WHO wouldn’t cry at the demise of Wale Aboderin. Well, unless your paths didn’t cross. We called him CHAIRMAN, and he was indeed. It is unbelievable that I am referring to Chairman in the past.

Sometime in 1992/3, as an undergraduate of the University of Ibadan, I used to visit Lagos often, especially weekends. My Lagos mission was simple – work and earn money for surviving in school. I used to come to Lagos to work by serving as a waiter at Lagos parties. You know how parties are thrown all over Lagos during the weekend. I registered with some caterers and event planners as a waiter or usher, and was available for work weekends. I was paid twenty naira (N20) for each party I served. Lucky weekends, one may serve at 4 parties and make about eighty naira (N80).

At one of such parties, a young ‘ajebo-looking’ man walked in. He was unassuming and greeted everyone around. He even greeted the waiters. Mbanu! Not in this clime. ‘Waiters (and their likes) are rejects of the earth, and should be kept at arms length’, but not with my Chairman. Every life matters. I could not help but notice his calm demeanour, his smile and how he made everyone around him important.

I walked up to him to take his order, he interacted with me, he made feel important, not just like an ‘ordinary’ waiter. Not that I felt ordinary, I was a high-scoring undergrad then, but who cares. People judge what they see here and now. Chairman didn’t. If my memory serves me right, Chairman did not eat anything at that party. Yes, we spoke, but he did not order for any food or drink.

At some point during the party, I walked up to him to say that if he didn’t mind, I would like to have a private chat with him. Recalling this incident many years later, Chairman told me that when I approached him, in his heart he simply laughed. He had just returned to Nigeria from England. He had been warned severally to beware of Nigerian scammers who have all sorts of stories to tell in order to defraud you. At that time the notorious 419 was gaining notoriety. Was I a scammer, who wanted to have an aside with him having learnt that he just returned from abroad, he wondered? But, I didn’t know him, his background or where he was coming from. I saw him, and a ‘spirit’ ministered to me to walk up to him and tell him who I am and ask for assistance, simple and short. And I did. And, thank God I did.

Life as an undergraduate at the University of Ibadan was tough. Eating was a miracle. To survive, one had to devise ingenious ways of survival including working at weekends and having a string of girl friends (with no sexual intentions really). Since many girls cooked in school, having these girls almost guaranteed your survival, eating in the evening, as you could pay them a visit, and eat. I designed a roster, so that I didn’t visit any girl too often and became a nuisance. And I was never interested in any sexual relationship with them, because that could jeopardise the friendship, and my dinner. I was a Lagos boy, don’t forget.

Continue reading at https://www.naijamagazineonline.com/2018/06/wale-aboderin-why-i-cry-for-my-chairman.html

So sad indeed

RIP yo a great man

He will be missed

WALE ABODERIN: Why I Cry For My Chairman - by Chukwuemeka Okereafor

So I met Chairman under such conditions. I told Chairman my story, the challenges in school, the struggles and all. I asked for his assistance. He invited me to his house in Punch Compound, Onipetesi, Mangoro. I came on a Monday morning.

I still remember the first day I stepped into that house. I have never seen a house as that - the opulence, the beauty, the décor. Unlike where I was coming from, I didn’t have to jump ‘gutters’, or escape garbage-filled streets to get home. Chairman’s house and environment were clean. Everything worked. I was impressed. I saw why I must not remain poor. I was inspired.

As I waited at the reception area, that was enough living room by all standards, his chef, Sunday, came to me to take my order. I laughed. I used to receive orders for meal, today I am giving orders for meal. I requested for rice, what else could I request for, which other meal did I know. I was ushered to the dinning table to have my meal. No I wasn’t served at the waiting area. Another American wonder. In this new world, meals are eaten in the dinner table, not just anywhere in the house. Life is good after all. All this while I had not seen Chairman.

As I was eating, he came to the dinning table to welcome me. He sat and ordered for Shepherd Pie if I remember correctly. What was that? That was the first time I heard of it. He offered me some also (I would have preferred Sheep pie though, if you get the drift). That was my first time of eating Shepherd Pie.

As we ate, we chatted. He asked more about myself – my parents, family, school,, hobbies. He wanted to know me. I told him all that is, no holds barred. When we were done, I went back to the reception area to wait for him. He walked back into the bedroom. After awhile, Chairman came out and threw N5000 (a bundle of N50 notes) at me. I caught it, who wouldn’t? He said it was for my transport back to Ibadan. When I saw the money, I wanted to die, collapse, laugh, shout and all, in one breadth. A whole weekend, I make less than one hundred naira, and here I am with a N5,000 gift. I was elated and grateful. That was the first time ever, I had received such huge sum of money from anyone.

That was the beginning of my friendship with Wale Aboderin. Days turned into months and years and that relationship waxed stronger. Chairman took over my education, providing me much needed support. No wonder my undergraduate thesis was about my Chairman. Upon graduation, his support did not stop as I went to do my Masters. He employed me and gave me accommodation in that Punch Compound, having holidayed several times in his house. https://www.naijamagazineonline.com/2018/06/wale-aboderin-why-i-cry-for-my-chairman.html

I was so sad reading the tribute OP posted about Wale Aboderin. This is just so painful. The Aboderins are a warm, friendly and easy going lot. I remember Wunmi Obe TWO (nee Aboderin) who attended Unilag many years ago. I also remember her sister who was once the advert manager, for Newswatch magazine and the defunct Quality magazine. Both of them were so jovial and kind hearted. May God comfort their family on the loss of their brother Chief Wale Aboderin.

LaudableXX:


I was so sad reading the tribute OP posted about Wale Aboderin. This is just so painful. The Aboderins are a warm, friendly and easy going lot. I remember Wunmi Obe TWO (nee Aboderin) who attended Unilag many years ago. I also remember her sister who was once the advert manager, for Newswatch magazine and the defunct Quality magazine. Both of them were so jovial and kind hearted. May God comfort their family on the loss of their brother Chief Wale Aboderin.

Honestly wunmi was my set in unilag they are really active and jovial

Sad indeed

Lakeside79:
Honestly wunmi was my set in unilag really active and jovial

Sad indeed

Are you serious?! Wow! Small world. She was actually in the same set too, with one of my older cousins. I used to see her, whenever I visited my cousin and her friends in Moremi Hall, in those days.

LaudableXX:


Are you serious?! Wow! Small world. She was actually in the same set too, with one of my older cousins. I used to see her, whenever I visited my cousin and her friends in Moremi Hall, in those days.