TRIBUITE: THE VERY VIBRANT KEN IFEBOR I KNOW AND THE CLARKSON MAJOMI CONNECTION
SPECIAL TRIBUITE:
BY CERUTTI
M.OSAGIE(czar of long letters)
·
“When beggars die there are no comet seen, but even heaven blazes over
the death of prince” -Shakespeare
In writing
this death tribute on my great friend and business associate of sort, I was
lost as to how and where to start from! How will you start writing on a man you
both shared evening meals and few drinks a week before his untimely death?
We are not childhood
friends as many people suspected, we met in the breezy city of Lagos during the
course of our writing careers, he was then in charge of media and logistic
affairs with the Edo State Government Liaison office, in Ahmadu Bello Way, by
Bar beach in Victoria island, his principal was His Excellency, the former
Governor of Edo of Edo State
Our path
crossed in the late 90’s ,exactly a day after my piece of very meaningful
impact on the late Public Relations torchlight and style connoisseur
extraordinaire, Obarisi Dr Clarkosn Majomi was published in the Saturday This
day style section, of which my editor then,Mr
Steve Nwosu(whom today I still call my emeritus editor ) tagged the two
page monster report on Dr Majomi as
: “ MEET MAJOMI,MAN WHO SAYS ,COLLECTING CARS IS MY VICE”
I will not
be immodest with the truth, the Majomi story was a national hit, and I got
accolades from far and near, editors internal and externally were amazed that I
could track down Majomi for a most insightful chat of that nature. Honorable
Uche Ubani, my boss while I was in Sunday Thisday, who hardly gave open
compliments, told me in front of his desk
that “Mike ,that was a good one on Majomi, who is perfect example to
journalism success story”
There was no
doubt about it, during his life time on earth, De Majomi was described in
superlative, he was style personified, he interviewed several African heads of
states and kings, he had photos of them all, including photo of his imperial
majesty Haile Gabriel Selasie, photo of ex Kenya president Jumo Kenyetta Sir JULIUS Nyere of Tanzania shaking hands among
others and in that interviewed –how he managed to get all these interviewed
dates remains a mystery not only to
this wordsmith but many media
men-he admitted that he worked so hard and unlike others, he neither drinks,
smoke or womanize, hence he opted for collecting cars as his vice
A day after
the story was published, a mutual friend on the appeal from late Ken Ifebor
invited me out to a social meeting at the Lagos bar beach under the direction
of Ken, he wanted to meet Majomi, he was frank to describe him as role model to
a lot of youths and even confessed that his then boss, Chief Lucky Igbinedion,
one time Governor of Edo State always used Majomi as case study on how journalist
must carry themselves with dignity and decorum
So through
the benefit of hindsight can vividly
say that my meeting and friendship with Ken was as a result of our mutual love
for Majomi, whom he most badly wanted to meet and wanted to work with
I never
assured him 100% of my ability to take him to Majomi, because during his life
time, Majomi was a like masquerades, not a man to see anyhow, for I myself have
met him by divine grace
I wrote on
him several times in Thisday without an interview, and as faith will smile on
me, on occasion of late Ehime Aikomu’s wedding to his wife Apinke at the MUSON
HALL, which has all the trapping of star studded grade A list in attendance, I
was taken to him by no less a showman extraordinaire in person of Earl Osaro
Onaiwu, and when my name is mentioned to him, he said I know you, you write on
me in Thisday most often on Saturdays
There and
then Majomi gave me a date to meet him at his villa on Adetokunbo Ademola on
Victoria island-not for interview but for evening drinks and a meal by
poolside, in his words “I do not like granting interviews to some strangers,
you must forts be my friend before we talk to public press”
One thing led
to another and that was how my story with MAJOMI began, he was classy and
carried himself high, he granted audience only to few and he had no regrets
All these I
explained to Ken Ifebor and one day I pulled a called to Majomi in Abuja and
made Ken speak to him, he obliged a meeting after long persuasions with a
promise that we can all meet on his return from London where he admitted going
for medical, alas, that was the end, as he was to give up the ghost at a London
hospital over a protracted cancer
Though
Ifebor and MAJOMI never met one on one, Ken during his short days on earth worked so hard to live the Majomi
dream classy life, good home, elegant friends, international trips and
world public relationa contact
Born on May
6th 1969 in Benin City, Ken that I know is a most jovial man who
loved to mix with very successful people in society; he discriminated on no one
and is very reliable friend to depend on
He wanted to
achieve a lot in his journalistic career, and where he could not make up for a
knack of daily writing, he made up with his wild social and business contact
He was not
in any way an introvert and that spurred him to join many associations too numerous to mention, and all whom heard
of his death never talked ill of him, he was lively and jolly many agreed, and that I can personally attest to
for we shared many good times botch in and off the pen profession
And as Ken
Ifebor is being committed to mother earth this weekend, we must not forget the
great quite by Shakespeare about death …
No doubt, to
me and many friends, family members and associate, Ken is not dead; he is only
in a mysterious deep long sleep to rise again soon
RIP KEN GADO
·
Young Chief Cerutti Osagie contributed this tribute from Lagos
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