On Monday, September 1st, Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), turned 51. His associates had wanted to give him a Birthday bash but he quietly turned it down. Last year, he did the same thing.
This is an irony; considering the fact that in this part of the world, praise-singing is an art, a very good art. The average man of immense financial or political influence is an emperor. He likes to be seen and praised by his benefactors just as he likes to shout from the roof tops; after all, in marketing, if you do not say “here I am, nobody says there you are.” But Adoke had always taken an exception to this since his youth.
I could recall that when in June, 1979, we completed our secondary education and were busy packing our baggage, he came from his hostel, Clark House, to my room in Oduduwa House and said, after exchanging pleasantry with me: “Adubi, here is a copy of my photograph for you. Find a space for it in your album so that you will continue to remember me in the event that we do not meet again.” That was a good sense of humility and attachment that only a few would do.
We parted ways. He grew to become a Lawyer while I became a Journalist. We did not meet again until 1991 when I was working at the Daily Times of Nigeria Plc, Lagos. One day, I was at the domestic wing of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos to take a flight (Hold Trade Air) to Sokoto on an official assignment when we met. He had also come to take the same flight to Kano. We reconnected warmly. He took me to the VIP lounge and entertained me. He introduced me to some of his friends among who was the then Chief Executive of the Intercontinental Merchant Bank. When we were airborne, he relocated to the next seat to my right and did not leave me to join his friends until he alighted in Kano.
Less than six months after, we met at the Falomo, Ikoyi head office of the bank where I had gone to see one of the directors in the cause of my nosing for news. As the receptionist was trying to interrogate me, Adoke appeared, greeted me with a slight bow in recognition of age seniority. Promptly, he asked if I was having problem accessing the person I was there to see so that he could assist. I told him no even though I had not been cleared. He left me and went away. And for his sake, I was cleared by the receptionist who had earlier told me that it was not a visiting day. In the same vein, when I did my wedding on December 26, 1992, he attended despite the short notice and his tight schedule. That time, he was already making waves in his private legal practice. Since then, we had had occasional phone contacts, especially when I was General Manger, Zuma Radio, Abuja.
Currently a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Adoke has refused to jettison his simplicity and humility. One day, I went to his office to see him and he was very busy. After waiting for about two hours, he sent for me. When I entered, he was still at a meeting; he apologized for keeping me that long and asked me to take my seat while he concluded the meeting. On another day, I entered his office and he observed that I was down cast for obvious reason. I remained standing while he was sitting down. He said: “Adubi, today, you are standing and I am seating down; tomorrow, it could be the reverse.”
So, he appealed for my patience. It is also important to mention that whenever he was busy and I could not see him, I would, like many other visitors, wait outside. And whenever he comes out, he would breach protocol to attend to me. Each time we met, he would always ask of our other class mates; especially Murtala Lasisi (aka Ochapaniko) and Musa Yusuf. He remembers these people he has not seen for over 34 years as if it was yesterday.
He has never ignored his old friends. He extends this rare gesture to many others amidst his quiet charity as no fewer than 100 favour seekers throng his office weekly. His personal aides are also wonderful in assisting him to manage his time between his official responsibilities and his many visitors. Given the above, I wish to also attest to his humility, charitable spirit and rare gift to live for others. He is though temperamental, Adoke forgives easily and he moves on with his purpose driven life.
[su_heading size=”11″ align=”left” margin=”10″]Abdulmalik is Abuja-based Journalist and can be reached on nowmalik@gmail.com.[/su_heading]
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