My name is Olusoga Sofolahan Atibioke (Olori Omo Oba)
A Leader Trainer. I stared Scouting precisely in 1974 under the Leadership of Mr. J.O. Ojo from Irun Akoko Ondo State. My first motivation into Scouting was my mother, that always allowed me to attend weekend Scout camps at different communities within my Akoko Zone, like Alhaji Saka said, the night life toughen me as a going up Scout. As a Scout Leader, then Scout Master, l had course to engage in Services delivery within my LA and so much gained the trust of the Leadership. An experience l will never forget, l had my woodbadge practical at Ajoda Town at Ibadan in 1995, then l was serving as a Youth Corper, and thank God for the good coordination of Scouting in those days, Oyo State Scout Council advertised the course in the Nigeria dailies, and l saw the information at Damaturu Yobe State, l came down from Yobe to Ibadan for the course and l was late for the camp with one and half days. When l got to the camp, l never knew there was an argument between Baba Lasaki our Veteran NTC Emeritus before he went home and another Veteran NTC Emeritus Baba Israel Odunuga both of blessed memories on whether to admit me into the course or not, since l was late for almost two days but came into the camp on Youth Corp uniform. Lasaki won the argument but l did not know how until years later when he was telling the story himself.
He said he mentioned to the Course Director then Israel Odunuga that, a Corper that showed interest in getting additional knowledge and came from Yobe State, he said even if he does not know how to tie ropes, he could be one day tomorrow, speaking “grammar” for Scouting, that for me to have showed interest and travelled don from Damaturu tol Ibadan, that it was enough to admit me into the course. Loo and behold at the end of the course, l was adjudged the best candidate. Ever since then, AA Lasaki had developed an interest in me.
I became a WB holder and A.A Lasaki travelled town to Akwa Ibom in 2000 and handed over the bids to my Divisional Commissioner to present it to me.
Fast forward, l served at Akwa Ibom, and Lagos States, one as an Assistant Training Commissioner and at Lagos as an Assistant Hq Comm Scout and later became substantive SHQ Comm Adult in Scouting for Lagos State.
I had opportunity to be nominated into the National Working Committee by my SSC then Engr Gilbert Olusola Akinlawon, and later appointed as National Adult in Scouting Commissioner in 2010 and later Chief Commissioner Scout of Nigeria in 2013.
What motivated the journey was the need to serve humanities. Once you have this zeal to serve humanities, with or without any rewards, this cannot be gone unnoticed. Perseverance got me the WB and took me to the top in Scouting in Nigeria.
The second question is around experience that l passed through that will always stick to my mind. I became the NSO Leader when Women and Young Scouts struggle to get noticed, though before me, efforts were being geared to involve women and youths, but we had some gladiators that may not just wanted that to Materialize, but when l came in as the Chief Commissioner, l fought that battle and won, l did not only make the voice of women and Youth known, l appointed them into positions of Authority that made them excel.
I was happy that we were able to move from ample hands of Youths involvement in Decisions making pre 2013 to Youth Engagement in decisions making not only in-country Nigeria, but Africa and the World. We had the likes of Solomon Etim Kenneth Okonkwo, Idowu Samson, Gana Abdulkadir, Uwem Nathaniel, Kevin Igbosotu Sharon, Raji Bomodeoku were all my World standard Youths that can compete anywhere in Scouting Worldwide.
Forces to be reckoned with. When they speak amongst the Youth Team Worldwide, they will say Nigeria has come.
That has been my joy in my four years as the CC. Let me pulse here. Pardon any typo errors. I write out the way l think out simultaneously. Olori Omo Oba Dr Olusoga Sofolahan Atibioke. LT DCC
What attracted me to Scouting: To gain knowledge about Good Citizenship that Scout trains. My Mum was a Teacher and a Girl Guide, so she knew the advantages of being a Guide and Scout hence she enrolled me right from my primary school days.
What kept me in Scouting? I will say the Spirit of Baden Powell. The Spirit cannot be quantified, a spirit that made a 90 year old man to still attend Jamboree (as experienced at Yamaguchi Kirara hama Japan) Same spirit that made a young mother to forsake her Expected Delivery Due Date and came to Jamboree to come and give birth to her baby. The spirit behind doing things right through Scouting.
I will say, the younger Scouts today still have same spirit but the leaders in the course of training them have introduced money into Scouting as a way of achieving results. Before now, you will not know who is reading your Woodbadge Theory, today, it is the Reader that will call you to let you know he or she is reading you and would want you to come and settle before you are passed. Corruption has come into Scouting and has eroded the standards beyond normal.
NTCs need to stand up greatly on this, in order for the Training Department not to be bastardized further than this, people get beads without attending any training. It was not so in the beginning.
There are decline in the interest of young people now, because they believe they cannot move forward without Man know Man. Throughout my time as the CC, all the Youths that l mentioned their names were not know to me, and not that they did anything too spetercular other than to watch and do and ask for the need to assist. Let me tell you how l harvested Solomon Etim, l went to Akwa Ibom State to train Messengers of Peace in 2013, and as l was training them, he was watching with keen interest and requested from me whether he could assist me to load our trained members on MoP platform, he mastered it and he was doing it for all our members present and that was it. When l became the CC, he became one of my team members, today, Solomon had worked at WOSM World Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and the Advanced Expert Trainer in Dialogue for Peace in Scouting Worldwide. Just an example. I did not ask one Kobo from Solomon for God to allow me project him, but God Himself did. We the leaders should not always stand in the position of God to these innocent followers. I so submit without prejudice.
Scouting is For me ND You Come ND Join Scout ⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️
