Great dynasties have been seen to collapse after the death of their founders. In the face of such abject reality, many superrich patriarchs today, struggle to reinvent measures by which their fortune would not be squandered by prodigal family members soon after they depart the world of the living.
Today, the desire of most superrich patriarchs is to raise children and grandkids that would work hard to improve upon and sustain their family wealth.
As much as it would be advisable for some patriarchs to take extreme measures such as willing off all of their fortune to charity or leaving an errant heir with lots of conditions attached to their inheritance, the dread of having their family engage in interminable disputes maliciously garlanded with expensive lawsuits, instils fear into the heart of many family heads.
History is littered with foremost families’ sob stories; particularly the descent of dynasties that disappeared with the death of their founders. Many notable Nigerian families have been seen to experience such a decline in fortune no sooner than their patriarchs died. Some of them include the Abiola family. Few years after Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (M.K.O) Abiola died, the family of the late businessman, philanthropist and politician engaged in protracted dispute over the illegitimate sale of some of the property he left behind.
Curiously, however, the case of Florence Seriki, the founder of Omatek Computers, is totally different. She was indebted to Bank of Industry. The money she borrowed when she was alive. Yes, Florence died of Pancreas cancer some months ago. The death of ‘Mama Computer’, as she was fondly called, reminds us of our dour humanity, and of the fragility of our hold on human subsistence. The world is indeed a stage and life itself is but a walking shadow.
It is a permanent shuttle in the sepulcher, and what we have are fleeting memories, stilled mementoes, fraught memories and the fractured memorabilia of those who are gone forever, never to be seen again.
Sadly, Bank of Industry has taken over her assets in Oregun, Lagos. The Receivership was pursuant to the failure of Omatek Ventures to discharge its outstanding indebtedness to Bank of Industry it obtained loan facilities from. That is the end of Omatek! So long…
