entertainment

Kesington Adebutu at 91, by Dele Sobowale

25 October 2026

I must have read over 4,000 books, wholly or partly, as well as thousands of magazine or newspaper reports and articles during the almost 34 years it took me to finally compile and publish the VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ, in 2007 in Nigeria. Unknown to Chief, Nigeria’s computer guru, Chris Nwajei, had once made a remark when he was introducing us to computers at VANGUARD in the 1990s: “If you want to hide anything from an African, put it in a book”.

“No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he only had good intentions” – Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister, 1993. Chief Adebutu, aka Baba Ijebu, is one Nigerian who never stops with only good intentions. As Uncle Sam said to me several times: “His middle name is CHARITY.” The capital is deliberate. Baba was 91 yesterday. I have asked to be repeated an article published before only because it has not been possible to interview Baba.

Expect another one. ADEBUTU, KJW, OON, CON, CFR, GCON: PURE PHILANTROPHY IN MOTION. “Gain all you can; save all you can; give all you can” – John Wesley, 1703-1791, Founder of the Methodist Church Worldwide (VBQ, P 96). FOREWORD Chief Adebutu, on October 24, 2025, became the first Nigerian to be awarded four National Awards when he was conferred with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger.

It was well-deserved. Long before that, he was the only Nigerian, known to me, born and raised by Muslim father and mother, who worked so diligently for the Methodist Church in Nigeria to become a Knight of John Wesley, KJW. Chief and his parents have demonstrated the sort of religious tolerance which Nigeria urgently needs now as our nation is being devastated by murderous religious fanaticism.

A BOOK TO TREASURE FOR WEALTH OF WISDOM “Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, desire crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill” – Barbara Tuchman, US, 1994. The title of the article should actually have been Chief (Sir) Kesington Adebukunola Adebutu, KJW, OON, CON, CFR, GCON: WISDOM AND WEALTH, PURE PHILANTROPY IN MOTION, but, in my 39th year as a VANGUARD columnist, I have learnt a few things which annoy Editors greatly.

One of them is long titles given to articles – irrespective of how appropriate it might be. My first Sunday Editor, Fola Arogundade, once angrily asked: “can’t you shorten it?” when I handed him a script. Not displeasing Editors is the beginning of wisdom for columnists wanting to last long. So, I have tucked my real intention into the first paragraph.

There is a reason. Pardon me for repeating myself. I must have read over 4,000 books, wholly or partly, as well as thousands of magazine or newspaper reports and articles during the almost 34 years it took me to finally compile and publish the VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ, in 2007 in Nigeria. I have read about 1, 000 more since then. Only about 20 books were so engrossing that I read them in less than two days.

The only book published by a Nigerian I read non-stop, except for snacks and drinks, was Professor Soyinka’s The Man Died. Last week, a second book authored by a Nigerian has joined that list of books in my mental library Hall of Fame for books. Had it been available before VBQ was launched, quotations from it could have dotted several pages of my book.

They were so profound in their wisdom. Titled, LEGACY IN MOTION: THE QUIET POWER OF A NIGERIAN ICON, it is an autobiography written by Chief (Sir) Kesington Adebukunola Adebutu – who ordinarily would not have needed introduction except that Chief, at 90, had once again done something exceptional. He had not only written about his life; but, he has left some enduring messages for future generations; which are priceless and which must be propagated.

Unknown to Chief, Nigeria’s computer guru, Chris Nwajei, had once made a remark when he was introducing us to computers at VANGUARD in the 1990s: “If you want to hide anything from an African, put it in a book”. That was Nwajei’s way of drawing attention to the fact that Nigerians seldom read books – even those that would benefit them immensely. As the author of seven books, it has been my experience that no book written in Nigeria gets read just because it is great.

Authors are forced to promote them relentlessly – to attract attention to their efforts. HOW I GOT THE GREAT BOOK “Every honour comes with a burden, a sacred trust to give more, to do more, to be more faithful in service to God and humanity” (P 97, Chief Adebutu’s book). I had not read the book before meeting Chief for the first time on February 3, 2026.

A WhatsApp message from Prince Babatunde Bajulaiye, Trustee of WAKA CLUB 1945, ordered all the Trustees to assemble at the Club House by 1pm on that day, fully dressed in white agbada and Club cap. Since 2020, after barely surviving COVID-19 and cancer, spending eight months on a wheel chair, wearing agbada had become a painful ordeal to be endured on extremely rare occasions.

This was one of them. In addition to my sacred obligations, as a WAKA CLUB Trustee, even at 81+, I remain totally faithful to the media as a columnist. Longest serving Editor of VANGUARD, Prince Gbenga Adefaye, once put down an arrogant columnist by saying that “writing column is a trust and a privilege which must be discharged diligently”. I was in serious pains with arthritis on that day.

But, there is no journalist alive in Nigeria today who will willingly miss an opp