MBHS 95 Alumni Association

Thank You, Gentlemen of Broad Street!

Thank you Gentlemen of Broad Street: The Boys of Methodist Boys High School, Lagos

If you didn’t attend Methodist Boys High School, Lagos (Nigeria’s second secondary school and one of its most prestigious), then I can only pity you. Lol

The boys of MBHS, Lagos popularly known as ‘Gentlemen of Broad Street’ especially members of my set, 1995 Set were fully on ground at my father in law’s burial.

I got full cover and support in cash and kind from my brothers, those with whom I walked the hallowed grounds of MBHS Victoria Island and Broad Street.

Members of my set in the diaspora also showed me tremendous love and support.

Dear brothers, I cherish the cord and memories that bind us, I value the brotherly love and camaraderie; I won’t trade it for anything in the world. The boys of MBHS, Lagos are the best brothers you can have at your corner.

My wife, Modupe Owasoyo Olugbemi-gabriel couldn’t believe her eyes and luck; she’s grateful for all the love and gifts you showered on her. The entire Owasoyo family send their gratitude too.

Thank you Emeritus Head Boy, Femi Allen, Olusoji Jacobs (our own thespian and Nollywood icon), Kunlay Sadare, Kunle Adeonojobi, Oseni Saheed, Alayaki Adeola Tajudeen (who flew down from Abuja), Prince Ayo Ayeni (Chairman, Planning/Pounded Yam Committee), Adeola Adelakun, Yinusa Segun Kamal, Raphael Ozemohya, Muhammad Usman, Pastor Muyiwa Mark Ibigbami, Alhaji Lawal Wasiu Olakunle , Prince Tunji Oyekan (future Oba of Lagos), Nwaenyi Killian, Okafor Chijioke, Olumide Olusola (my namesake and our own MKO), Adolphus Angel Apety (the only angel in our midst and the only one who came twice), Abayomi Ojo, Michael Udoh, Sola Souza (Chairman of our set), Ejikemeuwa Ezeocha (the egg head), Olaniyi Awogbenle (who unavoidably missed the show for reasons best known to both of us).

The 1993 Set had their own man in person of my highly revered brother in law, Abbey Owasoyo (the Arole of Owasoyo Family) as the main man. Remarkably, the ’93 set had the most profound impact on our own set.
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Francis Olaitan represented the 1997 Set, while my aburo, Oguntade Adetola represented the 2006 Set.

Just look at us, resplendent in our school colour/idasa. We rock and roll.

God bless all the Gentlemen of Broad Street.
God bless all members of MBHS ’95 Set

My heart is so grateful; you’re the best.

Courtesy: Olumide Olugbemi-Gabriel

35 Years After…Who Killed Dele Giwa?

October 19, 1986 remains unforgettable.

I can’t ever forget. It was a Sunday; I still remember vividly.

We just returned from Sunday service and we’re about to settle down to the traditional Sunday meal of rice and stew, when father broke the news.

“Won ti pa Dele Giwa”

“Dele Giwa has been murdered”, father announced with so much sorrow and a deep sense of loss. Trust my father, he had the gift of transporting the weight of national tragedies from wherever to our living room. But that tragic event was different; his favourite journalist had just been murdered at Ikeja, Lagos.

I was only 9 years old when it happened but that incident went on to shape my life in many ways. Through my father, an avid newspaper reader, radio listener, street current affairs analyst and historian, I had been in constant contact with Dele Giwa and his exciting and reinvigorating Newswatch team.

Father was an unrepentant buyer of Sketch newspaper, Punch newspaper, Lagos Horizon and Newswatch magazine. Being my first hero, I naturally followed in his footsteps, ferociously consuming newspapers and magazines at a very tender age (the story of how my father had shaped my reading and writing skills will be told some day).

That day, elevated sorrow enveloped dad as details of the gruesome murder of Dele Giwa through parcel bomb by suspected state agents filtered in. The site and sight were gory; his living room, where he had opened the letter bomb was blackened and bloodied, with Dele’s body badly mangled.

At that point in time, Dele Giwa (a smooth skin handsome man) was perhaps the finest and most daring Nigerian journalist. Expectedly, the country was left in shock as many grieved not only over his death, but more over the manner of its execution.

Because Nigerians loved him, Dele Giwa metamorphosed into an instant folk/pop hero. Popular arts celebrated him and gave him a secured place among the pantheon of martyrs. The street took over. Songs were composed to mourn and immortalize him as well as comfort his family.

But something had happened to me. I lost my innocence as I got my first dose of the now famed Nigerian tragedy. It was Nigeria that happened to Dele Giwa on Sunday, October 19, 1986. Like a deranged hen, Nigeria ate her own egg.

I remember how hard Gani Fawehinmi fought to bring the culprits to book and keep the matter on the front burner of national consciousness and discourse. But we all know how that ended.

35 years after, the greatest tribute we can pay to that wizard of a journalist is to reopen the case with a view to solving it as a fitting start of national rebirth. The fact that that murder is unsolved is an open sore of the nation. Nigeria needs closure as much as the Giwa family, whose son was gruesomely murdered.

Thank you, Dele Giwa for being an important part of my childhood. You inspired a young mind to become a journalist, writer and seeker of truth. It still pains to remember you but the memories of sweet things past have helped.

On this day and always, may the memories of the horror they inflicted on you traumatize your killers into a confession.

Adieu, country man.

Written By: Olumide Olugbemi-Gabriel

75th Birthday Celebration of Grandma Sogbetun

On the 1st of October, Nigeria’s Independence Day commemoration, Mr. Tosin Sogbetun’s mother celebrated her 75th birthday anniversary in style, in Lagos.

Members of the MBHS 95 Alumni Association were in attendance to commemorate the day with our friend and brother, who had travelled far to attend the occasion. It was a truly exciting day for all, but especially for the Old Boys who hadn’t seen themselves physically for a long time.

Here are a couple of pictures that represent the day and helps create the memories for that special day for our friend.

We pray for divine health for Mama Sogbetun, and that she will enjoy life to the fullest, and her children and grandchildren will be sources of joy to her through the years.

Tithing and AK-47 Pastors

Olumide Olugbemi-Gabriel

Tithing or payment of tithe by Christians is one of the greatest scams contrived by pentecostal denominations. Tithing as being espoused and implemented by these denominations is not biblical.

Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t say that tithing is wrong in its entirety. It isn’t a problem if you’re paying tithe on the back of freewill and you’re freed of coercion, manipulation and blackmail couched in biblical verses and relayed on fiery tongue.

Any pastor who believes in the gospel that Jesus gave His life for, and s/he is involved in manipulating and blackmailing congregants to pay tithe through the instrumentality of Malachi is an AK 47 pastor.

An AK 47 Pastor forces and threatens you to pay tithe. He practically puts a gun to your head like an armed robber and robs you of possessions you’re unwilling to give him/her.

There’s a reason why there’s no record that the disciples of Christ paid tithe. Apostle Paul would have mentioned the payment of tithe if it’s that important to the church founded by Christ.

Rather Christ and his disciples during and after His ascension paid tax. Thus the payment of tax to government/authorities is more important than payment of tithe.

In simple English, payment of tax is sacrosanct for every working Christian; the charge is to give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. Payment of tithe is optional.

Every act of giving under the testament sealed by the blood of Jesus must be from a generous heart, which understands why s/he should give. The new testament church is founded on giving without compulsion.

“You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 2 Corinthians 9:7.

Don’t pay tithe only because a pastor puts a gun to your head through Malachi and the threat of a curse. A Christian does not need to pay tithe to be prosperous or to make heaven.

Hear me, you’re not under any curse because you do not pay tithe. That’s why Christ came and died. He nailed everything to the cross for that purpose.

Shalom.

MBHS95 Teacher Awards Committee

In May 2021, a member of the Gentlemen of Broad Street and the MBHS 95 Alumni – Mr. Kunle Sadare – submitted a proposal to the Executive Committee to showcase an idea that could be taken up by the Association as a means of rewarding teachers while also giving back to the Alma Mater.

Fortunately, the members of the Executive Committee excitedly bought into the idea and brought it to the larger house of the Association to ruminate upon.

Ultimately, the MBHS95 Alumni Association unanimously decided to take the leap and use this means to give back to their Alma Mater. It was seen as an Awards ceremony which would celebrate two teachers from the Senior and Junior Secondary Schools respectively, at least for a start.

The members of the Alumni were made to nominate and vote for their preferred candidates that would represent them and carry out the mandate to bring the innovative concept to life, end-to-end.

Based on the votes, below is the conclusive list of the members of the MBHS95 TEACHER AWARDS COMMITTEE:

1. Soji Jacobs
2. Kunle Ade-Onajobi (P.R.O.)
3. Kunle Sadare (Chairman)
4. Remi Makanju (General Secretary)
5. Olumide Olugbemi-Gabriel
6. Bayo Ogungbenro (Financial Secretary)
7. Femi Allen
8. Sola Souza
9. Niyi Ajayi-Bembe (Ass. General Secretary)

This Committee has the mandate to deliver an idea that may change lives of many, directly and indirectly, through the expectation that this reward system would encourage more teachers to enhance their practice. This would inadvertently ensure better quality of teaching to be received by the students.

This is just the beginning. The story has only just begun, and the Committee will provide updates as this project continues to take shape into full implementation.

Our prayer is that the Committee will be divinely guided, as God protects and strengthens each and every member as they take on this task. All members are encouraged to support the Committee as much as possible, financially, morally, and otherwise.

Book Launch: Two Decades of Uninterrupted Democracy in Nigeria

FINALLY OUT: BOOK ON TWO DECADES OF UNINTERRUPTED DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA

In December, 2018, I was invited by Dr Mike Omilusi , a fine, prolific writer, political scientist and renowned scholar of Nigeria’s electoral system, to be part of a book project conceived to document 20 years of democracy (1999-2019) in Nigeria.

At that time, I’d never met Dr Omilusi in person (and I didn’t on a one-on-one basis until yesterday); but his reputation preceded him in the sheer number of scholarly books and peer-review articles bearing his name, aside being a regular voice on radio as a public affairs analyst.

But we had become friends on Facebook and followed each other well on that platform after one of his articles was published in a journal on whose board I serve (Agidigbo: ABUAD Journal of Humanities).

At first, I was excited to be part of the book as contributor and co-editor, but my excitement didn’t last.

It was clear that Dr Omilusi had invited me to a discursive engagement of Nigeria’s democracy on the basis of my Facebook writings on politics and governance in general. On the list of contributors and their assigned topics were scholars and political scientists of note.

Not being a political scientist by training but only by inclination and volition, I was to tread an uncharted territory. I was gripped by a momentary fear of the unknown. Good enough, that fear soon evaporated like the desert mist as I took up the challenge and settled down to do justice to my topic: Nigerian Presidency and Intergovernmental Relations, in which I privileged the monstrosity of the presidency and Executive arm of government together with the ‘kabiyesi mentality’, with which it treats other arms and tiers of government.

The book, “Two Decades of Democratic Experiment: Perspectives on Institutions of Democracy in Nigeria”, is finally out to critical acclaim. Yesterday, when the co-editor visited me to deliver my copy, someone bought it immediately.

The book has elicited much interest among politicians, public servants, scholars and students of democracy and politics.

That it took us more than two years to publish this rich and enriching book on democratic governance in Nigeria underscores the formidable challenges, which scholars face in this clime. The environment is unfriendly to scholars on almost all grounds and it kills scholarship in the process, unless one is dogged and indefatigable.

The road was rough and serpentine; there were frustrations, anger, disagreement and discouragements. But we soldiered on. Funding was our greatest challenge in a country where corporate organizations, government and private citizens fall over themselves to sponsor BBN and fete its winners like they won Nobel Prize for finding the cure to cancer.

It’s a big shame and certainly counterproductive that we fund inanities at the expense of critical knowledge production. You cannot sow wind and not reap whirlwind; it’s only a matter of time before we rue our collective foolishness.

The editors spent the whole of Covid 19 pandemic lockdown working day and night on the book. Only the grace of God and the Nigerian never-say-die attitude brought the book to life and light.

Dr Omilusi and I are grateful to everyone who supported the book project. We thank our families for the sacrifices especially the hours away on the computer, reading, researching and writing.

Kudos to all the esteemed contributors and our publisher; we did it together. Thank you.

It’s our hope that this book would elicit progressive engagements and reactions from all the right quarters.

May Nigeria succeed.

Olumide Olugbemi-Gabriel

Chess Champion – Oladapo Adeoti Does it Again!

Representing Kwara State, and for a second consecutive time, Mr. Oladapo Adeoti won the 2nd Edition of the Governor Abdulrazak Open Chess Tournament back to back.

Mr. Oladapo Adeoti receiving his award after coming 1st for a second consecutive time in Chess Tournament

“Posky”, as he is popularly called, has been a chess prodigy right from secondary school days, excelling in both formal and informal tournaments. It is no surprise that, even after 40 years old, he has continued to show an unending passion for the tactical game.

Posky! The MBHS 95 Set Alumni celebrate with you as we recognise a world-beater in our midst. Keep on keeping on.

Next: The international stage. Go Posky!

Suggestions for “Enta Phase” Adults

The “Enta Phase” refers to those in the 40,50,60,70,80,90 years phase of life. The advice below applies.

Always check

blood pressure
glucose
triglycerides
Cholesterol

Minimize

Salt
Sugar
Farinaceous
Processed products.

Food needed

Vegetables
Legumes
Beans
Nuts
Eggs
Coconut oil
Chestnuts
Fruits

Three things you should forget

Your Age
Your past
Your Complaints

Three Essential Things

Friends
Positive thoughts
A clean and welcoming home

Three basic things

Smile
Physical activity
Check the weight

Six Essentials

Don’t expect to be thirsty to drink water;
Don’t expect to be sleepy to sleep;
Don’t wait until you are tired to rest;
Do not wait until you are sick to have medical examinations;
Do not wait for miracles to trust God;
Don’t expect to have trouble maintaining confidence.

Methodist Boys’ High School given a mention as one of Lagos Secondary Schools to have attended

If you grew up in Lagos and didn’t attend any of these Secondary schools, you truly missed…

AMSTERDAM SCHIPOL AIRPORT: TELL HIM A NIGERIAN FOUND IT

It was winter in Europe. Freezing and punitively cold. Only home, Nigeria, was on my mind as I cut short a research visit to that sinfully developed continent.

I found my way into the beautiful terminal building of one of Europe’s busiest airports, Amsterdam Schipol airport. It was my second time at Schipol so I easily navigated my way to an area designed and designated for laptop users.

My phone and gods had conspired against me. The device was dead like dodo due to a charging port problem. Before leaving Europe for home, I had tried to fix it against warning from my African friends. “Olu, it’s damn too expensive to fix phones here. Wait until you get home. For the moment, I’ll give you a spare phone to use.” Jacinta Edusei, my lovely Ghanaian friend had volunteered advice and help. I had Jacinta’s spare phone but I wanted access to my phone badly. The city centre was the place to seek help. I found a Lebanese owned shop. Surprisingly, the phone repairer was a Nigerian of Igbo extraction.

Our accent gave us away to each other without much ado.

“Bros, wetin do your phone?” He asked turning the phone over twice.

“Oh boy, na charging port wahala oooo. And I need the phone bad bad.” I replied.

Without looking at me, he gave me a bill.

“Your money na tuwenti yuro.”

Twenty Euro to repair charging port problem? In my mind, I screamed. Unconsciously, I calculated twenty euro in naira. It was a lot. I thought of what that amount could do in Nigeria. Nobody told me to speak to my legs. (Note: the phone problem was fixed in Nigeria at Olukayode Shopping Complex, Akure at the rate of one thousand naira, which was less than €2.). I was whistling as I left the yeye Lebanese shop.

I used Jacinta’s phone throughout my research visit. But I had to return the phone as I left for home, Nigeria.

Back to Schipol Airport. I had arrived hours ahead of boarding, which is my practice on such trips.

I plugged my laptop and connected to airport WiFi. On Facebook, I quickly connected to my wife and friends.

I was the fourth person there and the only black at the table.

Quite some minutes later, I was alone as the others had left to board their flights.

Then I noticed it.

A winter jacket lying on table; forgotten and abandoned by its owner, who had obviously hurried away to board a plane to who knows where.

I remember the owner. He had managed a dry, winter smile at me when I joined the table. I knew he’d left to board his flight too. There’s no doubt.

Yet I waited, keeping watch over the jacket. Then I picked the jacket about one hour later. I searched it.

I found Euro notes and coins, SEVEN CREDIT CARDS, and the owner’s educational and workplace ID cards. All of them very important to life and sanity.

I didn’t think twice.

I picked my hand luggage, my backpack together with the jacket and found my way to the nearest KLM Information Centre.

An Indian lady attended to me. I told my story.

She praised and thanked me profusely. I took it in.

When it was time to handover the jacket, I hesitated. With deadpan seriously, I told the attendant that I would be handing over the jacket under one condition.

“Please tell the owner that a Nigerian found it.”

In her eyes, I saw flippancy. But I was not done; I had the advantage and nothing was going to stop me from using that advantage to maximum effect.

“Many of you have this impression that Nigerians are generally dishonest and crooks. Just tell him a Nigerian found it.”

“Would you do that, please?”

I could see that my message had sunk. She smiled happily at me, nodded her appreciation with a promise to fulfill my wish.

I walked away from the KLM Information Centre at Amsterdam Schipol Airport with my shoulders higher than the airport terminal.

Nigeria is 60 today as an independent country rescued from British colonial rule.

Happy 60th Independence Day Nigeria

God bless you my country.

I won’t join others to curse you.

My mouth will only bless you. I promise that every opportunity I get, I will stand firm in seeing to it that you’re bettered. I do not mind standing alone for you. I won’t be a part of your myriad of problems, I’ll rather be one of the solutions.

We can fix Nigeria only if we could fix the Nigerian person. On that position, I’m unwavering and implacable. I’ll be selfless in my service to you and Nigerians. My watchword remains the motto of my secondary school, the iconic Methodist Boys High School, Lagos; the second secondary school in Nigeria.

That motto in Latin is: Non sibi sed allis.

That motto in English is: Not for us but for others.

So help me God.

God bless you, my beautiful country, Nigeria.