Determination, Perseverance and focus are my watchword in life — Adigun

Today, AVM Jacob Bolaji Adigun (Rtd) who is also the Akogun of Ogbomoso land will be confer with Honourary Doctorate Degree in Business administration by the authority of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso.In his interview with Tribune’s Adewuyi Onigbinde,he spoke about the award and other Sundry issues. Excerpt

Today, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology,Ogbomoso will confer on you Honourary Doctorate Degree in Business administration,how did you feel when you were informed?

When I was been informed,I felt great,l felt honoured, I felt humble, I felt recognise, I felt happy and I give glory to God Almighty.

Did you have any premonition that one day you will be honoured with Doctorate Degree?

Honestly, I must confess to you that I did not have any premonition that I will become a doctor of business administration or be awarded any Doctorate Degree but I have always been a person that always strive for the best in whatever I do judging from the fact that being an ex-military man, I was able to develop myself while in service. I have HND in Accounting and haven masters in Business administration from unilag and wrote ICAN exam from foundation to final before being a qualified certered Accountant and today a fellow of the institute of Certered Accountant,so when it comes to academics I always look up to God to take me to greater heights.

Before you can be nominated for the award , there must be somethings you have been doing that stand you. What are those things?

Hmmm, when it comes to being recognized, definitely there must be one or two things you have been doing or they sees something in you either the potential or what you have done in the past or what you will do in the future. Have been able to put Ogbomoso Descendants Development Association (ODDA) to an enviable heights and I was able to coordinate the Association to make a positive impact in Ogbomoso land in terms of Security, development, skills acqucition , support the less previlege. However,on my personal level, I have a foundation which I named after my late mother called Ayoka foundation, the purpose is to reach out to needle.i gives scholarship,I give succors to the needy especially in the motherless home I reach out to them not only in Ogbomoso but anywhere I have contact with.

On humanitarian ground,I have always been very very on ground and it has always been my calling to give and God has always given me the power to give and I give glory to God.i believe it is in this kind of recognition or rather what I have been able to do to take Ogbomoso to greater heights, that is probably what they have seen or dynamism which I have to propelled people to think about the home (Ogbomoso). Infact I was discussing with our governor sometimes ago on the need to do a very big mechanized agriculture in the state where by all our casu and Mongo’s will not just be come and take away by the foreigners at cheap amount where our people are not better off for it,so we intend to do a very massive kind of organization within Oyo State, Ogbomoso in particular where by we will be able to create job for our people and be able to collect must of there products at a very good prices and there will be value for there money.

All these things are in the pipeline and by the grace of God it will help the people of the great city of Ogbomoso and Oyo State in general.

In terms of education too, I have always been given scholarship thought saliently , given busury, sponsor so many people on various University and in various educational institute and I usually empower people and God has always been kind to me and if God has given good to me then I have to give back to people in return. I give glory to God for it.

As Chairman of ODDA, where did you expect to see Ogbomoso let say next ten years?

I must be honest with you in the next ten to twenty years I want to see Ogbomoso been eldorado in terms of development,in terms of infrastructure,in terms of industrialization especially you know whereby there will be industry especially Agro- Allied industry that will create jobs for the youths and for the everybody that is concerned and again we will be able to have a kind of environment whereby Ogbomoso with our cultural heritage will make it a kind of foreign tourism attraction like what we will Ogbomoso day,Soun day or call it whatever being like what the ijebus are doing in ijebu ode called Ojude Oba,so that it will be a yearly event which Ogbomoso Descendants Development Association  will champion and it will be all embracing where people will come all over the world and it will make us to have the age groups(Regberegbe) . We have to bring everybody on board,to do this,we must make sure we have enabling environment.

As a Man who has almost seen it all in life, what is your advice for the younger generation especially those who are pursuing ungodly wealth like Yahoo Yahoo?

My advice is that they must have fear of God. They must be preserving, you see in life you have to endure, determined and determination leads to success, there’s no need for anybody to be rushing for unnecessary wealth being Yahoo Yahoo, rituals, kidnapping, drugs business or whatever, the things is that if you work hard and pray,then you will be able to make ends meet to you and your family without being cutcorners . So the devil’s ways for wealth doesn’t worth it. Life is vanity upon vanity and all in it is vanity.So the only thing is to be hard working, pray, honest, focused in life and do things that is within your power so that you wouldn’t running for unnecessary wealth.

How does the grown up look like?

Okay,my growing up is good. I was born in jos some decades ago to a very modest christen family by Pa and Mrs Adigun of the blessed memories, you know we were brought up a very humble christen home where we were taught to respect everybody either elder or younger,we were taught to respect everybody no matter what. That respect, humility is enough and we were taught to be contented with whatever we have,be serious with your life and take your education very serious. My parents don’t have much but they make sure that all of us goes to school,so we didn’t have a choice than to justify they investment in us. I have to struggle to improve myself. When I was in military, many of my mates were busy enjoy there life because they have satisfied with their present condition then and they don’t develop themselves , despite the fact I was doing well in the military I still sacrifice to develop myself and go and read and everybody knows what ICAN is if you started from foundation to Certered  level as regular combatant with a lot of good life, you know is a matter of fact sacrifice and in life mu motto is Perseverance, endurance , determination lead to success and I give glory to God.So it was a very humble background and humble beginning, but today I give glory to God Almighty because it wasn’t easy when growing up. Like what President Jonathan say, there was a time am  going to school and I don’t have a school scandal and I going to about 7kilometes everyday both morning and night to where my school was then as small boy of seven years old, but the way I was brought up am getting focused because I have some senior person who later became Medical doctors, lawyers, Engineer and what have you.

But I make sure I remain focused and determined because I don’t look at what is on the ground but what the future holds.

I want to thank LAUTECH Management for found me worthy of this honour.