TODAY BELONGS TO TOLU BALOGUN

TODAY BELONGS TO TOLU BALOGUN

I have been asked many-many times why COSON is so resilient and regardless of what is thrown at the organization, it continues to expand, grow and match on.  

There are of course several factors that have made it impossible for those who want to bring COSON down to succeed. Yes, we have learnt from the sad experience of organizations in the creative sector.  One of the key factors in the resilience of COSON is the strength of the bond within the COSON family. That bond is found within the Membership, the Board and Management. 

I am sure those who have tried to crack the bond have been surprised at how tough it is. I remember early in 2018 when there was a concerted ploy to pitch our General Manager against his immediate deputy. Anywhere else, it may have worked because the plotters were devious and had tried to exploit the natural greed of man. Not at COSON. The ploy fell like a pack of cards as the plotters left with eggs in their faces. Not one member of the COSON Management left his position in 2018.

The attempt to decimate our board by publishing bogus financial transactions so as to sow the seeds of discord has been a non-starter. Where trust is lacking, it may have worked. Not at COSON. 

I know that the expectation was that with their constant pot shots and arrows, the membership would dwindle. Anywhere else, that may have been the outcome. Not at COSON. Indeed in 2018, the COSON membership grew by almost 10%!   

Those who think that we run COSON in the typical shabby Nigerian style miss the point. With all humility, we run COSON well which is why all the stones thrown at us promote us.

Rather than weaken the organization, every attack has strengthened the bond within the COSON family. In the COSON family, the pain of one is the pain of all and the celebration of one is the celebration of all.

Today, in the ancient city of Akure, the COSON family will be celebrating with one of our own.

The day he came up to the Board room to tell me that one beautiful babe had finally decoded the password to his heart, I told him to get lost. I scolded him with "where dem born the gal?" That is the kind of banter I engage in with my guy, the COSON Head of New Media, the guy that has made "COSON Naija" one of the most popular platforms on Facebook and got COSON sizzling on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and everywhere else.

The day he came back to the Board room with a bundle of Aso Ebi, a card and a bottle of wine, it began to dawn on me that what may have begun as a joke is serious.

Today, the joke is on me.  Today, the joke is on all the pretty girls in Lagos who have gone to all kinds of pastors each praying that my guy, one of the most dashing guys in the city, will pop the question. He has indeed popped the question but sorry, not to any of them.

Love, they say conquers all and today in Akure, the COSON family will eat, sing and rock to every dance style as we bear witness to the conquest of love at the ToluTomi wedding which begins at the Emmanuel Anglican Church, Osinle and hots up at St Thomas Church Event Centre.

 

Those who know me well will tell you that I am not your Aso Ebi kind of guy. But today is different. It is not everyday I go to a wedding of a son like the irrepressible one the girls like to call Tohlu Blaize, some know as Tolulope Balogun or Tolu Balogun and I call Tee Bee! Please let it be known that from today, any girl praying that Tolu Balogun will pop the question is praying in vain. The deed is done.

Please Join me in wishing Tolu and Tomi, this freshly minted couple of 2019, a very happy wedlock.

You know that Tolu is a new media guy like no other. If you want to see the wedding photos in living colour, use the official hashtag, #OT2019.

See you next week.