Kunle ADELABU
A seasoned and professional financial expert and teacher, Mr Taiwo Hassan Salami Awolaru, has retired from the service of the Lagos State Government after serving in various capacities for 35 years.
He was the Head of Finance & Supply (F & S) Sections in many Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) for 18 years out of which he spent 8 years as the Chairman of the Head of Sections, F & S, in the 20 Local Governments in Lagos State.
He retired meritoriously on December 23,2018, after spending the statutory 35 years.
It was praises and commendations for the luck retiree at the retirement party held at the Methodist Primary School Complex, Ikorodu, on Thursday, January 24, 2019.
Salami, who was a hockey and volleyball player, coached and led the Ikorodu team to several hockey tournaments where they won many laurels.
The Chairman of the occasion, Otunba Gbenga Kuti, commended the retiree for serving Ikorodu, Lagos State and humanity in generally meritoriously and creditably for 35 years and wished him happy retirement.
Mrs Bajomo, a former colleague of Mr Salami at the School Management Committee (now LGEA), described him as a reliable and hardworking man who always smile no matter the situation.
“If you have the opportunity of working with Salami, you’ll not want to loose him. We were together at the SMC and I can confidently say he is a selfless and committed civil servant.
“He is reliable with money and can be trusted. He is a wonderful man, trustworthy and amiable”.
The Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly and a colleague of the retiree at the Teachers’ Training College, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, in his remarks, said:
“TH (as Taiwo Salami is popularly called) is a friend. We were together at the Teachers’ Training College, Ikorodu, under the tutelage of late Alhaji Rasaq Alagago and we have been friends since then.
“He is a dynamic person and still full of energy even though he is retiring after 35 years. I still believe that he still has many more years to serve humanity, Lagos State and Ikorodu, with his energy and dynamism.
“I want you to be open-minded because if you believe that you have retired then, you may be tired, but if you still think that you are not tired, so much opportunities to serve will open for you.
“I congratulate you for retiring after serving meritoriously. I wish you a successful and progressive years after your retirement”.
Mr Taiwo Salami attended Government Teachers’ College, Ikorodu, for his Teachers Certificate (TCII) which he obtained in 1983. He also attended Lagos State College of Education now Adeniran Ogunsaya College of Education where he had his Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) in 1993 in Agricultural Science.
His craving for knowledge drove him to Olabisi Onabanjo University where he bagged his Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy in 2001 and also a Post-Graduate Diploma in Accountancy from Nigeria College of Accountancy, Jos, in 2009.
Professionally, he became a member of Certified National Accountant (CNA) in 2011 and in 2004, he became an Associate Member, Nigeria Institute of Management. Salami is also a Professional teacher and a member of the Nigeria Union of Teachers. He was certified by Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) in 2005.
He attended courses organized by ICAN namely: Challenges of IFRS/IPSAS Adoption of Financial Statements Preparation in Public Sector-21St-22nd November, 2011 and International Public Sector Accounting Studies (IPSAS) — 20th-23’d November, 2012.
Mr. Salami started work as a class teacher in Local Government Primary School, Isiu, on 23rd December, 1983, till 7th July, 1985, when he was posted to the Finance and Supply (F & S) Section of the Local Government Education Authority (LGEA), the appointment took effect from 8th July, 1985. He was there till 11th July, 2001.
He was redeployed to the LGEA, Ibeju-Lekki, as a full-fledged Head of Section (HOS) of F&S Section from 12th July, 2001 to 4th January, 2006. On 5th January, 2006, he was redeployed to Mushin LGEA as the HOS of F & S Section and served there until 13th March, 2007.
From 14th March 2007 to 18th October, 2009, he was the HOS of F & S Section of Ikeja LGEA and later returned to Mushin LGEA as a more fortified HOS of the F & S Section between 19th October, 2009 and 7th June, 2011.
Lagos/Mainland LGEA, Yaba, also had a taste of Mr. Salami’s wealth of experience between June, 2011 to 17th February, 2016. He returned to Ibeju-Lekki LGEA from 18th February, 2016 to 26th October, 2016, also as the HOS, F & S Section and finally came back to serve in his home town, Ikorodu, from 27th October 2016 until his statutory retirement on 23rd December, 2019.
Salami served successfully for eight consecutive years as the Chairman of the Heads of Sections of all the twenty LGEA’s in Lagos State.
He is a foundation member of a leading club in Ikorodu, Peer Zenith Club of Nigeria.
