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.
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]
