Kunle Adelabu
Former Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikorodu branch, Barr. Saheed Osuolale Kolawole Shillings, has revealed his life story, especially how he moved on after deciding to quit his teaching profession after ten years and ten months in service.
He recounted this experience which was the highlight of his 60th birthday celebration held at the Exclusives Club, Ikorodu, on Monday, while he concluded that, “Overall, I thank God the Almighty, for my life so far”.
Within 30 minutes, Barr. Shilings captured with fun, references and nostalgia, ‘his journey so far’, as he tagged it, with many of his childhood friends at the celebration confirming and testifying to his rascal, daring, confrontational, and at the same time, purposeful and agenda setting account of his life, that he narrated.
Some of the accounts that the respected legal practitioner who is one of the most consistent community activists, public commentators, human rights activists and an advocate for social justice and equity, recalled were his entry and sojourn at the Teachers’ Training College, Ikorodu; his time as a teacher; adventure and epic days at the Lagos State University and the Law School debacle.
“This is a chance; a gift from God to celebrate my 60th birthday. I won’t bother you with my childhood stories. I grew up in Shomolu, and I was supposed to be a student of Igbobi College, but on the day of the examination into the school, something happened and I couldn’t make the exam”, he said.
While stating that he was insisting on going to the school, Barr. Shillings added that a cousin of his, brought the lkorodu Government Teachers’ College (GTC) form which he eventually accepted and enrolled, but that, unfortunately, he did not get the admission until he deviced a clever means.
“I submitted the form and a letter was posted back to me that they couldn’t find my name. I heard about the date of the interview and I attended the examinations. But on the day of the interview, I saw that my name was not on the admission list. That means that I would not be admitted and that was the only chance that I had.
“Thereafter, I went to the only uncle that I knew then, Baba Benson (may God rest his soul) and told him that they have requested that I should bring an elder to my school if I am going to be admitted and he went with me to the GTC where they were about rounding up the admission process. Immediately that they saw him, they asked me about what brought him and he pointed to me that I told him that the school asked him to bring an elderly person and he is an elder.
“They now asked me who told me to bring an elder and I explained that the situation that I found myself in demanded an elderly person to resolve and that is why I brought an elder. They just told Baba that he should consider me admitted and that was how I was admitted into the college”, he said.
“The Teachers’ Training College was a very large training institution. Training in academics and all that. We had the opportunity of engaging in many sports, unfortunately, I engaged many sports, but a master of none. I could not excel in any of them. I could play table tennis, hockey, volleyball, lawn tennis and I can even run, but I could not excel in any. I was just participating.
“At the Teachers College, I had one troublesome friend, Pastor Adeyemi Kehinde, who is seated there (pointing him out). Don’t be surprised that he is now wearing white garment…
“It was at the college that I met some good boys and some that were not so good, but I had to managed them. Today, we have been friends. Incidentally, my set is one of the best set in that school”, he said.
At the Teachers’ College, Ikorodu, Shillings also narrated how he and others plotted and removed the class captain, a position he held for just one week before he relinquished same to the elderly man that was deposed. He also spoke about how he and others formed several clubs, one of which was, ‘Tirogo’ club, with the objective of ensuring that food was not allowed to waste on the campus.
His teaching practice was also filled with experiences, one of which he recalled about how the school head punished him and his partner in crime for wearing ‘dirty’ jeans to school.
“I was a teacher for ten years and ten months, and thank God, that I was not sack even though I encountered challenges. In actual fact, I knew from my very first year in teaching that there will be problems”, he said jovially with guests bursting into a prolong laughter.
“I was at the Anglican Primary School, with my childhood friend (Mr Kehinde Adeyemi), and on a fateful day, our boss queried our mode of dressing.
“In our response, we replied that the jeans that we wore is called dirty jeans, and he was enraged and sanctioned us by removing a day payment from our salary, but we didn’t care.
“Few weeks later, something came over us and we went to our boss’ office to demanded for the receipt of the deduction that he made from our salary, but instead of giving us that, our boss brought out cane to beat us when we refused to leave his office.
“The matter was referred to the SMC (the then School Management Committee), and we were transferred to different schools far away from Ikorodu township.
“While I was transferred to Mowo – Nla and had to board vehicle to my place of work at Ota Ona, my partner was transferred to Maya and it was at Ita Elewa that he used to board his vehicle then. They ensured that our paths never cross with the transfer”, he said with another round of laughter.
While stating that he had memorable experiences in the teaching profession, but had to move on, the celebrant said he expressed fear about sustaining his degree programme in the university, due to lack of funding.
“I enjoy the teaching profession but at a time, I decided that I had to move on and I did move on. But when I moved on, I had the fear of who is to sponsor me”, he recalled.
“My thought was how would I survive the programme without sponsor, but one event happened during that period. I actually wanted to study accountancy, but I gave it a good thought that if I have to continue with my crusade and confrontation, I needed a course that will make me independent”.
“I approached a friend mine, Bayo Salami who is also a member of the Zenith Peers Club, and I told him that I had changed my mind to read law.
“I further explained to him that I would not be guilty of not pursuing my dream of going to a university and studying law because of fund, but the school can send me away on their own if I get to the 200 level and unable to further my studies due to financial issue.
“While I was going to LASU, these my friends here (pointing to members of the Zenith Peers Club), were my fathers, friends and sponsors. As I had predicted, I encountered financial challenges when I got to the 200 level”, he recalled the sad experience in his usual way that took guests on another round of laughter.
“It was in a serious problem, I could not even attend classes and I cried out for help. Unfortunately, I could not go back home because I had resigned from my job. So, I must do everything to see the programme to the end.
“At this challenging point, God sent a helper to me. That person was, Alhaji Ishau Abiodun (he respectfully asked the man to stand up for recognition among eminent Ikorodu persons at the celebration). He was the one that God sent to me.
“He was giving me salary every month. He did that throughout my years in the university. So, during the period, I was sure of getting paid from him at the end of every month. Sir, I thank you so much, and I can’t thank you enough. I am so grateful and I am forever indebted to you”, Barr. Shillings said.
He said that despite his financial constraint and challenges, he was involved in virtually every activity on campus
“I was involved in all the activities on campus. I was actively involved on campus politics and even attempted to be the students’ union President”, he said.
“There is one Bayo who was the chairman, caretaker committee, and I was the chairman, electoral committee that was organising the union election then. The school authority became interested in the election. At a point, the Dean of Students’ Affairs invited myself and Bayo to his office to tell us that the authority was aware that there would be problem, but we assured him that we were in control and there would not be any problem.
“The Dean actually wanted to tell us not to hold the election, but we were prepared. The next time he would see me was when students were carrying ballot boxes behind me. The Dean called me, but I only told him that I would see him later. That was how we conducted the election.
“The school authority did not invite police, but we did on our own.
“It was a serious issue, but it was only God that saved me, because ‘big boys’ on campus also had interest in the election, but I stood my ground on the side of the truth.
“We heard gun shots while counting votes from the last faculty, and from that point, I was just counting the ballot papers into one of my colleagues’ pocket (prolonged laughter from guests). We counted the votes but unable to announced it, but we were all in the know of what we counted. We all knew that it was Dele Farotimi that won the election”, he said.
“During that period, I was a member, Students’ Representative Council, Chairman, Electoral Committee, Caretaker Chairman, Law Students’ Society among other positions that I held while on campus.
“After LASU, I went into law practice and made my marks as a lawyer”, he said with sense of fulfilment.
While concluding the tales, he was reminded about his debacle at the Law School in Lagos, and SOK quickly appealed to his guests to allowed him narrate the experience in which he named the immediate past Majority Leader, Lagos State House of Assembly and the former representative of Ikorodu Constituency I, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade and Hon. David Kolade, Chairman, Bariga LCDA and Chairman, ALGON, as accomplices in a crime, and also named Mr Lekan Ijelu (as he was then and now Honourable Justice Lekan Ijelu) as the one that detected the act.
“At the law school where we were trained to be lawyers, surprisingly, it was like a mission school with so much restriction”, he said with serious concern.
“One fateful day, I just discovered fungi in the tank that was supplying us water, and I queried the situation. I brought my colleagues attention to it and insisted that I would write an article over it, but others prevailed on me not to. Fortunately, we were able to resolved that we should write the article together and also collectively see to its distribution”, he said.
“One of us then is Hon. SOB Agunbiade and the other, Hon. David Kolade, Chairman, Bariga LCDA and the ALGON Chairman.
“The strategy that we adopted regarding distribution/pasting of the article outside, after developing it, was that one of us was saddled with the responsibility of applying starch on the wall and another was responsible for pasting the article on the starch. The last person stood guard to watch over others. That was how we pasted all the articles on the law school campus”, he said.
Shillings recalled that the next morning, the school authority invited policemen, numbering about 60 into the campus as everyone were looking for who or those responsible for the article.
“The next day, on my way to fetch water from the same tank that I discovered fungi, I noticed that there were about 60 police officers on the campus. They all wore new uniforms”, he said.
“On inquiring about what happened, I was told that some people wrote an article which was pasted all over the school. I just pretended and also queried the audacity of the writers of the article.
“It was in that process that somebody called me aside and told me that he was sure that the said article emanated from our room. The person was Justice (Lekan) Ijelu.
“He added that he was sure, given the composition of those of us in our room. I just told him boldly to report me to the authority so that they can rusticate me, and I quietly left the scene.
“Quickly, I went to my colleagues to inform them about the development, and for the first time in my life, I was afraid of the consequences my act may cause. I urged my colleagues that we should quickly destroy the remaining materials before they come around to search our room.
“The issue went away and we escaped the school wrath”, he said.
Barr Shllings, after recalling his law school rascality, jokingly pointed at the direction where his colleagues in the legal profession were seated and said:
“I hope nobody will go and report to the law school. Anyway, that had gone?”, he said throwing guests into a prolong laughter”, he said.
“That’s my story. Thank you for the audience”, Barr. Shillings said.
It was also an opportunity for his childhood friends and colleagues, especially Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, former Majority Leader, Lagos State House of Assembly and Peer Kayode Awolesi, to also recall some interesting and inspiring aspects of the celebrant’s life that he forgot to mention.
At the Exclusives Club, Ita – Elewa, Ikorodu, where the celebrant, who is also a former Secretary, Ikorodu – Oga Development Association (IKODASS) and Conference of Leaders of Ikorodu Division (CLOID), celebrated his birthday, were Basorun Babatunde Rotinwa, President, Exclusive Club and former Chairman, Lagos State Local Government Commission, Otunba Ganiyu Abiru, Executive Secretary, Ikorodu Division Peace Initiatives Limited (IDPIL), Asiwaju Rotimi Erogbogbo, Chairman, Ikorodu – Oga Development Association (IKODASS), Hon. Olanrewaju Sunmi Odesanya, Secretary, All Progressives Congress (APC), Engr. Layi Adegbola, former Chairman, Ikorodu Division Resource Development (IDRDG), Otunba Rafiu Adewale, Chairman, Oba Salaudeen Oyefusi Foundation, Mr Bolaji Osinowo, chieftain, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Comrade Kehinde Okeowo, a community leader, Comrade Japheth Odesanya, former Secretary to the Ikorodu LG, Mrs Bisi Bello Mustapha, Alhaja FAT Olanrewaju, Mr Hameed Olalekan Aroyewun, Mr Yinka Majekodunmi and Mr Samson Bisiriyu among others.
Also joining Barrister Shillings at the celebration were chieftains and members of the Exclusives Club, Ikorodu, Zenith Peers Club, lkorodu, serving and retired teachets and old friends in the teaching profession among others.
