Eniola Olagunju and Favour Ibitunde 

Leadership, they say, takes a lot. It is also said that to be a good leader, one must first be a servant, so as to have an effective service. The Poetry Club, formerly The Okigbo Poetry Club, recently changed its leadership. NASELS Press has interviewed the immediate past president, Babatunde Adamson (‘Bomi), to gain insight into his tenure as the driver of the wheels of The Poetry Club, which without doubt, was revived greatly under his administration. Here is what he has to tell us about his time as the President of The Poetry Club, UI: 

NASELS Press: Can you describe the state of the club when you first took over, and what steps did you take to improve its state?

‘BOMI:I joined the club in 2021 after  I was introduced to it by Olu’Bunmi Badru, the former president, who found me worthy of being the club’s General Secretary at a time when it was being revived and put back in the spotlight. We were not many who were managing the affairs and setting the foundations of progress for posterity. It was not an easy adventure but we were able to overcome all hurdles through shared reverence for one another and for past figures. We also beat the barriers of managing an association without any standing financial support through our undivided passion and focus on the greater good.

When I became the president through the recommendation and appointment of the Advisory Committee in September 2023, some of our key struggles were yet to be dealt with—the financial one being the most difficult.

So my Team and I, helped by the support of the Advisory Committee whose role is to ensure the sustainability of the vision that we set for the club back in 2021, decided to introduce the Identity Card as a form of registration for both existing and new members. This idea was not entirely ours, as it was already a plan of the club at the time I was the General Secretary. All we had to do was bring it to fruition with a token, considering members’ financial powers and the epileptic economy. To a great extent, the ID CARD solved the problem of funding and it was supplemented by letters that we wrote to distinguished members of the club, such as the Grand Patron, Professor Aderemi Raji-Oyelade, and the Club’s staff adviser, Dr Charles Akinsete.

Another step we took towards improving the club was the initiative of the Club’s first WhatsApp TV and TikTok page which contributed to putting the club in the wider audience, alongside top students’ associations like Sigma. We also made changes to the existing Instagram Page and invested in promotional advertisements on and off the University campus.

We also formulated the club’s first constitution in order to ensure committed leadership and respectable membership, seeing as we were now gaining recognition across the country with members coming from as far as Imo, Abia, and Plateau states. And even towards the second half of my tenure, we had a new member come from Ghana. Yes, Nigeria’s jollof competition.

One other key step we took was the modification of the meeting schedule from bi-weekly to weekly which was carried out through proper procedures—seeking members’ views and concerns. And they were happy. We even recorded the highest attendance in the history of the club in which 44 members were present on-site and many others joined virtually. 

We also keyed into social media trends to have a bite of the media cake that now feeds humankind.

NASELS Press: What were some of the biggest obstacles you faced during your tenure, and how did you overcome them?

‘BOMI: Obstacles. Obstacles. No one becomes great without them. Our obstacles were majorly at the beginning, as I earlier stated, funds, membership, and minimal obscurity. 

We overcame them by standing together with the Advisory Committee which was then headed by Olu’Bunmi Badru, my predecessor. One key step any organisation can take towards overcoming obstacles in their way of succeeding is ensuring they have a good relationship with and an undiluted respect for the people who have come before them. The truth of this is that you could never love the association more than they do, considering you took over from them, especially if they have left an indelible mark of legacy on the association.

That was basically how we overcame our obstacles.

NASELS Press: How did you manage to re-engage former members and attract new ones?

‘BOMI: Keeping old members and attracting new ones were quite easy to do. No attempt to boast, honestly. We just prioritised their comfort and needs. For me and any organisation I am privileged to serve in, bringing the members before all ambitions is paramount. That was how we kept our old members.

The new ones? We ensured the Club exuded enviable value through the implementation of the ID CARD. We asked old members to always wear their ID CARD, for an example.

NASELS Press: What were some of your most notable accomplishments during your tenure as president, and how did they impact the club?

‘BOMI: Hmmm… My greatest accomplishment was the members. They made it easy. They made it fun. They made it memorable. If and when I write a book on the club, a whole chapter will be dedicated to them. I am grateful.

Other accomplishments of my team include the support of the Advisory Committee, the Grand Patron, the Staff Adviser, and the shared passion of my Team members.

And, of course, the Okigbo Poetry Club Festival which can never be forgotten in decades to come, as it was graced by the presence of Emeritus Professor Niyi Osundare among many great poets and scholars from across the City and Region. Oh, and the food was amazing. It was an evening of a delicious mix of class and culture that will linger in the minds of everyone who was fortunate to be present and also for those who got the news.

I can keep talking about the accomplishments till the end of the earth, but the members will always be at the top of that list.

NASELS Press: How did your leadership style and vision contribute to the club’s revival, and what legacy do you hope to leave behind?

‘BOMI: My leadership style is simple. I live by many principles—one of which is that a good leader creates more leaders. I ensured there was no lagging in any of the offices serving with me through respect and creating a strong sense of purpose. Purpose is what drives passion.

And all these contributed to the beautiful end we had. And I once ran a survey on some of the members to assess my leadership. I always do this in every capacity I serve to take with me a new lesson into my next challenge. And I can boldly say the outcome was more positive than reprimanding.

Legacy I want to leave behind? It is everywhere already. And that is sustaining the Legacy of those who came before me. This is the one true way to create lasting progress. Not otherwise.

NASELS Press: What advice would you give to future leaders of the club, and what lessons did you learn from your experience?

‘BOMI: Advice for future leaders? 

Put the Club first! Be reasonable and let members’ interests drive your steps. You can gain them easily and also lose them easily.

Respect legacies! That will help you succeed, no matter what. Without it, you will not succeed. Lessons? Human management is the hardest skill to master, ⁠Every good leader must be humane, ⁠To succeed, we must seek those who have taken the path before us, ⁠Prayer is key to everything, if you believe, ⁠There’s a good development and there’s a bad development that looks like a good development at the initial stage, ⁠Leave money out of passion. You will be blinded by it, and ⁠Set an example of the things you want in your members. That is one way to communicate leadership.

NASELS Press: Are there any memorable moments or stories from your time as president that you would like to share?

‘BOMI:  There are so many! Oh, dear. Too many.

The one that comes to mind right now is The Okigbo Festival. It almost did not happen. 

I had to sit up one night and pray. Then I got the revelation to pen down all that was needed for its success and I did. And God raised help from all corners.

And I am using this opportunity to say thank you to all who contributed immensely, in one way or the other, to the event. God bless you.

On the day of the event, my level had a final match against the 400L students and they needed me, and I knew it. But I knew the club needed me more. I chose the club and as I prepared for the event, moving up and down everywhere, the two occasions fought in my mind for space. As you already know, the club won and my level football team lost both in mind and on the pitch. That saddened me but I was consoled by the beautiful outcome of “The Okigbo Festival”.

NASELS Press: What is next for you after your presidency, and how do you see the club continuing to evolve and grow in the future?

‘BOMI: I am now the President of the National Association of Students of English Language and Literature, University of Ibadan. And that is all I think about now.

What is next? The ‘Bomi Adamson Adventures. 

The Club’s future? It will continue to strive as long as there are people in charge who truly value the club beyond their own interests and value the structures that have been put in place by both past leaders and the Advisory Committee towards the sustainability and vitality of the Poetry Club.

Thank you!