Gregorians are not the only champions (2)

Almost by divine intervention (after military take-over) the government surrendered St. Gregory’s College and other mission schools to their original owners. That was when the old boys of St. Gregory’s College went to work. Much of the credit must go to Dr. John Abebe, president of the Old Boys Association, who literally rallied the troops.

It was a fiercely driven rescue mission and among the highest donors were Professor Theo Ogunbiyi, Chief Bode Emanuel, and Prince Olu Awogboro who became Trustees of the St. Gregory’s College Old Boys Association. I make no secret of my campaign to win election as the next President of St. Gregory’s College Old Boys Association (notwithstanding the fact that I attended King’s College, Lagos)!!!

Fortunately, Dr. Michael Omolayole, who is a Gregorian in addition to being a graduate of Corpus Christi College, Oxford University, is firmly in my corner. He will be 94 on October 13, 2022. His keen sense of humour and intellectual curiosity remain undiminished.

Sadly, we live in a nation where intellect and intellectualism have been jettisoned. The same fate has befallen history, civics and integrity. Nigeria has been underserved and shortchanged. But who cares? We blew the opportunity to build a vibrant country. Even now, we remain unrepentant.

Dr. Omolayole having served as Chairman & Chief Executive of Unilever Plc (previously Lever Brothers Limited) and adviser (Kitchen Cabinet) to President Ibrahim Babangida is well versed regarding our nation’s economic statistics and financial data to wit: “Enough Is Enough,” which has gone viral with the following damning message:

“As of 29th March 2022, the foreign currency exchange rates were: £1 = N783; $1 = N560; €1 = N670, 42 years ago, precisely on 1/3/1980 the exchange rate was: $1= 0.78k.

Where are our: NITEL Communication, Nigeria Airways.

My campaign has been great fun. From the polls it looks as if I have successfully wooed the Old boys of St. Gregory’s College to join the bandwagon. We are on a roll.

However, there is a snag.

Read also: Gregorians are not the only champions (1)

The application form to participate in the election is Free for old boys of St. Gregory’s College but for those who did not attend the school, it is a hefty N100 million!! Some of us remember how in the 1950’s and 1960’s the entire budget of Nigeria was not even up to N100,000,000. That was before corruption invaded our nation.

Please permit me to press the pause button and take a break for commercials. I wish to acknowledge the unparralled sagacity and profound magnanimity of another Gregorian. I refer to retired Justice Charles Archibong who amazed me and my firm when in the judgment he delivered in the dispute between a Norwegian company Statoil Limited and Abucon Limited (owned by a Gregorian, Dr. John Abebe) ruled that the accounts of Statoil should be audited over a period of 10 years and that J.K. Randle & Co., Chartered Accountants, should be paid the sum of $1 million for their professional services in this regard.

It is of no consequence that we did not receive a dime. That does not in any way detract from the generosity of spirit and recognition of my firm’s professionalism so powerfully demonstrated by His Lordship. May he continue to prosper regardless of his premature retirement. His heart was in the right place.

His considered judgment should serve as a counterpoise to the judgment delivered in Greek methodology by the philosopher and playwright Euripides whereby Iphigenia, a beautiful damsel was sacrificed by her father for his country but it turns out to be a wasted tragedy.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 to 1968) was right on the button when he delivered his monumental verdict: “The Arc of the Moral Universe is Long, but it Bends Towards Justice.”

In the meantime, we have more pressing matters to contend with. It has to do with the safety and security of the old boys of King’s College, Lagos. On April 22, 2022 an ex-Gregorian Royal Father (a boxer) passed away after spending fifty-two years on the throne of his forefathers. He was my friend. He was a great scholar and repository of Yoruba history and tradition. In accordance with tradition, he must be accompanied to heaven by a retinue of hand picked stalwarts/stewards. Consequently, Old Boys of King’s College have gone into hiding until the funeral ceremonies are completed followed by forty days of mourning.

This has prompted the following responses which are all over the internet:

(i) “Where is Bashorun J.K. Randle now? Has he relocated to St. Gregory’s College, Keffi Street, Obalande, Lagos to volunteer for royal service?

– Funsho Kufeji (Race Club of Lagos – Horseracing).

(ii) “On account of the incontrovertible fact that (KC) King’s College Old Boys are enamoured of emulation of Gregorian culture, one can infer that they dissembled as Gregorians to follow the Royal Father on his celestial sojourn. They must be applauded for achieving their eternal goal of substituting the mundaness of their “floreat” garments for the splendour of the Jesuit (St. Gregory’s robes.)”

– Demola Akinrele SAN (ex-St. Gregory’s College and Cambridge University).

(iii) “Bashorun, perhaps Gregorian old boys are less timorous than their King’s College colleagues.”

– Dolapo Akinrele SAN (ex-St. Gregory’s College and ex-Cambridge University).

There are many more which have flooded social media. Most of them recommend that old boys of King’s College should grasp this unique historical moment to do their duty to “King and Country” !!

However, I remain thankful for the following intervention by a veteran broadcaster and grandmother, Mrs. Mobola Onajide: “When Oba Ewuare of Benin (1440 to 1473) passed away some centuries past, those who felt threatened by the use of the Egyptian method of monarchical burial ran to a place in the Delta with lots of palm trees and some to other parts of present day Midwest for shelter (and refuge).