On Sunday 27th December 2020 when everything that could possibly go wrong – COVID-19 pandemic; Lekki Tollgate fiasco; crumbling economy; mounting domestic and foreign debts and worst of all insecurity evidenced by banditry, kidnapping, farmers versus herdsmen etc. prompted the conclusion that 2020 was a failed year, the Almighty intervened mightily. The invitation card was a summons to witness divine grace and abundant blessings at the sacred throne of God and the altar of the holiest of the Holy: “Chief Muraino Olujare & Alhaja Folakemi Yewande Obagun And Late Chief Solomon & Madam Bolanle Owolabi respectfully request the honour of your presence at the wedding of their children Olayinka Zainab And Temitayo Olaolu At 3 pm At the Church of Nativity, Nativity Close, Park View Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos Dress Code: Black Tie. From ancient times wedding ceremonies have been epochal even in the most rustic villages. It would have been preceded by frantic consultations with astrologers, soothsayers, “Griots”, and rain doctors not excluding witches and wizards.
All the same, this was no ordinary wedding. A devout Muslim family occupied the front row
of the church ready and eager to hand over their beloved daughter to her
husband – to love and to cherish in sickness and in health; for poorer or
richer. The presiding Vicar
delivered a superlative
sermon followed by
a musical interlude (classical
and ethereal) which elevated not only the spirit but also the soul. It was confirmation that at the hour and date
of his choice, the Almighty has his own way of intervening without dislocating
beauty, or disrupting love. Indeed, he
flavoured the solemn occasion with serenity and majestic ambiance. The church took on the special after-glow of
a palace that had been dipped in Christmas festivities but saved the best for
the union of these two young people whose
turn at the
altar had emerged
at a time
when our nation
was deeply troubled. They were like a breath of fresh air – as a
reminder that the old fears and trenchant anxieties must give way to hope and
rejuvenation. The Almighty himself had marked out the escape hatch to a new
dawn. The bride was stunning and the groom rose to the occasion with
commendable self-assured confidence that the prize for his ardent wooing was
worth wrestling with the challenge posed by COVID-19 and the attendant
quarantine. He passed the test with
flying colours. This was the moment it
would dawn on him that: “A good wife is someone who knows everything about you
and still loves you.” When it was time to proceed to the altar, there was no
need to remind him that those steps he was climbing were symbolic – young
passionate love would now commit (and mature) itself to adult partnership which
would bear fruits to wit: loving children,
success and fulfilment. The ecstasy
would wax stronger with
each step along the journey of adventure, challenges,
obstacles, conquests and glory. The rapid
succession of events
at the altar
– the homily;
the sermon; the thanksgiving; the
blessings, the signing
of the register
and the finale (pronouncement of
Mr and Mrs
Tayo Owolabi as
the latest couple
in town) would not be sufficient
to crowd out Roy T. Bennett who offered his counsel: “Don’t be pushed around by
fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” In any case CNN has
been repeating the dictum delivered by the Dalai Lama: “The purpose of our
lives is to be happy.” The Vicar handled the entire ceremony with consummate
professionalism. It was magical but he
gave nothing away – almost as if for him the Lord’s miracle was a weekly (if
not daily) occurrence. For ordinary folks, it was time for photographs that
would leave no room for doubt or denial.
The presence of the Almighty was overwhelming. According to the
invitation card: “Reception to follow immediately at The Obagun Residence” There was no frantic
searching for the address. We only
needed to follow the Holy Spirit. At
the gate were
the enforcers of
strict compliance with
COVID-19 virus protocols. The only exemption was the Holy Spirit. Face masks, hand wash and sanitizers were
available in generous quantities.
Ensconced in the expansive courtyard
was a state-of-the-art tent that one could not but marvel at. Again,
access was severely restricted and was preceded by
cleansing and fumigation to get rid of germs, infections or whatever. This was followed by photographic/X-ray
examination before you could proceed into the main arena which was heavily
disinfected. It was like being in a
sanitized bubble. The sanctification which was evident in the church had been
extended to the venue of the wedding party. Now it was time for socialising
having fulfilled all righteousness at the Church. All the same, proceedings commenced with
prayers. This time it was moslem prayers
and supplication to the same God we all worship: “May God the creator of all things bright and
beautiful continue to smile on Olayinka Zainab and her heartthrob as well as
soulmate Temitayo Olaolu.” The amen was unanimous and heartfelt. Straightaway,
you could feel that the spirit of the Lord was present. When the party
commenced in earnest the bride and groom made their grand entrance to the tune
of pulsating music which was obviously well known to the bridesmaids and
groomsmen (they wore red ties instead of the prescribed black bow tie!!). We
were treated to terrific speeches by the Chief bridesmaid and the best man (who
revealed that he introduced Tayo to Olayinka in Britain while they were
studying economics/accountancy). As the Chairman of the glorious occasion, my
role was limited to giving brief opening
remarks and acknowledging the presence of
Aare (Alhaji) Dr. Razak Okoya who
was wrongly identified by the Master of Ceremony as Chief Molade
Okoya-Thomas (now late);
and Prince (Dr.)
Samuel Adedoyin as
well as the Royal Fathers.
There was just enough time to permit me to pay tribute
to Chief Obagun and his bosom friend,
late Chief Hamzat Adebowale
who had both played
exemplary roles in setting
up industries in
Nigeria instead if
relying on importation
of foreign goods. Regardless
of the turbulence
they went through
following the introduction of the Structural
Adjustment Programme in
1986, they never compromised their integrity and
reputation. Also, both Chief Obagun and Chief Adebowale ensured that all their
children (both male and female) were given the best of education in any part of
the world they chose. Something else that is remarkable about Chief Obagun,
Aare Razak Okoya; and Prince (Dr.) Adedoyin
is that they
do not depend
on government patronage. They stay well clear of politics.
Indeed, it did not go unnoticed that there was not even a single politician
or government functionary at the wedding party. When it was time to cut the
wedding cake, the proceedings were deftly handled by Chief (Dr.) Michael
Olawale-Cole, CON who as the son-in-law of late Chief Adebowale duly
acknowledged the long-standing
bond and biblical
cord between the Obagun and Adebowale families. Then the
Master of Ceremonies
dropped a clanger!!
He announced that
the youngsters were anxious to get going with the real party that would
commence after the departure of old folks. Perhaps William Shakespeare was
right: “Youth is wasted on the young.” Anyway, when I got married in 1979 for
my N487 (four hundred and eighty-seven
naira) I received
U.S. $1,000 (one
thousand dollars from
the bank). Hence, paying for my
honeymoon was a cake walk, dead easy.
Now, the same N487 would fetch the brand-new groom
Temitayo only one U.S. dollar!! I must place on record the care lavished on all
guests by the ever radiant Alhaja Folakemi Obagun, the mother of the bride. It
was a day that reminded me of how much different weddings were in Lagos of
yesteryears. Then, the “Igbo” (notice) was a prerequisite. The bride and groom
would visit all the leading families to receive their blessings and the groom
was required to produce his “Savings Book” (money saved in the bank) as
evidence that he had the wherewithal to provide for his wife. The invitation
cards would state boldly: “Come one; come all. Bar inexhaustible” The wedding
would be held right in the middle of the road with “Atibaba” (Raffia canopy) to
block off traffic. Everyone was welcome to join the party. Several decades
ago, young dashing
Barrister Femi Okunnu
from Isale Eko sought
the hand of
one of the
jewels of Okepopo
in Lagos. He
had dared to embark on a poaching expedition which did
not go down well with the elders of Okepopo. He pleaded with the uncle (Chief
I.S. Adewale) of the apple of his eye (Lateefat Oyekan) to champion his cause
as the “Alarena” – pathfinder. On the appointed day, the elders assembled at
the residence of the father of the bride (Mr. Lamina Oyekan) who listened
patiently to Chief Adewale: “I am delighted to extol the outstanding
credentials of the young man who is not only a lawyer and devout moslem from a
very illustrious family but also a cricketer
and hockey player
in addition to
being a graduate
of University of London.”
For the next
forty-five minutes, Chief
Adewale was still
going on about
the credentials of his candidate. Finally, he concluded by
declaring:
“He is also an old boy of King’s College, Lagos.”
It was
at this point
that my father,
Chief J.K. Randle
(an old boy
of King’s College) admonished
Chief Adewale: “Why have you been wasting our time. That is what you should
have said first – that he is an old boy of King’s College and that would have
settled the matter straightaway. Lamina was my classmate and you are also an
old boy of King’s College.” Perhaps he should have added that three brothers of
the bride – Rasheed; Jubril and Hasheem would follow their father’s footsteps
at King’s College. The bride was
also a star
student at Queen’s
College, Yaba before
proceeding to the University of Ibadan. For this wedding,
the invitation card delivered a warning: “Strictly by invitation.” To God
Almighty be the glory. My closing remarks (as Chairman) were directed at the
bride: “I hope Tayo is a Chelsea (football club) supporter. The least you can
do is to become a Chelsea fan yourself or let him watch the match on television
without any interruption. Also, never stop laughing at his jokes no matter how
often he repeats the same stories.” I got back home just in time for the CNN
news. The main item was Bill Gates wondering
how come the
COVID-19 casualties in
Africa, particularly Nigeria were so low. It is not rocket
science. We are the people of God and we love to party. Young or old makes no
difference.
As for social media, it is ablaze and agog with
conspiracy theories ranging from the government’s distribution of free sleeping
tablets as part of the palliative for the
COVID-19 pandemic in
order to ensure
that while we
are asleep the government can just carry one without
discriminating between enemy or foe (or friend for that matter) while the
economy is spilt between those in the dreadful camps for
IDPs (Internally Displaced
Persons) and the
IDFs (Internally Dispossessed
Families) whose properties e.g. Chief J.K. Randle Memorial Hall; Dr. J.K.
Randle Swimming Pool; Dr. J.K. Randle Love Garden etc. at Onikan, Lagos have been
“kidnapped” by the Government and for
which the families must now pay ransom. Help is on the
way, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Mr. Antonio Guterres is
sending Bill Gates as his Special Envoy to Nigeria to plead with the government
to refrain from further grudge tactics against those families who have served
Nigeria meritoriously for
over one hundred
and fifty years
– including the founding of Nigeria’s first political party, The
People’s Union by Dr. J.K. Randle in 1908. Here
we are, the
entire country is
littered with abandoned
projects. Simultaneously, our domestic and foreign debts are piling up.
Is it the young people who are just getting married and commencing their
journey that would pay? Thank
goodness, Bill Gates
is on his way to
deliver the message: “Vaccine Is Different From Vaccination.” Indeed, no two
marriages are the same. Nigeria is heading for a divorce. I am
most grateful to Dr. Augustine
Ani (an old
boy of King’s
College) for reminding me that
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER and that the best wedding gift for Tayo and Olayinka is a
snippet of knowledge and history:
“Major Miller started the Civil Service in Nigeria in
1945. He was a British civil servant who enlisted in the army at the beginning
of the WWII and Rose to the
rank of a
Major and Chief
of Intelligence Staff
of the West African Frontier Force. He returned to
the Civil Service at the end of the war and was immediately posted to Nigeria
by the then Colonial Secretary to build up the Nigeria Civil Service. The first
intakes (with the exception of Chief Adebo an old boy of King’s College, Lagos
who had a degree in Economics) were mainly Cambridge School Certificate
holders who were
recommended by the
Provincial administrators (Residents). The first entrants (1945), twenty
in number, include Semeon Adebo, Michael Ani, Stanley Wey, Bishop Aboyade Cole,
C O Lawson, Oladipo
Bateye, I O
Dina, K Odumosu,
Ambrose Obiyan, Imokhuede, Wier
Ikpeme, Jerome Udoji, Aliyu Akilu, Francis Nwokedi, S Biobaku...... They
were all given
positions of Assistant
Labour Officer-in- training while Chief
Adebo was given
an administrative post
in the Financial Secretary's Office.
Most of them
later when on
study leave later
to conclude University degrees
or some postgraduate
diploma such as Diploma in Public Administration (LSE),
etc. They addressed each other as 'Miller boys' and pulled their weight
together 'in the spirit of Miller.” History is like marriage. What you put into
it is what you get out of it. Good luck and happy married life to Olayinka and
Temitayo.
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