Three days from now, if the Lord tarries, we would be ushered into a new year. 2008, the year widely acknowledged among Pentecostals as the year of new beginnings, would have taken its place in history. All glory to God, the highermost, for His goodness over us all.
At a personal level, the year 2008 has been as exciting as it has been sobering. In a number of respects it did prove to be a year of new beginnings in my life, ministry and business. And I shall share some of my testimonies with you, as God's plans unfold. 2008 is the year that I turned 60, and as the year wound down, my wife turned 50. These, while giving us cause for celebration, have also caused us to reflect on the paths that we have trodden together. It is has enabled us to appreciate the love of one another and of family and friends.
The joy of having so many wonderful people including our children and many members of our church family, around us during the prayer and open house we held to mark my wife's birthday two days before Christmas, still lingers in our hearts and is palpable in the atmosphere all around us. Added to the multitude of love that we experienced three months earlier when my own birthday was celebrated, one cannot but thank God for His mercies and favour. For, of a truth, it can only be God's love manifesting through His chosen vessels. We give Him all the praise even as we acknowledge the men and women, old and young who have so generously allowed the Lord to love us through
them. They will not be in want of love and honour, in the precious name of Jesus.
There was however a twist to the tale. The year also featured the painful departure of two gentlemen with whom I had the honour and privilege of associating with at different phases of my life. Sonny Okosuns, was a man I had a great deal of respect for; and I have good reasons to believe that the feeling was mutual. I met him at a very crucial turning point in his musical career. He had just originated a brand of music. The music had its roots in the culture of his Bini people, steeped in percussion and sonorous melody. It was also message music. The days of lyrics that contribute nothing to society were over for him. It was a departure from rock and reggae music that were in vogue at that time in the early1970s which were of foreign origin. Sonny was a nationalist. The change had to be total; he sought to do what you would call re-branding today. He rested his group, Paperback Limited. Somewhere along the line, he came up with the name Oziddi, which, was a throwback to his days in art and drama and which resonated with him since it was the name of a hero of one of Riverine ethnic nationalities. Being an entertainment writer, among other things, at the time, I had a ring-side ticket and my opinion was not infrequently sought by many artistes. Somewhere along the line, I got credited by him as the one who named his music "ozzidism".
When there was market resistance to Sonny's creation, one had the privilege being among those who counselled that he used what the people wanted (reggae) to sell them what he knew they ought to embrace (ozzidism). Two or three albums later, Ozzidism had gained enough acceptability to stand on its own! Our relationship waxed
stronger.
Then something happened. My immediate boss recommended me for a promotion that he felt I richly deserved. But the divisional boss refused to approve it, wondering why a reporter "enjoying himself at the expense of the company", should be further compensated! That was how he saw the expenses claim I had to make for assignments that regularly took me to nightclubs and other event venues. That I was responsible for about 50% of the content of SPEAR, the highly respected general interest magazine didn't change his mind, for a while. Any way, I had to reduce my involvement in entertainment journalism, to save my professional career. This, of course, put a bit of a distance between me and many of my artiste-friends, including Sonny. Later in life, however, fate was to bring us together again, to live in the same neighbourhood in Ogba and the relationship continued at a different level. And then, somehow, we both also went into ministry, he eventually as founder of a church named House of Prayer while God led me to Christ Chapel International Churches.
But this year, he was felled by colon cancer. I wasn't around to pay him my last respects, being abroad at the time of his burial. So I seize this opportunity to say a belated "good night" to a wonderful artist who loved his nation, stood up for the black race and thankfully found and served Christ. Sweet is the memory of the righteous.
Another friend of mine who departed this year was Yinka Craig. Best known for his exploits in television journalism, as a sportscaster and later, as one of the brains behind possibly the most successful newsfeature programmes on Nigerian television, Newsline, he was, unknown to many, one the most versatile men Nigeria has ever produced. There aren't many areas of art, culture and technology that Yinka did not excel in. He played many musical instruments with dexterity. Back in the pre-Windows days of "Dos"; before computers had "mouse" and were tower cases only, I particularly found his interest in, and quick grasp of, the uses and possibilities of the computer truly amazing. I owe my own enthusiasm for the emerging technology to him!
I knew Yinka in his days at NBC (Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation), Ibadan where he was the celebrated sportscaster in the ancient city that prides itself as the home of broadcasting. He relocated to Lagos before I did, and I found the ease with which he fitted into the Lagos scene, joining Benson Idonije on the very informative youth programme, The In-Crowd on Radio Nigeria, Lagos, soon after arriving in Lagos
astonishing. Beyond knowing one another professionally however, there was no realm interaction until I was already out of the Daily Times and joined one of our mutual friends, Tunde Fagbenle in establishing the well-known public relations and publishing outfit, Alfa Communications. There was also the Segun Odegbami link. From that point on, I had the opportunity of doing things with this truly talented and selfless Nigerian. Yinka was that guy you could call upon at short notice to weigh in on any worthy cause, or even personal project and he would joyfully "own" the assignment.
Strangely, I must have been one of the very few people who did not hear about Yinka's plight until the eve of his departure to the United States for treatment, a trip, he didn't return from! It was from a chance reading of Tunde Fagbenle's Sunday Tribune column on his encounter with some of the donors to the huge medical expenses that I first got wind of it. In the event, I didn't have the opportunity of seeing him. Neither did I have the privilege of paying him my last respect, being unavoidably absent at the burial programme. So, here's my last respect to a gentleman with a heart of gold. To Kehinde who gave her all to save the love of her life, and the children, all I can say is: let the memory of his life, which as I had occasion to say about yet another friend, thankfully still alive and well, preached more enduring sermons than many a pastor's weekly pulpit exertions, strengthen you. May his soul continue to rest peacefully, in the Lord.
At the level of this column, 2008 is ending without the publishing of the book, "The Flood Next Time," which is a collection of the pieces carried on this page in 2007. The plan was to launch the book at a public event and use the proceeds to resuscitate the magazine, KINGDOMPeople, which was rested after two abortive attempts. That the project did not take off speaks volumes about how difficult it can be to interest many top Nigerians in things of the Kingdom. But, I do not plan to give up. So, I trust that I shall have a positive report this time next year.
In concluding this personal reflection, please permit me, dear readers, to apologise for the occasions during the year that the column went awol. It is my pledge that I shall do my very best to avoid recurrence in 2009. Thanks for always being there. May your
Christmas be filled with Christ.
Reproduced from KINGDOM PERSPECTIVE with Remi Akano (December 28, 2008) published in Sunday Independent, the Sunday edition of a Nigerian quality daily and on the weblog of the same title (thegreatcompany.blogspot.com)
