Dr Christopher Kolade: Ambassador Extraordinaire

I was saddened by the quality of the passing of this large patriot, but astatine the aforesaid time, grateful for his beingness of interaction successful truthful galore spheres and connected truthful galore individuals.

I had the privilege of interacting with Dr. Christopher Kolade CON and so moving intimately with him during his play of work to Nigeria arsenic our High Commissioner to the Court of Saint James. Dr. Christopher Kolade arrived successful the United Kingdom erstwhile the High Commission was successful a implicit authorities of chaos. The consular/visa section, which was connected Fleet Street astatine the clip had nary utilities. No light, nary heating, and nary funding. The High Commission itself connected Northumberland Avenue was successful shambles. The diplomats and unit were disheartened and rudderless. The High Commission functioned much arsenic a protocol bureau than a diplomatic mission, simply determination to prime up and driblet disconnected visiting dignitaries from Nigeria.

Then on came Dr Kolade. One antheral riot squad! I had been drawn into his ellipse precise aboriginal connected arsenic helium had the knack of identifying radical consenting to serve. Three months into his tenure, we had our archetypal backstage luncheon astatine the Commonwealth Club other the High Commission with his woman wife, Aunty Beatrice, who regaled maine with the tales of her husband’s sleepless nights grappling with the problems that helium met astatine the High Commission. He successful turn, told maine the communicative of however helium was appointed by the past President, Olusegun Obasanjo, who gave him nary enactment and simply said, “I’m going to denote your assignment time morning” astatine which point, helium past said, “well, you volition person to transportation my woman first, due to the fact that I promised her I would discontinue this clip around.” Needless to say, Aunt Beatrice was yet persuaded due to the fact that present they were, serving Nigeria successful London.
Fast guardant a mates of months oregon truthful further into his tenure, and determination was a implicit oversea change! The visa and consular conception was moved to Northumberland Avenue. Fleet Street was unopen down. The diplomats and different workers were energized. They were moving arsenic efficiently arsenic the champion of their counterparts globally!

Before Dr Kolade’s arrival, I had gotten utilized to calls from friends and relatives whenever they had to person the dreaded enactment with the Nigerian precocious commission, either to get a visa oregon to renew their passports. “Boma, please, bash you cognize anybody who tin assistance us?” and I would springiness them a interaction due to the fact that I knew that they would request that idiosyncratic interaction successful bid to navigate the labyrinthine transition of the precocious committee to get a elemental work each national should beryllium entitled to, arsenic of right.
Thanks to Dr Kolade’s exceptional leadership, I could accidental to anyone who called me, “You don’t request a fig from me. Just spell there. The process works. They volition be to you. You don’t request to cognize anybody.” It was truthful hard to judge for galore with experience. I would person to guarantee them, “Listen, I’m conscionable a telephone telephone away. You spell trial the process and if you person immoderate issues, springiness maine a call.” They would reluctantly past spell with the assurance that I americium a telephone telephone distant and acceptable to assistance if request be. At the extremity of the process, EVERYONE, WITHOUT EXCEPTION would telephone and corroborate that they received exceptional work and did not request to cognize anyone! It was orderly. Citizens were treated with courtesy and fixed precedence implicit foreigners. We were each truthful proud.

He not lone reorganized the High Commission, helium reorganized the Nigerian communities successful the United Kingdom. There was a full big of them, close down to municipality and colony unions, communicating straight with the precocious commission. He initiated and coordinated the negotiations that led to the enactment of CANUK – Central Association of Nigerians successful the UK.

In summation to putting backmost orders successful the visa and consular section, and the Nigerian Community successful Diaspora, Dr. Christopher Kolade understood his relation successful promoting Nigerian businesses, enhancing commercialized betwixt Nigeria and the United Kingdom from the position of Nigeria. He ensured we stood gangly successful the Committee of Nations and protected the estimation of Nigeria. He projected the affirmative astir Nigeria. He facilitated commercialized engagements with backstage businesspeople who wanted contacts and partners successful the United Kingdom.

Dr Christopher Kolade CON was an bonzer diplomat, not due to the fact that helium had the training, but due to the fact that helium was a visionary leader, a committed patriot, and a antheral of integrity. His committedness to excellence besides meant that immoderate helium enactment his manus to not lone succeeded, but excelled. It was a uncommon privilege to observe him astatine work. He shared galore nuggets of contented with us, successful this period, 1 of which has go 1 of my guiding principles. “Standards are taxable to gravity, if we bash not uphold them, they volition fall.”

One last enactment connected mentorship and lessons from Dr. Kolade, again, sim...