Chapter 34
The Fundamental Differences
Between the First
And the Second
Editions of This Book
In the first place, it is remarkable that the first edition of this book amounted to less than thirty per cent of the current edition, which recounts the ups and the downs of my life up to recently. The first edition had accounted for the first 30 years of my life while this covers almost up to my Golden Jubilee.
Interpretatively, if my experiences during the foundations of my life reportedly transformed the dire life of a desperate reader into approbative existence, then one could justifiably feel fulfilled and expectant that one's life would remain a source of relief and inspiration to other needy in the society!
This is not to ignore also the bridging of the great gulf in skillful writing between my limitation evident in the first edition and the more mature literary rendering in the current one due to the professional touches from ompetent editors, Deacon Andrew Masade and Mr. Achor. The former (Andrew) gave the book the final touch of professionalism, strength and authority it carries and I appreciate him for that. The invaluable contribution of Bode Ajayi who also proof-read this book is hereby appreciated.
Of course the state of my general exposure in matters of life was evident in the two periods and it was reflected in my writing. I was young in such issues as marriage, nuclear/extended family management, child rearing or home economics in which I had practised barely a few years when I wrote the first edition but after two decades of marital exposure at which point I had written the book “This Thing Called Marriage”, I had to have a better offering!
That's why, as I stated before, my hopes are palpably high about the feedback I would get from concerned readers whose lives need a boost and a new, happier direction or purpose.
Chapter 35
God's Faithfulness
"One such opportunity which I narrowly missed was being employed as a Personal Secretary to the then Archbishop of the Lagos Arch-Diocese, Festus Segun (since retired). I lost the opportunity, apparently because God had something better in stock for me. He therefore allowed Mummy, his wife, to oppose my being employed on the pretext that my salary was too much compared to what she earned when she worked , with the then General Post Office!"
I had challenged God as I stated earlier, to spare my life, when death threatened, so that I might see the results of my numerous examinations. He was indeed kind to me towards the tail end of 1981 when the results began to trickle in.
First, before the end of my second term in the United Christian Secretarial College London
In summary, I passed virtually all the 39 subjects I offered in the different examinations - that is, GCE, RSA, Pitman and the final result in the United Christian Secretarial College
When I was leaving the United Christian Secretarial College
With these certificates, I returned to the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria with gratitude to its top Management (including Dr. Uma Oke Eleazu, Mr. Tunji Olajide and Mr. Uzor Okeke (now late). I was later promoted to the substantive position of a Personal Secretary to the Executive Director, Dr. Eleazu.
Apart from that promotion, thanks to both Mr. Olajide who recommended it and Dr. Eleazu who approved, I was granted a loan of N4,812 (four thousand, eight hundred and twelve naira only) with which I bought my first ever, a brand new Volkswagen Beetle 1500cc car! That was on April 24th or so in the year 1982. Let me add at this juncture, with gratitude to Dr. Eleazu, that he was actually the person who triggered off my interest to own a car at that time by offering to sell to me cheaply, his own air-conditioned 504 car! I opted for a Volkswagen Beetle because I was very particular about owning a new car.
Appealing as all these elevations might be to my reader, I left the Manufacturers Association only barely one year after. I could not stay longer, not only because the opportunities to grow abounded elsewhere, but perhaps because that was how God had destined my sojourn in the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria to be; indeed I had vowed that I was not going to stay in one place for poverty to catch up with me again!
As I was concerned with my own growth, so was I deeply and emotionally committed to the progress of my brother, Ajiboye and my sisters. My vision of success embraced mine as well as those of the entire family.
About six months before I purchased my car, my brother, Ajiboye, had acquired a 14-seater Litehace bus (thanks to Uncle Ayelabola's wife who made this possible through her brother, Jide)on hire-purchase terms. The bus made commercial runs within Ekiti-land but touched Lagos Ibadan
As often happens in poor economic circumstance, this catastrophe had a domino effect on our entire family. I was particularly devastated, knowing that Ajiboye would have to start life all over again. Things had totally fallen apart for him.
While we regretted the loss of his vehicle, we were thankful to God for sparing his dear life. Soon though, we were celebrating the purchase of my own car, even if under the shadow of mounting family debts. At the time too, it was not very well with my two sisters either. Fehintola, my eldest sister, had lost her husband while in Julianah's case, she was neck-deep in personal debts and scared of a looming public disgrace!
What could have been my mother's joy was instead dotted and soured with escalating debts she had to help settle. The circumstance rather aged her, so that she needed more medical care and sustenance, as well as personal assurance. This development greatly handicapped me, reducing my ability, not only to operate at my spiritual best but to care for Mum as I had vowed to do in my life. The situation also affected, negatively, the welfare of my nuclear family. But my faith remained firm in God Almighty whom I believed would certainly turn the situation around for good.
Uncertainty
When I was to leave the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, I had given a two-and-a-half month notice of my intention. Throughout the period, I applied to other establishments for employment. One such opportunity which I narrowly missed was being employed as a Personal Secretary to the then Archbishop of the Lagos Arch-Diocese, Festus Segun (since retired). I lost the opportunity, apparently because God had something better in stock for me. He therefore allowed Mummy, his wife, to oppose my being employed on the pretext that my salary was too much compared to what she earned when she worked , with the then General Post Office!
By 1996 or so, my God of restoration revisited the case and settled it in my favour through Mummy's younger brother (Folarin) who became my boss in a multi-national organization! Folarin, who knew me from nowhere before, but moved by the kind of unfairness meted to me by his boss (to whom I too reported directly) before he took over the mantle of leadership of the same Department, fought my case for me as if he knew me ever before. He it was who re-evaluated my job-position, which led to an instant promotion on the release of the evaluation report! Ironically, I did not get to know that Mummy and Folarin were from the same womb until I attended the funeral of their late mother during which I saw Bishop Festus Segun's Canopy. As I write, I have never discussed it with Folarin! I was more concerned with the amazing and miraculous power of God to right whatever wrong is done to us if only we leave everything in His hands!
Now, I appreciate the trio: God who ordered my steps, controlled my temper and restored my seeming loss in the biggest way possible; Mummy Segun, for making it possible for me to reach my destiny; her brother Folarin whom God has used tremendously to attain the course of my destiny! In spite of growing uncertainty of securing another job before leaving M.A.N., I was always heartened by reflecting on the last paragraph of Chief Akinyemi's letter to me dated 24th April, 1984, which stated inter alia.
“I send my sincere prayerful good wishes to you and your family, and I trust that our Heavenly Father will continue to plan, provide for and protect your life's work and progress.”
I had hope! So I tried my hands on many things thereafter, including an application to join the Nigerian Navy, which failed. However, precisely two weeks before the expiration of my tenure in M.A.N., I secured a job as a Confidential Secretary with Ogilvy Benson and Mather, an advertising Company based in Yaba as earlier reported. My immediate boss then was Ms. Tola Olujobi. This timely occurrence confirmed to me that God was still on my side as ever and that He would not allow me to be put to shame.
People who don't read books tend to find life boring, dull and their lives are static. So cultivate a reading habit! Yemi Omogboyega
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