For the senator representing Oyo central senatorial district, Dr Yunus Akintunde, the executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, Dr. Zacch Adedeji is an inspiration to many people, especially the young Nigerians.
Akintunde, who made this known in a congratulatory message to wish his former commissioner-colleague a 46th birthday, said he was proud the Iwo-Ate, Ogo-Oluwa local government born accounting guru is one of his constituents.
In a personally signed statement, Akintunde said he was happy to join others in celebrating Adedeji who recently bagged a doctorate degree.
”My part crossed with that of Zacch some 13 years ago when we were both nominated as commissioners under the administration of late former governor Abiola Ajimobi. It didn’t take long before all of us knew the stuff he was made off. He was too brilliant for his age, then at 33.
“Between then and now, he had progressed from one area to the other. That exemplifies the saying that when you are loaded, you will be needed. When he left as commissioner in 2015, he consulted for a whole lot of companies in his private capacity before he was appointed as chairman of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital. From there, he was appointed executive secretary of the National Sugar Development Council from where he was appointed by President Bola Tinubu as special adviser. It was from that position that he was made chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue, FIRS. I said all these to show that I have keenly followed his progress.
“While doing all these, he was pursuing his doctorate degree in public finance. I know what it means to undergo doctorate degree. I bagged mine few years ago at the University of Ibadan. A multi-tasker, he was combining a whole lot of things that only few people can dare undertake. Apart from that, he has been to Harvard Kennedy on many occasions, to personally develop himself.
”Right from his days at the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Zacch has shone brightly. He was at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife for his first, second and third degrees and he confirmed the brilliance. At Procter & Gamble, where he worked right from his undergraduate days, he was a star boy.
”Zacch’s case is one in a million. His village is little-known, he put it on the map. If people talk about Iwo-Ate, it is because of Zacch. He is in love with that village. Despite all these achievements and more, he is humble to a fault.
“I pray God continue to be with him and catapult him to higher positions. I am proud to be associated with you Zacch! Congratulations on your birthday,” the Oyo-born politician added.