She had just returned from a Management meeting when she stopped right in front of my table. Notebook in hand, I braced myself for instructions. With her trademark poise, Mrs. Olayinka Balogun looked me straight in the eye and declared: “the University is holding a commendation programme for the late Pro-Chancellor; and you are anchoring it. If you like, disgrace yourself.”
The words jolted me, yet they carried a certain inevitability. As Registrar, she knew I had deliberately shed my old skin as Media Assistant to the Vice Chancellor when I was redeployed to her office on 13th January, 2020. I was already thriving in core administrative duties. But Mrs. Balogun saw beyond my transition; she saw capacity.
I later learned the University had considered engaging an external anchor for the event. The Registrar, however, insisted: “Why look outside when capable hands are within?” That conviction became my charge.
Before the programme, I consulted with Mr. Akeem Lasisi, the Public Relations Officer of the University. “Ẹgbọn, we are handling this together,” I said to him. His calm reply steadied me: “I am with you all the way.”
On the day itself, I was stunned to find him seated among the audience. Afterward, he smiled knowingly: “I knew you could do it. I never doubted you.” The Vice Chancellor, Professor Ayobami Salami, sealed the moment with a thumbs-up and the words: “Wọlé, you did well. That was top notch.” Only Mrs. Balogun and I knew the depth of preparation behind that success.
The Balogun ethos, which embodies excellence without compromise is known to all. Working with Mrs. Balogun taught me that one can never over-prepare. Her diligence is legendary.
On the eve of a certain Governing Council meeting, every detail had been perfected. Yet by 7:26 a.m. the next day, I found her already in the office, a proof that excellence is not an act but a habit.
Her leadership style is both firm and nurturing. She pushes people beyond their comfort zones, coaxing brilliance where hesitation lingers. And she does so without ever bending the rules. Her guiding question remains: “what do the books say? What does our Regulation say?”
I once missed a promotion year because my resumption date fell a single day behind the review window. Colleagues urged me to seek a waiver. I refused, knowing she would never compromise. When I told her the following year, she replied: “I am glad you know me that much. If yours had been waived, there would be no moral justification to leave others out.” That is Mrs. Balogun: principled, consistent, and fair.
Apart from being fair to all, she has a work family; a ‘Family of Excellence’. By her second year as Registrar at Abiola Ajimobi Technical University, Ibadan, our team of four administrators had earned the affectionate title “Ọmọ Iya Balogun” (Mrs. Balogun’s children). She emphasized training with a striking reason: “When any of you is redeployed, I want you to shine wherever you go. You should stand out at all times.”
Her office became a sanctuary for staff across categories. People sought her counsel not because of her position, but because she treated them as humans, not numbers. Empathy, fairness, and wisdom were her trademarks.
Interestingly, the values that distinguished her at her former institution now illuminate her role as the sixth substantive Registrar of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso.
As she steps gracefully into her sixth decade, one truth resounds: Mrs. Olayinka Balogun is not just a Registrar; she is a force of nature: a blend of grace, grit, and glamour in service.
Happy 60th birthday, Ma. May your journey ahead be crowned with greater success, deeper impact, and many more years of qualitative service.
Wole Adejumo sent this piece from Ogbomoso
