Back in the days, Hotel Bobby was the happening place in Lagos. But after the death of Bobby Benson, one of Nigeria’s biggest exports in showbiz, in 1983, it suffered neglect and was eventually demolished by the Lagos State Government.
The fact that family members were entangled in unhealthy rivalries for things Bobby left behind did not also help matters.
However, in a chat with our correspondent, Bobby’s first son, Tony, said the children were now wiser. He disclosed that if there had been cooperation, they would all have been well rewarded.
He stated, “You know it is not easy to pinpoint the problems in the family, without sounding accusing. There was no co-operation among us; siblings had different ideas. Now, everyone has seen the effect of not cooperating, though I have borne the bigger brunt.”
Explaining reasons behind the demolition of the former Hotel Bobby located in Ikorodu, Lagos, Benson said it was left undeveloped for too long, and for reasons best known to the people involved, they demolished it.
“I was in Cotonou, Benin Republic when it was demolished, but I heard that miscreants started using it as launch pads to attack pedestrians. I do not know if the government then did not know who to talk to before they made the move.
I also heard that there were some interests, who felt they could take over the property since there was no accord among the children. But when it did not work out for them, they used the excuse of miscreants and influenced the government. The property was demolished sometime in 2005, the same day I heard that my mother had lost her sight.”
Benson had asked his siblings to halt operations at the hotel for a while after the death of his father as a sign of respect. But other things set in. Though he also plays music like his famous father, Benson, who has a Scottish mother, has not been so lucky.
According to him, one thing that favoured the likes of his father, late Pa Ogunde, Victor Olaiya and Pa Chris Ajilo was that they were all forerunners. He stated, “Those days, in all spheres of the society, we only had few people who got immediate prominence in their chosen careers and my dad was one.
We have so many people who are into entertainment now. Take a look at Nollywood and the rate at which people are doing music; tell me where to pick from? The last album I released wasn’t even for commercial purposes.
I just wanted something on record so people could have my songs.” Benson recalls Bobby was though known as being friendly to outsiders, he was a disciplinarian at home. “People saw him on screen cracking jokes, but he was a different person at home.
He was too strict with us. I am however happy because that stance has helped me to grow into what I am doing. They say you don’t miss the water until the well gets dried. Today, I see a lot of veracity in virtually all he was said then.”
