Pasuma’s First Booking Office: A Short Memo to a Young Professional by Onigegewura

Abdul Wasiu Odetola is his name. You may not be familiar with the name. But I am pretty certain that you have heard of Wasiu Alabi Pasuma. Wasiu Odetola is Wasiu Pasuma. He is arguably one of the leading musicians in Nigerian today. From Fuji of which he is one of the overlords, he has made successful forays into the field of hip-hop. He has collaborated with most of the top hip-hop stars of today.

Pasuma clocked 50 last year. To commemorate this golden milestone, he published a pictorial book detailing his musical odyssey. Many thanks to Hakeem Alimi [Ajala Jalingo] and Bintu Ogunjimi-Ijelu [Oyeladun], two Nollywood veterans, who went out of their way to ensure I got a copy of the book. Onigegewura is not ungrateful.

One of the photographs in the book is the image that appeared at the top of this write-up. I hope you are able to see the picture clearly. That’s Pasuma’s first ‘booking office’. The office is at Fafolu Street in the hinterland of Mushin. The second picture is that of the recording company where Pasuma signed his first record deal in 1993. Of all the photographs in the book, I found those two most riveting.

The first time I met Pasuma was at London Heathrow Airport in 2003. That was 10 years after he signed that first record deal. On arrival in Nigeria, I overheard an elderly lady at the airport telling everyone who cared to listen that she was going to tell all her friends that she saw Pasuma. In the fashion of a typical African mother, she was praying intermittently for his success and for her children to be successful like Pasuma.

I looked again at the photograph of the booking office. The journey to stardom must have been pretty rough for the then young Wasiu.

Like the elderly woman at the airport, what most of us tend to see is the success. We see the glamour. We see the trophy. We see the plaque. We see the wealth. We see the riches. We see the cars. Of course, we see the 'accolades' and the 'assurances'. And we pray to be like the superstars. But how many of us see the ‘booking office’ at Fafolu Street, Mushin?

It takes constancy, diligence and dedication to get to the peak of whatever your profession is. I know that the terrain is rough and the weather is inclement for the young practitioner who wants to make his mark in the profession. Many times the thought of leaving your profession must have crossed your mind.

My beloved young professional, every time you feel like calling it quits I want you to look at this photograph of Pasuma’s first booking office. The beginning is usually rough. It always takes time to build a structure that is designed to last. In most professions, experience comes with age. Most of the senior guys who are successful today have all passed through the College of Hard Knocks. If you ask them, they will tell you how it was rough for them when they began their practice.

I said it above that experience comes with age. I must add practice. This is important. It is important to ensure that while you are paying your dues, you are also learning the ropes of the profession. For instance, it will amount to double jeopardy if at the end of ten years of being called to the Bar, you are still struggling to distinguish between an averment and a deposition. Every time you read a new case, every time you draft a new pleading, every time you review a new agreement, you are getting closer to your dream of being a leader in the profession.

Again, using my profession as an example, one of the things I have discovered is that consistency plays a role in the making of a successful lawyer. By the time you are leaving Law School, you should have a rough idea of what you want to do. Don’t become a rolling stone that gathers no moss. It was Zeynab, the powerful singer from the Republic of Benin, who sang that ‘ma r’oko, ma r’odo, alé oni la ti ma so’ [the decision whether to go to the farm or the stream must be taken on the eve of the journey, and not on the day of the journey].

If it is legal practice, be focused on it. If it is academia, be resolute about it. If it is corporate practice, face it squarely. It is usually not easy to practice for 12 years and because you are yet to find your feet in litigation you then decide to move into the university to teach. The same thing applies to those who want to become state counsel. You may have to queue behind the people who were your junior at the Bar.

Face your passion. Work on your passion. Make your work your passion. Always have it at the back of your mind that you are working for yourself and not for the salary you are being paid. With this mindset, you will discover that you always put in your best in every assignment.

And mind you, don’t wait for all things to be equal before you change your mindset and attitude. All things may never be equal. I often hear people say things like: ‘if my boss can only increase my salary by N30,000, he will see the wonders I am going to perform’. In such a situation, you are no longer in control of yourself. You have ceded that control to your boss. Your boss may never increase your salary. Does that then mean that you will never perform your wonders and you will forever remain at that mediocre level?

You may not know this but I will tell you today. As a newly qualified lawyer, Aare Afe Babalola, Onigegewura's mentor, was employed by Mr. Olu Ayoola [later My Lord Justice Olu Ayoola] on the condition that the new wig would not be paid for the first six months. Aare accepted. A month later, the young man who later became Aare Bamofin of Yorubaland won a decisive victory for the law firm. The rest, today, is history. 

I have been fortunate to work with some extremely passionate young people. Let me tell you about a gentleman called Femi Daniel. As a young undergraduate, he co-authored a book with a fellow undergraduate. At the Law School, he published another very good book. When my friend who was then a Commissioner in a South West state asked me to recommend a Research Assistant, Femi was top on my list. Femi displayed his passion for work in his new assignment and in less than a year, my friend recommended that he be appointed as a Special Assistant to the Governor. That’s what being passionate does for you.

Excellence opens doors.

Have I told you about Jubril Yusuf? In the six months he worked with us before leaving for Law School [he was not yet called to the Bar at the time], Jubril proved himself to be an exceptional worker of uncommon diligence. The Big Boss II was so impressed with his passion for work that he told me that even if Jubril passed the Bar Finals with Pass Grade, he would employ him without any reservation. Of course, Jubril passed with flying colours. Big Boss II kept his promise.

What of Ephraim Ajijola? I met him when he volunteered to work with us for free. He came with a twenty page CV! And he was just a Year 4 Law Student at the time! He was Lord Chancellor of this, General Secretary of that, Vice President of this, and President of that! What a passion! He paid me the best compliments when he went to my alma mater for his postgraduate studies. He is working in one of the top law firms in Lagos at the moment. Akinola Folarin was also fantastic. In addition to his diligence, Akinola was also very particular about his appearance. He works in a leading law firm in Abuja.

Excellence opens doors.

One common trait shared by all these young men [and young ladies, of course! Opeyemi Dada, Titilayo Alimi, Jedalo Odusanwo and Salimat Salami, and so many others] is the passion they have for excellence. They were all undergraduate volunteers at the time I met them. Yet they clocked in the same hours as fulltime workers. They didn’t ask for any preferential treatment and they didn’t get any. They just wanted to learn. And all of them [save Jubril, Femi and Salimat] went to Olabisi Onabanjo University. They must be doing something right in Ago Iwoye. I have made a mental note to visit the school.

I am so proud of these committed young Nigerians. I am excited about their tomorrow. I believe in you guys!

Learn to love your work notwithstanding the current challenges. I know the pay is poor. I know your boss does not appreciate your worth. I know your colleagues are taking you for granted. I know that some of your friends appear to be doing better than you. I know your place is far from your office. I know life would be better if your salary is increased. All the same, love your work. Put in your best, always. I hope you remember what Khalil Gibran said about work: “…if you can't work with love, but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of the people who work with joy. ”

Love your work. Work with joy!

Once again, anytime you feel like quitting, please do me a favour: Look again at the image of Pasuma’s first booking office. I hope to see you at the top!

I wish you a resounding success.

Onigegewura

Image Credit: Pasuma - The Golden Son of Mushin [2017]