Osoba: You never can tell, by Azuh Arinze
I was all smiles and “head shaking” on Saturday, July 13, 2024 at the Convention Centre of Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. This was at the 85th birthday and public presentation of Chief Olusegun Osoba’s new book, My life in the public eye.
In case you are wondering why I was smiling and shaking my head, well, it’s because sometimes some of the things we take for granted end up meaning so much and leaving remarkable dents in our lives.
Let me explain: My friend and brother, Michael Effiong and I were headed somewhere years ago – and while he drove, I mistakenly stumbled on a copy of Battlelines, Osoba’s just released memoirs in his car. I thought I could flip through and drop it. But no. I got magnetized and mesmerized. So much so that I pleaded he lent me the book for a few days. I devoured it all through that weekend. Did an immediate review, which caught the attention of the book publishers (Mr. Lanre Idowu of Diamond Publications Limited) and ultimately the author, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Ogun State and respected elder statesman.
He called me from London and later invited me to his house in Ikoyi, Lagos. Our meeting gave birth to a father-son relationship, which I must confess has fetched me so much, including his attendance at my events. Baba also never got tired of talking about the review whenever we met.
Fast forward to months back. I got a letter from his publishers that a new book by Osoba was in the offing and they would require my consent to use my review as one of the chapters. Instantly, and without thinking twice about it, I gave my approval.
That book, with additional contributions by much more accomplished journalists and intellectuals like Ray Ekpu, Mike Awoyinfa, Dimgba Igwe, Dele Momodu, Yakubu Mohammed, Reuben Abati, Festus Adedayo, Dapo Olorunyomi, Chido Nwakanma, Dare Babarinsa and others, was launched at Aremo’s 85th birthday with pomp and ceremony and with the who is who in attendance.
Nicely tucked into 212 pages, including chapters by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Gen. Abdusalam Abubakar, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and Gov. Dapo Abiodun, the reason for my smile and the message I want to get across is that some of the things we take for granted sometimes end up being the ones that matter at the end of the day – just like that simple review, which Osoba has repeatedly described as one of his best.
In conclusion therefore, I want to urge us to keep doing our best and also to keep putting our best foot forward, because ‘you never can tell’ the outcome.
Thanks so much and best regards.
Azuh Arinze is the publisher/editor-in-chief of YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine and author of bestsellers like The CEO’s Bible 1& 2, Success Is Not Served A La Carte, A Taste Of Success, Anything and Everything Journalism, etc
