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Lessons we learnt from Uncle T Nicholas Nyamali

Tayo Aderinokun

But for his sudden exit, the world beyond the banking and art-culture communities never knew who Tayo Aderinokun really was. To many, the recent tributes and accounts of his life will continue to amaze, but never be able to fully convey the personality of the man, we knew and fondly called Uncle T.

To those of us who were privileged by work and friendship, to imbibe severally from his fountain of wisdom, he lives on. These past few days were the ones we prayed and hoped not to see while he held on to dear life in that London hospital, but hope has given way to fate. A fate so fatal it shook our souls to its very depth. But we remain faithful and grateful to God for the grace He made to abound in Tayo’s life while he was with us.

His was a life chosen to bring change to this age, for he lived in a time when men chose shortcuts over hard work. Unethical business practices were considered the norm in corporate Nigeria. Yet, he and his partner, Fola Adeola, persisted against all odds to establish GTBank on a foundation of ethics and corporate governance that has become the standard for the banking industry and indeed, corporate Nigeria today. The records of their achievement and innovation are a story for another day. We hope to share here, the life and times of a man we were privileged to have as a boss and mentor.

Uncle T will be fondly remembered for many things, not the least of which was his legendary generosity. He went beyond the call to help those who asked of him and entered the unique realm of offering help to those who didn’t even ask. I recall as a junior officer in the GTBank several years ago, I was having lunch with a colleague in the Bank’s lunchroom and we chatted about the challenges of owning landed property in prime locations in Lagos. Uncle T, after completing his lunch several tables away from ours, asked me to meet him in his office after my lunch. When I did, we went in his car and drove along the Lekki axis, stopped along the way, he pointed at an expanse of land, and said the words I have not forgotten in over a decade: “I overheard your conversation at the lunchroom today. If you are interested, I will like to offer you this property of mine to help you own that property you have been dreaming of”.

For those who cared to learn from him, Uncle T never disappointed in impacting his wisdom. He always had a lesson to teach. Something new and inspiring became a parting gift every time we met him. His counsel was always logical and he never failed to demand that we kept things simple. Challenging Uncle T’s views was never easy, but he gave us the assurance that he could be swayed by ‘superior arguments’. For this reason, he was also known to many of us as ‘Mr. Rationality’.

From Uncle T, I learnt the lesson of being principled, of making rules and not deviating from them. He drew a straight line and never bent the rule. The story is told of a colleague in the Bank who had obtained a car loan. The car was subsequently stolen by robbers and we all believed he had valid reasons to request Uncle T to waive the 4 years rule before qualifying for another car loan. Uncle T read his passionately written memo requesting for the waiver, empathised with him but told him ‘No!’ Disappointed beyond measure and on his way out of the office, Uncle T called him back and calmly explained why he refused. “If I make an exception for you, I will have to do so for every other person making similar requests – even if their reasons are not cogent.” Then kicked in Mr. Generosity: Uncle T wrote a personal cheque and gave him the amount he wanted – but not a dime as official ‘car loan’!

His was an unparalleled commitment to principles of excellence - you either measured up or fell short. He lived by the benchmarks he set and expected nothing short of optimum performance. A man of combustible wit and intense will, his usual calm disposition was transformed at Monthly Performance Review (MPR) sessions, which often marked a turning point for some staff. For his generous gift of chocolate and sweets did not foreclose “caning” when staff performance fell below expectation. Sadly, some staff at the receiving end of his non-vindictive reprimands never saw the benefit in this refining process, while those who cared to listen to him learned invaluable lessons that enabled many become outstanding achievers today.

He never tired of reminding us to “focus on our goals, excel at achieving them and success will surely come”. Oh, the rightness of his insight! Looking back at the banking industry in the early 1990s, he got a perfect score when he and Fola kept GTBank focused at core banking rather than engage in forex trading like most banks did at that time. Today, we celebrate the world class brand that GTBank has become.

His humility and simple lifestyle are beyond description. His was a sharp contrast to the general flamboyance of the rich and famous. While he lived the good life, he never threw his weight around to show who the boss was. He was never given to showing off his ability, wealth or achievement. He remained humble all through the years I knew him - not for him the retinue of guards or long convey of escort cars. His respect for others showed in the way he related to their views. Getting an appointment with Uncle T never took even complete strangers more than a few minutes.

It’s difficult to say goodbye to his memory, for Uncle T’s legacies live on. We cannot but remember every encounter we had with him, for many an occasion when we met him (whether for a meeting or briefing or even on personal issues), we came away challenged and inspired to pursue our dreams. His life though brief, has been fruitful beyond measure. His love for humanity expressed through the support of art, his philanthropy for the needy and grace for giving his wealth and words of wisdom, are reflections that comfort us in this trying times - that he lives on in the lives he touched. We also take solace in the scriptures from the Bible book of Job1:21: “… the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”