From midnight, even as  Jubril Adewale Tinubu, CON,  Group Chief Executive, Oando Plc, chose to  put his mobile phone on silent mode, its screen flashed continuously and  aroused  him from his beautiful sleep, as it was  bombarded with calls and text messages from family members, friends , business associates et al.

Interestingly, the undisguised expressions of love by his loved ones from that dead of night and through the rest of the day have become like an annual ritual of sorts that they perform whenever the oil guru marks his birthday.

On his part, the University of Liverpool- trained lawyer has so much to thank God for, as he turned 56 today, Monday, June 26.

A reliable source told us that Tinubu, who began his career with his family law firm, K.O. Tinubu and Co., in 1990 and later co-founded Ocean and Oil Group in 1994, is celebrating the birthday surrounded by  his family at his residence in London.  

Also, the occasion affords Tinubu, fondly called The King of  African Oil, to  thanked God for the rare grace to have lived an eventful life thus far and for another great opportunity to reflective on his earthly sojourn so far, and pray for greater blessings in the coming years.

It was also gathered that he would use the occasion to put smiles on the faces of the needy around him in his characteristic magnanimity and sense of fellow-feeling.

This may not be surprising to those who know him too well, as he had used the occasions of his birthday in the past to act as the Angel of hope to the disadvantaged members of the society.

Just like his name, Jubril, he has been an angel to many whose paths have crossed with his on many occasions. He has lent support and been a shoulder to lean on for numerous less-privileged and the poor.  He is indeed  a bellwether in the acts of generosity to  others. He sees sharing love with them as a sacred devotion.

The man who today is Africa’s pride in oil and gas   is usually driven by an abiding quest to change the lives of his people  for the better.