Tayo Ayinde: 59 hearty cheers to the buffalo

BY TUNDE OPESEITAN

In the general horoscope, Buffalo people are honest, sincere, compassionate, and generous to a fault. They put in great effort and hard work to achieve success in life and usually demonstrate unrivalled perseverance in attaining their goals. They are loyal, reliable, and keep their word.

In the face of challenges or dangers, Buffalo people are not lily-livered or chicken out sheepishly. They calmly, bravely, and strategically overcome challenges. As a matter of fact, they see challenges as opportunities to learn, grow and evolve.

The above attributes are very well reflected in the lifestyle of Tayo Akinmande Ayinde, the chief of staff to the Lagos state governor who, by the grace of the Almighty, is celebrating his 59th birthday today.

In one of his birthday tributes to Ayinde, the Lagos state governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, said: “It’s no wonder he’s called the ‘Buffalo’ by friends and associates because he aptly depicts the true strength and survival instincts of a buffalo”.

Ayinde actually earned the appellation of the ‘Buffalo’ as a result of his professional training as an operative of the Department of State Security (DSS). That appellation was further consummated when he served for eight years as the Buffalo General to the then governor of Lagos state and now president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR).

Born on August 24, 1964, in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, Ayinde attended St Peters’ Anglican Primary School, Alausa, Ikeja where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate. He also attended Ogudu Grammar School, Ojota, Lagos where he sat and received his West African School Certificate.

He was admitted into the Federal Polytechnic, Anambra from where he was awarded the Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Banking and later the Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accountancy.

A passionate lover of education, Ayinde holds a Master’s Degree (MBA) in Financial Management from Lagos State University. He also attended the University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management, where he took a course in Strategic Thinking Approach. He later attended the University of Cambridge, Judge Business School for a course in Business Model Innovation. Not done yet, he went further to study Strategic Financial Analysis for Business Evaluation at Harvard Business School, Boston, USA. All these were in addition to his professional training in VIP Protection and Anti-terrorism in the best institutions in Israel and the UK. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Diplomacy and Management and an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation.

Ayinde worked briefly with TELL Magazine as an account officer in 1993. In that same year, he joined the then State Security Service (SSS) now DSS. While in the DSS, Ayinde served as the head of the accounts department of the Shangisha Office from 1993 – 1999, before he was deployed to serve with Tinubu as the chief security detail (Buffalo General). In his years of national service as a DSS operative, Ayinde distinguished himself as a dedicated, loyal, courageous, and trustworthy officer, before he retired meritoriously to pursue a private life in 2009.

In offering his extensive background and wealth of experience for the public good, Ayinde delved fully into politics and subsequently served as the director general of the Independent Campaign Group (ICG), a great movement that campaigned vigorously and traversed the nooks and crannies of Lagos state for the election and re-election of Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and Kadri Obafemi Hamzat as governor and deputy governor in 2019 and 2023 respectively.

On both outings, Ayinde served as the chairman of the inauguration committee in 2019 as well as 2023 and was also appointed and reappointed as the chief of staff, a position he has commendably deployed to contribute significantly to the greater Lagos agenda of the Sanwo-Olu administration.

By virtue of his professional training, Ayinde is not a rabble-rouser or noise-maker. He works strategically under the scene and as a matter of fact, he is one of the unseen pillars standing solidly as the Rock of Gibraltar behind the numerous success stories of the state government.

For those conversant with the workings of government, the office of the chief of staff is a strategic office with the mandate to ensure governance runs smoothly and unhindered. The occupier of the office also has the responsibility to galvanise human and material resources in the office of the governor toward improved service delivery to the citizenry.

Speaking with newsmen at the end of a three-day Lagos state executive retreat in 2019 after his appointment, Ayinde said: “We had a successful deliberation which focused on moving the state forward. I want to assure Lagosians that the team is ready to unlock the potential of Lagos for its prosperity. I will personally bring my knowledge and experience into play to make sure that the Sanwo-Olu’s administration works for the benefit of all”.

True to his promise, Ayinde has maintained a high degree of fidelity to his word. As the chief of staff and a member of the state executive council, it is on record that Ayinde took an active part in strategic policies that improved the performance of Lagos State Internal Revenue Service amongst relevant agencies, and he has, most importantly, continued to give Mr Governor the necessary support to deliver good governance to the people.

One outstanding attribute that has endeared Ayinde to many is his passion and love to always support the less privileged. From multiple accounts, Ayinde is a committed supporter of universal human values. He has touched many lives positively and he is always excited and interested in giving a helping hand and working assiduously to make the world a better place.

Like all mortals, Ayinde is not perfect. He has his quirks but what he consistently exudes is that he is a man of grace, an exemplary leader, a thoroughbred professional, a philanthropist, a man of integrity and vision, a humble man in the real sense of the word, and a passionate lover of good governance.

As you commemorate your birthday today, I join your numerous admirers and associates to wish you longevity, good health, and the grace of God to continue to be of excellent service to humanity.

Hearty congratulations, the Buffalo!

Opeseitan is a journalist and public affairs analyst