On 25th January, 2020, Admiral Patrick Seubo Koshoni former Chief of Naval Staff (October 1986 to January 1990) and Minister of Health (1983 - 1985) was given the last order by the Almighty. Being a devout Catholic, Seubo promptly saluted and complied with the order of the omnipotent Commander-In-Chief. Indeed, the Supreme Commander will not tolerate any appeal for waiver or deferment.
The curtain was drawn but we are nevertheless permitted to peep behind the veil and reflect on our shared experience going back over sixty years. In his professional career, he commanded several naval bases – including Calabar and Lagos. However, the first base where he was the “Flag Officer” was at his parents’ home at 55 Kakawa Street, Lagos. His parents Pa Justin and Mrs. Felicia Koshoni were extraordinary. Their generosity knew no bounds regardless of their own humble resources.
Whatever they had was there for all their children, extended family and friends of their children. Sedowe (the eldest child), was followed by Patrick Seubo, then their beloved sisters Margaret (“Maggie”) and Anise. The youngest was Gbegan a boy. Sadly, Anise is the only one left now. Maggie and her best friend, Muyinat King were adored and adopted by us all as our own sisters. The Koshoni household extended to the boarders such as late Bobo Doherty; Biodun Doherty (Igbobi College) and Lateef (Oga Lato!). It was our base and the list of happy “sailors” included (to mention a few) Tunde King and late Kunle Munis who were virtually next-door neighbours but preferred to hibernate in the room shared by Sedowe and Seubo.
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| Bashorun J K Randle |
The default rate was exceptionally high. We would savour the palm wine and offer to pay later but as an act of good faith we would return the container known as “Keregbe” (gourd) which the palm wine sellers appeared to value more than the palm wine. Anyway, this was before AMCON (Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria) the debt recovery agency emerged. We also had unlimited access to the latest music records and tapes courtesy of Sidona whose record shop blaring with loudspeakers was just around the corner at the point where Kakawa Street intersected with Bamgbose Street. Actually, the front entrance of Pa Koshoni’s house was on Bamgbose Street while the exit led directly into Kakawa Street. Woe betide the taxi driver who would drop us at Bamgbose Street and expect to be paid. On the pretext that we would be stopping for only a few minutes, we would gleefully exit through the backdoor into the bowels of Kakawa Street where the Tinubu compound provided ample refuge!! From there we would send our scouts to be sure that the taxi driver was not still lurking around before we would emerge with renewed vigour for further escapades. Every now and again it was the hapless Mrs. Koshoni who would feign annoyance and exasperation. “You (these) boys, you should not be hanging around here.
Go back to your schools and read your books.” Then she would be all smiles and ask if we wanted anything to eat or drink (but not palm wine!!). It was at Kakawa Street that we learnt to smoke cigarettes. Our supplier, Peter operated from a canoe which was perched on the quayside located at the Marina. Before Apapa and Tin Can Island ports were built, ships would stay in deep waters in the Atlantic Ocean and deliver goods loaded on barges to the quayside. Peter was an 3 equal opportunity entrepreneur. He traded in marijuana (Indian hemp) which he sold to visiting sailors at a vast profit for cash and cigarettes. I can testify that King’s College boys only bought cigarettes but I cannot vouch for what he sold to St. Gregory’s College boys!! We must be careful not to rely on hearsay or circumstantial evidence going by the pronouncement (“obiter dictum”) of Justice Bode-RhodesVivour (ex-St. Gregory’s College) of the Supreme Court. Peter was quite a character. He lived alone on his boat and was nearly always half naked in strict adherence to what he considered to be the antidote to the oppressive heat. He was utterly fearless and brazenly hedonistic. He had no qualms about selling marijuana to policemen; soldiers; firemen and Customs and Excise officers (with a question mark over students of St. Gregory’s College!!). He claimed that mosquitoes were afraid of him and would never bite him. On one memorable occasion when late General Sani Abacha announced that there had been an attempted coup d’état to topple his military government, Peter marched boldly to Bonny Camp, Victoria Island where the Military Tribunal was sitting to debunk the alleged coup attempt. When he was asked for his proof, he sent the tribunal into pandemonium by declaring: “Whenever a coup d’état is imminent, I receive extra orders from soldiers, air force men and navy officers. Prior to the day of the alleged coup, there was no surge in demand for marijuana.”
As usual, Peter was half-naked. He refused to give his name or provide and address. He only volunteered his rank!! He insisted that he had no wife, children, no next-ofkin or Tax Clearance Certificate. Definitely no landlord. It was Major-General Duro Ajayi (ex-King’s College) the Deputy Chief of Army Staff who promptly intervened and ordered Peter the hostile witness to withdraw his offensive remark: “A coup is just an inconclusive election by the military.” Patrick Seubo Koshoni attended St. Finbarr’s College, Akoka where he came under the tutelage of the legendary Rev. Denis Joseph Patrick Slattery. 4 Seubo was a very bright student and accomplished sportsman (football, tennis and squash). His choice of the Navy for his career was somewhat a surprise. He rose rapidly and capped it by rising to the pinnacle – Chief of Naval Staff. Long after Kakawa Street, he was now ensconced at his official residence at Queen’s Drive (now Lady Oyinkan Abayomi Drive) in super exclusive Ikoyi. He had married his long-standing girlfriend Deroju Akintoye (a princess from a Lagos Royal family) on 19th November 1966. They were blessed with four children Patrick Gbetigan; Kenneth Meyinse; Leonard Sepodosesi and Rowland Viyan. We were all so proud of Seubo. The only exception was Peter. I was just about to enter the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina when I bumped into Peter. He was holding a newspaper with the photograph of Admiral Patrick Seubo Koshoni, the new Chief of Naval Staff on the front-page. Before I could say a word, Peter declared. “Of course, J.K. Randle I recognise you. I know you and Patrick Ani (ex-King’s College) are chartered accountants.
This country is finished. Finito. I am emigrating to the United States of America or Canada. Can you imagine Sunny Kuku is a doctor, so is Samuel Adeniyi-Jones? Even George Amu is a Bishop!! God have mercy. Segun Osoba is Governor of Ogun State and now Patrick Seubo Koshoni is Chief of Naval Staff. I understand you are the Chairman of KPMG Nigeria and Chairman of KPMG Africa as well as President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria [ICAN]; Chairman of Musical Society of Nigeria; Chairman Eko Hotels Limited; Chairman of Grant Advertising; Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Lagos State University etc. I have read all your books – “The Godfather Never Sleeps” and all the other twenty books.” It was quite a scene – right there on the hallowed steps of the church. Everyone was in stitches. As if he was not done yet, he added: 5 “Benjamin Ohaeri (ex-St. Gregory’s College) is now a doctor and Tunde ColeOnitiri (Ex-King’s College) is now a Professor of Medicine.” Then he was back to George Amu. “Even George sef is a Bishop for real.” He was in hysterics. “No wonder the country is in turmoil and disintegrating at the edges.”
The least I could do was to assure Peter that with Seubo in the Supreme Military Council all hope was not lost. The ship of state would land safely. Patrick Seubo Koshoni was resplendent in his spotless white uniform with impressive epaulettes and a chest-full of service medals. There was no hint of our nightclubbing and bar-crawling – Kakadu; Caban Bamboo; Maharani; Dressler and of course Tinnaz parties at J.K. Randle Memorial Hall. When I visited Seubo at his Calabar base, he hosted me to a superlative dinner. He regaled the guests with tales of our long past marathon boozing sessions. Sedowe his brother was the undisputed champion. He would drink any contender “under the table”. Legless. “Egbon” as we all fondly called him was an advertisement for serious drinking: “O mu nkan!!” Admiral Patrick Seubo Koshoni will be buried on Thursday 13th February 2020 in his full uniform with his boots on.
May his soul rest in perfect peace.
- Bashorun J.K. Randle is a former President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and former Chairman of KPMG Nigeria and Africa Region. He is currently the Chairman, J.K. Randle Professional Services. Email: jkrandleintuk@gmail.com
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