WUNMI TUNDE-OBE REMINISCES ON LATE FATHER, OLU ABODERIN

Three decades ago, Chief James Olubunmi Aboderin, publisher of The Punch newspapers, died at barely 50 years of age. Wunmi Tunde-Obe, one of the 10 children he left behind reflected on the person of her father.

My dad’s death

I was in school, in Queens College. When I got home, I saw people, a crowd, in our house. And that was how my mother called me and broke the news to me.

My father

He was a happening guy. I took after him in so many ways. My father loved good music, he loved entertainment, he loved showbiz, he did everything to promote them. That was my father. He was a very creative person.

His plans for me

My father wanted me to realise every potential that he felt I had. He saw in me somebody that could be in the limelight. My father saw a writer. He saw somebody who was well educated. My father saw somebody in showbiz, because he encouraged me to go into showbiz. But he always told us that whatever you want to become, make sure you go to school. Don’t be a drop-out because you want to be a musician or whatever. So, he always encouraged us.

The burial

It was the burial that made me realise what kind of person he was. I just thought that he was going to die and be buried unnoticed. I never knew he was that famous and respected. While all the noise and fanfare were going on, I started reflecting on him. Because he died in London, Nigeria Airways flew him free of charge, simply because he was a regular customer. So, they didn’t charge the family anything for flying him into the country. There was a big crowd. All the roads were blocked. I saw so many people. People like Chief Obafemi Awolowo. In fact, the calibre of people that came on condolence visit made me realise what a great person he was. I was wondering, all these for my father? And on the way to Ibadan, it was like a procession. And when we got to Ibadan, there was another procession, so much fanfare surrounding his burial. So, all these for my father. It was too much for me. I didn’t even expect it. Shina Peters was there to perform. And so were many other artistes.

Life after his death

Initially, it was to be hard, adjusting to life, without having a father at such a young age. And some of my younger ones don’t even have anything to tell you. The youngest was six months old when he died. So, he doesn’t have anything to tell you about him.

Missing my father

It is that creative nature. I can honestly say that there are so many things that my father had achieved 30 years ago. This was somebody that did not live to celebrate 50, and his legacy is still alive. His finance, his assets etc, everything he stood for is growing in leaps and bounds.

My father and showbiz

PMAN was his idea. PMAN was created in his living room. He called King Sunny and the likes of them together, that why don’t you people form a musician’s body? He was the brain behind PMAN. The same PMAN is what everybody is killing themselves for today. PMAN is still alive till today. My father was the mover of that body. If he were alive today, I believe he would be in a position to give advice on how to move it forward. He was just too creative. I’m sure if he were alive, PMAN would not be in this state.

His greatest legacy

It would have been easy for me to say his company, The Punch. The truth is that, his name, I know how many doors have been opened to me when they realise whose daughter I am. I know how much his name has earned me long after he had died, just by mentioning his name.

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