Olanrewaju Apantaku (popularly known as OLA), one of Nigeria’s many unsung heroes is being celebrated in the United Kingdom by friends and associates as he adds another year to his decades of good works of being the voice of the masses and one of the strategic managers of the linking London train.
Olanrewaju, an Ijesha born Nigerian immigrant in England has done well for himself, his family and Nigeria, his fatherland. Having positively affected his community and country of abode, supporting great ideals opposing various vices that tends to place one human being above others with no recourse to laid down rules.
A special breed Nigerian, OLA has been a Commercial Train Manager based at Waterloo for 18 years and for the last 7 years and he has also been a RMT Representative and Branch Chairman for RMT Waterloo Branch. That’s not all, Ola has also been Vice Chairman for the Black and Ethnic Minority RMT Advisory Committee.
As a proven administrator, Apantaku was at a time elected as the Chairman of the RMT Black and Ethnic Minority Advisory Committee in United Kingdom. Based on his unequalled record of achievements, he’s been slated to Chair the above body’s Conference in Birmingham on 4th of March, 2024.
An unsung hero with years of experience, Apantaku has also been Company Council Representative for the Suburban Area of the Wessex Region. The Council consisting of Waterloo, Wimbledon, Strawberry Hill, Staines, Woking, Guildford, Feltham and Farnham.
As a man who believes updating himself, he trained in day to day running of the railway system in London, dealing with workplace issues and negotiations. He recently just got elected into the TUC CONGRESS RACE RELATIONS COMMITTEE for 2023 – 2024.
Through the years and as someone who is vast on issues relating to his relating to his chosen profession, and abreast of issues of public welfare, this man of fate has developed greater confidence in his dealings and has managed to provide representation and given practical support and advice to staff and other colleagues in the company when they have problems or other challenges at work.
Suave, purposeful and always determined, he has intermittently had meetings with management to find solutions to workplace issues and with his expertise and perspectives. That clearly, has helped to improve the safety of guards, passengers and staff to ensure that all process of investigation was fair and transparent. Whenever such challenges comes up.
As part of experiences garnered in the course of time, Apantaku has also worked closely with other RMT Representatives and the Company Council to investigate safety and welfare issues as well as helping to promoting culture change and leading on fair culture across SWR and United Kingdom.
One thing anyone cannot take away from Apantaku remain the used of his abilities, diplomatic dexterity and organisational capabilities which has positively impacted on staff and management with great results. A great credit to a man of the people.
Today, without mincing words, Olanrewaju Apantaku remain one of Nigeria’s very reliable “ambassadors” of goodwill in the United Kingdom. He is clearly a quiet, reserved and highly efficient, and respected unsung heroes which no nation should afford to overlook. As family, friends and associates expressly celebrates this special son of Africa, we wish him many happy returns with more wins across the globe.
