By Dora Osas
I fondly called him Prabhu but many knew him as Bolaji Rosiji. I can’t really remember the year we met but I think it was 2006 or 2007at the British Council on the Island. At the end of that day, Charlie Boy introduced him to me. I found him quite interesting because he was dressed as an Hare Krishna devotee and he had with him a very attractive leather suitcase. I smiled at him, said hello and then goodbye.
Bolaji Rosiji
Coincidentally, the very next day as I walked past under the bridge at Ikeja, a scene played out. I saw this same Hare Krishna guy trying to buy Banana but the woman wouldn’t sell to him just because of the way he was dressed or rather, the way he looked. I felt sorry for him and jumped into their midst. ” Madam, abeg na me wan buy this Banana. Sell am for me.” She did and I handed the Banana to him. Bolaji Rosiji was so happy when he saw me. Need I say that he was also very surprised to see me? He said: ” Oh, you are that Journalist who asked that very brilliant questions yesterday at the British Council”. We talked and walked on until we bade ourselves goodbye. I remember that was the day he invited me to his Apapa home which also doubles as an Hare Krishna worship centre. Anyway, the rest, they say, is history.
Prabhu and I became very good friends- even though some mischievous people thought we had more going on. He was not just my friend but also a friend to my family. We had our bad times but we always came around.
I remember how much he contributed to the healthcare of my mum when she was alive. Prabhu was a giver to the core. He could give his last penny to the less privileged. Over the years, he fed millions. He sacrificed a lot to make sure a poor child gets at least a meal, a day.
The last time I saw him was in 2018. He had dreams. He told me about them and I said if he believed in them that much, then they should be pursued.
He will be surely missed. Rest in perfect peace, Prabhu. So sad.
…Osas is a Nigerian journalist based in London
