Mr. Dipo Akinsola just stepped down as the Director of the Federal Character Commission, after serving as Special Adviser to ex-Senate President, Ken Nnamani and former Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Olubunmi Etteh. He spoke with LANRE ADEWOLE on his life journey.
Please share with us the indelible memories of your 60 years on earth.
The journey so far has been very eventful. But let me, first of all, thank the Almighty God for His grace and the good health He has endowed me with. In every step taken in these six decades, I saw the manifestation of God, and sincerely, I will not take it for granted, from my elementary school days in the 60s to my secondary school in the 70s, to the three different universities I attended, up to the 90s in this country.
What about my working career starting from the banking industry to the oil and gas sector? Getting married to a wonderful woman and having two lovely children from God Himself.
What can I say about my modest contribution to this nation’s democracy; during my public service career; with my appointment to one of the top legislative positions during the 4th and 5th National Assembly, and finally in the last 13 years, of my dedicated service to the Federal Character Commission, one of the federal executive bodies? In summary, every step in this journey till today has been an indelible one.
Your early years were spent in Ondo town and Iju-Odo, Okitipupa. How was growing up in those areas in the 60s through to the 80s?
My early years were spent in Iju-Odo and Okitipupa, and not in Ondo town. I only visited my grandpa in Ondo town maybe once or twice.
I still remember with nostalgia growing up with my maternal grandparents (may their souls continue to rest in peace) in Iju-Odo where I was treated with much love and care because I was their first grandchild. But they never spared the rod whenever I misbehaved, most especially if I failed to finish selling kerosene for them every evening. Meanwhile, they quickly discovered my brilliance and smartness in the multiplication table in those days. Many of the big uncles around, would look for me to come and recite the multiplication table from one to twelve, and in the process, I got many gifts and accolades from them.
At age eight, I was already the church bell boy for St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Iju-Odo. I was also the school timekeeper, up to my Primary Six, before proceeding to Manuwa Memorial Grammar School, in 1975.
At this point, I moved over to my paternal grandmother, Mama Idepe, as she was popularly called in Okitipupa and environs. Mama Idepe specifically took all her grandchildren including me, with love. She is of blessed memory now.
Finally, my boarding house experience in MMGS from 1975 to 1980 prepared me adequately for what I am today. Can you imagine many of my classmates then, are still intact, 42years after, which goes to confirm the adage that, ‘old friends make best friends’
I’m currently the president of my class set both at home and in the diaspora, many of whom are top medical doctors, clergymen, government functionaries, accountants, and so on.
You went to three different universities in Nigeria. Why?
I attended three different universities in Nigeria for three different degree programmes. First, Obafemi Awolowo University, later renamed Ondo State University, now Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, 1985 for a BSc degree in Economics.
Second, the University of Lagos, Akoka in 1989 for an MSc degree in Economics, and finally, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in 1997, for an MBA degree majoring in International Trade and Finance.
I take it your grannies weren’t educated. Beyond your brilliance, what motivated your interest in education? Any role models?
As I mentioned earlier, I started my journey in life by living with my maternal grandparents. The old man was a village carpenter and the old woman was a peasant farmer. But in those days in primary school, when the local authority inspectors called Olubewo, paid a visit to your school in their smart khaki shorts and white shirt with a tie to match, you would be motivated. Secondly, as a young boy, I used to watch the secondary school students who were in the boarding house file to the church on Sundays in their white uniforms. I prayed to be one of them, which I did eventually, for five years.
The best motivation for me in education was an uncle of mine who I met in 1973 and was the head boy of a secondary school and wanted to follow in his footsteps. He graduated in those days at the age of 21. It was a big motivation for me in particular.
Can you recollect pranks of yesteryears or were you grannies’ boy who rarely ventured out of sight and why didn’t you live at all with your parents?
With all sense of humility, I have always been a good boy right from my yesteryears. Coming into a boarding house in secondary school, was, however, a bit different because I began to follow my new friends and classmates to sneak out of the school gate to go and eat the local delicacy called Pupuru with iced fish at Mama Kento’s Buka.
Not living with my parents is what I cannot explain here, but I didn’t miss anything as my grannies provided all that I needed until I became an adult.
Nicknames were very popular among students of your generation. What was your own?
Yes, nicknames were the order of the day most especially in secondary school. For me, I used to like Ogi and Ewa (pap and beans) so my friends gave me ‘Logi and Ewa Master” because I was always collecting extra from the canteen during breakfast. Thank God for MMGS Iju-Odo.
You have been in several sectors, oil and gas with Jimoh Ibrahim’s company, politics and now retiring as a top public servant. Did you have all these figured out or just coincidences of life?
I started as a banker after graduate school. I spent 10 years with Chartered Bank and another two years with Continental Trust Bank before I joined Global Fleet Oil and Gas owned by Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim as the Company Treasurer, the position I was holding when the national assignment beckoned on me to come and serve as economic adviser to the then Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani. This appointment was, however, made possible through my late uncle, Dr. Olusegun Agagu.
At the expiration of this assignment, the then Speaker, House of Representatives., Patricia Olubunmi Etteh, saw my dedication to my fatherland and appointed me as the Special Adviser, Inter-Parliamentary Affairs. Unfortunately, we spent only six months in office.
Finally, I decided to take up a career in public service appointment. To the glory of God, hard work, dedication to duty, and loyalty to authority saw me, to the top as a director in many departments.
You can see the trajectory, some of these things I set for myself, and some are just coincidences. But in all these, I give glory to God for the grace to serve both in the private and public sectors.
Was banking your original dream, setting out in life?
Not really, but it was just the period when the banking industry was springing up everywhere. A young man just coming out with a Master’s degree in Economics, will ordinarily opt for a job with a suit and tie and good pay. That was how I started as a young banker.
How did love find you, sir?
I laugh. Love will find you as long as you have a pure heart. That’s my case. I had a good heart towards a wonderful lady and she saw it after one full year later and here we are together 25 years with two God-given children, a boy, and a girl. Both of them are adults now to the glory of God.
How did you express that purity and goodness, sir? Were you packaging letters and flowers, filing poems, or showering her with gifts? Where did you also meet?
As a young banker with a two-door Celica car, I was ready to offer her a ride to and fro, as I said for a whole year. This good deed endeared her, but for me, her sense of timing and above all, her fear of God was uncommon. I went for her and it’s been a wonderful experience so far.
Were you colleagues and why did it take a whole year before you made your intention known? Are you the shy type when it comes to wooing ladies?
We were bankers in different banks. Why would I be shy wooing a lady with my fine look? When I set out on this journey, it was not in exchange for a relationship but just to be a good guy, but along the line, as I said earlier, her sense of timing and the fear of God got my attention. So it’s not about the one year. Nowadays, you see young ones jumping from one relationship to another.
Do you regard yourself as romantic enough and what has she been trying to change in you?
I’m not doing badly but my wife would tell better. You see, when two people from different backgrounds have lived together for 25years, there’s bound to be some changes. For me, my beloved wife has brought me closer to God and I have seen the effects in my life, some of which I can’t explain here. After God, she is next
Your former principal, Senator Nnamani is possibly the only senate President in recent times not linked with any kind of corruption in office. You were his adviser on money matters. How did you fix it that money didn’t become a banana peel for him?
If you could recall, there were a number of Senate Presidents who were impeached in quick successions before him; so he avoided what they called, a banana peel. Financial issues were left to the management, while he concentrated on the legislative business. That’s the secret to his success in office and I am privileged to be part of that story.
Unfortunately, you couldn’t replicate that with Mrs. Etteh. How difficult were those days trying to stave off her impeachment?
Unfortunately, the tenure of Her Excellency, Rt.Hon.Patricia Olubunmi Etteh was short-lived though we put in our best during the brief period.
You don’t want to tell Nigerians what went behind the curtains, sir.
Recall that she was the first woman to be so elected as the No 4 citizen of this country. She did her best during the short period in office.
After your service at the national assembly, why Federal Character Commission?
After my service at the National Assembly, I sat down and concluded in consultation with my wife, that maybe I should take up a more permanent career job in Abuja. Of course, I had resigned from my former job at the Global Fleet Oil and Gas before coming to Abuja.
Meanwhile, I looked at the service delivery of the civil/public servants while at the National Assembly and I was not too satisfied in the areas of punctuality to work, poor response time and of course, general indiscipline. Considering all these factors, I had this urge to change the negative trend through my little quota and the opportunity presented itself at the Federal Character Commission. This, however, did not come easily, as I had to go through the process of examination and interview.
Federal Character Commission is all about national equity and managing our diversity. Can you recollect your most challenging moment on the job and your advice to Nigerian leaders?
I thank God for making me part of the history of the Commission in the last 13 years. In the year 2021 alone, the executive chairman found me worthy to be appointed Director in six different departments. The only challenging moment that I can recall was in my last posting where we tried our possible best to propose a sharing formula for the distribution of socio-economic amenities and infrastructures which my successor will now follow up, with the policymakers and ensure its approval by the President because this is an all-inclusive area where every citizen of this great nation will benefit from.
Why so much moving around within the same system? What about other directors sir?
It is a normal thing in the civil/public service. My other director colleagues have also moved around but my own was a peculiar one which only the Executive Chairman can explain. As I said, my profound gratitude goes to her for finding me worthy in all these areas.
Finally, looking at your trajectory, do you have any regrets, and what is your next move since you don’t look tired yet?
No, No, No. I don’t have any regrets whatsoever. As for my next move, I am still consulting but God has a bigger plan for me, I believe. I’m still very agile and ready to serve my beloved country now or sooner.
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