Extract from a book: ‘Fingerprint’

Tribute to the late Dr Christopher Kolade: A Life Worthy of Celebration
…as he passes on at 92

By Kunle Oyatomi

“Dr. Christopher Kolade is in the news again. He has just been appointed Nigeria’s new High Commissioner to Britain, which is one of the best things that has ever happened to the Nigerian High Commission in that country.

“Those who have followed the career of Christopher Kolade will be astounded by his sheer brilliance and steady progress on the ladder of fame. As a broadcaster, he shot into the limelight when he was picked to replace Mr. Victor Banjo as the Director General of the Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).

It was not so much the appointment by itself that was significant; it was what Kolade made of it.

“NBC under Kolade became one of the best broadcasting corporations ever in Africa. Those who worked closely with him during this period, with hardly an exception, held him in awe because he commanded their utmost respect. From the cleaner to the director, Kolade was a man not only loved but also spoken exceedingly well of.

He drove NBC to the point of excellence. He drew the best out of each state member, and no one went home sulking over an encounter with him. To a lot of people, he was a celebration of excellence, and the NBC as an organisation was proof of it.

“Many months after he retired from the corporation, not a few people feared that his departure would hurt NBC. And it did. But that is another story. He had hardly retired from NBC when he got the job of Managing Director of Cadbury Nigeria Plc. And within a few years of his stay under the chairmanship of Chief Gamaliel Onosode, he re-invented the Company.

“His keen sense of excellence, with a penchant for thoroughness, makes Kolade a complete manager of men and material. By the time he was moving up from the post of Managing Director to that of Chairman, he was already known in the business circles as a symbol of efficiency.

“It was not quite a question of the mystic that surrounded Kolade, as much as an apparent polish in character and finesse, coupled with a degree of selfless love which extended from him to his environment that inspires everyone he comes in contact with.

“Variously, he has been described as a humanist and a perfectionist, two apparently conflicting states of mentality because most perfectionists are known to be hard drivers of their fellow men. But Christopher Kolade appears to have the capacity to drive you into efficiency without offending your sense of freedom.

“To many people who come into contact with him for the first time, he will look distant, but after a while, he becomes comfortably close. No one can accuse him of being arrogant. He carries himself with such a high profile, with such dignity, yet you can only admire his poise. But the thrill comes when you engage in conversation with Kolade. He is measured in speech and very articulate in whatever subject he discusses. Then you begin to wonder just what it was that kept this man going. You also look at his family background, his religious commitment and his lifestyle. Then the big picture unfolds.

“No doubt, he is a devout Christian, but he is a lot of steps higher than a professing Christian. And if you want to know of a family man, he qualifies as a role model. There is this intellectual portrait of Christopher Kolade, which is outstanding. His intellect is highly developed, yet he does not present the picture of an egg-head. His entire career up to date is a study in the progressive development of a human quality that is worthy of celebration.

“So, when the announcement was made that Kolade is now Nigeria’s new High Commissioner to Great Britain, it was greeted in many quarters with exclamations wonderful! Wonderful has really been the life of Christopher Kolade because of his attainments, his contributions to institutions in the country where he has the opportunity to serve.

“Kolade comes clean as a wonderful technocrat, respected by all and admired by those who had worked directly with him. We can only hope that his tenure as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Britain will be in the Kolade tradition, no less than excellent. Christopher, Nigeria is proud of you.”

Published in 2007