lesson You Should Imbibe From Watching SOCCER

Soccer is one sport that combines several efforts; and when I say several – I mean many segments, sections, people or groups and so on are involved.

It is not a game of me, myself and I (Trinity of Self); many other things are factored in before it commands such a huge respect and adoration.

To make soccer match fascinating, several units and people are needed

1)    The Players (aka the teams)

2)   Coaches

3)   Trainers

4)   Physiotherapists

5)   Trainers

6)   Analysts

7)   Spectators

8)   Commentators

9)   Ball boys

10) Referees/umpires

11)  Linesmen/Assistant referees

12) Technical Directors

13) Football associations or coordinators

Some of the actors listed above are not known to most people – and yet they help in determining the outcome of a match or a team’s position on the league table.

Lessons:

1.     Truly, your life is yours. It was a gift of God and He expects you to make full use of it but your full potential cannot be expressed in isolation. You need people who may be for/against you to realise your full potentials.

2.    You need people to help you become better in life. Though, it is not good to be fully dependent on others, yet it is expected of you to lean your weaknesses on some others by being interdependent on them so that your full potentials can be realised.

3.    One tree cannot make a forest – even good players have at a time or the other credit their strengths on somebody or blame their weaknesses on others.

4.    If you want to become a winning sensation, you won’t be able to achieve your aims in isolation. You need people!

To be a great player:

a)    List those that have helped you come this far – both the positive and negative influences.

b)   Strike-out the names of those that have influenced your life/ventures negatively. Say goodbye to them now but don’t forget the lessons you have learnt from them.

c)    Did you include God in the list of your positive influencers? Get on your knees and thank Him for the gift of life and the benevolence of good ideas.

d)   Call or SMS two of the people on the positive side and say thanks to them.

e) List possible people you can include in your team and make a move towards recruiting them

Tax and Duties: People's Obligation and Government Restriction

And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this? They said to Him, "Caesar's." And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." Matthew 22:20, 21

In essence, Jesus said, “You acknowledged this to be Caesar's coin; the currency of the Roman government and your proof of submission. Don't therefore be unjust; but render to Caesar the things which you acknowledge to be his; at the same time, be not impious, but render unto God the thing's which belong to God.”

This answer is full of consummate wisdom.  It establishes the limits, regulates the rights, and distinguishes the jurisdiction of the two empires of heaven and earth.  The image of princes stamped on their coin denotes that temporal things belong all to their government.  The image of God stamped on the soul denotes that all its faculties and powers belong to the Most High, and should be employed in his service.

Therefore, the civil government under which a man lives, and by which he is protected, demands his honour and reverence and we should pay our tributes (taxes and duties) to the government. 

At the same time, the Caesar (or government) have no right whatsoever to intrude into the things of God. It cannot coin a new creed, or broach a new Gospel to rule the conscience, while he rules the state. 

If that happens, the government must be disobeyed; he is taking the things of God, and he must not get them.  Give not therefore God's things to Caesar, and give not Caesar's things to God.  That which belongs to the commonwealth should, on no account whatever, be devoted to religious uses.