By JAPHET ALAKAM (REVIEW)

The journey of life and rise to stardom is always determined by many factors, while some made it to the top because they were born with the silver spoon, others were not so lucky, but were able to make it by a stint of hard work and dedication. Which class does Engineer Guy Eboe Otobo belong, how did he handle his challenges of birth and upbringing to become a top class civil servant? These and other issues were what the Government College Ughelli old boy penciled down in his autobiography entitled “Engineer Guy Eboe Otobo , A Life On The Roads”.

The author, Engineer Guy Eboe Otobo is one of the true patriots of Nigeria, born in the late 1930s who was opportune to acquire western education and rose through the ranks to the highly esteemed and pivotal positions of coordinating Director of Federal Highways, Director-General of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and that of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources respectively.

The book, A Life On The Roads from all indications runs contrary to Prof. Soyinka’s view of some autobiographies which he labeled as scripts written to burnish and massage the ego of the writers as it gives a vivid account of life experiences of the author in all areas including areas where he failed and others that fell into the critical four decades of national development in Nigeria ending in the mid-90s.

Rather, it is an epitome of true life experiences, the type that led Benjamin Disreali to exhort us to read as there are a lot of lessons to learn from it.

The 492 page book published by Malthouse Press Limited, Surulere, Lagos is a record of how a brilliant, competent and nationalistic mind could be frustrated by Lilliputians whose stock in trade is to denigrate, gossip and abject hypocrisy.

It covers the author’s early years, life at the various schools, his career at the federal Ministry of works and housing, federal ministry of petroleum and mineral resources, the experiences in the private business, voluntary service to the nation, extra curricular activities and professional development, sporting life and life and times- marriages, children, travels and awards, particularly the challenges of man’s inhumanity to man, which were most disconcerting and depressing.

The coming of the book at this period in our political life is timely as it shows that in this corruption ridden era where many made it to the top through the wrong way and were celebrated, there are still few Nigerians who has the courage/conviction and will not compromise their principles in all areas of life.

In chapter 1, the author exhibiting his gift as a good historian takes the reader to the history of Uzere clan, his early life as a son of a prominent Uzere chief , how he was brought up in a polygamous family and his early years in school. It also recounts how circumstances beyond his control forced him to live with his father’s sister Alice Eyakwanor and the husband who were teachers and from there his journey on the road started as he followed them to where ever they were transferred to.

The book goes further in the next chapter to discuss his school days at the famous Government College Ughelli that produced most of the big names in Nigeria and here too, the author discussed the standard in the school then, unlike now where schools are nothing to write home about, the school then was blessed with good teachers who were under the strict supervision of the principal and discipline was not compromised and that made them to come out with good grades.

Again, the author here mentioned how he finally gained admission into University College, Ibadan. What was life like in University College then, the author here highlights such and how he successfully passed the intermediate London degree in one year and proceeded to McGill University, Montreal, Canada.

Chapter three reviews his life as an engineering student at McGill University and Montreal. Here, the author recounts the hectic life of an engineering students, the academic life, social and sports and how his love for Jazz music developed.

The chapter also highlights his relationship with the opposite sex , the list of Nigerian students in the school and how they related and finally, how he graduated in 1960 at the age of 21 and secured his first job at Aluminium Laboratories Limited Montreal, where he worked for some years before returning back to Nigeria to work with the federal civil service.

The author in chapter four tells readers about his career in the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, where he started as the Executive Engineer with the ministry and rose to the position of the Director General of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, a position that earned him an Award for Excellence and Distinction. By the virtue of his office, the author visited virtually all the parts of the country for the execution of one project or the other and it was recorded that it was while he was on such journeys that he met his wife Franka in Enugu.

Was life in the ministry rosy, the author here narrates the various monumental projects he did, the challenges he faced in the course of trying to make the country better, his encounter with different heads of state, with particular reference to the then military Head of state, General Ibrahim Babaginda, who surprised him, as instead of acting on a damaging petition written against him by the minister, rather promoted him to the position of Director General (Permanent Secretary) of the federal ministry of Works and Housing.

In chapter five, Eboe narrates his short stint as the Director General at the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and how he tried to leave a legacy in the mineral sector by putting in place a new Mineral Act that would promote a rapid development in the solid mineral sector. Here, the author also recounts how he made up his mind to retire after putting over 35 years of service to his fatherland.

While chapter six records his life after retirement, the establishment of Guy Otobo and Partners Limited, the various consultancy services and other investment in the real estate business and its challenges. In chapter seven, the author recalls his voluntary service to the nation, which includes the various roles he played as member of the following, Nigerian Road Federation(NRF), Engineering Monitoring Team(EMT), National Road Maintenance Task Force and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency(FERMA) .

Chapters eight and nine chronicles the author’s other involvement in other activities and professional development, his life and times, marriage children, travels and awards. While the last chapter reveals his love for sports that took him to many sporting events where he met many wonderful people. Apart from the written words as enumerated above, the author also included images his life, from the younger years, his family, friends, at work sites, meeting with important dignitaries and others that sends its own message about some of the issues he has written about his life .

The title is in line, as it brings to the fore, the account of a young man who spent major part of his life on the road, that started with his upbringing as one who was bent of getting the best of education, he traversed from one school to another. Then his profession that kept him more on the road, as he was forced to be either in one state or community or the other inspecting road construction or supervising building projects.

The book is a pleasure to read but above all a lesson in service. It is a very good reference material and an important addition to the array of literary works in the book stands. I therefore recommend it for all, especially those who want to know more about the life of the yesteryears.