Ojude Oba: How Cancer Changed My View About Life – Farooq Oreagba
The Managing Director of NG Clearing and former Member of the Derivatives Product Advisory Committee of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Farooq Oreagba, who stood out for his striking appearance at the just-concluded Ojude Oba festival in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, has opened up about how his bone cancer diagnosis changed his life priorities.
Speaking on the Morning Show on Arise TV on Sunday, Oreagba, disclosed that although he is battling an incurable form of cancer, multiple myeloma, he is passionate about giving hope to other cancer patients.
He said, โIโve always been a bit of a controversial person, but weโll not go into that. I think from the moment I was diagnosed with cancer in February 2014โitโs an incurable form of cancerโpriorities changed.
โIโll say this to somebody, and itโs going to sound ridiculous. Iโm 58, and if I could live another 20 years, Iโll say being diagnosed with cancer is the best thing that ever happened to me. It changes my perspective on life. What Iโm there for. Iโm there for it.
โCounselling cancer patients, trying to improve access to better healthcare, Iโll do that all day long.โ
โI got hope from places I least expected, and from some of those I expected, I got nothing. Thatโs life, and you learn your lessons.
READ: How Nigerians Stood United, Displayed Rich Yoruba Culture At 2024 Ojude Oba Festival
โYou donโt know how much time youโve got; you line up your priorities. For me, it is family first because I donโt know how long Iโm going to be around, but by Godโs grace, Iโm 10 years and counting, and since Iโve been crowned โking of steezeโ, Iโm not about to just go like that anytime soon.
โIโve been counselling cancer patients for a while. I was diagnosed in February 2014. I had a bone marrow transplant in August 2014. I did chemotherapy every day, 21 days a month, for eight years.
โI donโt do chemotherapy anymore; Iโm living my best life; Iโm back working. That gives me a sense of fulfilment because people ask me why I am so happy. โIโm alive!โ And as long as youโre in the game, you can win the game; each day is a blessing.โ
โOne thing I realised is that when I was a senior executive at the exchange in the early 2000, letโs say I had five million friends.
โWhen I left the exchange in 2010, my five million friends went down to one million. When I was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, my one million went down to a hundred. That was a very important lesson; itโs important that you hold your friends close, keep your 10 toes down all the time, and be yourself.
โPeople talk about my tattoos; Iโve had tats for years, and Iโm very particular about them. I try to make sure that I donโt have a tattoo on my face and that my sleeves are down when Iโm in corporate mode.
โHereโs the famous tattoo,โ he said, showing his arm, โit says, โI live each day as if it were my last. So donโt judge me.โ That says, โOnly God can judge me.
He further explained that he has other tattoos for his kids, some indicating the moment when he had lots of friends. โIโve got โRide or die.โ These were not curated; theyโve been there for years.โ
