I had the honour of presenting my reflections on the autobiography of Professor Isaac Folorunso Adewole, titled "Uncommon Grace." As someone deeply invested in documentation and history, I found Professor Adewole's decision to narrate his journey from humble beginnings to occupying one of the highest offices in the land both inspiring and invaluable. In this eloquently written memoir, Professor Adewole provides a comprehensive account of his life, from his ancestral roots to his time as Minister of Health in Nigeria. The unique aspect of this autobiography is that he portrayed himself authentically without taking the help of third-party narratives, which is often seen in accounts of high-ranking officials. His upbringing was greatly influenced by his father's commitment to education. He became a prominent figure in advocating for the rights of the underprivileged through trade unionism. His story is one of unwavering determination, resilience, and faith. His experiences, including both successes and struggles, provide priceless lessons on leadership, perseverance, and the alignment of personal values with public service. While reading "Uncommon Grace," I was struck by the deep leadership lessons that are embedded within its chapters. Professor Adewole stresses the importance of inclusivity, servant leadership, and planning, which are all highly relevant in today's complex world. His commitment to accountability, as well as his primary responsibility as a researcher, serves as a guiding light for aspiring leaders across various disciplines. During his tenure as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, he led with visionary leadership and transformative impact. His accomplishments have been meticulously documented in the book, which can serve as a blueprint for rejuvenating institutions and promoting academic excellence. In the latter part of his autobiography, Professor Adewole shares his experiences as a Minister, detailing the challenges he faced while serving the public with integrity and courage. His reflections on the complexities of public service, coupled with his commitment to the well-being of the nation, offer practical insights for policymakers and citizens alike. I have carefully read "Uncommon Grace" and it is more than just a memoir. It is a timeless book that is hard to put down once you start reading. While intellectuals may continue to debate whether uncommon grace was made possible by uncommon preparation or the other way around, I applaud Professor Adewole for sharing his ideas, knowledge, and experience with the public. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

1. @kfayemi @JKFayemi John Kayode Fayemi PhD.
Uncommon
Grace
The Autobiography of Isaac Folorunso
Dr. Kayode Fayemi (CON)
Visiting Professor, African Leadership Centre,
King's College, London, UK
A Book Review by:

2. Uncommon Grace: The Autobiography
of Isaac Folorunso Adewole
A Review by Kayode Fayemi
Itgivesmegreatpleasuretoreviewthiswellproduced,374page,twentythreechapterbookby
Professor Isaac Folorunso Adewole aka IFA. One major weakness our fledgling democracy
suffersfromisthatonlyveryfewpeoplewhohaveattainedhighofficeinourcountrybotherto
document their experience in the offices occupied. Of the few who do, the majority resort to
third party interlocutors who helped them to produce usually unhelpful hagiographic
accounts of their stewardship. Not for a man who loves “documentation and history”, a man,
who asVice Chancellorof the premierUniversity, set a record by producing annual reports of
his stewardship throughout his five year tenure and a mid-tenure report, in addition.
ProfessorAdewolehaschosentospeakforhimselfinthiselegantlywrittenmemoirsofhistime
from the cradle to the time he occupied one of the highest offices in the land as Minister of
HealthintheFederalRepublicofNigeriafrom2015to2019simply,accordingtohim,“toleave
for posterity, a record of the Adewole era”(p.xv). And we have him to thank for it. Timed to
coincide with his 70tb birthday, the book gives a comprehensive account of his ancestors’Ekiti
genealogy to his Ijesha heritage to his citizenship of the world through his contributions to
medicine and public service.
Although in his modesty and humility, he traces his accomplishments in his journey through
life to his being extraordinarily fortunate to receive God's uncommon grace, quoting from
Genesis 18:14, “is anything too hard for the Lord…?” and locating the answer in Luke 1:37
“With God, nothing shall be impossible.'' None can question that self assessment because it's a
self fulfilled prophecy. Yet one cannot but notice that his has also been a case of opportunity
always meeting meticulous and dogged preparation. Whether it is his delivery in a car on the
way to Wesley Guild at a time that maternal mortality in our country was nothing to write
home about (no wonder he's named Folorunso), his employment as Lecturer in the College of
Medicine at the University of Ibadan, or his appointment as Vice Chancellor of the premier
University or as a Minister of the Federal Republic by a man who sacked him as a resident
doctor and leader of his professional association, without knowing anyone, let alone being a
memberof the governing party, it seems clearto me that it's often a consistent case of fortunes
smiling at someone whose self motto appears to be “Always be prepared”.
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@kfayemi @JKFayemi John Kayode Fayemi PhD.

3. Uncommon Grace: The Autobiography
of Isaac Folorunso Adewole
A Review by Kayode Fayemi
Bornintoalargebut middleclassfamilyofIjeshaentrepreneurialparents-PaBenjaminAina
Adewole and Mrs Florence Monisola Adewole on May 5, 1954, IFA was a beneficiary of a
father who “demonstrated great affection for education”, even though he did not go beyond
Standard Four of old. His birth also coincided with a period in Western Region of Nigeria
when education had blossomed under Chief ObafemiAwolowo who came into office in 1952
and declared free primary education in 1955.Ahighly successful traderwho was a distributor
of products from the major fast moving goods companies of the time - GB Ollivant, UAC and
Nigeria Breweries, PaAdewole promoted social capital and community spirit and instilled in
hischildrenasenseofpurposeandservice.HealsoinstilledinyoungIFAattentiontodetailand
a meticulous and diligent sense of record keeping as his father’s unofficial bookkeeper and
auditor in his store.
Even though wealthy by the standard of the times, PaAdewole allowed his son to live with an
alakoweUncle(whotookhimtoschooldailyinacar)andwhosejobtookaroundastheCocoa
Marketing Board Inspector and ended up attending primary school in Ilesa, Ibadan and
Akure before returning to the famous Ilesa Grammar School for his secondary education.At
Ilesa GrammarSchool, IFAnot only excelled in academics but his early precocity as a voice of
the voiceless began to manifest when he became the pioneer Secretary of the Students
Representative Council. After his secondary education, he gained admission to ABU, Ife and
Ibadan but proceeded to the University of Ibadan as a Medical Student (not really a surprise
to his patients in his father's store turned clinic) on a Federal Government scholarship and
graduated in the top tier of his medical class with the GlaxoAllenbury prize as best student in
paediatrics to boot.
Yet brilliant doctor that he was, what first brought IFA to national limelight was not his
medicaldexterityorhisprodigiousintellect.Itwashistradeunionismasaresidentdoctor,first
as Secretary of the Association of Resident Doctors in UCH, Ibadan and later as Secretary
GeneralandPresidentoftheNationalAssociationofResidentDoctors(NARD)in1984. Itwas
during this period of leading his medical colleagues that a national strike which shook the
country and paralyzed medical services nationwide was declared by his association.
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@kfayemi @JKFayemi John Kayode Fayemi PhD.

4. Uncommon Grace: The Autobiography
of Isaac Folorunso Adewole
A Review by Kayode Fayemi
In response, the no-nonsense military government headed by Major General Muhammadu
Buhari sacked the doctors and declared the association leaders wanted, urging security
operatives to “get them, dead or alive”. Thanks to his teacher and lifelong mentor, Professor
TundeAdelusi and his wife, who hid him and his family for over a month.
Professor Adewole literally had to abandon his young family and escape to England only to
discoverthat some of the core leaders of the strike already escaped and were fully settled in the
UK. It soon became clear to him that he must have been a naive participant in a drama in
which he was not in the inner core when theAugust 27, 1985 coup took place and some of his
colleagues informed him that one of their strike “sponsors” was now in charge. As he put it,
“Although we felt the strike was right…but with the benefit of hindsight, the strike was
sponsored by elements within and outside the government.” This experience coupled with a
visit to Hungary where he was confronted with the irresponsibility of strike actions by health
workers now makes him more circumspect about strikes. “I'm now of the firm belief that
strikes in the hospitals should be very rare and at best, selective.”(p.37)
This escape proved to be fortuitous and useful to Dr.Adewole professionally as it afforded him
the opportunity to continue his postgraduate training under Professor Kenneth Bagshawe at
Charing Cross Hospital where he had a year clinical attachment in the Cancer Campaign
Research Laboratory, Department of Medical Oncology. His training as an oncologist under
Professor Bagshawe and his team was an experience he would forever cherish because the
experience helped him to shape his “skill, direction and interest in oncology”, and he modelled
himself after this renowned international person in the field of Oncology.
It took ProfessorAdewole almost two years to return to Nigeria after one of “their sponsors”
took overthe government in Nigeria, but as if to buttress the veracity of the link to the sponsor,
one of the first acts of the administration which endeared it to the generality of Nigerians as a
“human rights government” was the granting of state pardon to the Doctors strike leaders
includingDrAdewole.Toputhistrainingtogooduse, ittookhimanothertwo yearsto jointhe
UniversityasaLecturerin theCollege ofMedicine,UniversityofIbadanin1989. He wentinto
private practice in the intervening period between 1987 and 1989.
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@kfayemi @JKFayemi John Kayode Fayemi PhD.

5. Uncommon Grace: The Autobiography
of Isaac Folorunso Adewole
A Review by Kayode Fayemi
Returning to academia opened another phase in ProfessorAdewole's trajectory.Although his
ultimate ambition in joining the university was to become a Professor in the mould of his
Charing Cross Hospital mentor, Professor Bagshawe and a blend of Professors Vincent
Aimakhu, Oladapo Ladipo and Tunde Adelusi, he not only became a Professor of Medicine
but also rose to become a Head of Department, Dean of Faculty, Provost of the College and
ultimately Vice Chancellor of the University. Uncommon Grace covers in great detail how he
navigated the labyrinthine maze of the University system and makes foran interesting read. It
also brings out in clear relief the leadership qualities exhibited by Professor Adewole which
made it possible forhim to attain the heights he did in the course of his academic career.As an
avid reader of biographies and leadership treatises, he also put to great use all the leadership
lessons he's learned from those books with his character, capacity, competence, creativity,
compassion and courage shining through with each assignment.
Some of the lessons distilled in the book include but are not limited to the following:
1) As a leader, endeavour to bring everyone on board for the good of the system. This
informed his effort as Dean to bring together the clinical medic and non clinical medics like
Nursing and Physiotherapy to function in an integrated and effective manner as Faculty of
Clinical. Sciences and Dentistry with the non clinical medics no longer feeling relegated.
2) Use power to help people for we are given power, not to advance our own purpose nor to
make a great show. There is but one just use of power, and it is to help people.And he did this
through a variety of schemes in the University. Payment of salaries by the 25th, regular 13th
monthsalaryforstaff,automaticemploymentasAssistantLecturersforallfirstclassproducts
of the University, restoration of student unionism, cordial relations with trade unions etc
3) Treat failure as part of success. Having failed to become the Chairman of Medical
Advisory Committee of UCH and in his first attempt to become the Vice Chancellor of the
University, the experience assisted him greatly in his subsequent efforts and succeeded in spite
of the formidable opposition he faced.
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@kfayemi @JKFayemi John Kayode Fayemi PhD.

6. Uncommon Grace: The Autobiography
of Isaac Folorunso Adewole
A Review by Kayode Fayemi
4) Leadership is about persuasion, not domination. Leaders must listen and not create the
impression that those who come have no value addition. Every individual has a good and not
too good side. It is the task of leadership to help play up the good side and help downplay the
bad.
5) IntheAdewoleSchoolofLeadership,themostimportantcourseisCourse712-thestudy
ofbodylanguage.Theteachingis“aneyeonthebodyandtheotherfacinghisorhereyeballs”.
The most important thing a man has to tell you is what he's not telling you.
6) Fortune smiles at the most prepared. He learned how to manage people and gave kudos
to two organisations that helped him - the British Council and the Nigeria Governors Forum.
7) Planning is paramount. Hardly do things unplanned. He produced a Strategic Plan to
guide his tenure as Vice Chancellor and this helped in executing his vision to the letter.
8) MakeTeam Building as Second nature.Aleaderwithout a team is like a General without
an army.
9) Accountability is key. This was the experience he acquired in his father's shop as his
bookkeeper and company secretary. He still keeps a notebook of his income and expenditure
even now, just as he did in every assignment he held from Head of Department to Minister.
10) Rememberyourprimary address and yourImperatives as a researcher.As a doctor, IFA
recognizes the importance of not losing sight of his primary responsibility as a researcher -
sharing ideas, knowledge and discoveries for the benefit of humanity - which is also a key
reason for writing thisAutobiography.
His revolutionary success story as Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan between 2010 and
2015 is borne out of putting many of these leadership lessons to good use.A whole chapter of
the book is devoted to these achievements that changed the face of the University. I urge
prospective university leaders to study this particular chapter exhaustively.
Finally,leavingtheUniversitytoreturntohisclinicatUCH,fortunesmiledathimagaininthe
most unusual manner. He was called to serve at the highest level in government as a Minister.
How this happened is on its own evidence to ProfessorAdewole of Uncommon Grace.
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@kfayemi @JKFayemi John Kayode Fayemi PhD.

7. Uncommon Grace: The Autobiography
of Isaac Folorunso Adewole
A Review by Kayode Fayemi
He was not a card carrying memberof any political party and was a most unlikely choice by a
President who once sacked him from his job as a Doctor. His abiding faith in God and his
philosophy of always being prepared enabled this to happen. His record as a performing Vice
Chancellor sold him to our father, Chief BisiAkande, who was the one God used to nominate
himforhighoffice.Yet,hedidn'tevenknowChiefAkande.ItwasoneofChiefAkande’swards
who recounted the magic of IFA to the elder statesman. And it was his task of making
university transcripts available to students on the day of graduation, a feat almost deemed
impossible in the Nigerian university system that endeared Chief Akande to this IFA he had
never met. In a Nigeria where almost everyone believes that preferment to high office is
impossible unless you know someone in authority, this is a story worth sharing about service
and sacrifice with hidden expectation of any benefit or reward.
How he fared in that job is of course a matter for posterity to judge. As his colleague in the
Buhari cabinet, I can confirm he was a competent Minister who operated under very difficult
circumstances. His honesty, integrity and courage was clearly brought to bear on his work.
Many here will recall the famous budget padding saga that he brought to public knowledge to
the chagrin of some of the powers that be. Yet in spite of his best effort, budget padding has
continuedunabated,underminingthequestforholisticdevelopmentofthecountry.Yethestill
succeeded in accomplishing many positive results such as the Basic Healthcare Provision
Fund(BHCPF). The chapter on his experience in government is fascinating to read but
frustrating in its implications.Yet, his frustrations with the civil service and the President's late
ChiefofStaffdid notdenthisadmirationforhisboss, PresidentMuhammaduBuhari.Andhe
had glowing words for the man he described as “the Misunderstood President” in the book.
This is a fascinating book that is unputdownable once you start reading it. While the debate
will continue in Intellectual circles whether uncommon grace was made possible by
uncommon preparation or vice versa, I commend Professor Adewole for sharing his ideas,
knowledge and experience with the reading public and recommend the book to all
unreservedly and enthusiastically.
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@kfayemi @JKFayemi John Kayode Fayemi PhD.