Category: Saturday Interview

Phil Biobele Okoroafor, the chief executive officer of Marvel Matrix Ltd, an integrated marketing/communications company which specialises in events planning, speaks about her little beginnings, her sources of motivation and her social life, in this interview with VICTOR OLUWASEGUN.

Have you worked for anyone before?  

No, I have not. The interesting thing about me is that I studied Industrial Chemistry in the university. I don’t know where the thing about events came from. And my dad would always say to me, ‘Oh, you know you’ll work in an oil company.’

You apparently did not work in an oil company…

No. When I was in school, my dad had this expectation that I would end up working in an oil company because I was reading Industrial Chemistry, and coming from Rivers State, you know, oil companies activities and all that. But somewhere, somehow, I’ll tell my dad, you know that Shell was started by somebody; I also want to go and start my own thing. So, I was always like set on building a business. I didn’t understand it to be entrepreneurship at that time, but I grew up thinking that Coca-Cola started with one man, so I can start something. I’ve never really worked anywhere. The only working experience I’ve had were vacation jobs and IT which I did growing up.

Let us talk about the school you attended…

I went to University of Port Harcourt, and every vacation was engaged. Like the first vacation job I did was in SHELL, and I was not enrolled for IT at that time. I had a mini IT in NNPC, and I had the privilege of doing the main one, the credit-earning IT. I served with Flowpetrol Johnson Slumberger. That was what they were called back then in the 80s. I don’t know if they still exist. Every holiday when I was in school, I was gainfully employed, working in one place or the other. I did my NYSC (National Youths Service) the then Nicon Noga Hilton.

Why events planning?

It is a very interesting thing. When I came to Abuja, first of all, I did not know where I wanted to serve. I just did not want Port Harcourt because that was where I had lived all my life. I wanted to have a new experience and Lagos was out of the question because I thought Lagos was too chaotic. And for some reason, my school sort of created an inconvenience that turned out to work for my good. Because my NYSC call up letter did not come, I had to make the trip to Abuja to get it.

I remember when I came to Abuja; I was like, ‘Oh my God!’ I remember that I was just churning out poems about the city; about how beautiful I thought Abuja was, with the rolling hills, the greenery and the trees. It wasn’t like a complete picture, but it didn’t look like some unkempt cities that I was accustomed to. So when I went to pick up my letter, they had posted me to some place far up north that I don’t want to mention. So, if I had not experienced Abuja, I would probably have gone there because I wanted to serve. So I decided that I was going to influence my service to Abuja. I came and decided that I was going to serve in Abuja and make a home here. I was posted to Jigawa. Anyway, long story short, I redeployed from Jigawa without ever stepping in Jigawa. I was redeployed to Abuja, and that was how I came to stay in Abuja and served at the Hilton.

After service, did you start your company immediately?

I remember that when I finished serving, I had fever just thinking that when I finished I was going to be in the job market. So, I remember that I went to school to learn to make informed decisions. I didn’t go to school to carry a certificate but to make a difference. So I started thinking to setting up an industry. I wanted to make cosmetics, so I decided to start making soap. I quickly went to update my knowledge.

Remember I worked in Transcorp and we wore uniforms. I ate twice a day and lived pretty close to Transcorp, so I had saved quite a bit of my allowances. Mind you, I had determined I was going to live in Abuja. So, I saved up all my money. I began to think of buying a cutter for the soap business. A friend of mine had borrowed part of the money and I was thinking of how to recover it so I could go buy the soap cutter, because I heard that with a cutter, your soap will be nice and decent. That was when I met a friend of mine through whom I began work in a premier photo studio.

You were in Red Sapphire. How did that happen?

Like I mentioned I met a friend who worked in a premier photo studio: Photosynthesis. Two months after I started, he shared with me his thoughts on what was called conferencing then. He said he wanted me to handle it and I said okay sir.  It seemed like something that I was born for. It was totally off my alley. Maybe it is because I read a lot and my mind was open. Afribank was coming to Abuja for their AGM, for we did their pre-AGM cocktail and the AGM. Afribank paid us 100 per cent and we used the money to provide the uniforms and provide the services, and that was how Red Sapphire began. I started work on N1,500. But I went from employee to part owner of Red Sapphire within two months.

At what point did you set up Marvel Matrix?

Eventually, it was 20 years, and I thought well, go do your own thing. I was there and had done that. I was looking for new challenges and I went to set up a new company. It was a peaceful separation.

If you weren’t doing this, what else would you have been doing?

I was in the sciences. When I was in school, I really liked the concept of paints and adhesives! I would have been into manufacturing, probably making paints.

Who were your mentors?

I have been inspired by different people at different times and different stages of my life. As a budding entrepreneur, I read a lot of books and was inspired by the courage and resilience of Donald Trump. The guy is packed full of guts. Bimbo Odukoya was another person that I admired a great deal. She was just so genuine. She embodied the love of Jesus and seemed to have her finger on the pulse that fueled true relationships. She simply knew how to touch hearts. I loved her boldness and total mastery of her God-given ministry. Another person I have followed for quite a while is TD Jakes. I love his teachings and how he inspires his audience to be the best they can be.

Do you have a philosophy of life that guides your everyday living?

A philosophy is not something I have really given any particular consideration. But as I think about it now, I could say there are a combination of things that govern my decisions and dealings. First is the fear of God which keeps me well grounded. Then there is the notion that time is money. Someone once told me that the poor spend time to save money while the rich spend money to save time. I see time as a vital resource. Everybody has an equal amount of time each day but use it differently. I find that those who make efficient use of time achieve the most and are able to live life on their own terms.

Another principle I hold dear is the fact that excellence is attractive. It makes me pay attention to details. The reason Nigeria is not thriving as it should is because we do not have a culture of excellence. We are given to compromise and people just generally do things anyhow. On occasion, you will find one person who shines brilliantly like Donald Duke who made Cross River State a tourism destination in the country because he did things excellently in the conception, birthing and execution of the Calabar Carnival. I’m not sure the carnival is doing so well now without him.

Dubai attracts people from all over the world because they do things with excellence. India focused on developing excellence in healthcare and the world is trooping to India. Time will not permit me to talk about China that is all set to take over the world. Anyone who wants to stand out must do things with excellence which, by the way, is not significantly more expensive to achieve than mediocrity.

How did the Marvel Matrix School Challenge come into being?

I will tell you the truth: it wasn’t my idea. A friend shared his thoughts with me. He just said to me, ‘You know I have this idea to organise a competition for schools.’ Then we began to tinker with it. I started living and breathing it because it made sense to me. There is something I’ve not told you yet: I wanted more, and the more I wanted was to have a platform that was ours to express creativity. So, you have clients who come to me and say manage our event. And for me, at a point in time, I began to think it was time to own my event. I wanted something transformational.

Maybe it was because my father was a teacher, I wanted something that would be meaningful and make a difference in the lives of people. So, by the time this gentleman shared it with me, I started to run with it. That was three years ago, and it kept growing in my mind. When this gentleman came for the inauguration, he was like, ‘Oh my God! Is this what you did with this idea?

What would you say are your hobbies?

My hobbies are reading, chess and dancing for fitness.

What dictates your dressing?

Comfort, convenience, fitting and appropriateness. Sometimes I joke that I have a healthy dose of vanity. And that makes me want to look good. I look in the mirror and if I like what I see, I go with it.

What would you say have been your challenges, especially now that you run your own outfit?

Some people will say funding, but funding has not been a challenge. The challenges that I had then was getting people that would buy into the vision and run with it. Sometimes, finding the people that will buy into the vision and run with it is a challenge. Getting people who are equipped is a challenge.

Another challenge is that people expect you to accept mediocrity. They wonder why you must insist that you must dot the Is and cross the Ts. Before I left Red Sapphire, it was a struggle for me because I wanted us to go in a particular direction. I wanted us to own our own thing, but it was a challenge pulling everybody along because they wanted to stay in the comfort zone. Sometimes, it is a challenge finding people that will easily give themselves wholly to the dream?

What would you say has been your most embarrassing moment?

One good thing about me is that I know how to laugh at myself. There is one that comes to mind: Union Bank was commissioning its branch in Dei Dei. It was difficult to get the Union Bank colours in balloons. Finally, we got it and we were so excited. I really didn’t know much about how these things work. I didn’t know that you have to buy a specific one. I didn’t know that balloons shrink if you hang them in the sun if you don’t get the right ones. As we were waiting for the minister to arrive, the balloons started shrinking.

What motivates you as a person?

I think my relationship with God is a strong motivating factor in my life. And as far as I am concerned, we all have to learn to take responsibility. I just advise myself at every point in time that listen, don’t depend on anyone. Anything you need to do, just get up and do it; don’t waste time, don’t wait for anybody to blame.

How do you cope with admiration from men?

The truth is like the saying goes, admiration is no crime. Another saying says you can’t stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can definitely stop it from perching. So it is fine for anybody to admire, but it is my prerogative to keep my head.

Where to do want to see the Marvel Matrix school challenge in the next few years?

I will like to see it as a national event embraced by all states in the federation.

He acted as Bitrus in Cock Crow At Dawn, the popular soap opera that ruled the TV in the 1970s and 1980. The stage name has stuck so much that even at 68, most people don’t know Sadiq Daba’s real name as they choose to call him Bitrus. “That is the power of television,” said Daba as he sat on a couch in his living room, connected to an oxygen machine donated by Nigerian billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola, who recently took it upon himself to settle his medical bills. In his first interview since he returned from his medical trip to the United Kingdom, Daba speaks about his health condition, his role in Cock Crow at Dawn and his time at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), in this interview with PAUL UKPABIO and BIODUN ADEYEWA.

You are known to have had some health challenges in recent times. How are you doing now?

You can see machines all over the place. But then, I still give God the glory. God has been very faithful. All praise unto Him. Just last night, I almost had a relapse. I had problem with my breathing, but luckily, it came out alright. I take each day as it comes (coughs). But I thank God for His mercy. My situation is such that the English say it does not just rain, it pours. I was first diagnosed with leukemia. Suddenly, prostate cancer followed. For those two, I was lucky to have been flown to the UK to come back early this year. I felt sick at some point again and thought it was malaria. I tried to treat that at home, but it didn’t work. The day after, it got worse. It was a Sunday and I called a doctor who had been treating me for my breathing problem. He said that I should be rushed to the hospital. Luckily, I was treated on time. Ten minutes late, according to the doctor, I would have died.

I did X-rays, CT scan, all sorts of tests, and I was rushed to the emergency consulting place. It was the beginning of my admission which lasted about three weeks. The doctors did a good job. I was all the time on oxygen and discharged on the basis that I have to have an oxygen machine at home.

As a retiree, how have you managed to cope with your health bills?

I have to thank Nigerians who have been there for me. Nigerians contributed money for me to pay my hospital bills and get an oxygen machine. And while that was on, Femi Otedola, I had never known or seen him in my life, sent a couple of people to my home, and they told me that he said he had been watching me on the screen while he was growing up. He recalled enjoying watching Cockcrow At Dawn and he wanted to help. In the process, he sent Doctor Oriafor and one of his business managers, Pastor Philip Akinola, who told me that they were sent by Otedola to see what help they could render to me. In the process, they arranged for a physiotherapist for me, got me a mobile oxygen converter which I can go out with. They also made available for me, supply of drugs that can help my process in the next one year. So, that is where we are, and I thank God. I wish I could see those who have helped me, even Mr. Otedola too, and thank them.

 So, what is your main ailment now?

What I suffer from is called chronic obstructive venereal disease. It has to do with my lungs. The inside is perforated, making breathing and walking around difficult. If I exert myself, my heart starts pumping. I was glad because the first cardiologist in Ikoyi told me that if I do surgery, they are not too sure I would survive. So, I didn’t want to take the chance because some of my friends had died. I give glory to God. A couple of my friends battled with leukemia and died. Some battled with prostate cancer and died. But here I am with three of the ailments and I’m still alive. So, I give glory to God. How much do I get from my pension? It is less than N100,000. How could I have been able to solve my problems?

What have you been doing since you retired from the NTA?

Before this illness showed up, I was acting here and there and consulting here and there to keep body and soul together, but right now, walking around makes me to start breathing hard. I have to check my oxygen level all the time. I have the oxygen machine with me all the time. If my oxygen level goes below 90, it means I’m distressed and in trouble. All manner of inhalers are by my side; so I’m like a walking corpse.

 Just a few days ago, the theatre industry honoured you with an award. How do you feel about that?

Yes, I was made a Fellow of the distinguished and acclaimed Nigerian Theatre Arts Association. It is humbling after all these years, doing what I know how to do best. Most people do not even know that I did not start out as an actor. Though I dreamt I would be one while growing up as a young man, then when there was a cinema culture where we watched cowboy films and Indian films and all of the other actors; that was in Sierra Leone where I grew up. And after the cinema outing, we used to act like one of the characters or most of the characters in the movie we watched.

Broadcast, for me, started back then in Sierra Leone where I used to listen to the radio. There was this man on radio who had this beautiful and wonderful voice; I admired him and started dreaming that one day, people would also listen to my voice on radio. In Sierra Leone, I only knew radio. It was when I came to Nigeria that I saw television for the first time. I got to Nigeria on June 28, 1968.

When you got to Nigeria, what did you do?

I came to Nigeria in my early 20s. My late father and most of my family members were in Sierra Leone. They were prominent people there. Some of them are still there, and I wanted to see where my father came from before he died. So, I pressurised him that I wanted to know his country. So, I came to Nigeria by boat, MV Dumura. I landed at Apapa, and since then I have been here.

What attracted you to Nigeria?

Sierra Leone is a small country compared to Nigeria. By the time I got to Lagos and started seeing all the high rise buildings that I wasn’t seeing in Sierra Leone, and seeing big nite clubs that I never saw in Freetown, I decided that Lagos was a free and better place to stay. I was dazed and wanted to see more. Life in Lagos has always been like that. If you don’t know what you are doing, it could consume you. There were certain things that couldn’t be done back there in Sierra Leone, but here, it turned out to be the accepted norm. By the way, it opened doors for me because I had a dream of wanting people to know and hear my voice.

Did you get into radio immediately?

No, I got my first job with Government Coastal Agency; that was towards the tail end of the war. I remember that I used to go and supply materials at the ordinance depot at Yaba. I remember the late Hassan Usman Katsina. He was a top army officer there and my desk supplied them with stock fish, beer and so on. I stayed there for some time and left for Kano to join the Nigeria Customs. I also went to Kaduna to visit some brothers of mine. They were army officers. One retired as a Major, Major Mohammed Daba, and the other was at one time a governor and a minister.

It was while I was visiting them that I went drinking at Hamdallah Hotel and met this gentleman, he is late now, Alifah Baba Ahmed. We were on the table talking and I didn’t know he was noticing the way I talked. He asked if I had ever worked in a radio house and I told him no. The nearest I had got near to a radio house was in Sierra Leone where I just passed by the radio house. He asked also if I had worked in a television house and I replied him that I had never seen one in my life. He told me to come to their office, RKTV, that is, Radio Television Kaduna.

So, how did it go?

To me, it was a beer parlour talk. However, I went there the next day and I was tested in what they called audition. I put it behind me; it was all fun. That was the first time I entered a radio station. While I had forgotten about it, a letter had already followed the audition, sent to my cousin’s house. It was an offer of employment and I was in Kano. But they came looking for me, brought me back to Kaduna and I started working in 1973. I was there from radio to television and then moved to Sokoto where I was fully in television. I met another young man, Peter Igho, who introduced me to drama, because he started what was called Cock Crow at Dawn. When we started that, I think I was approaching my mid-20s. But I’m 68 today and some people are still calling me Bitrus!

 That surely was one of the longest-running programmes on TV…

Yes, it was the longest running drama on television apart from Village Headmaster which was before Cock Crow at Dawn, closely followed by Masquerade, which also ran for quite some time. For me, it broadened my scope, opened a bigger vista outside my core profession, which is broadcasting, and pushed me headlong into acting. Roles came, challenges came, and from the small television, we went on to big screen cinema, ‘Moment of Truth, ‘Soweto’ and finally, some years ago, Kunle Afolayan came with his ‘October 1st.’ And that was when I first got appreciated nationally, because ‘Cock Crow At Dawn’ had already exposed me internationally, ‘Soweto’ had also done that. But on a bigger scale, Kunle Afolayan’s ‘October 1st’ opened a bigger market where I won the best actor nationally and several awards just came tumbling in. To God be the glory.

Do you still see some of the cast of ‘Cock Crow at Dawn’?

inducted at the NANTAP event. Her name is Lantana Ahmed. She was the wife to Uncle Gaga. She was in ‘Cock Crow at Dawn’, which was shot in a village called Gurum. It was a fine location way out of town.

When you look back to those days, what comes to your mind?

Nostalgia. For me, television is unique; a unifying thing. For us, ‘Cock Crow at Dawn’, brought us together. We had a policy, rather Peter Igho’s policy. His belief and vision was that it must bring people together. It had to do with the entity called Nigeria. For example, my sister in the drama series, Lanre, was played by a Yoruba girl, Tola Awojobi. She is late now. May her soul rest in peace. Eni Oloja is Idoma and she played Zemaye. She is from the Niger Delta. The man who played Papa Bello, who was Bitrus’ father, is an Urhobo man but was called Bello. So, it was all interconnected. It was about the viewer seeing himself or herself in that play.

There is an Uncle Gaga in every family; a Zemaye or a Bello in every family. So, when you are watching the programme, you can relate and say this particular thing happens in my family. That actually captured the essence of what we were trying to show. When I look back, I feel happy that we gave something to the people.

Have you ever been embarrassed?

One day, I was at Eko Hotel. It was the second year of Cock Crow at Dawn. I was drinking beer and had a cigarette in my hand. One boy, about 10 in age, walked up to me and knocked me on the head. I turned, and he said, ‘Are you not Bitrus? Why are you drinking and smoking?’ I didn’t know this boy’s father was standing somewhere and watching. I told him sorry, I am not drinking, I just wanted to taste it and find out how it tastes. After the boy had gone, the father came and said thank you.

About six months later, we were on break and I came to Lagos, and at Ebute Metta, I was driving and this boy was upstairs. He shouted: “Ah, Bitrus omo ita (Bitrus the rascal)!” I looked at myself and said, “Me Sadiq Daba being called omo ita because of my Bitrus character in Cock Crow at Dawn.” So, that was how infectious the programme became.

We came to Lagos to the National Theatre to do some things and the man who played Uncle Gaga was in Lagos too. Would you believe that people stoned him and he had to run? You know, we later found that it was because of his character of a wicked man in the drama series that he was stoned. We had to start begging people. They said no, that he was always beating Bitrus! We had to start telling them that it is acting; that he is not a wicked man (laughs).

Did you marry an actress?

No, I didn’t marry an actress. I met her while I was working in Jos. She was studying at the University of Jos. Usually then, we went to that campus to look for girls and I saw this young lady.

How long had you been going there before you met her?

We had been going there for about one year or so. Boys were boys. I had this complimentary card and written on it was Bitrus. So, I went confidently over to her and said, ‘Excuse me, how are you doing?’ She looked at me and continued with what she was doing. I told her here’s my card. She collected it from me and looked at it, and I think she tore it! So, I said to myself that it would be both of us in this Jos, and I left. I began to pursue her. It took all of seven years. Until her father came to visit one day and I followed her to her father and told him that I wanted to marry his daughter. The father said, ‘You this yeye man'(laughs).

Well, to cut the long story short, we eventually got married. Today, by the grace of God, we have remained married for more than two decades. Her name is Bolaji from the Oluwa family. She is from Lagos State, a royal family, while I am from Kano. One of our children is in the UK. He read Computer Science. One is on holiday now; he schools in Ghana where he is studying Computer Science, while one has just finished his Post-UTME going to the University of Lagos and wants to study Computer Science. The only girl I have is married.

What was life like at NTA?

NTA was NTA, a wonderful and fun place to work. From Kaduna to Sokoto and then to Lagos when the Federal Government took over all TV stations and NTV Sokoto became NTA Sokoto under a federal body. When NTA took over, I was still in Sokoto and some people were transferred from there to Lagos. So, Lagos became our base. It was from Lagos that we were going to other places. My first base here was at Alago Meji; from there to Ojulegba and then to Abiola Gardens where I have been in the past 15 years. I went to NTA some time ago and found that it is a ghost of its former self. It used to be a beehive of activities. Almost everyone then in Nollywood started in NTA. Some of them passed through my hands because I am a producer and a director.

Can you share one or two memories you have of your time at NTA?

There were too many. Some people have died. The man I used to call my friend and brother, Yinka Craig, who I started AM Express with, is gone. Before that, there was Festac 77. I met people who took me like their brother and son, like Chief Tunde Oloyede, Bimbo Oloyede, now Bimbo Roberts, Patrick Oke, Enebeli Enebuwa and Sunny Irabor. Some have died. Looking back to NTA is nostalgic. No one cared whether you are Ibo, Yoruba or whatever; what they wanted was, can you work? Can you deliver? Once you could, that was it! Everybody loved success.

What time did you even have to fight or quarrel when you were always together? And for those of us who used to love to drink, once we were through with work, there was a bar near NTA where everybody met afterwards. You didn’t have to hold money to drink. Somebody was always there ready to buy someone else beer.

In those days, what was the bonding ingredient?

Nigerians love one another. When I was sick, no one asked me whether I was Hausa or Ibo or Yoruba. I don’t even know the people who contributed money to enable me go abroad for medical treatment. Why didn’t I go and look for my Kano people only to come and help me? Do I even know if my Kano people contributed? The important thing at that moment was Sadiq is sick! It was not Sadiq is Hausa or Sadiq is Yoruba. And help started pouring in. That is how good Nigerians are.

Check these names: Chief Tunde Oloyede, Bimbo Oloyede now Bimbo Roberts, Patrick Oke, Enebeli Enebuwa, Sunny Irabor; do you see Mohammed among them? Of course, I have some northern friends, but if something happens to me in Lagos, what happens? Do I wait till someone comes from the north? Nigerians are good but politicians divide us. So many Ogbomoso people have been living in the north for years. Offa people, Ekiti and Akure people are all over the north. Hausa people are all over the markets in Ibadan and in all these years, people were not being killed. Is it today that cattle started coming from the north? But suddenly, cattle have now become wahala.

My wife is Yoruba; are my children not supposed to have Yoruba names? My children have rights in Lagos just as they have rights in Kano. That is what Nigeria is.

What is your advice for young upcoming actors and entertainers?

Believe in yourself and do not be a copy cat. Be proud that you are a Nigerian. You cannot be more American than the American. In American films, they do not glamorise their slums; they show you the better parts of America. Those who want to go into acting, drama, and broadcasting should know that they are going to be ambassadors of Nigeria. They should project what is good about Nigeria. Always be there as your brother’s keeper. Forget that you are from a particular tribe. There are bad Yoruba, bad Ibo and bad Hausa people. But then for each bad person from another tribe, there are several good people, so why not look for the good people?  If you do bad, no matter how long it takes, it will catch up with you.

It was a social gathering that attracted many septuagenarians and younger people. They all converged on Sheraton Hotel, Lagos, to celebrate Fola Omolayo an accountant, businessman and socialite who turned 70 last month. In his heyday, Chief Fola Omolayo ran De Kitchen, the biggest restaurant in Ikeja, Lagos, and it was like a Mecca for celebrities and others whose names rang a bell in high society circles. Reliving the old times in this interview with PAUL UKPABIO and BIODUN ADEYEWA, Chief Omolayo likened the restaurant experience to ‘having a bath in the open!’ He also spoke about his growth in a polygamous home, why he opted for Accounting and the secrets of his 38-year-old marriage, among other issues.

You recently turned 70. How does it feel to be 70 years old?

It is interesting and fantastic. I feel favoured, because when I look around, I recall the faces of my classmates and colleagues who were about with me then but today they are not here. It is just the grace of God that I am alive, and not just alive but also healthy. So, it gives me a reason to be grateful to God. Everything has to do with the grace and mercy of God.

I was filled with joy and gratitude at the celebration. It is not by my power but by the mercy and grace of God. In spite of all the ups and downs in this country, one has survived and doing what one likes doing. I was able to celebrate because I am alive, healthy and surrounded by good people, starting from core family members to friends, colleagues and well wishers, which gives me a lot of joy.

At 70, do you still have friends that you hang out with who are your age mates?

Yes, I have it both ways. There are a lot of them that are no more and there are a lot who are still alive.

Where do you meet your friends these days?

We meet at different places like the church, social gatherings when our children are having a wedding or one of us is celebrating an occasion.

What was life like in the polygamous home you grew up in?

I must confess that it is only when I look back that I imagine how tedious it must have been. But at that particular period, we enjoyed it. Up till today, you cannot spot the difference among  all of us that are siblings, because when I see children these days quarrelling over little things with their siblings, I wonder. By the time we were crossing from primary school to secondary school, five of us were eligible. It was interesting. It is now in retrospect that I look back and say that we were actually waging a war with each other without knowing, because we enjoyed it.

On a comparative analysis, when you now look at your friends who are probably the first, second or third in their own family of five, what they have been able to achieve at that early age in life and the way they were treated, you start to think that if you were in their position, you would have done better. At the end of the day, when I look back, I give thanks to God, because those who I considered favoured then also considered me as extremely favoured. So, you can see the divine factor at work.

Were there struggles for food back then?

I must confess, in our own setup, it was not noticeable. My father happened to have fought in the Second World War. He was a soldier, the discipline was there, and there was love. And where there’s love and discipline, it is not likely that the place will be chaotic. We related to one another well. And as it was then, so it is till today. In the family structure, I am next to my immediate senior brother who we now call Brother Sunday. I am sure that except those who are much older, there are a lot of people among my friends from the same town who did not know that we are not from the same mother. In fact, I had courted my wife for years and she didn’t know until we were almost getting married.

Our country home in Ikole, my wife and I cannot go there without seeing Brother Sunday first, because he holds all the keys to the place, even the one to my bedroom. That is the way we met it, and it has been sustained.

But was it not only farmers that had many wives and many children in those days?

Yes, my father was a farmer too. The army that he joined was just a secondary vocation. He was naturally a farmer.

You were running one of the biggest restaurants in Lagos before you retired. What led you into hospitality business?

As a young accountant then, I worked for one of the leading hospitality outfits in Lagos. It was called Kobadis. I was there for 13 years. I joined as a young accountant and retired as an executive director of the company. I was looking after the accounting aspect of the business. I gained sufficient skill in running the company. So, when I left, it was naturally to continue what I was doing at Kobadis. That made me to set up Foremost Caterers Limited, owners of De Kitchen.

What was your success formula?

I think it is because people got there and ate what they expected. There is a difference between what you are expecting and what you hope for. It is like talking about want and demand. When you talk about demand, it means that you are ready and you have an idea of the price and you are ready to pay the price. So, as to the amount of success that we had, we were ready for the success and we were ready to pay the price for that success. Above all, we had God. Having spent 13 years in a hospitality company, I knew within myself that it would be better for me to continue what I was already used to doing.

One thing that was very tempting for me to do then was to set up a finance company. Two or three of my friends went into that, but I refused. Another thing that aided our growth was our location. The company I was working for had its base in Apapa and Lagos Island, so I decided to set up mine on the Mainland. What also formed my mainland idea was that I was also looking at old age. Already, this house that we are in, we started working on it in 1984 so we were already looking at old age and the proximity between the home and the place of business.

The potentials were there. The Mainland was developing and more and more people were pouring in. We did our feasibility studies and it favoured Ikeja for location.

What were the immediate challenges?

Raising the take-off capital was a problem. If I were to raise that kind of money now, it probably would be different, perhaps because of connection, asset and so on. But then, it was pretty difficult to raise that money, so the project was delayed for some months. We could not get the required capital but we decided to do the project in installments with support from a few friends. What would have taken six months, we did it in 18 months. But the important thing is that we got there.

Would you agree that being a socialite also contributed to the success of De Kitchen?

Certainly yes. But in Nigeria, being a socialite connotes different things, so I quarrel with the word. But each time I quarrel with it, I find that it points more to me. So, I want to always be in the middle of the word, by saying that I am a sociable person. You are right and I am wrong, because I know of some of my friends who are more sociable than I am, but they still don’t have the circle of friends that I have. However, in my own case, I did not go out looking for all these high-caliber friends.

What happened was that I had a place called De Kitchen on highbrow 82, Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos, in those days. And once you were there, you knew it was the place to be. It was a place where the likes of Chief MKO Abiola visited even uninvited. He came on his own. So, it meant that anybody that was worth his name came around. I still remember the day Chief MKO Abiola walked into De Kitchen. Ours was already one of the biggest restaurants in Lagos, especially Ikeja, if not the biggest. I was overwhelmed, taken aback when I saw him from my window. Bashorun was already seated. I ran down to him and said, ‘Kabiyesi sir.’ He looked at me and we got talking and one thing led to other things. But I must say the truth: if you want to develop a business, you must know God and then court the Nigerian press. You need good friends in the media. In my case, it worked for me. The press made a way for me.

I will tell you a story: May Ellen Ezekiel of blessed memory came around to the reception, sitting and waiting to see me, but I was delayed somewhere else. But she was also waiting for Richard Mofe Damijo who later became her husband. The three of us were to have a meeting.

When I eventually got to her, I told her I was sorry, but what could she do? She said she could do many things. I asked her what she could do and she said as a journalist, she could leave my posh restaurant and write that cockroaches were flying all over the place. I had to start begging her. She said she actually saw cockroaches there and she said she would put it on the front page of her magazine. We laughed over it, but that is the power of the media.

With due respect, till I retired, no newspaper or magazine wrote any uncomplimentary thing about De Kitchen. Does it mean that we did not make mistakes? No, we did, but the media overlooked them because we were their friends.