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I never thought I would be 60, but I am 85 years today —Koleosho

His father was 105 years when he died and his mother, 103. He is a staunch believer in fairness, equity and justice. His political career began as councilor then to the House of Assembly and his appointment later as the Secretary to the State Government in Oyo State between 1999 and 2003. Chief Michael Adeniyi Koleosho, popularly called Babalaje of Sakiland, tells DARE ADEKANMBI what life at 85 years feels like, thanking God for all he has achieved in life as a mortal.

You will be 85 years on earth on April 30. How does it feel to reach this milestone?

I feel much fulfilled and I am so happy. I thank God for giving me the privilege to see another birthday again. I am elated and I have no regrets whatsoever. It has been blessing all through and I thank God.

When you look back, would you say Nigeria is where it ought to be in terms of the vision of the country you had years ago as a political leader?

Well, I won’t say yes and I won’t say no. I will say as a country we are trying, but there is a lot more we can do to make the country great. Many of our leaders have been travelling out of the country to places like England, US and other countries and they see what is going on there. They should buckle up and make Nigeria great. They have a lot to do.

Growing up, do you recollect any moment you set targets to be achieved at particular age and if those target were realised at the set time?

My life is such that anytime I sit down and I look back, I thank God because I never believed I would be able to live up to 60 years. But here I am today. So, God has been so good to me. He has been blessing me all through. At 85, I have never been to any hospital in more than 50 years. Anytime I travel to England or America to see my children, I would do check up. But I have never been to any hospital in more than 50 years. It is God’s doing and I am so happy for it.

No doubt, there is God’s grace upon you for this milestone and the good health you have enjoyed. Apart from this, people would say you have a good lifestyle which is showing in your good health, maybe you eat particular types of food, avoid others and so on. At 85, you are still strong. What is the secret, sir?

That is another story entirely. For me, if my tea is not well sugared, I won’t take it. Although I don’t use sugar again as I have since switched to honey, my tea must be very sweet. I won’t take any tea that is not sweet. If there is no honey, I will use sugar. The story that at a particular age, you should not take sugar does not apply to me. This morning, I have taken my tea and it was well sweetened.

Do you workout?

I do within my compound. I walk about six times within my compound, depending on the time. I work out in the morning and in the evening. That is all I do. Apart from this, I still work every day. When people see me on site, they will say ‘Papa, you are still doing all this.’ I will say ‘yes, there is nothing that stops me from working.’ Once I finish with you in this interview [Friday morning], I am going to one of our sites where we are putting up a building and I will be there till about 4pm.

How often do you go to Saki from Ibadan?

I go to Saki at least once in a month. I have some projects I am doing there too.

How does a typical day look like for you?

Some people will say old people hardly have enough time to sleep. That is not for me. I sleep so well. This morning, I woke up around 7 am. When I wake up, I will have my prayer and afterwards do some little exercise, have my tea and then shower. Thirty minutes after, I will have my breakfast and then go to site. By 5 or 6pm, I will have my dinner. I eat twice a day and I also plenty of fruits both fresh and canned fruits. If you see my store now, it is filled up with such things. People bring a lot of things to me.

You were once a very active player in the politics of the old and new Oyo State. How did you see the outcome of the last elections in the state?

About five years ago, I stopped partisan politics. Today, I don’t belong to any political party. But when Seyi Makinde came in, I decided to pitch my tent with him. I don’t hide it and I tell those who care to listen that I belong to Makinde and not to any political party. The outcome of the last gubernatorial election in Oyo State is a testimony of good governance. It showed the governor performed very well. The margin of win, over 307, 000 votes, shows he did very well and the people rewarded him with a re-election. I am very happy he won.

APC cleared the three Senate seats and majority of the House of Representatives positions in the first election. At that point, did you nurse any fear about Makinde’s re-election?

I did entertain such fear. Some people and I had to take some steps and what we did actually work. I was afraid, but what we did really helped us.

What advice for Governor Makinde in terms of how he should handle his second term?

You know he is somebody who listens. We won’t leave him alone. This is the time for him to prove himself more. Some people came to me and said they wanted me to talk to the governor to go to the Senate after his second term. That shows the type of person he is. He is truly a man after my heart. When you tell him something, he listens to you. We thank God for Makinde’s victory.

What did you tell the people who asked you to tell the governor to run for a Senate seat?

It is something I will also want him to do. That will show the governor himself that he needs to perform better now than what he did in his first term. It was his performance in the first term that those people saw and came to me to advise him to run for Senate in 2027. If he did not perform, they would not say that. The governor has been very good and has done a lot of things for the state and its people. Before he came in, to travel from Moniya to Iseyin sometimes took three hours to do. Today, it is at most an hour. You saw what he is doing in Iseyin to Ogbomosho road which is almost completed. He is also doing the road from Saki to Ogboro to Igboho, which is almost completed as well. There are other roads even in Ibadan. During his second term, I am sure you will see what he will do.

At the national level, there will be a new president, Senator Bola Tinubu, from May. What is your advice for him?

My advice to him is that he should make things better for Nigeria and Nigerians than what it is now. I trust Tinubu and I know he will perform well. When you go for an election and people voted for you, it means a lot. If people don’t see you as somebody who is going to perform, they won’t vote for you. So, if you are voted in and you don’t perform, it is a disappointment to the people who voted for you. But I am so sure Tinubu will perform.

How do you plan to mark your birthday?

It is going to be very simple indeed. For more than 50 years now, I don’t tell people that I am going to celebrate my birthday. People will just come. So, people will say we should go and take an event centre, I just laugh. We are marking it in my house in Ibadan. If I take it to Saki, there will be too many people there and I don’t want that. We are marking it in Ibadan and there will be a church service which will start by noon in my house.

Some people do certain things after attaining a huge milestone line yours. Some send people for pilgrimage, others may choose to adopt an orphanage home to constantly support. At 85, any plans in this direction?

I don’t subscribe to that type of thing. I leave everything to God. Let God direct me on what to do. God has been too good to me. I now have a great grandchild and I told you earlier I never expected I would live up to 60 years. So, now that I am 85, I thank God and I know he will direct me on what to do. I don’t dictate to God. I listen to His directive. I know I have been doing and I won’t reveal this. The people I have been doing it for know it. I have sent so many people to Mecca. I have helped a lot of people to achieve enviable positions, some in the Senate, some, House of Representatives and even some governors.

That is the truth of the matter. It is not me; it is God who is doing it. So, whatever God says I should do is what I will do. I leave everything to God.

The people of your generation are living till old age. What is your advice to the youths on how they can also enjoy good old age?

My father died at the age of 105 and my mother was aged 103 when she died. I am not afraid of death at all. But I don’t want to be sick unto death. Whether we like it or not, death will come when it is time. To the younger generation, it is my daily sermon to them that they should be very careful in their dealings. Some of our young people today don’t believe in any other thing than money. That is dangerous. Some of them are very greedy. Some of them would do anything to cheat. I advise young people to do away with all of these vices. They should realise that it is only God that can make them whatever they want to be and do anything for them. They can’t make themselves. It is what God says they will be that they will become. If the young people will learn from our own lives, they will realise this. If it is money, I won’t be what I am today. In business, I have achieved a lot. In politics, I have made a lot. I was a Councilor and I was returned unopposed when I was elected Councilor. I was in the House of Assembly and I was a Commissioner. I was the state chairman of the defunct Alliance for Democracy and my chairmanship produced Alhaji Lam Adesina as governor. I was Secretary to the State Government under Lam. I was deputy national chairman of AD and later became the national chairman. It is not money that made all these things possible. So, you can’t make yourself anything. I advise the young people to be very careful and wait for God’s direction on whatever they do. That is my advice for them.

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