Echoes from my past (5)

The professional class compromised their detachment from wealth and lost the tradition of firmness. It could be proffered as subject for debate that Hope Harriman’s generation was responsible for the drift from proper professionalism. My generation, who derived our efficacy from them, had to labour hard to combat the cankerworm they had glamorously engendered. We failed. The singular goal of wealth and power within the socio-economic system had become overbearing to the elite. They ditched the culture of professionalism for the glamour of wealth. All that mattered to them was money. The partners were fast becoming moribund themselves. They could bluff it off with a strong retinue of professional staff by refusing to make comments on professional issues for some time.
Certainly at some point of need they ought to have discovered their inadequacy. It happened. Ben Epega had later to go to UK for a master’s degree and thereafter enrol for a doctoral work in an arm of the profession I do not now remember. It must have been Land Economy, for that is the discipline in which Harriman, his partner, had earlier earned an MSc.degree from Cambridge. I had sufficient reason to leave. On March 15, 1974, I wrote my letter of resignation from the practice. The practice had assisted me with obtaining my registration with the Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board in 1973, and I had the trappings of a disciplined practitioner. I left for Jos in Plateau State shortly after submitting my letter of resignation. Festus Edomobi shuddered at the abruptness of my action. I confirmed to him that I was sane and that I had made up my mind from empirical data as well as from my concept of myself and my future as a professional, to leave the practice. He nodded in half satisfaction. But I could not be bothered with his opinion. I had enough pupillage and I had a long distance to traverse in a short while. Only self-employment would do for me. I sought the steps for employing myself and embraced them.
I made up my mind to build a practice that would restore the pristine glory of professionalism. And this is what I aimed at on leaving the firm of Harriman and Epega. I must say that I am grateful to Harriman for the large mind he showed me throughout my term with him. I am grateful to Epega for his understanding of my desire to fly. It is a pity that he had to suffer a stroke afterwards that left him a shadow of his robust former self.
But I must record that Ben was a people’s man. He did not know any difference between him and other professionals, junior or senior colleagues alike. I was comfortable in his presence. Chief Harriman, the Sobaloju of Ife, was different. He fell into impressionistic spells that compelled him to show off the gulf between him and his juniors. I would not have been uncomfortable with that if he had offered much more than glamour to a thirsty and adventurous young professional that I was, when he and I struck an arrangement regarding Shell Nigeria assets early in 1972.
(Concluded)