Driving Chief Obafemi Awolowo Through The Principal Streets Of Calabar By Joel Savage

Early February 1980, I left Accra, Ghana, for Lagos, the populated city in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It was then the era when every young man wanted to go this oil-rich country. It was like the Exodus, the mass departure of the Israelites to the Promised Land. The oil boom had improved the economy, giving rise to employment in every field.

Walking around daily in the city, I got a job in a roofing company as a roofing technician. The nature of the job was to mend leaking roofs. Among other workers, I climbed up tall buildings. At times it is very frightening and dangerous. Under the scorching sun, accompanied by the heat from the gas burner we used to melt the prime felt, one could feel like leaving the job the same day.

We usually grouped every day at the premises of the company to be driven to where we were to work. One morning, the driver who was to take us to the site to commence work, failed to report. He was a driver who was never punctual, thus; always late at work. But that fateful morning, he didn’t show up.

Mr. Adebayo, the transport manager in charge of the company’s vehicles asked the workers in the bus if anyone knows how to drive. I quickly responded. All the workers in the bus were asked to descend and I sat behind the steering wheel to be tested. Few yards from the company’s building, I noticed a number of faults on the vehicle, while driving.

When I told the transport manager the problems on the vehicle, of which he was aware, he quickly had the impression that I was an experienced driver. From that day, I ceased to be a roofing technician and I was employed as a driver. Driving in Lagos, is very difficult, because of lack of rules. Without an accident in my driving career, I was promoted to drive the managing director of the company.

Chief Ambe Bassey, the managing director of the company was a famous politician who contested as a governor under Unity Party of Nigeria in 1979 but lost to Clement Isong in Cross River State. As the leader of the UPN branch of the party in Cross River State, I had the opportunity to meet the great man and presidential candidate of Unity Party of Nigeria, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

You can read about great people in the newspapers, but it’s always different when you see them personally. Chief Awolowo was a handsome humble and soft-spoken gentleman. Behind the Mercedes Benz with my boss, the crowd at each side of the road bellowed thunderously. “Awoooooooooooo!” with a victory sign.

I drove Chief Awolowo through the principal streets of Calabar for over forty minutes, answering and waving to the frenzied crowd. I was playing reggae, something I purposely did to avoid listening to his conversation with my boss, yet Awo kindly told me to turn down the volume of the music.

I had a great time with the Unity Party of Nigeria and visited almost all the states in Nigeria. I met Chief Ebenezer Babatope, the UPN Publicity Secretary. In Calabar, I fell in love with a beautiful lady and we had a child. Today, my son lives with me in Belgium. Every time, I see his face, it reminds me of those great times with Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Ambe Bassey.

Comparing Nigeria those years to now, one can feel miserable over the position of the country now, yet I believe as a great nation, with all the resources, the country can stand once again on its feet through a very good leader.

Photo 1: Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Photo 2: My son, Jesse Savage, whom I had with the Calabar lady with his wife in Belgium.
Photo 3: My life story in Europe :

MY LIFE STORY IN NIGERIA, SIERRA LEONE, AND OTHER PARTS OF AFRICA: The Road Of Agony- https://www.amazon.com/Road-Agony-Joel-Savage-ebook/dp/B013L99T44

Your son look Igbo/ Efik.

Wonderful.

Kestolovee95:
Your son look Igbo/ Efik.

Did u, by any chance, read up to where he said, d mom comes from?

ashjay001:


Did u, by any chance, read up to where he said, d mom comes from?

Yes I did. Any probs..

Kestolovee95:


Yes I did. Any probs..

He is telling you politely to stop asking a foolish question when you have already been told the ethnicity of the mother to the son.

The good old days when majority of Nigerians travelling only travelled out on holidays and not permanent relocation, but welcomed migrants from other African countries.

But since the 90's Nigerians have been permanently escaping the country as though they were escaping from jail.

Throwback:
The good old days when majority of Nigerians travelling only travelled out on holidays and not permanent relocation, but welcomed migrants from other African countries.

But since the 90's Nigerians have been permanently escaping the country as though they were escaping from jail.

Nigeria is worse than a jail, it's a slaughter house.

Kestolovee95:


Yes I did. Any probs..

Efik=Calabar

ashjay001:

Efik=Calabar

I knew that..

Throwback:


He is telling you politely to stop asking a foolish question when you have already been told the ethnicity of the mother to the son.

It is also not stupid to mind one's business.

Kestolovee95:


I knew that..

If u knew that, why ur first post?

Kestolovee95:
Your son look Igbo/ Efik.

ashjay001:



If u knew that, why ur first post?

What if my comment was a kind of confirmation of what the man is telling us?

BTW why do you think I owe you an explanation. Do you know how much I detest dumboharists and anti-Igbos?

Another nairaland lost but found news