Celebrating Senator Yisa Braimoh at 80

Williams Shakespeare, in his classic play “Twelfth Night”, affirms that some men were born great, some achieve greatness and others have greatness thrust upon them. For Senator Yisa Braimoh, the circumstances of his early life and dedication to his country ensured he was destined for greatness. Against all odds, he carved a niche for himself as a consummate entrepreneur, an astute politician and great philanthropist. Friday August 12, Braimoh, who is fondly called SYB, is 80 and for the Seriki Musulumi of Afemailand, the Ininame of Ihievbe Kingdom and the Osiozoikhai of Auchi Kingdom—all in Edo State— he deserves all the accolades and encomiums being poured on him for his good deeds on earth. Here is a man who lives his life for the service of God and humanity. But perhaps, more than any other single event, it is his contributions to political development of the country that sealed his place in the annals of Nigeria’s history.

At 80, SYB has worked for common good and has fulfilled the greatest creed of prioritizing Nigeria and humanity first. He is a patriot, a successful businessman, politician, selfless, detribalised Nigerian, employer of labour, Engineer and a nationalist. He lives his life to teach humanity the raison d’etre of God making man the highest of earth’s creatures. Although not a trained soldier like Alexander the Great, SYB has demonstrated uncommon courage as he fought several battles and wars on different fronts. In spite of reaching the zenith of human expectations, he never even assumed a cavalier attitude common to his class, but also hobnobbed with the ordinary folks in the society. His philanthropic gestures epitomised Christ’s example of the left hand not knowing what the right is doing, as he used his God-given prosperity to lift the downtrodden. His life has been a culture of philanthropy, dedicated to the less-privileged which he has developed and nurtured over the years.