16th August, 2023
By Kayode Akinropo
Yes, he is called Our Daddy. Yes, he is called Mr. Honourable Chairman. Yes, he is called Bàbá Èwe of Ìkẹjà (Father of the Youth of Ikeja). Yes, he is called M.D. (Managing Director). Yes, he is called Mr. Entrepreneur. Yes, he is called Mr. Philanthropist. Yes, he is called G.M. (General Manager). I personally call him G.M. He isn’t only a super General Manager, he is a superhuman manager!
Mr Ìdòwú Oṣùọlálé Ọbasá is called different names by different people depending on how he’s touched their lives. His passion for education also compels attention.
How has he impacted my life? He, at one time, established a tutorial centre in Alausa – Bookworm Tutors – where I taught English and Literature in English for many years.
He and his co-founding members at Independent Communications Network Limited, publishers of TheNews Magazine, Tempo, AM & PM News founded the College of Journalism (C.O.J.) where they decided to train seasoned journalists. He cleared the way for me to become one of the two lecturers handling the popular course, Newsman English. Pàpá Ògúntúàṣe (R.I.P.) of ‘Mind Your English’ fame was the other lecturer. I lectured there from 1998 till 2006 when we relocated to the UK.
There’s one semester I wanted to teach my ND & PG students all the nitty-gritty of proofreading/copywriting. I selected four of the best national magazines in Nigeria then: Newswatch, Tell, The News & Tempo for critical analysis of how they used English Language in their articles for the task. Since I was very close to G.M., I went to his office one day and showed him what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it. He stopped what he was doing immediately and went through the analysed articles.
He asked me if there’s any way I could help to minimise the mistakes I identified. I said yes. He took me straight to meet Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Mr. Babafemi Ojudu & Mr. Kunle Ajibade who were all founding members of the magazines. They all agreed something urgent must be done.
I was asked to meet Mr. Babajide Kolade-Otitoju, Mr. Ademola Adegbamigbe, Mr. Odey and Mr. Bamidele Johnson who were all editors then to discuss how I could fit in. That’s how I became a consultant copywriter and found myself in the newsroom while I was still lecturing!
When G.M. wanted to contest the chairmanship of Onígbòngbò Local Council Development Area, he decided to give free tutorials to students in the council to help them pass their GCE exams. He handed the coordination to me. I worked out the modalities for selecting candidates, core subjects to be taught, how many weeks of training would be needed, the cost, venue and teachers to teach subjects apart from English Language and Literature in English which he insisted I must personally teach. We launched the programme. We ran it and it was a success.
He was elected as the pioneer chairman of that council. He was there between 2003 & 2011. He then retired from politics and faced his businesses. His companies employ hundreds of Nigerians as workers today.
When his first two children needed some tutorials in some core subjects, he handed the planning to me. That too was successful and the children are doing very well today.
The day before I left for the UK in 2006, I went to say a final goodbye to him in his office. It’s an emotional meeting. He advised me and told me specifically to keep up with all the good things I was known for and wished me and my family all the best. He gave me dollars which when I converted into pounds was a lot of money!
Though we’ve kept in touch, we’d only met twice since 2006 until in Aberdeen last June when his son graduated and I was invited to grace the occasion. It’s a joyous reunion indeed!
After the dining and wining, he introduced me and my novel to his invited guests and all of them agreed to a photoshoot to promote this soaring away literary work!
Not only that, he bought 13 (thirteen) copies of the novel for those that were there and for his other friends in the UK!
Charity begins at home but should not end there. Never respect men merely for their riches, but rather for their philanthropy; we do not value the sun for its height but for its use. Every charitable act is a stepping stone to heaven – Gamaliel Bailey.
*Kayode Akinropo is a UK-based Nigerian and writer of the Afrocentric novel, SCARS DO HEAL: A Young Child’s Battle For Survival. He could be reached on kayolaife@yahoo.com