Becoming Landlord was Happiest Point of my Life...
I aspired to be an industrialist. I established a companypy with myy late friend, Chief Dejij Adebimpep in Abeokuta in 1983. WWe floated a company called Elvan Bottlingg Nigeriag Limited. WWe acquiredq hectares of land. I remember we were so determined to
Becomingg a landlord was myy best moment
I have had several best moments in myy life: ggettingg mar rried, havingg children and makingg a head wayy in a turbulent world, also, when I established myy ppetro station. But my y happiestpp moment was the dayy I became a landlord. This was in 1992. I was livingg in a two bedroomed flat before then. Myy lowest moment was myy mother’s death. I weptp the day I inauguratedg my y firstfifi buildingg because I was ppained that my mother died early and did not eat the fruit of her labour. j y Beingg a familyy man
Byy the specialp ggrace of God I am blessed with children from two wives. I ggot married to my y first wife, Ebun, an indigeneg of Ibadan, who I met in Lagosg in 1965 when I was 28. Our path crossed when I went to see a friend in Obalende. She said she was livingg in Government Quarters in Ikoyiy with her elder sister. The chemistryy ggelled and I ppursued it further. She later introduced me to her sister. But her sister’s husband was about to retire and he said if I am serious about the relationshipp I should bringg myy pparents. I was veryy afraid because I wasn’t readyy for marriageg and at the same time I didn’t want to lose her. Myy fear was borne out of myy meagreg salaryy that how would I feed my y wife and children. But theyy told me that as soon as her sister’s husband retires theyy would be leavingg Lagosg to Owo in Ondo State where the man hails from. I told myy senior sister and she encouragedg me. She was very happyppy because myy father too had been ppesteringg me. We later visited her pparents in Ibadan to seal the deal. And we ggot married and blessed with children. I later ggot married to myy second wife Tayey and also blessed with children. I have pplayedy myy role well as a father over myy children. I tried myy best and todayy some live abroad and my young children are not doing badly in education. Happyppy to be 80
I was happyppy to have attained the ageg of 80 because of myy experiencep in the ppast. When I was about 55 yyears I had an accident that almost ended myy life but God steppedpp in. I went for a ceremonyy in Ibadan and on myy wayy back myy car was involved in a gghastly y accident alongg Lagos-gIbadan expressway.py The Peugeotg was a write off. And today,y I am alive hale and hearty. One thingg I learnt is that God is the author and finisher of our faith and I have embraced him totally.y I ppresentlyy worshipp at Ebenezer Baptistp Church Abeo - kuta and I am excited when I am in the house of God. If one lives for 1,000 yyears it is byy His graceg breathing g and living.g Myy onlyypprayery to God is to sparep my life to be able to see my young children through.