Chapter 18
I Left Uncle 'Safe's House
"I had gone to live with Makaiva reluctantly. My reluctance had been based, honestly, on tribal sentiment in spite of my strong, natural attraction to him. But I am glad I took the bold step of venturing out to break down a pointless tribal barrier."
At the time that I enrolled at Ayedojo Secretarial Centre, I was living with Uncle 'Safe, because my brother, Ajiboye, had then returned to Iyin. Uncle Safe and I were compatible in every way except on bedtime. His latest time for bed was 10pm while I was used to studying much later: sometimes I did not sleep until 3 am and, most such times, I slept outside. My stay with Uncle 'Safe was therefore short-lived.
I Move to Mr. Tombri's House
One day, I left, reluctantly, Uncle 'Safe's abode so as to live with Makaiva. During my sojourn with my new host, I discovered that he was what he was by God's grace, coupled with his sheer dint of hard work. We shared similarities except that, unlike him, my parents were still alive. He had lost his, but he had a special day of the year dedicated to his mother's memory.
Our Characteristics and How We Managed Ourselves
Makaiva was a very cautious person. Unlike him, I was impulsive. We were both inquisitive and enthusiastic, particularly educationally. We competed healthily with each other. He passed the 80 wpm in Shorthand before me but I passed both the 100wpm and 120wpm stages ahead of him. Every step either of us identified as good, we both followed. We joined the English Language course of Business Training (Correspondence) College, London and completed it together successfully.
Employment wise, we worked together at Lovell Stewart Nigeria Limited (LSN). Later he left LSN to join Unitan Construction Company in Anthony village where, and sometimes, he slept in the office. From there, he joined UpJohn a Pharmaceutical Company located around Toyota Bus Stop along Oshodi-Mile-2 Expressway. Again, we narrowly missed working together.
We registered once with the National College of Commerce, Bariga, for evening classes. He was the first to withdraw, I followed suit. Our quest for knowledge continued apace and we joined the Progresside Evening Classes at Mosalasi Bus Stop. This time when I withdrew, he immediately followed suit. We both studied at the United Christian Secretarial College, Apapa, where I enrolled in the 1980/81 session. He joined me there the following session, and we were both successful in the final examinations. Ours was a twin or symbiotic existence and whenever one of us was successful, the other threw a party to mark it. We did not allow any room for envy but rather emulated one another's good qualities.
As I said, I had gone to live with Makaiva reluctantly. My reluctance had been based, honestly, on tribal sentiment in spite of my strong, natural attraction to him. But I am glad I took the bold step of venturing out to break down a pointless tribal barrier. I still wonder about what heights I would have attained if I had not lived with Mr. Tombri when I did. Makaiva's loving disposition erased for ever any consideration of tribal sentiments from my life, so much so that our friendship extended to his own siblings.
During the period we lived together at No. 5 Boladale Street, Oshodi, we organized private classes for students including those preparing for fresh examinations and those who had re-sits in secretarial subjects. Some of our students then included Misses Aminat Ayinde (now Mrs. Abe), Stella Njimanze, and Justina. Nwogu. We taught them as much as we were imbibing in our own studies. Makaiva led the speed class while I handled the theoretical aspect. We charged no fees, yet there were days I taught until I was exhausted! Our major reward was that the exercise put us on our toes at all times, thereby ensuring our mastery of the subjects. This was great gain in the circumstance.
Eventually, I was strong enough to rent my own apartment and Makaiva and I lived apart for good. Only God can reward him adequately for all he did to make life easy for me. But I am also glad that today we live together as neighbours where he and I have built our own houses side-by-side!
Backsliding, Revival and Redemption
That God has dominated my life is not in doubt. However, the month of August, 1976, witnessed the first spectacular miraculous work of God in my life.
My religious background, coupled with the challenges of the generally unsatisfactory nature of my employment, had turned me into a dedicated and prayerful Christian even though I did not attach much importance to Church-going or to Bible-reading per se. Little did I also appreciate the full extent of Christ's might.
Uncle 'Safe and I had stopped altogether, going to the Gospel Faith Mission which we had attended only briefly. I might not have withdrawn but for the day that the whole congregation, with the Pastor in the lead himself, burst into tears simply because he said some happenings indicated that the end of the world had come. I had believed firmly that church should be a place for joy, not an arena for mourning. I also believed that rather than engage ourselves in weeping and wailing, we should rather practise what the Bible says and bother less about when the end would come, so that whenever it came, it should not surprise us. What should matter to us was to be rapturable. I also held to my belief that this world is a University where we should graduate to our heavenly homes. Therefore we must not idle away here. I was also sure that if we failed in this world, it would be difficult to make heaven somehow. Because of these considerations, I stopped frequenting the Church!
One Saturday evening sometime later, my friend, Jimoh, from Oke Agbe in the Akoko Division of Ondo State, visited me. We had lived together before at No. 5, Salawu Street, Oshodi. He came to share the good news that he had become a Christian. He had come to invite me for conversion. He belonged to the Christ Gospel Church sect which was then situated in the Odi-Olowo Area of Mushin.
Even though I had turned down similar invitations in the past, it was wonderful that I accepted Jimoh's, apparently coincidental to my frustrations in my place of employment and the uncertainties of my academic ambition. So, on the following Sunday, we went to Church together.
Ask God for Whatever You Want!
Although I cannot remember the content of the praise and worship songs we sang that day but I remember vividly the kernel of the sermon, which was anchored on “The Ability of God to Provide Everything we Lack”, as long as we asked Him in faith to do so. As we were about to rise for benediction, we were requested to whole-heartedly pray to God and ask Him whatever we lacked. It was a great opportunity for me to converse directly with my God. As if God did not know me before, I described myself as a poor suffering fellow without any hope. I prayed for a better employment and concerning my studies, I asked for power of concentration and deep knowledge to enable me achieve my aims in life, particularly academically.
After the silent prayers, we were advised to thank God for doing what we prayed for. We were, however, sternly dissuaded from repeating such requests since they had been granted. I embraced this golden advice and my faith grew accordingly but on the day of the advice, my heart dwelt so much on it that it was full of nothing but praises of God Almighty.
God Answers My Prayers
When I came back from Church, I was told by Uncle 'Safe that Uncle Kayode, my former co-journey-walker of the Yaba-Ikeja-Agege episode, had come twice to look for me. He was at that time a personal driver to a retired Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hector Omooba (later a Chief) . I couldn't fathom the visit and wondered what it was all about. I waited for some time but Uncle Kayode did not return. Since it was time for me to go for my afternoon Shorthand lectures which I received unfailingly from my brother's friend, Mr. Ojo Olusoji, I appealed to Uncle 'Safe to re-direct Uncle Kayode as necessary whenever he came back. For later doing so, I am very grateful to Uncle Safe for his kindness.
I Meet Chief Omooba
About two hours later, Uncle 'Safe accompanied Uncle Kayode to meet me where I was taking my lessons along Olusoji Street. Uncle Kayode and I then drove directly to the Government Reservation Area (GRA), Ikeja, where Chief Omooba lived. Though I had heard much about the Chief, I had never met him face to face. Since I wasn't told, I wondered about the purpose of the whole journey. I then verbalized my thoughts and asked uncle Kayode the reason for our journey to the GRA. It was then he told me that a new company was being established, which needed a Typist. My heart beat hard against my ribs on receiving the information and I wondered if that would, so soon, be the outcome of my prayer in the Church!
We met Chief Omooba in his sitting room and I was immediately impressed with his level of politeness which I least expected of such a highly placed public figure. Indeed Chief Omooba was a man with a difference! He spoke our Ekiti dialect so fluently that it seemed he had never stepped out of Ekiti land and like an illiterate native that had never encountered any outside influence! And his mien was gentle and his voice soft. I was kept completely at ease. We had a brief discussion during which he affirmed what Uncle Kayode had told me earlier. I was delighted and I kept reciting within me, “Thank you God, thank You God...”
However, the discussion got to a sensitive stage. While it was true that I was good at typing and Shorthand but I had no single certificate to prove it. Worse still, I had no higher certificate than the Primary School Leaving Certificate (which I was yet to receive). The only document in my possession was my worn-out testimonial. However, with the kind assistance of Chief Omooba, I was finally recruited into Lovell Stewart Nigeria Limited (LSN) as a Clerk/Typist. My immediate benefit was that LSN afforded me the opportunity to be acquainted early in my secretarial career with a larger dimension of secretarial practice. I was exposed to a highly automated office with such novel equipment as Dictaphones, electric typewriters, photocopiers, and so on. All these were very useful learning aids in practical terms and I made the best use of them.
The Roles Chief Omooba Played in My Life
Chief Omooba gave me knowledge in several areas of life during my days at LSN. He taught me the banking habit, by ensuring that I saved some money monthly. This he did by taking custody of my passbook so I would be thrifty. He taught me administrative skills, which, up till today, have remained invaluable to me in the performance of my duties as an Administrator. He counseled me a lot on self-education and he taught me many things about life generally, citing examples of his own difficult past. My first driver's licence was obtained with relative ease through his help. He took personal interest in my family life. Apart from marriage counseling which he offered freely to me, his wife was, and still is at the time of writing this book, a mother to us all and also a good example of an ideal woman. She attended my wedding!
The Omobas with their own lives taught me a great lesson in humility.
I left Lovell Stewart
One year after I joined LSN, I recorded some significant academic successes. Although I was promoted in LSN, at a stage, I was convinced that my remuneration was not commensurate with my qualification. My employers were not moved when I made a case for further advancement and so, in my third year with the Company, I decided to explore greener pastures. I got a job with Jerriman Travel Agency which was located in Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, where I considered myself well paid.
Roll of Honours
At this point of my life, I had a core group of individuals who aided and shaped my life, to whom I remain grateful. First, is a gentleman, Uncle Kayode Ojo who was my brother's bosom friend. He took me as a blood relation. As stated earlier, when my brother, Ajiboye, became jobless in 1975, he had to return to Iyin. It was to Mr. Ojo I had constant recourse. I visited him often whenever I came to Exam Success Correspondence College Office in Palmgrove, which was near Mr. Ojo's residence. Such visits were mostly to borrow money from him, but he ensured that I paid for, obtained receipts and indeed attended all my lectures. He also ensured that all my scripts were submitted for marking.
Some others were the wonderful people I met at LSN. Mr. J.M.C. Levitt (a Briton, beautiful signature I adapted to mine) was the General Manager (Technical). He grouchily taught me English grammar whenever I committed any grammatical blunders. In fact, once, he was so provoked by my infuriating malapropisms that he terminated my appointment, but Mr. Omooba was there to rescue me and have me re-instated almost immediately. Counter-balancing Mr. Levitt was Mr. Adega with his sympathetic words: “Yemi, I sympathise with all your efforts. I would advise you to study Practical English Books 1-IV and read more of African novels to enrich your vocabulary”. He pointed me in useful directions in my academic struggle. Another benefactor, Mrs. Anibaba (a West Indian), was the Personal Secretary to Mr. Levitt. She organized a speed class to improve my proficiency in Shorthand and was the one whom God used, as you would read presently, to minister to my spirit on how to find a good wife.
I will not forget, of course, Mr. E. Itua, who assisted me financially and morally, and Sina Alausa too. There was also the unique woman, Mrs. Mojisola Ogun, the Company Accountant, who later became my mentor. She believed that whatever a worker deserved should be given him or her, irrespective of age. When I was posted to her as a Shorthand/Typist, she felt that I was worth a Confidential Secretary. Thereafter, she created an environment conducive for a competent Personal Secretary. Apart from regular counseling, she encouraged me to pursue my desired career to a most rewarding standard.
Her love and support were demonstrably practical. Once in 1979, I had need to undertake a correspondence course for my GCE Ordinary Level papers at a cost of well over eighty naira (N80.00). I contemplated a vigil to back up my prayers for a loan of forty naira (N40.00) from LSN. I wrote the application, forwarded it through Mrs. Ogun to the General Manager (Administration), for approval. A few minutes later, I went to her office to routinely clear her tray and, to my surprise, I found the same envelope in it but re-addressed to me. I was disturbed and thought that she had disapproved of it. But on opening the envelope, I was shocked to find the cash of forty naira (N40.00) enclosed. When I asked her if she had personally loaned me the money, she replied: “Yemi, if you pass the GCE examinations, the money is a gift but if you fail, then you are to refund it”.
I thanked her with a promise that I would succeed. She had already left LSN when I received the GCE results. Alas, I passed three papers (including English Language at credit level) of the four subjects I offered. Immediately, I had headed straight to her house in Ikeja to inform her of my success. What made a profound impression on me was neither her profuse congratulations nor her warmth but rather her challenging question: “Are you proceeding further with your studies now? If so, anytime you need my assistance, do not hesitate to come!”
Next Chapt. 19
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