Today started on a grim note for me when I was informed of the passing of Baba Dr Razaq Afolabi Olopoenia. My mind raced back to my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year, circa 2007, in Maiduguri, Borno State, which marked the beginning of my relationship with him.

When I received my deployment letter from the University of Ilorin, the first thing on my mind was to inform all my family members, both nuclear and extended. When I informed my Grandfather, Revd John Adegoke Okesiji, JP, he met with Baba Alhaji Lekan Salami later that day. When their discussion got to the point of my deployment, Grandpa was informed that Dr Razaq Olopoenia was the Chairmen of the Federal Government Board to Lake Chad Research Institute, Maiduguri, Borno State. This brought a sigh of relief to my heart. All it cost him, was to give me the contact of Dr. Gbenga Olabanji, the Deputy Director of the institute.

I picked up my bag and journeyed to Maiduguri, Borno State. Having experienced various journeys to the South-South of the country with either of my parents, I was not too scared of the distance. However, with a determined mind, I proceeded to Ilorin, from where I boarded a bus to Kaduna with other intending corps members from other locations. I assumed that we would arrive in Kaduna in good time; however, we arrived around midnight. I jettisoned the plan to call Revd Dr B.U. Enyioha, and we had fun in the vehicle till dawn. We dispersed into various buses as we were headed for different parts of Northern Nigeria. My first set of associates in the orientation camp were those with whom we journeyed together.

From the confines of the Orientation camp, I called Dr Olabanji and let him know that I am from the Chairman. I can sense the air of respect for him and the importance attached to my request. I have also obtained the contact information of another young relative, Johnson Omoniyi, who is a resident in Maiduguri. The first assignment for Johnson was to buy me some CDs of King Sunny Ade and Ebenezer Obey, he brought it to the camp and passed it to me over the fence. This gave life through the Orientation Broadcasting Service (OBS) to all Yorubas on camp.

On the day when we were posted to various locations for Primary Assignments, I was not good at the parade, so I was playing with my new friends. After the Governor Alli Modu Sheriff’s speech, I was called from the podium that someone from the Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI) was looking for me. With the expectation that the Institute had written to the NYSC for my Primary Assignment, I was awestruck when I saw that I was posted to Bama, another journey of about 186 kilometres. In my mind, this was not negotiable.

I was chauffeur-driven to the Institute, straight to Dr Olabanji’s office. The entire institute was on alert; it’s the Chairman’s boy. Before other Corps members who were legitimately posted to LCRI could find their way to the institute, I had been given a room to lodge. A few days after our posting, I was still floating when Mr Agbor, a Representative of the NYSC, came to the institute. He was informed that if I was not posted to the Maiduguri Municipal Council (MMC), no Corps member would be accepted that year. Immediately, he wrote a letter to the Zonal Inspector of Bama requesting that I be rejected. Eventually, I got to Bama, the ZI grumbled that there was a need for graduates of English in the town.

I started living large as a Corps Member. I knew I was untouchable and had multiple allegiances. I was posted to support Mr Bulus in his Primary 3 class; I was the Digital Assistant to Dr Olabanji; I was the lesson teacher of Dr D.A. Anogie’s children; I was the creative companion and co-news analyst to Dr Lazarus Musa Samdi, who was on crouches then, the Church boy at First Baptist Church, Post Office and ultimately, the host to other Corps Members when they visit the state capital.

The visit of the Chairman was the beginning of a loving father-son relationship with Baba Dr Olopoenia. One of the most memorable experiences during my service year was when the Chairman visited Maiduguri for a board meeting; the entire institute was on the lookout for me. Everyone who saw me would be yelling, ’The Chairman is here’. I would proudly walk to the administrative block, and I would be there till the meeting is over, be his Personal Assistant and subsequently follow him to the hotel, where we would have some chat before I return to the institute, and this was my routine for about three days. A quick aside, Alhaji Ibrahim Mai-Sule, one of the board members, would say that I looked like the Kanuris with my nose. He promised me immediate employment if I married a Kanuri lady; the proposal died a natural death.

One of his daughters got married while I was serving; I was the official representative of the Institute alongside a chauffeur. This meant a lot to me, I was given per diem to come to Lagos. Unfortunately, the Peugeot mini-van that we travelled in developed a fault around Lokoja, so I joined a bus to Lagos while the driver repaired the vehicle and came to Lagos. I resumed my Personal Assistant role for the wedding. The beautiful ceremony left Baba Dr Olopoenia really annoyed; many of his colleagues from the University of Ibadan who had embarked on the journey could not reach Lagos due to the Holy Ghost service of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. Many of them returned disappointed.

This was when I had the opportunity to speak with Baba, Alhaji Shittu Olopoenia. He told me of his relationships across the country, amongst others. These two Babas made me appreciate the need to understand another language, as we were seated, if they want to converse and they do not want us to comprehend, they will switch to a Ghanaian language.

With or without this disturbance, Baba Razaq Olopoenia returned to his base in Ibadan, where he hosted his friends at the University of Ibadan Senior Staff Club. I tagged along; I sat with pride beside my Chairman and Baba. I listened with rapt attention, and I enjoyed my PA role, which has become increasingly transnational in nature. It was a wet but pleasant evening wherein various topics of discussion ensued. I can remember Baba made a comment about one of the economic policies of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Governor, at that time, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo in strong terms and he noted that their paths had crossed. Then, I knew that there are some Doctors who are seniors to Professors maybe as a result of the Publish or Perish phenomenon or otherwise.

I frequently visited the Amina Way residence of Baba Dr Olopoenia and this was when I knew the huge repository of knowledge that he was. He was usually alone on his couch in the living room, but I was always amazed at the volume of books lying everywhere in the house – from Economics to History, Statistics to Mathematics, Political Science to Anthropology, among others. I learnt within a short time. I was able to connect the dots that existed between Mayowa Salawu and Ridwan Salawu, whom I had known separately, to reveal that they were brothers, among others. Up till our last meeting in 2018 at Rev Okesiji’s 90th birthday, his first question remained, What are you doing! Looking back at these days, I felt I was a bit far from tapping much more from him.

Baba Dr Razaq Olopoenia represented different things to different people- to some, he was the Professor that was never announced; to some, he was the difficult man that must be avoided; to some, he was the hermit, who was married to his books; to some, he was the first Doctor of Philosophy holder in Okeho man; to some, he was a great benefactor; to some, he was the Chairman; to some, he was a politician; to some, he was a doting father and to some, he was the Patriarch of the family. Whoever, he was to you, he remained a great man in life and in death.

I celebrate you, my Chairman, Sir. Your PA and boy cherish you. Adieu, Dr AbdulRazaq Afolabi Olopoenia.