Hmmm, Adam, this is well thought of my brother. Well thought out too. Makes one think deeply. Comes out to us with heaviness of heart.
Reminds me of my best friend in school, a lot of you will not know her, cos we did not hang out together. Today, I look back, I see her hand in practically everything I am today and what I would be tomorrow. So, yes Adam, we all do need each other's support. Vivian. Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN -----Original Message----- From: Sagai John Adam <[email protected]> Sender: [email protected] Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2012 08:36:19 To: cssjos<[email protected]> Reply-To: [email protected] Subject: [Jos Commandos] Daniel Otiekwu - Could I Have Done Better? (First written on 8th of March 2012 for the 1986 Set Commandos) Our classmate Daniel “O’Brains” Otiekwu passed on this evening. In my tribute on Facebook I lamented, “Oh how I wish life had been kinder to him”. Life, in my opinion, had been “hard” on him. Daniel and I lived in Karu and he was one of the few Commandos who knew how I started life from a one-room back-me-I-back-you slum in Karu village. He also knew that I moved to a 2-bedroom place. It saddens me that while I progressed, he stagnated. As my train of reflection moved further, it became apparent that maybe, just maybe, I too contributed to his “hard life”. Life may have dealt him a bad hand, but what did I do to relieve him? Dan tried his hands on several businesses like moulding block at building sites and running a kabu-kabu operation. Dan tried to join the Civil Defense Corps but was asked to bring 150,000 first before he could be employed. (Godwin Okpe filled me in on the other efforts he and Dan tried over the past few years on our trip to Oturkpo for the burial.) The question is: During these efforts, what did I do to help him succeed? Could I have done better? As Commandoes, many of us are lucky enough to be living the good life: we have jobs, cars, wives, kids, iPods, iPhones, iPads, iThis and iThat. Most importantly, WE ARE PROGRESSING. But, in our meetings, sitting right next us, are those who are still struggling. They are the printers. They are camera men/photographers. Some are chefs. Some Teach private lessons. (Those who are regular to our Abuja meetings, can match faces to these businesses.) Can we help them succeed? Shouldn’t we help them succeed? Prosper? What if I had called Dan anytime I needed a drop? Or a trip to the Airport? What if I had called Dan to come and mould all the blocks that I would use in the house I am building? Or I convinced my colleague in the office who is about to start his house project to use Dan’s moulding machine? Imagine all Jos Commandos in Abuja calling him to take them places. Imagine our Commando Chef getting the feeding contracts for all our Birthdays, Office parties or Commando meetings? Imagine our Commando Photographers doing the photo shoots? My fellow Commandos, we need to kill our present I-am-doing-fine-thank-you attitude. We need to roll our sleeves and get involved in the urgent and necessary task of uplifting ourselves. We must incorporate our fellow Commandos into the money flow within our group. Let us stop competing. Let us keep pride aside. Let us get real. Let us open up our wallets. So, what is next for me? NUMBER 1: Even though I prefer very private, very low-key celebrations, I will consider contracting the feeding of Mbaitat’s first birthday to Chef Soji Williams (If I can afford him). I will also get Sani Inuwa to take the pictures. They must chop my money. NUMBER 2: I will bring up for discussion in our Abuja Meeting the possibility of contracting the feeding and photography to fellow Commandos. They should be paid too. The usual practice is to bring our cameras and then try to gather the pictures at the end of the year for the photo-journal. But, let us try having professional shots taken and the CD’s presented to the Publicity Secretary for safe keeping. NUMBER 3: May I suggest that to the 17m Intervention Fund Coordination & Implementation Committee that Commandos should be considered first when it is time to buy something, build something or fix something. Our Commando Builders, Architects, Engineers, Traders etc. should be we should be the chief beneficiaries. IT IS OUR MONEY. NUMBER 4: We urgently need a Commando Network List. It should have contact details and most importantly, Services each Commando can render. All the Chapters should produce one and every Commando should own one and consult it regularly. I dare suggest that we only attend Commando events that the host can prove that he/she involved a Commando in the event. We should always ask: “Which Commando has benefitted from this your event?” (Plus another important question: “Have you PAID the Commando for the product or Service?”). NUMBER 5: We, (’86 Set in Abuja) must meet and discuss this issue in detail so as to fashion out HOW we can help each other to live a better life. SOME OF US HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING FOR FAR TOO LONG. I suspect this is the case for all the other Sets too. Bye, bye Daniel. May you be the first, and the last, of my mates who will struggle through the last 10 years of your life while, we, your more fortunate friends look on without doing something to lift you up. Amen. Sagai John Adam ('86 Set, Tiger House)
