MY LOVE FOR SEGUN ARINZE

Identity is that unique distinction or feature that establishes the genuineness of every individual. The
distinction between the day and the night is their unique identity. If you wish to know who you are, you
need to first know who you're not. Your identity is your understanding of who you are and who you're
not. Faking to be who you're not is a misidentification of you by yourself.

Growing up, I used to see some faces on the screen and we refer to those people as celebrities.
Sincerely, there are not many of such faces in my environment. In fact, in my childhood days, we do not
have such faces and when we saw actors and actresses on location in our environment shooting scenes,
back in those days, young and old, we would troop out to have a feel of these people whom to us, were
not ordinary humans like ourselves. It still happens, the celebrity treatments still happen but at least, we
no longer feel or think that the people we see on the screen are not humans like us.

Segun Arinze is one of those screen faces I'm talking about. Do you want me to introduce Segun Arinze
to you? No, you wouldn't want me to do that. While growing up, I began to hear the rumor that Uncle
Arinze is from Badagry. "Really! These people just love to make themselves happy" I would say to myself
but never mind. Even with my doubted mind, I would go and dash the rumor to another person. Uncle
Arinze acts English movie and not Yoruba movie ooo. Make these people no dey tickle my brain.

Some years later, Uncle Arinze became a household name that the whole of Badagry is proud to call a
son of the soil. Uncle Arinze began to visit home from time to time, getting himself involved in
programmes and events in Badagry. Yet, you'll see some people who have got no fame, the moment
they step out of Badagry: they stop being a Badagrian. No more no less, they keep losing their identity.

During the Badagry Social Media Award, the interviewer had introduced Uncle Arinze simply as SEGUN
ARINZE but Uncle asserted that the name wasn't complete yet, and thereby asked the interviewer to
add AINA PADONU. That was a true expression of identity from Uncle Arinze. Anytime I recall that
scenario and the love that this great man has been showing towards things involving Badagry, I feel
motivated to do more for the great Badagry and be proud of my identity.

Sorry, it isn't Uncle Arinze's birthday, neither is this a tribute to his demise. We do not have to wait for
special moments like birthdays or when terrible things happen to those we love before we express how
much we feel, care and love them. We make ordinary days special for people each time we show them
love on ordinary days.

I am proud of who I am.

I am an Ogu. Yes, I'm an Egun.

Someone once called me EGUN LASAN LASAN.

And I felt so proud. I'm proud of who I am, not whom you think I am.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?
story_fbid=pfbid04zHkdL35C84xckdbWzrhMQZKT8arb13rYDjhkhH6bPUExCQ4336Ya196QqAUBG51l&id
=100002016338058