My dad, Pa Samuel Babafemi Akande who we lost 6 years ago at the grand old age of 91 was a great man. Not because he rose to the pinnacle of his chosen career to become a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service during the Yakubu Gowon and later, Murtala Mohammed years. Not even because he was largely responsible for the establishment of the National Youth Service Corp, which many can rightfully argue has passed it’s “sell by” date, but because during the course of his life he touched so many lives. Truth be told, the transient achievements seldom mean much to God as we’re all equal before him. I read in a Christian daily study manual just the other day something that really pressed this home for me and it said, “your name in heaven is not based on your fame on earth”. Deep down I think most of us know this but it’s often easy to forget. It would do our country a great deal of good if we could all remember this.
Born in a rather remote Ekiti state village, Ipoti-Ekiti of late Colonel Ariyo and more recently Yinka Ayefele fame, I dare say he was the original grass to grace hero with no shoes. Sorry o President Jona. Despite this, my dad gave and gave and gave of himself until there was little left to give. I recall a story we heard that when he eventually became the proud owner of a pair of shoes it turned out to be a rather bitter-sweet experience for him. Sweet, because finally, he no longer had to walk the streets barefoot but also tinged with a little sadness because of how bad he felt. Why? His best friend would still walk the dusty village streets barefoot. He remedied this the only way he felt he could. Whenever they were together he would give his friend one shoe while he wore the other. So the two friends would hit the town wearing one shoe each! As ludicrous as this sounds, that was the heart of the man. Always looking to make others happy and often moved to tears when he saw the anguish of the less fortunate.
“I wondered why somebody didn’t do something. Then I realised, I am somebody.”
– Lily Tomlin
My siblings and I had many a feud with him for turning his home into a commune of sorts. At any given time there were no less than twenty people living under his roof. The highest recorded was twenty seven! People he sheltered, educated and fed day and night. I remember an evening in his room when his food was brought in and noticed there was only one piece of meat in it. I was horrified and quite annoyed but dad, stubborn Ekiti man as he was till the very end, insisted that he was okay with it. Little did I know he decided to cut back his intake so that the meat available would go round as things were a little austere at the time. He was giving. With time, we his children came to realise that being able to give and doing so was what made life worth living for him and if we truly wanted the best for him we should just allow him to live his life the way he deemed fit.
“The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share
their food with the poor”
– Proverbs 22:9
We lost count of the number of people, relatives and otherwise who passed through that house. Nor can I even attempt to count how many people’s education he sponsored. Some we only discovered when the beneficiaries told their story at his Service of Songs and Wake keep ceremonies. Many, I’m sure we will never know.
I’m not ashamed to admit that we his children were incredulous when dad decided to send one of his long serving driver’s children to the prestigious Babcock High School and further on to Babcock University. We found it difficult to understand why he couldn’t just find a decent enough public school instead. As it happens, this brilliant girl passed out with a First Class in Accountancy. Yet another of Nigeria’s brightest who could have easily fallen through the cracks if it wasn’t for someone’s love inspired timely intervention. I became as proud of her and her remarkable achievement as if she was my own daughter. I was just as proud of my dad too who saw more wisdom in listening to the voice of God than that of man.
READ ALSO: Buhari sends Proceeds of Crime Recovery and Management Bill to Reps
“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose
shade you do not expect to sit.”
Whatever it is you think you have or own, be it money, intellect, certain talents or skills, wasn’t given to benefit you alone. God gave them so you can be a blessing to humanity, to your neighbour. That’s what pleases God and that is good success.
As should be expected of someone who lived as long as he did, daddy encountered his own fair share of tragedies. He tragically lost his eldest sister on a day of celebration, his wedding day. True to her stoic type, his mother betrayed no obvious sign of this unquantifiable loss in her disposition and kept mum about it for several days. A few decades later tragedy struck yet again when he lost his first wife, Esther to illness, just as his glorious career was taking off and they were about to start enjoying the joyous fruits of their labour. Some decades after that, he lost his second wife, Comfort too. The merciless hands of death were not done yet as in his old age he lost his beloved first child Bola (Mrs Oyelese) and her amiable son, kunle, his grandson, just a few months apart. But you know what, he faithfully absorbed it all with his ever famous words, “that’s how God wants it”. A literal translation from Yoruba. His uncommon faith was his strength and it never let him down. It’s funny because whenever we found ourselves in the unenviable position of having to relate unpalatable news to him, we his children would strategise endlessly on how best to break the news, considering the possible repercussions due to his age. He surprised us every single time though without exception, as he always ended up being the one consoling us instead. I guess he had seen it all. More importantly however, his faith in God and His ultimate plans were simply never in doubt.
On the 21st of April, 2013 we lost you Dad. At a grand old age of ninety one we were still not quite ready to let you go. I guess we were never going to be. Telling us with all assurance that you were set did little to comfort us. Lovingly yet sternly, you set out to instill virtue, character and compassion in us at a time when the society was very different to the one we now know. A world where such was still greatly valued. I will forever remain grateful for entrenching in me a deep resolve to do my own little bit to recreate that world of civility, integrity and decency that you painstakingly taught us to believe in. Especially for the sake of your grand children and great grand children. I for one believe the word that says one with God is a majority therefore if God is on our side we cannot but succeed. If not, well we would have done it the only way we know how. Pa SB, as you were so fondly called, sun re o.
Dapo Akande
