By Olubunmi Abosede Faleti
It has been three years since the passage of my darling husband, the late renowned veteran actor, poet, author, Alagba (Dr) Adebayo Faleti. I want to say some few words here to serve as motivation and encouragement to the upcoming youths.
He was a man of integrity who did not lack in contentment, despite that the reward he received from the government was not commensurate with all his good deeds. Adebayo Faleti really protected his dignity as a man who was upright in behaviour and character throughout his lifetime and in his career as a civil servant.
I could remember an incident that happened when my husband was the head in a government office then. A vehicle allocated to him to carry out officials assignments was faulty and a mechanical engineer was called to diagnose the vehicle and fix it up.
After the diagnosis, instead of paying the mechanical engineer what he asked for, the accountant paid him less and the rest of the money was shared among the lower cadre of workers in the office. The mechanical engineer had no choice than to fix the vehicle, but with annoyance and grief of heart which he kept to himself.
My husband came to check the vehicle after the repairs had been perfectly done. Adebayo Faleti noticed the unsmiling countenance of the mechanical engineer. But the engineer was afraid, at first, to say his mind when asked why he was looking unhappy. Left with no choice, he thereafter explained all to my husband.
The revelation really made my husband to be angry with all his staff and he gave them 24 hours to cough out that which they all had shared among themselves. To be sincere, the money was refunded and the mechanical engineer was happy again.
Adebayo Faleti would say a loyal man will always be brave like a lion. He taught us to be loyal in all that we do. If he had been partaking in sharing with his co-workers what does not rightly belong to him, he would not have been brave enough to give the firm order for a refund of the mechanical engineer’s money as he did.
I still remember, three years back when my darling husband went to rest in the bosom of the Almighty, I thought then that I had actually lost all hopes. Whosoever that had experienced what hunger actually is will know the worth and benefit of food in the body system and the rate at which someone should hustle hard for a good and healthy living.
This made me to remember my partnership with my late husband in 1986 and 1987 when we both hawked kerosene together, just to make both ends meet and earn a good living. We knew almost all the market days as we would surely be present in most markets during their buying and selling days.
After leaving home to hawk the little kerosene we could in the morning, I would have to come back home again and quickly take some iced blocks too for hawking that same morning before finally taking my leave to go to the office for the day’s official job. Then, I was a staff of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Ibadan.
It was then a very hard time for me and my husband to survive. But we just have to do this, to survive. My daughters too had to hawk soft drinks after returning from school, just to be able to make enough money for them to take to school the next day. My husband was a very caring and humble man indeed and he was always not ashamed of his hustle. He would always say “isé eni ni’sé eni, má tijú isé’re.” He was always leading by example in whatever he said or did.
I will urge the government to always be kind to the workers in terms of encouraging them with good remuneration and better welfare packages. This is because when workers are treated well, they will find it hard to lack contentment, even if they are being advised to defraud the government by embezzling public fund.
Adebayo Faleti was a man of integrity who lived a life full of contentment, even when the government did not really compensate him enough for his good deeds while he was here on earth. We thank the Almighty God for keeping the whole of the Faleti family as a whole in one accord always and forever.
I want to use this medium to appreciate the people that have been standing firm by me and have really been showing love and support in terms of finances, kindness and care. They have never, for once, been tired of standing by me since the demise of my dear husband, Alagba (Dr) Adebayo Faleti, some three years ago and up till this moment. They have always been there for us, even before the demise of my dear husband.
To be a widow is something that is so hard to experience. This is because the work of hitherto two supporting hands is now left for just one hand to continue in the race for survival, if not God and the support of the people. That is why I cannot just but say thank you to these wonderful people in my life for their supports every now and then since the past three years and now that I have retired from the NTA.
These people are just always wonderful to me: Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey, Omo’ba Joko Okupe, Omo’ba Kunle Ogunmola (Provost), Ambassador Yemi Farounmbi, Professor Toyin Abifarin Ogundeji of OAU, Ile-Ife, Professor Tunde Adeniran, Omo’ba Ajibola Afonja, Professor Moji Oyebola, Iyalode Yoruba (Mrs) Alaba Lawson, Assistant Iyalode Ibadan; Iya Agbaje, Rev. Dr. Dokun Olatunde Seap, Mr Alao Adedayo (Director Alaroye), His Excellency Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, Mr Dayo Olagunju, Barr. Iyiola Oladokun, Chief Alabi Ogundepo, Chief Duro Oyekanle and Comrade T.K.O. Olatunji of Ijebu.
I want to appreciate all journalists that are standing solidly behind the family since the passage of the renowned veteran actor, poet, author, Alagba (Dr) Adebayo Faleti. I pray the Almighty God will keep you all safe in this COVID-19 season and we shall not mourn over you all.
I also thank every other person too whose names I could not mention here. I want you to know that I really appreciate you so much. Words are not enough to show my heart of appreciation. God bless you all.
.Olori Faleti, widow of the late veteran writer and poet, writes from Ibadan.
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