•“Today’s wealthy man” dies at 91, living his name in life; and leaving a legacy of value
Dafinone, in Urhobo, means “today’s wealthy man”. And David Dafinone, Second Republic senator of the Federal Republic, fully lived his name.
He lived the essential aristocrat. He died the essential aristocrat. And, from the storied tales of his humongous wealth, he appears to have left a legacy of essential aristocrat: Dafinone, “today’s wealthy man”, could well have spawned, in his offspring, Dafinone, “the wealthy men of generations”.
But in a corrupt Nigeria, where there is too much wealth without sweat, making paralysing corruption an utterly disturbing and despicable reality, this Dafinone wealth might well be a refreshing difference.
Again, unlike many in contemporary Nigeria, who cannot trace their money to any legitimate earnings, David Dafinone would appear an essential man of value, right from his youth. Though he earned a degree in Economics from the university, as a student, he was training pari-passu as a professional accountant, such that as he was landing his degree, he was also passing his professional examination as a chartered accountant. That was focus and industry, demonstrated quite early in his youth.
He would later make accounting his family forte. His accounting firm, though indigenously Nigerian, not only held its own among the slew of foreign firms of accounting royals, he would also spawn a family of chartered accountants. He boasted six offspring as chartered accountants, entering the Guinness Book of Records as the first family in the globe to attain such a feat.
With such strictly professional background and nary any scandal to his name, one could reasonably project his wealth is tied to some value, not like many, just creaming fat off the system, in an illicit bazaar.
Still, Dafinone didn’t burst on the Nigerian consciousness as a chartered accountant. He did rather as one of those memorable, colourful and hugely respected senators of the Second Republic (1979-1983).
Though he belonged to the conservative and then ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN), he rubbed shoulders, in ideological pride and dignity, with the likes of senators Jonathan Odebiyi, Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) Senate leader and fellow party ideologue, Abraham Adesanya (both of blessed memory), folk heroes in the Obafemi Awolowo progressive camp. From Dafinone’s conservative camp, in terms of influence on their own ideological bloc, was the late Senator Olusola Saraki, who was Senate Majority Leader. Those were the days of legislative Titans, of the Second Republic!
The progressive-conservative fireworks flared during the national minimum wage debate, with Dafinone opposing a minimum wage based on his own conservative criteria; and his progressive opponents strafing him with their populist big guns, trying to pin on the unfazed conservative a reactionary tag. Though Dafinone’s stand was hugely unpopular, he radiated ideological honesty all through.
Perhaps if the Second Republic had survived, and if he had continued to win elections, Dafinone would probably have been one of Nigeria’s ranking senators — or even more. Still, it is a credit to his thriving “second address” (to parody former President Olusegun Obasanjo) that he returned to a full life outside politics.
That is a good lesson to present day politicians. Besides, conservative or progressive, you can do public service without soiling your name. That is Dafinone’s lasting political legacy.