Quintessential Dele Momodu At 65……By Segun Ogunbunmi

I can’t remember when exactly I became a close buddy of my dear egbon Dele Momodu, but I remember I used to read his pendulum column in the defunct Fame Magazine.

But I can remember vividly when I wanted to celebrate the first year anniversary of my magazine, Global News, and I wanted him to come and honor us with his presence alongside my boss, Mayor Akinpelu.

However, getting hold of Bob Dee was a herculean task for me because I wasn’t close to him then.

While I was thinking about that, I called my friend and brother, Remi Aboderin, who had worked with him before. Abod, as we fondly call him, told me that it shouldn’t be a problem and that he would talk to Bob Dee.

A few days later, Abod called and said Bob Dee had agreed to come, and I leapt with joy. However, he later said he wouldn’t make it because he wouldn’t be in Nigeria on the date we had fixed for the event.

Abod later said he would honor us if we could shift the date to a later date when he would be in Nigeria, and who was I not to agree with his options?

On the day of the event, Bob Dee was there early and was sitting down while waiting for us to kick-start the program. He stayed till late in the day and did the same thing for me during the fifth-year anniversary of Global News.

On that occasion, despite his appointment somewhere else, which he duly informed me about, he wanted to leave at a point, but I refused, saying, “Egbon, you can’t go.”

He quietly sat back until he asked me again after some hours whether he could now go, and I answered in the affirmative.

Since then, we have been very close, and despite his busy schedule, I can call him anytime of the day, and he picks my calls at once. Even if he misses it, he will surely call me back.

His humility is second to none. Anytime I call him or meet him, he draws me closer and calls my name, “Sege, my dear brother” or “Publisher.”

There are some incidents that will never make me forget Bob Dee, which always make me wonder why he likes and loves me so much.

The first one was sometime in 2014 when I had a libel case with Tunde Folawiyo, and I was charged to a magistrate court at Igbosere.

During the court proceedings, while discussing my bail application, the magistrate a female asked me who the chairman of our league of soft-sell magazine publishers was, and I told her Mayor Akinpelu, but unfortunately, Lord Mayor wasn’t in the country then.

I was later remanded at Ikoyi prison , but while waiting to be transported to Ikoyi prison, Azuh Arinze, who was with me, put a call to one of our ogas, whom I wouldn’t want to mention his name here to brief him, and the phone was passed to me and he bluntly told me there’s nothing he could do since I had mentioned Mayor’s name as our boss.

I felt bad but, like a warrior, I didn’t let that demoralize me. I simply told him that there was no problem, and I was transported to Ikoyi prison.

However, I don’t know how Bob Dee got to know; I think it was the same day, which was a Thursday. He started calling everyone, including Tunde Folawiyo,  he told him  that Segun wasn’t someone he could treat like that, that I am like a son to him and he didn’t rest until I came out on Monday.

Not only was he calling all that mattered, but he was also calling my wife per second, assuring and briefing her.

The second one was when I called him to brief him about a matter that was bothering me, and sensing that I was furious and burning with anger, he told me he was in London but would be leaving for Ghana the following day and that he would land in Nigeria on Sunday morning.

He asked me to come and meet him at his Ikoyi Penthouse home on that same Sunday.

When I got there, for someone who had been traveling for days, I expected him to be sleeping, but I was wrong because he was waiting for me.

I was ushered to his study, where he calmed me down and told me about his many experiences. During our discussion, he told me he had been monitoring my progress with my magazine since the day I started and was quite happy with the progress.

He also said only a few people knew his house, but he invited me to the Penthouse because I was so dear to him, and the meeting ended with a well-cooked yam with stew breakfast by his dear wife.

The third one was when I celebrated my 50th birthday; I sent him a message at around 3 am, and he called me immediately, apologizing profusely that he wouldn’t be able to attend since he was in London but promised to send his token for drinks.

However, he asked for my details and within some few minutes I got an alert of substantial amount of money in my account.

As Basorun agba oye as I fondly called him is celebrating his 65th birthday on this plant my prayers for him is that God in His infinite mercy should continue to protect him, give him longer years in good health.