'Daddy Special' By Adesina Ogunlana

Some days ago, last week a well attended programme to mark the (post humous) 100th birth-day of Obafemi Awolowo S.A.N took place at the Airport Hotel.

If any one doubts the credentials of Awolowo as a titan in Nigerian politics, such should be asked whether they have across any dying or living whom is constantly referred to as “the safe.”

At the occasion encomiums flowed like a flood poured on “the best president Nigeria never had.” As usual with any Awotalk, the sagacity, organizational genius, thoroughness, integrity, patriotism etc of the late husband of Hannah Idowu Dideolu were high-lighted.

Obafemi Awolowo, died in 1987 at the age of 78 years. If he were alive, he would have been one hundred years. In another twenty-­two years, another giant from Ogun State, a lawyer as well and silk too, would be one hundred years old.

This giant was with me on January 19 2009 in Abuja. I was not on holiday and funny enough, I didn’t go there for business, yet I necessarily had to be there. I went to Abuja that day as a warrior. To fight the battle of my career on a turf chosen by my enemies. But ‘small boy’ gecko was not alone. God was with me. Then, one of my three earthly fathers, Daddy 3 was with me. This Daddy is the giant.

For the six years of the battle, the giant has been with me. He’s sticking to his solemn promise he made to me those early turbulent days. Said Daddy 3,
“I will always go with you.
I’ll be there with you, personally”
And that’s what the giant has been doing. And with great style too. What touches me most is the bewildering humility and grace, my daddy brings to the struggle - the giant does not shepherding as if I was the one doing him a favour!

Let me just give you two samples of what I have been stuttering about. The night before we left for Abuja, I was in the giant’s house. The Iroko had been toiling almost all day long on my case. When it was time to go, daddy 3 now offered a special fruit drink, which to my utter embarrassment, he proceeded to serve. Now this was a man who had been called to the bar, some three years before my mother crossed the threshold of marital conjugality!

Secondly after the day’s battle at Abuja on the 19 January, 2009 the giant and I made our way to the Airport. Right from day one, the only thing the giant allows me do for him on such trips and even then, not with some reluctance is to carry his bag. I dare not pay for any expense of his.

At the Airport, the Giant suddenly looked at me and said “well I’ll be traveling. Business class. That meant some seven thousand naira more than the fare of the “Dugbe” class. I had to express my own limitation which restricted me necessarily to go “Dugbe Class”. Then the giant with just the slightest tease of amusement asked “Aren’t you now above fifty years? When I answered in the affirmative saying that my age is at an equidistance between forty and fifty years, the Iroko uttered these unforgettable lines or at least words to that effect:
“So when do you want to start enjoying your life? And before one could say Abdul-Ralmon Shugaba Vs Minister of Internal Affairs, the giant had paid his fare and mine too!

I pray that in twenty years time, Daddy 3 would still be alive. But I don’t want to wait that long to tell of my father’s goodness.
Afterall if the adage is that:
“tomo eni bad a kawi
ki se pe a fe fi se aya
(If one’s child is a beauty let’s say it.
It not as if one is passing the compliment so as to have her for a wife) then my own home made proverb should be true too. The proverb goes thus:
“Bi baba eni ba dara kawi
Ki see pe a fe so do osa”
(If one’s father is good we should say it passing the compliments do not mean we want to make him a deity).