A TRIBUTE TO RALPH ALABI

WHILE HE WAS THE MANAGING DIRECTOR/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF GUINESS NIGERIA,(1994-1996) I HAD THE PRIVILEDGE TO BE THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO CHIEF ALABI.I NOW BRING TO YOU THIS TRIBUTE WRITTEN BY A RESPECTED AND SENIOR COLLEAGUE......WITH COMMENTARIES OF MINE FOLLOWING:
Friday, November 27, 2009
Tribute to Ralph Alabi
By Taiwo Obe
THE diary, pen - fountain and felt-tipped - and hard cover notebook were made for Ralph Adeola Alabi.
Those three items were effective tools in the hands of that wonderful human being who spent 45 years of his life in the House of Guinness, starting in March 1964 as a technician and retiring in June 2009 as the chairman, in a quasi-executive capacity - he went to the office once every week or so. He was the first (and only) Nigerian to be chairman of Guinness Nigeria plc after being Vice-Chairman/Managing Director and Chief Executive.
If you had a meeting with Alabi, a trained mechanical engineer, be sure that he would have his hard cover notebook open before him to take notes. With his pen - I am not quite sure he used any ink other than black. OK: he once used one with red ink to tick off some tasks he had given me to carry out for him. If you had to meet him again, then he would flip open his desk diary (or journal) and find a date convenient to both of you. Until very recently, finding a suitable date was a Herculean task because, hey!, this man's diary was always filled up with all sorts of appointments, which he gladly kept, once he had them booked. If you had a 10 O' clock appointment with him, you had better be there on time, because a few minutes late, you could be told that he was attending to some other person, and may not see you. Just as well, he would not come late to your event. Were methodical not in the English Language, because of Alabi, it would have been put there.
Niyi, his second son and third child, puts what he calls the dad's "organisational mentality" more graphically: "He is a man that planned his whole life ahead, with the hope that nothing happened to him by accident. He once told me that, as a man, 'you have to picture your life and set yourself targets.' His words: Divide your life path into four sections. The first path is your youth, that is, from birth till you turn 15 years old; from 15 years old till 30 years old; from 30 years old till 45 years old and from 45 years old till 60 years old. At the end of each period, carry out an assessment of your path to see if you have achieved your set goals."
Still, Alabi believed that there was a Divine programming for every (wo)man. In his review of Divine Deal, the book which Alabi released in 2004 to celebrate his 40 years in Guinness, Dr. Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo, a director of TaijoWonukabe Limited, of which Alabi was chairman, stated: "As a good Christian, Ralph Alabi believes that nothing in life happens by chance. Everything has been pre-determined by God, including the place of birth, the family which serves as a vessel to this world, colleagues, bosses and role models. The impact of these people, the places any man will go, the events that will shape his life, the pains and challenges of life has all been ordained by God."
Just about when he retired from Guinness on June 30, 2009, Alabi began to wind down from a lot of his secular activities. Evidence: his diary became less-clogged. He became more involved with matters spiritual, as a pastor of the Merciful God Ministry, a ministry dedicated to deliverance, word of God and prayer. Instead of his hard cover notebook, he had a blue bound book, where he wrote sermons, sermons and more sermons. By the last count, he was on the third volume.
But his diary was still there. Perhaps, now, someone else would have written this there; on the 11th of November, more like a postscript (PS), because he had an appointment on that day: "Ralph Adeola Alabi, born March 14, 1941. Signs off his Divine Deal today. Peacefully. A man who walks with God will always get to his destination. Safe path, RAA."
• Obe is the executive vice-chairman of TaijoWonukabe Limited

THANK YOU FOR READING THROUGH...... ADDITIONAL COMMENTARIES WILL FOLLOW IN THE NEXT POST.



Taiwo Ogunkoya
DreamsDreamer

WISDOM TIP:NEVER DRAW CONCLUSIONS - BEFORE YOU KNOW THE FACTS!

One old man was sitting with his 25 years old son in the train.

Train is about to leave the station.

All passengers are settling down their seat.

As train started young man was filled with lot of joy and curiosity.

He was sitting on the window side.

He went out one hand and feeling the passing air. He shouted, "Papa
see all trees are going behind".

Old man smile and admired son feelings.

Beside the young man one couple was sitting and listing all the
conversion between father and son.

They were little awkward with the attitude of 25 years old man
behaving like a small child.


Suddenly young man again shouted, "Papa see the pond and animals.
Clouds are moving with train".

Couple was watching the young man embarrassingly.

Now its start raining and some of water drops touches the young man's hand.

He filled with joy and he closed the eyes.

He shouted again," Papa it's raining, water is touching me, see papa".

Couple couldn't help themselves and ask the old man.

"Why don't you visit the Doctor and get treatment for your son."

Old man said,

" Yes, We are coming from the hospital as today only my son got his
eye sight for first time in his life".


Moral: "Don't draw conclusions until you know all the facts".


Have a great day!

Dreamsdreamer
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2010: A YEAR OF NEW BEGINING;GET REAL!

Our God, even GOD ALMIGHTY specializes in turning small shots to big shots.He is fond of bringing something out of nothing (Gen 1v1-3). He easily multiplies zeros to bring out masterpieces fit to showcase to the world as His Work.



In 2010 we find another rounding-off year with the zeros appearing...that is why i tell you this year is a year of NEW BEGININGS;i am fairly certain that Jesus will multiply your zeros this year to produce something successfull.All your failures of the year 2009 will He turn to sucess in this year - IJN (AMEN)!

Take Steps of Faith this year,put your CREATIVE ABILITIES to use and you will be richly blessed for your efforts.

IF making money on the internet from the comfort of your home is your goal;Permit me to suggest where you may start: I know a REAL Coy doing business in over 200 countries with Home Based Enterprenuers,the name is STRONG FUTURE INTERNATIONAL (SFI).

I strongly recommend that you join them.

Joining SFI is as easy as 123; and it is F-R-E-E! Just click on the link below:

http://www.ezinfocenter.com/10363496/FREE

Good Luck!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

IN THIS YEAR 2010:GET REAL!!!

Taiwo Ogunkoya
DreamDreamer

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The Story of a #1000 note

Gradually,this year is grinding to a halt.Very soon,Xmas Carols will rend the airwaves.

How will you rememder this year?What will you remember this year for?

My intention is not to write off the year yet - I beleive that it is not over until it is over!

My aim is just to ginger up my readers to review their gosal for the year and analyse progress made- so far.

My prayer for all is that God who has seen you this far will see you ALL THE WAY!

Has the year been rough on you thus far?Dont worry;be happy! YOU have not devalued before God.Jesus knows about ALL our struggles;He will come through for us!

Consider the story of the N1000 Currency Note;

A well-known

speaker started off

his seminar by

holding up a N1000.00 note. In

the room of 200, he asked,

"Who would like this N1,000


note?"

Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give


this N1,000 to one of you


but first, let me do this.

He proceeded to


crumple up the

N1,000 naira note..

He then asked, "Who still


wants it?"

Still the hands were up in the


air.

Well, he replied, "What if I do


this?"

And he dropped it on the


ground

and started to grind it into the


floor with his shoe.

He picked it up, now crumpled


and dirty.

"Now, who still wants it?"

Still the hands went into the


air.

My friends, we have all learned


a very valuable lesson.

No matter what I did to the


money, you still wanted it

because it did not decrease in


value.

It was still worth N1,000.

Many times in our lives,

we are dropped, crumpled,


and ground into the dirt

by the decisions we make and

the circumstances that come


our way.

We feel as though we are


worthless!..

But no matter what has


happened or

what will happen, you will


never lose your value.

Dirty or clean, crumpled or


finely creased,

you are still

priceless to those

who DO LOVE you.

The worth of our lives comes

not in what we do or who we

know,

but by WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST .



You

are VERY special-

Don't EVER forget it."

CHRIST BOUGHT US WITH HIS BLOOD.



Shalom.

Taiwo Ogunkoya

Dreamsdreamer

Triple Digit Fruitfullness!

TODAY IS ANOTHER SPECIAL DAY: 9-9-9!

Now nine (9) is the number of FRUITFULLNESS!

That is why i wish my readers triple digit fruitfullness this day!

Fruits come from trees. Jesus Christ told us in John 15v5 that He is the vine and we are the branches.

Fruits of the (Holy) Spirit are also listed in Galatians 5v22.



So with the ones who is in Christ;born again christians angd spirit filled children of God;I Prophesy that your season of fruifness has com! IN THE NAME OF JESUS!

For ALL who are yet to know the Lord,i urge you to run into the cover of His shade.You shall by so doing end all manners of barreness in your life!

Enjoy your triple portion of fruitfullness;inyour Spirit,Body ,and Soul!!!

Shalom

Taiwo Ogunkoya

www.taisonventures.com

ACRES OF DIAMOND

The Acres of Diamond story,reportedly told over 5000 times by the American rhetorist,Russel H Conwell,between 1900 and 1925 is what I bring (again) to you today with good reasons.

Ali Hafed,a wealthy Persian farmer,who was content because he was wealthy(and wealthy because he was content!)heard about the existence of Diamonds from an old Bhuddist Priest and decided to sell his farm and all his belongings to go in search of Diamonds??! -because he was no longer content because he thought he was poor(and now thinking he was poor because he is unhappy?!)

After losing his fortune in his unsuccessfull search for Diamonds,he committed sucide.

Ironically,the buyer of his farm benefitted greatly because,out of the garden he purchased fron Ali,was discovered the Diamond Mine of Golconda in southern India - the most magnificient Diamond Mine in the history of Mankind!(Kohinoor and the Orloff stones of the crown jewells of England and Russia,the largest on Earth came from there.)

THE MORALS OF ALI HAFED:

Had Ali remained at home and dug in his own cellar,or underneath his own wheat field or in his own garden, instead of wretchedness and starvation,or death by sucide i a strange land;he would have had ACRES OF DIAMOND!

For every acre of that old farm,yes,even every shovelfull,afterwards yeilded gems which since has decorated the crowns of Monarchs.
THE SUCEESSFUL PURSUIT OF EVERY DREAM REQUIRES WISDOM.

As an already wealthy person,Ali ought to have considered,very well,the pros and cons of his expedition. As A RULE,TO PROTECT YOUR WEALTH;YOU DONT TAKE A STEP THAT WILL MAKE YOU FALL IF IT FAILS TO PRODUCE THE EXPECTED GAIN.

Do you know why Diamonds are so expensive? BECAUSE THEY GLITTER?NO!BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE HARD AND ALMOST INDESTRUCTIBLE!DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER!!
As Diamonds are indestructible,so are your dreams!Not just a flicker or a glitter for the whole world to see but irrevesible,irrepressible and indestructible!

Your Dream is worth much more than Diamonds IF WELL CULTIVATED!

REMEMBER,DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER;SO ARE YOUR DREAMS!

Taiwo Ogunkoya

DreamsDreamer

THE SUPREME SECRET

"Whatever the mind of man can concieve and believe,he can achieve - with a positive mental attitude" - W.Clement Stone
Dr. Napoleon Hill calls this "the supreme secret"


2.HABIT 2:Begin with the end in mind

The second profound wisdom extracted from Kola Olutimehin's "Dream and Achieve" is the advise that you write your autobiography as a 90 year old man or woman! - looking down the memeory lane!?

Why,I had always known about "habit 2" (ref:Steven Covey:7 - Habits of successful people)but i felt this is rather far - fetched!But ,really,is too?Too good to be true is sometimes true!Afterall,dreams do come true... so,try it plese,i urge you.

This way,new definitions of Dreams come forth:according to Kola,"a dream suggests that life can be a grand event." Peter J. Daniels calls it a "sense of grandeur"

A dream is a glimpse of destiny which provides magnificence,nobility and dignity.DREAMING IS A GOD-GIVEN CAPACITY WHICH MUST BE NURTURED WITH SENSITIVITY.A DREAM IS A DIRECTION,NOT A DESTINATION.BE A PRACTICAL DREAMER,DONT WAIT FOR YOUR SHIP TO COME IN - CREATE YOUR OPPORTUNITIES,DONT SIT AROUND WAITING FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN;BE PROACTIVE!(Habit 1).FINALLY,DREAM WITH YOUR EYES OPEN!AWAKE!!WORK,NOTHING WORKS TILL YOU WORK!!!


Taiwo Ogunkoya

DreamsDreamer