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By Chukwudi Nweje
For 21 years, Chief Akin Corker dedicated his time to the interests of BOET Estate, a serene neighbourhood off Adeniyi Jones Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos State, as chairman. For the 21 years, he never missed a meeting and was readily available on rare occasions when misunderstandings arose between the estate and its neighbouring community or among residents in the estate. Coker was always there to ensure peace and the overall interests of BOET Estate and, for this reason, everyone in the estate loves him.
It was not surprising that on December 11, 2022, residents and business owners in the estate, neighbours, friends and well-wishers trooped out to honour Coker, who stepped down as chairman of the estate in March this year. He was elected in 2000.
The love showed to Coker and the encomiums poured on him at the event, which held at Quiet Polls Inn within the estate, confirmed to be true the saying by former President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, that “success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.”
Retired but not tired, Coker, in his 70s, recounted how he became so far the longest-serving chairman of BOET Estate, and where he found the strength to persevere.
He said: “I am one of the pioneers of this estate and we had many chairmen before me. I worked with the Ministry of Works, and at a point I moved out and went on official duty and served in various parts of Nigeria. I retired in 2000 and moved back into the estate and settled in my own house. It was then that the residents came to me and said, you will be our chairman. I wanted to refuse but the elders prevailed on me and I accepted. It was rough in the beginning; many people were not in the habit of paying dues for services rendered.
“I found strength in the second stanza of my old school song; I went to Kings College, Lagos. The second stanza of the song said, ‘This is what they teach us in the good old school, only by obedience may you learn to rule, if you fail look closely seek the reason why, you have power to conquer if you only try, others went before you and attained the light, where they wait to cheer your victors in the fight…’
“Initially, we did not have money to do several things in the estate, but in the past six to seven years, many people have come to rent houses in the estate. We have been able to raise money to do several projects. The new executive has been able to rally the people together to raise money and upgrade the estate. That is how we have been able to do the roads, put streetlights, CCTV cameras and upgrade our security. We will keep improving, we cannot remain stagnant.
“I must thank the new executive of BOET Estate for this honour because we had never done it. I am one of the pioneers of this estate and we had many chairmen before me.”
He said it is only by leading through example and obeying that Nigeria will make progress.
He further said: “If you want to lead, you must lead by example and obey the rule of law. You cannot do as you like because you are the president, you must do what the law says. When the people see you follow the rules, they will follow also.
Incumbent chairman of BOET Estate, Mr. Segun Akinseye, described Coker as an epitome of leadership and a man committed and enthusiastic about the affairs of BOET Estate, and an example to the community and Nigeria.
He said: “It is rare in this part of the world to celebrate leadership, but we are here to celebrate Chief Akin Coker for his worthy leadership.
“My first encounter with Chief Coker was in 2021, he was one of the first people that welcomed me to the estate, I saw his commitment and passion to the development of the estate.
“After our executive came in March this year, I remembered that I called him after one week in the office and asked if that was what he had been going through for 21 years, that I was not sure I would cope. But he assured me that it would not be difficult if I was committed to service.
“I want to appreciate you sir. It is rare to find people like you who will dedicate their time, energy and resources towards the overall development of the community. You are an example, not just to me, but to the greater community. If I had my way, people like Chief Coker should get a national honour because, if a community does not work, the local government will not work, the state will not work and in turn the country will not work.”
Akinseye, who said he moved to BOET Estate from Mende, Maryland, five years ago, noted that it has been a wonderful experience in the estate,
“I moved into BOET Estate in 2015 from Mende, Maryland, and it has been a wonderful experience. My interaction with Chief Coker has been incredibly positive. He is an example of leadership and an embodiment of community and service to humanity.
“The first thing I noticed about Chief Coker was his commitment to service, not just to BOET Estate, but to humanity in general. For the five years that I have been here in BOET Estate, Chief Coker has never missed any estate meeting; it shows how committed he is to the estate. He is always committed to protecting the interest of the community.”
On his experience moving from Mende into the estate, Akinseye said, “It is a shift in terms of the quality of the environment and service.”
Buchi Atuonwu, a reggae gospel singer popularly known as Buchi, who owns a business in the estate, described Chief Coker as a detribalised Nigerian who sees people as human first before any other consideration.
He said: “I have not been in the estate for long, I have only been here for about five years, but in those five years Chief Coker has shown me so much love. He welcomed me and showed me so much love. He did not see me as Hausa or Igbo, he saw me as a human being who deserves attention and he gave me deserved attention. Even as he has stepped down as chairman of the estate, I know that residents of the estate will still go to him in times of crisis.”
Buchi praised Coker for his wisdom in resolving tension that often arose between the commercial outlets and the residents.
He said: “There has been some tension between the residents and those of us with commercial outfits. Some of us do business in the estate and because of that there is sometimes conflict with residents who might otherwise want to secure the privacy of their residential status in the estate, they feel we are intruding, and it is natural.
“But I am providing community centre service for the estate. For instance, the residents need a barber, they need a relaxation centre, they need a gym, they need a restaurant, and that is what I provide in the estate.
“Chief Corker played a key role in letting them understand that hostility, whether it is ethnic or of any other kind, is not an option. He believes in dialogue, and we dialogued, and we resolved the matter, and it has been good for me in BOET Estate. I wish him God’s blessings and good health and that he will extend the same love he showed me to every other person that comes into the estate.”
