SEPTEMBER 7, 2013
Mr. Bisi Omidiora
Mr. Bisi Omidiora is the current Chairman, Body of Past Presidents, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and a former executive director, UAC Plc. He shares interesting stories about himself with BOSEDE OLUSOLA-OBASA
If age were to be measured by strength, you should be younger than 80. What’s the secret?
It is the gift of God through the grace of God. It is also due to my lifestyle. It takes having the gift of God, being lucky to live a good life, having a good home and doing good exercises. I am very lucky that I am still able to play golf. I have been able to overcome so many ailments of aging through playing golf. It exercises your body and your mind. Good food is also important. I am lucky to have somebody that gives me the right food and I don’t play with my health. I do regular checkups so I take care of anything that is likely to go wrong with my health. Generally, I am a happy man, I don’t carry my problems with me, I have no enemy, I don’t envy anybody; all these add up to the good health that I enjoy. God has been kind to me.
Have you been a fan of eating healthy for long?
Yes, somehow I am lucky that my body reacts whenever I eat something that could hurt me. When I left secondary school, as a young man working as a Produce Inspector, I had a tendency to drink. I earned good money. But I discovered that when I drank alcohol then, my body reacted. I stopped drinking beer on the day that I added a little more than usual, and suddenly discovered that the walls of the room where I was appeared to me moving, everywhere seemed like there was an earthquake and it felt like I was going to die. I didn’t know if that experience was normal for people who drink beer. I also used to smoke cigarette when I left college. Those days, people did post-secondary school jobs either with Cocoa Produce Inspection, Railway Corporation or the Customs. I tried for about six months to one year to see if I could get my body to accept smoking and drinking but it wouldn’t. I stopped smoking and drinking since then. In fact, there is a food that my body also reacts to so I stay away from it. Generally, I eat normal food, fruits and vegetables. I eat pounded yam, Amala, rice. But when I go to parties, I don’t get attracted to dishes served at parties because my body doesn’t like it. That’s a sharp contrast to people who really love to enjoy food served at parties.
For most men it’s a three-fold cord– smoking, drinking and womanising. Did you fall for the third one as a young man?
I attended a mixed secondary school – Oduduwa College. I had my girl- friend there and she ultimately became my wife. I didn’t womanise. People thought something was wrong with me because I didn’t go out with so many girls. I believe it is one of the disciplines that a man should have if he wants to live long. I didn’t even sleep with my wife before we got married
How come you never slept with your secondary school girlfriend for years until you got married?
I have always had inner discipline. I was afraid of a woman getting pregnant for me because I was an ambitious fellow. I was doing extremely well in the college and I was very popular. I had witnessed the school taking disciplinary actions against boys who got girl students pregnant and I dreaded that. Once it happens you are gone. We met, we played with ourselves, we did all sorts of things but we never thought of it.
But in today’s world, even the thought of having a girlfriend is distraction …
Yes. As I said, I was very popular and I was shy. Many girls loved to be my girlfriends but I could take that. I didn’t even know how to woo a girl. Somehow, when I saw her, we were very close because we both represented the school in athletics. Before we realised it, people in the school already took us for partners.
Was she brilliant too?
Yes. She was brilliant; though she didn’t have to be brilliant as a child of a king (laughs). It is news when people see me moving with a princess.
Did her royal background influence your closeness to her?
No. I was a very confident young man. I was well respected. I was lucky in many ways. When I was in primary school, I did well and I gained admission to Oduduwa College and two others. I came to the limelight at the secondary school when I was selected to represent the school on a trip to Ghana. It was actually meant for the senior prefect of every school. I went to Ghana for two weeks by air and that was rare in those days. When I came back, I had become a celebrity. People would not let me be. I was giving lectures in all the divisions sharing my experiences on how to travel by air and so on.
How did you eventually get married to her?
When I finished secondary school, the school wanted me to be a teacher so that I could come back and impart knowledge to younger students. That was the practice for brilliant students. But I knew that if I became a teacher I would not be able to marry her. I started work after secondary school but immediately she finished secondary school, her parents sent her to England. We started having doubts about our love dream coming true. I then decided to go abroad. And as luck always follows me, my dad took me to the Oba (my father-in-law to be) to inform him that I would be travelling. I got closer to the Ooni on that trip; we were together for 13 days. When we got to London, she came to meet her father and we saw ourselves and that was how we started again … and we got married. We were so much in love that I couldn’t finish my course before we got married. I got married when I was taking my A levels. I was about 26 then. I told her that I was taking a risk but we got married because we realised that we could no longer do without living together. Fortunately, we had our first child on the day I was to resume at the London School of Economics. I must say here to young people coming up that your luck begins with your wife. After working for six months in England she insisted it was time to go for my A level and then, the London School. I was also supposed to have studied engineering but I am lucky to have left it for accountancy. We have been married now for 55 years.
Why were you made senior prefect in Form Four ahead of the senior classes?
The Western Region was changing its academic system from Form one to six, to Form one to five. The then class six left six months later because of the change but the school principal refused to make any of the students in Form Five senior prefect. He said he was not impressed by them. Maybe it was still the Ghana trip that worked for me because he insisted that I had to be the senior prefect.
How did you survive the envy that came with the offer?
It was okay. My seniors liked me because I was not arrogant, I was humble. Richard Akinjide was my prefect in the 1940s when I gained admission to the school. He spotted me out and since then, I have been close to him. I met Justice Wale Babalakin there too.
Didn’t you face a conflict of faith when you were given the Balogun of Ife title?
No. I was very lucky in the church. When I became the Balogun, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, was a modern king, who understood. He was very liberal. I even took a Bible to the swearing in ceremony as the Balogun. I was excused from the serious traditional processes. So I didn’t have any conflict with my Christian faith. Whenever there may be one, I try to avoid it and the Kabiyesi will understand. I have been able to combine both successfully.
What is the meaning of the name – Omidiora?
It is a common name in Ife. Omi has to do with Osun. Osun is in Osogbo but the main earlier worshippers of Osun are from Ife. Osun got married to an Ife prince. So the full name is Omi di ohun a nfi owo ra. That is, Osun is so precious people are willing to pay for it. The pronunciation has however been greatly corrupted. When I was posted to a UAC division, I learnt that the people were anticipating that I was an Igbo person because of the name, but they later discovered that I am Yoruba. My son is getting worried now because there are so many Omidioras on the social media.
What do you cherish about your upbringing?
As a child in the village, I always yearned to go to school. But I couldn’t, because my grandfather, with whom I lived would not allow me. He wanted me to follow him to the farm. Our house was located in a place where I could see children going to school. I used to see them when I returned from the farm so I wanted to go to school too. The first landmark in my life was when my grandfather died (laughs). That was what changed my life. I was nine years old before I got to primary school. Having started school late, I found that what I would have needed four years to get, took just two years. Besides, I had always had this inner desire to succeed. My mum and dad loved education, but they were not educated.
Why didn’t your grandfather want you to go to school?
His last son was in a Catholic teachers training college and was doing very well but then he died. My grandfather believed that the school killed him and vowed that he would not allow any of his children or grandchildren to go to school so that they won’t die. Still talking about my upbringing, I cherish my time at Oduduwa College – I was captain of games, I was taking part in inter-college debates, I was very active.
Are you fulfilled in career having risen to become the current Chairman, Body of Past Presidents, ICAN?
O yes and I have also been very lucky because I got things done with ease. When I finished my accountancy course, I could have joined an accounting firm, but like my thoughts towards teaching, I couldn’t see much prospect as the highest I could become was a partner but what next after that. The same question I asked when I was asked to come and be the Bursar of the then University of Ife. That was why I chose to work at UAC. I faced some challenges there with some unqualified people who thought they could boss me. But because I was proud of my background and qualification, they learnt to respect me. I was one of the few accountants employed at that time. In UAC, I was encouraged to do my best. I got so seriously occupied in UAC that I had little time for any other thing. All along, I had my eyes on the profession. I participated in ICAN activities as examiner and so on until I was on the council; my name was so popular that no one ever wanted to contest a position with me. So as I was rising in UAC, I was doing same in ICAN. I became ripe for the pinnacle of both endeavours at the same time and I had to make a choice. To be chairman of UAC or to be president of ICAN and I chose the latter having thought about it very soundly. I love my profession. Becoming the Chairman, Body of Past Presidents earlier this year is an achievement that I cherish so much. All I can say is that there is a bit of luck in everything I do – I meet the right people, I do things at the right time, I am always at the right place.
What sustained you in UAC for 23 years?
After school, a senior partner asked what I wanted to do and I told him that I had offers from an accounting firm, Cadbury and UAC and he advised me to take UAC. He added that the problem with UAC was that they would not allow me to leave the job early. He said each time I tried to leave, they would dangle the carrots to keep me by making me comfortable and I said that was okay. True to his words, I had other offers and felt greatly tempted to leave but I couldn’t. I believed I would get to the top. It is amazing that today young people don’t consider prospects, they move at every instance of better pay. I was comfortable at UAC; the technical partners won’t let you go. I enjoyed the work. They gave me a house, cars and so on.
You once had a government appointment, how was it?
I was director, UAC Properties then. I didn’t know anyone, I just received a call from the governor asking me to come and work in Cocoa House which was gutted by fire among others. I didn’t receive salary there because of a policy of UAC which said if you worked anywhere else while in their employment, you would donate the money made to the company. I thought it was better not to get paid for the work. It was a big assignment with Wemabod. I had to seek permission to do it, the company hesitated, but I explained that it was a service to my state. It is interesting that I gave more to those companies than I got from them. That is unlike what obtains today when people are always looking for what to get from a place.
How do you relax?
I love going for church activities, I am the Baba Ijo of my church. I have so many assignments and positions in the church. That is post UAC, I left UAC at age 55 to set up my private firm. I started playing golf, say some 15 years ago. I play golf once every week. I used to play Badminton; I had a court in my compound when I was in Ikoyi. I played it with friends. I do a lot of reading and writing. ICAN has also taken a chunk of my time, I am still active. I am very active in the Metropolitan Club, I am there every Tuesday. I don’t have any spare time. I love music by Sunny Ade and religious songs especially when I am on a journey. My day right now is very busy.
After 55 years in marriage, would you say you have seen it all?
When one is happy, the years go by without noticing it. I tell young men who want to reach the top in life to have a good marriage. You need someone who is reasonably intelligent that you can discuss with. And the children also make life exciting. UAC people devote good attention to children’s education. As a director of UAC, I was able to position my children in good schools. What we spend our time on now is attending the graduation of our grandchildren.
Are there still surprises in your relationship?
Yes, there must be. We sometimes quarrel, we shout at each other. And thereafter we are back. A lot depends on the man. I don’t know why some men cannot stick to one wife.
Is any of your children embracing your profession?
Yes two of them are accountants.
What are your guiding principles?
First, being guided by my spirit, integrity, justice, humility and loving my neighbour as myself. All these have given me a good life.
No comments:
Post a Comment