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AsChiefAtedoPetersidemarkshis70thbirthday,wecelebratenotjustaman,butatoweringlegacyofprincipledleadership,intellectualrigour,andunwaveringcommitmenttobuildingarule-basedandprosperousNigeria.IfirstmetAtedoin1974%u2014justover50yearsago%u2014atthemainrestaurantoftheLondonSchoolofEconomics.HehadcometolunchwithsomeofhisoldKing%u2019sCollegefriends,whoweremycontemporaries.ThemomentIwasintroducedtohimbyhisfuturebrother-in-law,OlusholaPearce,Iwasstruckbyhisbrilliantmind,incisiveviews,patriotism,andquickwit.Inthosedays,Africanstudentstreatedlunchasaforumforpassionatedebateonthepressingissuesofthetime:howtoliberateSouthernAfricafromcolonialbondage,restoredemocracyinNigeria,freeFrancophoneAfricafromitsneocolonialheritage,andrealisetheeconomicdevelopmentdreamsofourfoundingfathers.Fromthatfirstencounter,Atedo%u2019sintellectualclarityandmodestystoodout.IrememberaskingifhewasthesonofDr.ChiefMichaelPeterside,asmyfather,Chief(Senator)VictorMukete,oftenspokefondlyofhisformerclassmateandclosefriendfromGovernmentCollegeUmuahia.HeusedtosayofDr.Peterside:%u201cHe%u2019stheonlymanIknowwhowouldremindyouofadebttenyearsafteryou%u2019dforgottenit.%u201dWhenItoldmyfatherin1984thatAtedowasplanningtostartabank,herespondedwithouthesitation:%u201cHewillsucceed%u2014ifhehasinheritedthevirtuesofhisfatherandmother.%u201dInhisautobiographyMyOdyssey:TheStoryofCameroonReunification(page364),myfatherdescribedDr.Petersideas%u201camanoftransparentintegrity,strictdiscipline,andhighprinciple.%u201dAtedo,itseems,notonlyinheritedthosequalities%u2014heamplifiedthem.DIKOTRIBUTETOATEDOPETERSIDEAT7096
