The Bull at 71

A few weeks ago while on phone with the Sawe of Ilesa, Chief Akinwande Akinola, as an identifier, I reminded him that as a young school leaver from the C & S High School, Iyemogun, Ilesa in the 1980s, I became his Messenger. Akinola, now in his 80s, was then the Managing Director of International Breweries Ltd, brewers of Trophy beer. The old man must have wondered how the then indecipherable seeds lying inside a small walnut pod could become a delicacy to bite today. As a die-hard comparativist, I love mentoring the youth of today who see only hopelessness in the horizon. In my narration of a tomorrow, I place yesterday side by side today and counterpoise the future with today. Inside them are hidden fruits whose plum harvest no one can tell. Akinola was one major icon that a young school leaver like me saw and swore to crawl my way to become somebody in life.

Of all that is said about the Chairman of Globacom, Dr, Mike Adenuga, two attributes catch my fancy the most. One is his grass-to-grace story. The other is his personification of the tigritude philosophy of Leopold Sedar Senghor, parodied in a conversation Prof Wole Soyinka once had. Soyinka had lovingly articulated the tigritude of a tiger thus: “A tiger does not proclaim his tigritude; he pounces”. Put succinctly, when a tiger is in the jungle, he does not sit regally in the forest to mouth his prowess by saying “I am a tiger”. Upon a walk past the spot where the tiger has walked heretofore, what confronts you are a conqueror’s memorabilia like the skeleton of the duiker, decapitated head of an impala and caked blood that paint the jungle leaves red. When you see these insignias, as the holy writ says, verily I say unto thee, these are proclamations that a tiger was here.

Experiences of life either toughen one into a monster or open up the trough of humanity latent in those experiences. For Michael Adeniyi Agbolade Ishola Adenuga, they seem to have provoked and strengthened his humanity. If the youth of today can study his life, his rise to where he is today, they have the tendency of providing ample ground for their role-modeling and mentorship. His life can unlock the can-do spirit in them and open situation-blurried eyes to see a glorious tomorrow.

History has it that the young Adenuga, born April 29, 1953, wasn’t your idea of a silver spoon. With a school teacher father and businesswoman mother, Juliana Oyindamola Adenuga, (nee Onashile) as early as when he was a student of Ibadan Grammar School, Adenuga swore that his life would make a difference. Those who knew him while growing up in Ibadan in the 70s talk about a young man who hawked lace cloth materials while distributing soft drinks. Coupled with the renowned industry and financial doggedness of Ijebu people, Adenuga must have caught the bug of the business acumen while helping his mother oversee her businesses. He subsequently pulled himself off by the lace of his canvass by working as a taxi driver in America to eke out a living and self-secured the funding for his university education.

There are several Mike Adenugas dotting the landscape of Nigeria. Unfortunately, rather than see prosperity in the current hardship, they are blinded from a prosperous future. I am sure that as plenty dotted the landscape of the 1970s and 80s when Adenuga was struggling to wriggle out of lack, complaints of an opaque tomorrow also filled the land. Determination and vision helped him punch the walls of challenges that lined his way to the top.

Now to my second fancy about him. Bookmakers claim he is the richest Nigerian. The names of some others are equally mentioned. Adenuga does not attempt to denounce or affirm this. This does not seem to matter to him. He has something in common with MKO Abiola who once said he might not be able to say that he was the richest African, but that he attempted to be the most generous African. Rather than worship wealth as is the vogue with rich Nigerians, Adenuga deconstructs wealth by becoming a tree that makes a forest without noise. Those who have seen him are far between but his imprints dot the landscape. Like the Soyinka tiger, Adenuga does not proclaim his tigritude. However, when you walk past the spot where his tiger has walked heretofore, the memorabilia confirm that The Bull is indeed the tiger of humanity. It is said that he grants a $32 million annual scholarships to students and endows professorial chairs for research and development in the mould of Bill and Melinda Gates.

If you read the autobiography of Kabiyesi Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, you would have a glimpse of how Adenuga suffered to get here. In 2001, his application for GSM licence met its waterloo, leading to huge financial loss. His Ogun State kinsman, Olusegun Obasanjo, who was busy making billionaires of other people from other ethnicities, swore to liquidate him. Like Bob Marley said about the magical touch of his feet, Adenuga’s feet are personified in his audacity, his focus, his hardwork and a brain that is tirelessly innovating.

Adenuga’s life should be a book of inspiration daily read by upcoming youths. It should also demonstrate to emergency mega-billionaires who litter Nigeria that money is a vehicle, a journey and not a destination that they erroneously assume it to be. Money should not be venerated because in doing that, its vanity looms large. By deconstructing it, money assumes a utility and functional humanity of its own that gives its owner unquantifiable joy and satisfaction. This is wishing The Bull a happy 71st birthday tomorrow.