“What do you think you are doing? Don’t
tell me you are an Abacha supporter!” “What do you mean? How can you call me an
Abacha supporter?’ “But you are wearing an Abacha lapel badge!’ “Oh this? Come
on, it doesn’t mean anything. Everybody in Abuja is wearing Abacha badges! “You
are not everybody! You are better than that! In order to move on, especially as
we had not seen physically for some months, Topedo, at the receiving end of my
highly charged and judgmental ‘hello’ retorted - ‘no vex’, and we went on to
chat about other things. As we departed that occasion, I noticed that the badge
had disappeared! From time to time over the years, Topedo has reminded me of
that incident, and how easily, one can get carried away in the business world
and how he appreciates the fact that I made a fuss about it. I have opened this
tribute to my friend of over three decades with a recollection, which in my
view, epitomizes his tremendous sense of self-respect and the courage to admit
mistakes and change direction to maintain his true essence.