In a country where there is limited areas where you cannot do anything but tip someone, grease a palm to open a door, pay people for a service they get paid for, to the degree that we even coined a phrase - egunje spoil Lagos. This was not the country I grew up in; or may be I should say, it was not as blatant or “in your face”. There was shame, dignity but more importantly, integrity. Similar to the motto of our school - Integritas. And maybe or may be not a lot of my friends are part of the current culture, there were those that have shown we were not born with this trait. How do I know? My guy who is the spotlight today - Foluso “Mamser” Amimi.
Foluso. Born into a family where he had big brothers that will have drilled the discipline into his head due to age difference but coining from a home with very humble beginnings. Life was not bed of roses but it was his life, our life. Sometimes, there was not enough, so walking from school home ( about 70 minutes walk from Aquinas or if lucky, may get a lift half way to Alagbaka or first bank at times. In between, are the days when he has enough to get a taxi home. His story stems from one of these days.
Foluso was leaving school for home and after playing with his friends ( Seyi Ajayi, Tunde Adesanya, Kehinde Akerele and Tope Omojayogbe), he makes his mind up that he was taking a taxi home. This trip requires two taxis whichever route he takes. To be honest, we all preferred to walk unless tired or our partners in crime are not around. There was always escapades along the way - fruits to eats, stories to tell and girls to admire.. I beg concentrate 😡... I can see you waiting for more here but nothing is forthcoming... focus on the real story 😂
Foluso gets into a taxi and as he was about to highlight, he notices a bag and picks it up. I will have thought that since his house is not too far from Asoga’s place, he will know better not to pick it up but he was curious enough to look inside. What he finds is even more tempting. He found a lot of money. Enough money to him out of school and possibly, university. For most people and if some of his friends were around that day, there will have been a debate. Not sure if he went home and told his siblings or parents ( I leave him to fill in the gap with his children and friends 😀) but one fact I know is - he did the right thing, he reported the money to the appropriate authorities.
We were at assembly one day and we suddenly see the head of MAMSER (MAss Mobilisation for Social justice, self reliance and Economic Recovery) Jerry Gana turned up. He started a speech on how we should all behave and the importance of integrity. Some of us were looking around and thinking “ What is this guy talking about?” until we saw Foluso come up and was given a lot of praise and was given an award (still waiting for my share after 34 years 😜). That is how his nickname was born. Not sure what will have happen if some of his friends were there that day but more importantly, what will happen in today’s world. One thing I know for sure - there were loads of kids with integrity then and I am proud to have a friend and colleague actually show this via an act.
Kudos to Foluso.. Still the same today - quiet, unassuming and full of gravitas.
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