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Iamproudtocallyoumyfriendandbrother.AtedoisonefriendIholdinveryhighesteemfordifferentreasons.First,heisgenuinebecausewhatyouseeinhimiswhatyouget.Hedoesn%u2019ttrytobesomethingotherthanwhoheis.Second,heisdependable.Atedowillgoanylengthforsomeoneheconsidersafriend.Thusatamoment%u2019snoticehewillhonoraninvitationtosupportanyoccasionwherehispresenceisrequired.IstillrecallintheformativeyearsoftheSectiononBusinessLawoftheNigerianBarAssociation,whenIneededtheendorsementofcorporateNigeriatovalidateourwork,Atedomadehimselfavailable.Henotonlyattendedanumberofourconferences,hechairedseveralsessionsontopicalcorporateissuesallathisowncost.Third,heisaforthrightleader.Atedo,notonlyleadsbyexample,heputshismoneywherehismouthis.WhenanumberofuswereinvitedtoprovideintellectualsupporttotheadministrationofGovernorRotimiAmaechi,itwasanobrainerforAtedotobechosentochairthegroupwhichhadOCJOkocha,JohnMbata,lateHerbertWigwe,TeinGeorge,EmmanuelGeorgewill,TonyeColeandmyhumbleselfasmembers.Itwasapurelyvoluntarygroup.AtedoledthegroupwhichwecalledtheG8(laterG7whenTonyeenteredintopartisanpolitics)toorganizethelargesteconomicsummitinRiversState.Unfortunately,theuglyfaceofpoliticsdidnotallowthegainsofthatsummittotransformtheeconomicandcorporatefortunesofRiversStateaswehadalldreamed.However,hisleadershipwasexemplary.ThereisthereforelittlewonderthatheestablishedhimselfasagiantofcorporateNigeriawhenhefoundedIBTC(laterStanbicIBTC)inhislate20stoearly30s.ThiswillbealastingmonumenttothebankingandfinanciallandscapeofNigeriaandAfrica.GEORGE57ATEDO@70
