•••some were born great, some were made great and yet others have greatness bestowed on them

This was Williams Shakespeare’s conclusion in his classic piece, “Hamlet.” Surprisingly, there appears to be some individuals who seem to possess all these features of greatness in them.

Hon. (Alh.) Azeez Sariki is one of the few persons on earth to replete with these sterling qualities of greatness. He was born regal.

Birth and Early Life:

Hon. Azeez Sariki was born into the royal family of HRH Amb. (Dr.) & Mrs Umoru Usman Sariki from the ancient Yashikira town in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State. He had a very humble beginning, as he had to hew wood and till the soil with his civil servant/farming parents in the ever green fields of Yashikira in their bid to eke out a living for the family. From a very tender age, Prince (Alh.) Azeez Sariki possessed an intrinsic power of clairvoyance.

Education:

Even as a child, Hon. Azeez exibhited a strong attitude towards education. His native intelligence and astuteness were undoubtedly second to none. Realizing these potentials, his parients, knew he had a potential which he needed to unlock through education. He was therefoe enrolled at the Abunakar Anike Primary School, Bida, Niger State where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate.

Upon completion and obtaining the FSLC, he proceeded to the famous Government Secondary School, Yashikira where obtained his Senior School certificate Examination, SSCE.

Abreast with the importance of education and the necessity of same, Alh. Azeez Sariki had the utter urge to embark on a thorough pursuit of academic excellence. He, therefore, proceeded to obtain a National Diploma, ND, and the Higher National Diploma, ND, from the prestigious Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin.

Business Life:

Predictably, his quest to bag a Bachelor of Science degree (B.Sc) in Information and Communications Technology was not a bed of roses. Expectedly, as an independent grown up son and caring husband/father, he had pocket overworking responsibilities. Not willing to sacrifice his education on the alter of too many financial commitments, Koto Yeruma had to combine business alongside civil service to make earns meet.

Having evolved incredibly and attained the status of seeking study leave in the civil service, Hon. Azeez Sariki decided to further his education at the National Open University, NOUN, where he obtained B.Sc in Information and Communications Technology.

Hon. Azeez Sariki founded the Baruten Travellers, a transport company flourishing well in Baruten – Ilorin routes. He is also the CEO of the SS Kings Water, a NAFDAC registered satchet water manufacturing company located besides the Divisional Police Office, Kosubosu, Baruten LGA.

Successes:

Like A Star in the night, Hon. (Alh.) Azeez Sariki defied the misty cloud to rise above the raging turbulence in the Nigerian business industry. Till date, despite joining active politics as the Social Democratic Party’s (SDP) Candidate for House Assembly to represent Okuta/Yashikira Constituency, and by God’s grace, young and determined Azeez was able to manage his many businesses which have engaged and are still engaging many youths in the society, thereby helping in his own way to reduce the affliction of unemployment and poverty plaguing our society today.

Philosophy of Life:

Despite his civil service and academic successes and gargantuan business strides, Hon. Azeez Sarki has remained unassuming, charity-bond society-friendly, development-partner and profoundly modest in his undertakings.

Hon. Azeez Sariki had wished that Nigeria is a classless society, where every man is equal to another, maintains the view that the difference between a rich man and a poor man is time and chance. His dislike towards extravagance and corrupt practices can only be compared to Martin Luther King’s passion for equality. He has often said to many around him that “…life is only meaningful only to the extent that it is used to positively affect the members of the society”. He has often lamented the irony of the Latin maxim “salus populi est suprema lex” (power belongs to the people” in Nigeria.

SERVICE TO HUMANITY:

The Koto Yeruma of Yashikira Emirate is an unrepentant philanthropist, yet he does not believe in showcasing his philanthropic gestures to the members of the public. As a tireless helper of the poor and needy in the society, he formed the Koto Yeruma Group, a non-Political movement saddled with the sole objective of helping people and discharging charity gestures to the society.

The frontline SDP’s KWHA flagbearer has, through his philanthropic gestures, provided numerous boreholes, renovated Area Court premises and other charity undertakings. It will simply amount to attempting the doing of the impossible to list the number of persons this gentleman has positively impacted their lives.

RECOGNITION/AWARDS:

There is no doubt that Hon. Azeez Sariki is as committed to his family as he is committed to the service to humanity; he is as committed to his worship of God, as he is committed to his business and political life. And in all of these commitments, Hon. Azeez Sariki has been recognized and appreciated by many both in his civil service, business and personal life.

Due to his commitment to the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage and values, Hon. Azeez Sariki has been conferred with the revered royal title of Koto Yeruma of Yashikira Emirate Council by the Emir of Yashikira, HRH Amb. (Dr.) Umoru Usman Sariki, Sarikin Yamma Sabi Kpassi II.

He has won several other laurels and received numerous awards/honours from home and in diaspora.

Personal/ Leadership Qualities:

Hon. Abdulazeez Sariki is a calm and deep thinking technocrat, a visionary leader, a column of administrative excellence, reservoir of wisdom, bulwark of trust, accomplished industrialist, a renowned philanthropist, an investor with an unquenchable taste for great achievement, a celebrated steward, and a loving husband and father of moderate taste. His wisdom can govern any nation.

The Koto Yeruma of Yashikira Emirate and business tycoon, Hon. Azeez Sariki, is the Social Democratic Party, SDP’s candidate for Kwara State House of Assembly to represent Okuta/Yashikira Constituency of Baruten LGA.

Signed: Media Team