There are two important things on my mind this morning.

The first is that I am going to pick up my international passport, at last, from the American embassy where I had lodged it since May 8, 2019, two days before the drop box system for visa renewal was abolished.

It has been over 4 months since then.

I missed personally taking my 5-year old son to the US for his minor dental surgery in June. I could not go to the 2019 AFCON in Egypt in June and July.

In short, I could not travel anywhere since then, patiently waiting like a vulture for whatever was delaying its issuance.

Last weekend, I was called from the embassy. My passport had been waiting for collection for one month and I had no idea.

Anyway, I am on my way this morning to pick it up.

The second important thing that happened to me is that I finally met with the Governor of my State, Ogun, for the first time since he won the elections and was sworn in.

Last week, I went unannounced to government house to meet with the Chief-of-Staff, my brother and friend, Shuaibu Afolabi. I was lucky, he was in the office.

He it was that went to ‘report’ me, without warning me, to the Governor that I was trying to sneak in and sneak out of government house without paying homage. It was very kind of him.

Before I knew what was happening I had been ‘arrested’ and summoned to the presence of Prince Dapo Abiodun in his expansive beautiful office.

He completely disarmed me with his welcome, the broadest of smiles, a warm handshake, a big hug, and some minutes of an intimate conversation about this and that – my Wasimi Academy, his innovative work on tackling the dangerous youth challenge in the State, a visit to Wasimi Orile soon, my promise to render my support whenever asked, and so on and so forth.

Anyone looking at us would think we had been old close friends, whereas that was our first really close encounter, even though we used to communicate via phone and WhatsApp a few times in the past.

He is a very likeable person. I like him. No airs at all. Simple, gentle and very amiable.

We were joined later by Senator Tolu Odebiyi, another friend and co-traveller in politics, whose victory at the elections was upheld that day by the election tribunal.

I left Oke Mosan with very good impressions. I shall surely contribute my quota to the present government in my area of specialty whenever called upon to do so (and even without being calledupon).

We had a photo session to round off my August visit in September. The beautiful pictures have just been sent to me and they tell their own story.

By Segun Odegbami