JOHN OPUTA OTUTU

JOHN 0PUTA 0TUTU
Excerpts from my Nigerian Diary

6 November 78: I was off duty and have nothing to do, so, I decided to pay John Oputa Otutu a visit. John was a 23 year old Nigerian Male who was then studying at a London University. He was afflicted by a kind of depression and according to his mother Mrs. Cole, he was at times not himself. He was referred to psychiatrists who declared him physically and mentally fit.
The mother feared that her son was being possessed by the devil so he consulted Rev. Fr. Dennis Slattery for possible exorcism but the priest referred him to me for possible Hypnotherapy. That was how I came to know Mrs. Cole and her son John.
In short John became indirectly my patient and by all indications he was already showing signs of improvement (without hypnotherapy yet, which I thought was not at all necessary). All he needed was an understanding friend that he found in me).
This afternoon I also decided to say hello to Prince I.J. Obadia whose son was treated by me twice at Massy Street Children’s Hospital. The Prince was not here so to kill time I talked to his boss, Theo O.B. Owolabi, the Managing Director of the Blessed Owo Group of Companies. Theo was friendly and very accommodating like managers should be. He liked my sense of humor so we immediately clicked. While I was there, came a lady selling writing pens made in England, complete with stamping pad, etc. I was not interested because it cost 25 Naira, equivalent to 250 pesos. So while the two were talking I just started folding papers creating a Christmas lantern through origami.
Theo noticed what I was doing and asked what it was. I said I was creating something for him. He looked fascinated specially when I hang the lantern under his electric fan with a suggestion never to remove it as it was my “trademark”. He became more interested in me and the next thing I knew he was ordering one 25 Naira worth of pen for me. Indirectly I sold my paper lantern for 25 Naira. This gimmick of mine was always very effective and I have been doing this for more than a month now. I found it to be a perfect way of persuading taxi drivers and making friends with the other Nigerians because they were easily fascinated. Indirectly I have been selling these lanterns to taxi drivers at an average of one Naira each. I have earned and save a lot of money for that. When I left Nigeria there were about 200 taxis hanging my paper lantern and none of them charge me when I hired a taxi. Even the car of the Minister of Health was decorated with my lantern that I gave him when I followed up something at the Ministry of Health one time.