Dear TeeOlu!
(That’s the nickname Aru gave you many years ago and it stuck). He has a knack for giving people special names.
I can’t believe I’m having to write this eulogy in your honor… Absolutely surreal!
We come a long way back..
I remember when we were all dating…
The SO&U days…
The 90’s…
When Aru and your good self will come after work to my Mum’s house in Ilasa. Aru will drop off to spend time with me and you will drive off to see Sola in Mushin with Aru’s mum’s old blue Nissan Bluebird that was curiously christened ‘Labake’. Sometimes it could be the old white Volkswagen Beetle that would be ‘on duty’…
The one that had no ‘CMR’, the very piece of paper that the police always wanted to see.
The way you would squeeze your tall frame into that little car was always an amazement.
Hours later, you will come back to get Aru and you both will resume your onward journey home.
It was a regular routine.
When we decided to take the plunge, you featured prominently in both the traditional and court weddings. You and Tonnie Egun were Aru’s witnesses at that court wedding, while my brother Akpabio was my own witness.
At Itam where our traditional wedding held, you could be seen carrying crates of drinks, yams and all what not..
Contributing your quota to making the event successful.
You were our family.
Your family was our family, and our children slept over at each others’.
I can’t but speak of how you always had my back. You supported everything I did.
Yes you did!
From making your Traditional outfits with me, to buying things I sold, especially, lately, my books. You were so proud of me when you handled the books for the first time and you kept saying in admiration, ‘So you wrote these books’?
You did not just buy for yourself but made repeated orders as gift items. Up on till a few days ago, while you were lying down cold, I still received a generous payment worth more than the quantity you ordered for.
Whenever I had an appointment with you in your office, It was never lost on me how you treated me with uncommon honor.
You would personally come to the reception to receive and usher me to either your office or a designated meeting room, something you could have simply sent any of your staff to do.
When I called and you couldn’t take the call, you would later send a text and fix an appointment for a later call. I was used to messages like, ‘Hi Idy.. I’ll call you on Sunday at 8pm’. Or ‘Hello Idy. Let’s chat before 8.30am or after 10am this morning’.
You are about the only person I know that gives phone call appointments!
Meticulous to a fault, when you wanted to make new trads, we had to hold meetings and I had to come with a note pad for the appointment and if I didn’t, you would make one available for me to take notes as you wanted everything done with precision.
I remember one day when you guys were doing some spring cleaning of your room and I came around. You were in charge of arranging the wardrobe and I was asked to come over to the room so that we could be talking as you were doing your chores.
That day I was in awe!
The way you arranged the shirts in columns and colors. They were all looking as if a ruler was used to arrange them, folded exactly the same size, facing the same direction.
It was the best arrangement I had ever seen.
So I got home and decided to reenact what I had seen in my wardrobe. But boy, was I unsuccessful. I couldn’t even come close so I gave up and stayed on my lane.
When I gisted you of my effort, you laughed heartily. Needless to say I didn’t attempt to do it quite your way again.
You worked so hard and I always looked at you with wonder.
Luckily for me, I precipitated that last meeting in our house in September 2022, when I invited you guys for our periodic lunch meetings where we just eat, gist, laugh, share our opinions, even if contrary.
When you arrived, you went into zoom meetings almost immediately and kept us waiting as you moved from one zoom meeting to the other. When I asked if you couldn’t jettison some of the meetings, you loudly asserted that the other option would have been for you not to have come at all.
I had to keep quiet and accept the fact that you even showed up, as you explained that you were still heading to another physical meeting!
We had robust arguments on politics that day, with Aru peddling unpopular opinions, (which have turned out to be true), but we were all magnanimous and accepting of our diverse views. Little did we know that would be the last time I would be seeing you face to face.
You were one of those people the world didn’t quite understand but I dare say, the world couldn’t but take note of you. You made your mark.
I will allow others more qualified to speak about your professional prowess.
I will cherish the memories TeeOlu, my friend and brother. Rest in perfect peace and may God receive your kind and gentle soul🙏🏾
