He would have been 81 today, but he lives in all of us through his DNA.
Late Daniel Adegbe Agada.
His family Tree
AGADA
ADEGBE
DANIEL
Line One:
Moses (Agnes)
Gowon (Hendra)
Eleojo (Nanloh Nuhu)
Ojogbane (Bukola)
Samuel (Victoria)
Elizabeth (Charles Oyoyo)
Michael (Sharon)
Mary (David Umoru)
Sunday (A.R. from Rachel)
Joy (Emmanuel Okoye)
Line Two:
▪︎ OjimaOjo, Andrew, IkoOjo, Alexander
▪︎ UfedoOjo, OmaOjo, Ojochogumi
▪︎ Glad, Philip, Nana, Shalom
▪︎ Sandra, Dorothy, Emmanuel, Sarah
▪︎ David, Isaac, Rebeccah
▪︎ Mmasichi
▪︎ Daniel, Zoe
▪︎ David, Joshua
▪︎ Emmanela, Ethan, Edmund
Yet many out there may think he was not an achiever. A man who saw all his 10 children, 16 of his grandchildren in the 66 years of his sojourn on earth. He fought the civil war to keep Nigeria one. Please let us define achievement.
It reminds me of a story a friend once told me. I won’t mention his name because he will come after me. He told me his illiterate father was a Cocoa farmer who had two wives and 14 children. His father paid their way through university. He, my friend, said he upped the ante by pursuing a Masters, I think, somewhere in the US.
He got married, but soon, the marriage crashed, and he had to return to Nigeria to find his feet. (I guess he was also running away from making alimony payments. They had a daughter together).
That is not where this story he told me 23 years ago gets interesting.
“You know I surpassed my father’s achievements in life. I went to the university and even had a Masters to show for it,” he said.
“Is that so?” I asked.
“Yes, of course,” he retorted, “I didn’t turn out an illiterate farmer like him.”
“He paid your way through primary, secondary, and university. In fact, 14 of you, as an illiterate farmer. Today (2001), you are a little after 40, your first marriage has crashed, you are unable to pay one girl’s school fees, you are basically on the run with your Master’Ls degree from the US; but you think you have achieved more than a man who kept two women under one roof before he died, paid school fees up to unversity level for 14 persons. Some achievement, indeed!”
My friend went quiet for a long while, and after a few minutes, muttered, “I never looked at it that way. I am a complete failure.”
He was sober throughout that day, and I knew better not to drive in the nail.
But the question lingered on for a long time with me: Who is an achiever?
Remembering Atami today, I can’t but ask whether a man who fought to keep Nigeria one, had 10 children, 16 grandchildren in his lifetime (10 came later) was a better achiever that many of us strutting Nigeria with dirty billions, scattered homes, wild competitive spirits, and far-away from God.
This life.
My father’s humble achievements, notwithstanding, I know one with God is majority. Just embrace Jesus Christ, and you are likely to surpass him, even if it is only in earthly possessions. By the way, and to the best of my knowledge, my lord knew my Lord, who is our LORD.
