The banquet was at the instance of the Society for Corporate Governance (SCG) in honour of Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachiukwu, to celebrate his appointment as the Executive Vice-Chairman, Exxon Mobil.
It was Tuesday, September 25 and by 6.30pm; the hall at the topmost floor of the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, venue of the event, was almost filled to capacity. The about 150 invitees were dressed in an all-English party fashion. The men wore suits and ties. The women were adorned in various Western attires. As it is common with such outings, there were back-slaps and banters. It was also an opportunity for many old friends to catch up on the past.
To set the night rolling was Dr Christopher Akolade, President and Chairman, SCG Board, who opened the dinner party with an incisive speech. Taking his steps elegantly to the podium, he said: “Do you know what ladies and gentlemen?” He asked. “This Emmanuel is a package of dynamite. He looks gentle, but don’t be deceived; he’s got more up his brilliant sleeve than you can guess by looking merely on the surface… I liken him to a human resource of the most eminent quality that the world needs to look up to more of his likes to put this world in order so that they can experience good governance…” as he proceeded to speak on the goals and objectives of the (SCG)
In line among the crème-de-la-crème of guests were Prof Pat Utomi, former presidential candidate, political economist, management lecturer and entrepreneur who simply intoned: “Emmanuel and I have been friends since our university days.”
Also sitting almost unnoticed was the former Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, of the Nigerian Navy and the de-facto vice-president of Nigeria during the Ibrahim Babangida military era from 1985 to 1986. When this reporter approached him and introduced herself, he looked up sharply and shouted “Media?”… “please, please, please, let me be I beg of you… “ and immediately, he returned to demolish the modest plate of food laid on the round-table before him.
Then, it was the turn of the man of the night, Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, an expert in Petroleum Law and Practice and the newly appointed VC, Exxon Mobil, to speak. The hall went silent as he trailed the story of his life.
“I wish to say that left to me, I would not have come to this dinner. The reason is, I am not the partying type. But when I heard that it was put together by the SCG, I knew that I was left with no other choice than to be here. And now that I have come, I think the best place to start is with thanks. I wish to thank everyone of you that has made this occasion a very successful one. But I have one particular painful experience as we speak. Tonight, I wish my late father, Justice Kachikwu, was here to celebrate with me. He was a tough disciplinarian in every way. My father was so tough I sometimes wonder if he was actually my father.
“I must confess. To my father, once the first child get the lessons being impacted, other children will fall in line.
“I remember when I concluded my studies at the Harvard University in USA and I was to return to Nigeria. It was about the time that Mercedes Benz was the car for the rich. At the time, I had saved enough money to buy one. So, I bought it and shipped it to Nigeria. However, I had arrived before the day the car was to arrive. So one day, I went to my dad and asked him for a loan to be able to clear the car. He looked at me keenly and asked me to repeat what I just told him. I repeated myself and told him that I would refund the money as soon as I got back to the states and was able to safe. Before I could end that particular statement, my father asked again, what year is your brand of Mercedes Benz. I answered him that it was the 1982. And then, it struck me, as a young man, I bought the latest version at that time when my father who was then a justice, was using the 1979 brand. I was still lost in that thought when he retorted: “I will borrow you no money, boy! When you bought your car, didn’t you know you will have to clear it? And when you, a young man, could buy a brand higher than that of your fathers, then you should also be ready with all the money you will need. Is that what I sent you to school to do? I won’t give you money, I repeat. On the long run, I had to go and get the money elsewhere.
Kachikwu thanked the staff and management of Exxon Mobil for giving him the privilege to thrive.
He said: “And I must confess that it is not because I have been the best of a person; but one thing that worked for me all the time is that I have been focused based on values my late dad taught me. With all that I had learnt, I have come to appreciate my family more even though I was born into a polygamous home. To all the friends who nudged me on at the time I would have throw in the bucket, I say thank you. To all my senior colleagues who pushed me beyond the level or capacity I never knew I possessed, I here use this medium to express my deep appreciation. Above all, I have to thank the Almighty God who has helped me in every way from my life as a young boy to this young man whom you have all come to honour tonight …”
On that note, the table turned to clinging of plates and cups as every guest was invited to the menu slabs on the right corner of the event hall to deal with the banquet. And though it was a brief two-hour party; the event, as some of Kachikwu’s associates noted, would remain an unforgettable one.
