These days, everyone knows Obong Idiong as a big man.
By day, he sits quietly at his desk at Heirs Place, supervising the group’s legal activities in his capacity as Company Secretary, balancing his black-rimmed spectacles on the bridge of his nose as he hashes out the details of a million contracts. On his chair meanwhile, a perfectly pressed jacket sits idle, waiting to balance on the broad shoulders that he keeps in line, by working out in the gym.
By night, Obong comes alive, playing tennis with the who’s who of Lagos in what is only one of a string of other leisure activities, even though he insists that “I’m just an indoors guy.” On special weekends, he and Beautiful Bisi, his wife, host big barbecue parties for a select few, including colleagues and acquaintances amongst the city’s elite. On other weekends and sometimes within the week, he is on his way to or from a country (you’ve most likely only ever seen on TV screens or newspaper pages), playing his part as an assistant to the famous businessman, Tony O. Elumelu.
Obong Idiong lives the life many envy.
Roll back the years to the mid 80s – early 90s and Obong is a youngster living a life also worthy of emulation; but it’s just not what you’d expect. “I was a firebrand Christian in those days” (“I still am”, he insists), he tells me over breakfast, his left hand stopping occasionally to smoothen and position his black-and-white square pattern tie. “We grew up attending Lagos Presbyterian Church, Catholic Services on weekdays and bible lessons every week. I was singing and performing gospel songs on stage with other kids and doing all sorts of church activities.” His smooth singing voice today is a relic of that past.
As a child growing up in Lagos, the strict upbringing put in place by his Christian family steered him away from the truancy that was commonplace at the time and towards Jesus. It was critical to his academic success from primary to tertiary level and beyond, and he credits his career success these days to the foundation put in place by the prayers of his mother, who is now a minister in their local church.
In the manner of an overzealous cop eager to press the trigger whenever possible, an excited Obong would regularly go around telling others that their lives could be just as good as his, if only they made the effort. “I was really invested in Christianity and would go around for evangelism, sharing tracts and quoting Bible passages. I still remember a lot of those Scriptures till today.”
“I started speakinG in tongues at the age of 9.” The six-word admission of his status then as a young believer and general-overseer-in-waiting might seem like a joke but Obong is dead serious. “I was a spirit-filled guy, full of the word. I’m serious.”
Obong still practices his religion earnestly but that doesn’t stop him from enjoying the finer things of life.
“It was a great experience and still is. Yes, I still am a good christian, but you know no one is perfect right?. You feel like you are conversing with God and not bothered about anything else around you when it happens”.
Asked if he is still a passionate evangelist today, Obong asserts that he is a strong believer in the faith. “These things fluctuate but I’m still very much a believer. How do you know I still don’t evangelize and do those things?”
“Go and read Matthew 6:6; I don’t have to do these things publicly so you come and hail me” he ends on a very humble note.
