THE NATURAL BORN BUILDER
Edo Ukpong pays tribute to Tope Sonubi, an enterprising businessman, at age 50
“What do you think you are doing? Don’t tell me you are an Abacha supporter!” I had harangued my friend, Tope Sonubi. “What do you mean? How can you call me an Abacha supporter?’ he fired back. “But you are wearing an Abacha lapel badge!” “Oh this? Come on, it doesn’t mean anything. Everybody in Abuja is wearing Abacha badges”
“You are not everybody! You are better than that!” It was a joke. But as we departed that occasion, I noticed that the badge had disappeared! From time to time over the years, Topedo, as we call him, has reminded me of that incident, and how easily one can get carried away in the business world and how he appreciates the fact that I made a fuss about it.
A trained writer would perhaps have started with the story of how we met, especially as that is by far, a more compelling introduction to Topedo’s personality. I believe that most people’s personality traits do not change with time. The traits perhaps go through some evolution in form but the defining essence remains intact. Some of us acquire the ability to project our innate traits to positive tools in our life journey. Others perhaps are captive to their innate traits and surrender to less positive outcomes.
Sometime in 1980, in my final year at King’s College and very much living by my own rules, I had not gone down to the dining hall for breakfast. Long after breakfast and as the stewards were beginning to clear up, I sent a junior to bring my breakfast upstairs to the dormitory (against the school rules). To my surprise, he came back with the news that my breakfast had been ‘cleared’ by a junior boy. Even before I demanded the identity of the culprit, the junior pleaded on behalf of the “offender”, that he did not know it was my ration. I sent for him. Topedo arrived my imperial presence looking sorry for himself but armed to disarm with a large bowl of corn flakes, a full tin of milk and many lumps of sugar! I was enraged and I scolded him severely and told him I would not have punished him if he had simply apologised. I instructed him to report by my bedside in Hyde Johnson’s house (from Harman’s house at the other end of the school) every morning at 6am and kneel down with his hands up for half an hour! That was the opportunity for the born builder that he is, to build a relationship with a character largely seen especially by juniors as “unapproachable and somewhat of a terror”! In fact, I ended the punishment after only a few days when it occurred to me that Topedo took delight in serving his punishment but not without interrupting my sleep ostensibly for me to witness his execution of the punishment!
My obsession with the game of cricket was well known. Though Topedo was not a cricketer, he must have done a crash programme because unbelievably we would spend the half hour ‘gisting’ about cricket and other things of interest. I soon realised that the cheeky junior might actually be enjoying his early morning access and that he might be regaling his envious classmates with “Kwaks said this”. After the punishment he had achieved a level of familiarity where even his cheeky offer to be in charge of bringing up my breakfast was only met with a “Get out!” As ‘A’ level exams approached, my junior friend now firmly entrenched as my school son exhibited a level of genuine concern and encouragement, which in retrospect was way beyond his age. The fact that the ‘success card’ he made for me, out of the several I received is the only one I keep until this day is instructive.
Those who have come across Topedo on life’s journey would agree that he was indeed born with a connecting cord! He has the gift of seeing through people’s ‘’screen savers’’ and the generosity of heart to elicit genuine endearment – he just knows how to connect! It is the connections that Topedo has built, that he has harnessed to become one of Africa’s most successful entrepreneurs.
Any good builder and especially a natural born one, realises that building successfully requires team- work. So today, Topedo driven by fearless and unlimited ambition and in trusted company of co-achievers has built one of the biggest conglomerates in Africa. I should know! Topedo walked into my law office sometime in 1997 and requested that I incorporate a company for him to engage in oil business. I advised him to face architecture. I still remember his remark about whether the players in the industry have two heads. So little was my faith in my friend’s new dream of transforming from a high street fashion storeowner to an oil magnate that I did not bother to charge him even for the expenses of incorporation or ask for a small stake in lieu. A colossal mistake! How was I to know that some of the customers of his fashion shop would become key players in the oil industry and the strength of the personal relationships built with them will come to good use in establishing a foothold in the industry?
Topedo’s building prowess is more publicly evident in the business world but also of satisfaction to him are those that have no commercial value. A man whose unlimited ambition is buoyed by ferocious tenacity and absolute belief in his own capabilities does not need any further proof of his potency than the results that continue to manifest. A typical silent operator, he is dismissive of the typical rumours and speculation that trail successful people and businesses. People who know of our close friendship always regale me with ‘facts’ about who he is “fronting” for and things like that. When told, his answer is typical Topedo: unaffected, focused and realistic – ‘people must talk and there is nothing I can do about that and hey it makes no difference to anything’. Years ago, I suggested he appoint a chairman for the group and he told me he has always had one – God! Who comes without expenses and other baggage!
March 15 is just a date to mark the symbolic attainment of the age of wisdom. You have been 50 a long time! I wish you many more miles in your earthly journey. Ukpong is a Lagos based commercial legal practitioner
YEARS AGO, I SUGGESTED HE APPOINT A CHAIRMAN FOR THE GROUP AND HE TOLD ME HE HAS ALWAYS HAD ONE – GOD! WHO COMES WITHOUT EXPENSES AND OTHER BAGGAGE