Category: Southwest

Chief Adebayo Makinde is the Sagua of Alaafin of Oyo. He was born in Lagos on January 14, 1935. He had his primary and secondary school education at the Baptist Academy, Lagos, where he was the only one to make a Grade I in December 1955. He enrolled at the School of Pharmacy, Yaba, where he qualified as a pharmacist in 1959 under UAC sponsorship. On graduation, he worked with the UAC in Lagos, Aba and Kano. He resigned to establish his own business in 1964. He formed a company called Jolitas Chemists, which metamorphosed into the defunct Jolitas Industries. In this interview with JOSEPH JIBUEZE on his forthcoming 80th birthday, Chief Makinde recalls fond memories of his childhood, the day he lost his father, and shares how he balances life as a traditionalist with his Christian beliefs, as well as the secret of his good health.

Do you still practice your profession?

You will be surprised that up till now, I still practice my profession because I’m still healthy, and all the organs of my body are working perfectly well.

Not many people are as active at 80 as you are. What is the secret?

First of all, I give glory to God. It’s not by the amount of medical treatment you receive. It’s God who gives good health. I live a simple life apart from being a strong believer in God through Christ. I eat twice a day – breakfast and dinner. I take dinner at about 5pm. I don’t usually eat after 6pm, and I sleep early. Many friends know that when they come to my home at about 7.30pm, I am already in bed. I make sure that I wake up as early as 3am to do my personal devotion. From around 4am, I watch the news on the television. Between 5.30 and 6am, I call members of my family for prayers. After that I have my breakfast. I also take a walk. Some days when I don’t feel like going to the office, I stay at home. I drink sparingly – a little wine, otherwise I take mostly water.

How do you keep fit?

When I wake up, I ride a cycle and walk within my premises six to 10 times in a day. I don’t do strenuous exercises but at the same time they have to be relaxing. I also stretch while lying on my back. I swing my hands and legs. I do it religiously everyday. I have been advised to tone my muscles. The exercise tones and relaxes my muscle.

What does your title represent?

The Sagua of Alaafin is a traditional title. In the make-up of the government of the Alaafin, we have the ‘military’ title and ‘civilian’ title. The Oyo Mesis are civilian titles. They’re advisers of the Alaafin. At the same time, we have the ‘military’ set-up. The two of them are parallel. They never meet. The military arm is headed by the Aare Onakakanfo, which is usually somebody outside Oyo town. These are part of the measures the Alaafin takes to ensure there is no coup in his kingdom. Under the Aare, you have ‘military’ officers, of which the Sagua is a senior member or officer. I want to say with all sense of humility that in this century, I have been the first Sagua of Alaafin since 1982. That’s why many people call me Sagua of the century.

How was your growing up like?

I grew up in Lagos when life was simple. At that time, in the early 30s and 40s, there were few people in Lagos. That’s why people would say you would build a house before you buy a car, because there were not many cars. At that time, the tarred road ended at Yaba. After Yaba, there was no tarred road anymore. Night life was good. We did not go to night clubs until about 12 midnight or 1am. Life was safe. There were no burglar proofs in our houses. When it was hot, we slept outside in the verandah.

How do you feel to see so much insecurity and crime?

Naturally I feel so bad that things have deteriorated and life is not safe. It’s a matter of concern.

At what point did things change?

I think things took a turn for the worse during the Nigerian civil war. That was when things started going bad. The war disrupted the normal life system. We have not recovered fully from it till now.

Do you think there is hope for Nigeria?

I am always optimistic. I believe that if we have an opportunity to choose good leaders, things can start going well. If you look at it again, what Chief Obafemi Awolowo inherited from colonial masters was not huge. But because it was properly managed, he could give free education throughout his administration. Sometimes when I travel, I discover that some of the structures built during his time are still what some schools in Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Edo and Delta use.

Do you have any fond memories from childhood?

I was into boxing while in secondary school. After school hours, we would return to study till about 8pm. Life was simple. We didn’t mess up with ourselves. Schools were strictly for the boys or for the girls. You could count them: Queens College, Baptist Academy, Methodist Boys/Girls High School, CMS Grammar School, Holy Child College. There was healthy competition. We did not exceed 35 in a class. About 300 students would sit for entrance exam, and only 60 or 70 would be admitted. There was no godfather. Admission was strictly on merit. No cutting of corners in those days.

How did UAC come to sponsor and eventually employ you?

UAC was like a small government at that time. It got whatever it wanted because we had no independence. The school reserved positions for UAC students. We were very serious students. There were no distractions. There was nothing like television. What we had was radio-vision, a box through which you heard news. It operated from about 6am in the morning till about 8pm.

Were you a prankster as a child?

The influence of a parent can be very high on children. Parents can dictate to you what they want in most cases. There were not many choices for the child, unlike children of these days who would disagree with their father. Sometimes if you ask children today to prostrate to elders, they would say: ‘No, I don’t feel like prostrating.’ He would tell you straight away and you can’t do anything to the child. In my time, if you’re asked to prostrate, you must obey. We were in most cases obedient. If you don’t obey, there will be punishment, unless you’re lucky not to have been caught. In those days, if a child goes away to see a masquerade, he will be lucky if the parents did not look for him while he was away. We could join friends and go away with a masquerade, but when you return, the first thing you would ask is: ‘Did Baba ask about me?’ If they say no, then you will escape punishment. My father was a disciplinarian. He never spared the rod.

Who were your role models?

Two people influenced my life: my father, John Ojo Makinde, at the early age, and my late brother, Chief Moses Ajibade Makinde, at a later age. He died on April 1, 2014. The two of them were hard-working. My brother rose to become the first African Managing Director of the Nigerian Breweries. He was trained as an accountant. UAC sent him to Havard University to do his MBA programme. I imbibed that spirit – that to get to the top of the ladder, you must work hard. My father laid the foundation. I stayed with my brother, who also attended the Baptist Academy.

What has life taught you?

Life has taught me that the only way to succeed and be happy at the end of the day is to work hard. If you work hard and put God first in all you do, you will be ahead of the game. That’s why I feel very happy. I worked hard. I was able to train my 12 children and they cherish the education I gave them. Eight of them, from Europe, America and Canada are expected to attend my birthday event.

Any regrets in life?

No, I have no regrets. If God calls me now, I’ll happily say I’ve done my bit. I say with a sense of humility that I have a personal relationship with God. If about 10 years ago, God had called me, I would have fretted. Now I talk to God like I would talk to my father, and when I ask him to do a thing for me, He does it.

At what point did you become a traditionalist?

My installation was done in March 1982.

How are you able to combine your role as a traditionalist with being a Christian?

You’re right. But remember, I said I was not so confident about 10 or 15 years ago. I underwent various things. I cannot tell you all that happened during my initiation in the palace. Those are in the past. Kabiyesi does not insist that you do those things anymore. During my initiation, there were certain kinds of incisions done on the body, called Gbere. I could not do a thing like that. I paid for my own in cash for not doing it; they took care of the rest.

What was your happiest moment?

My happiest moment was when my first child was born. I felt very happy to be a father. I was proud.

And your saddest moment…?

My saddest moment was when my father died. I was very sad because we communicated a lot. I was going to Oyo to see him, and 30 minutes before I arrived, he passed on. If I had left Lagos one hour earlier, I would have seen him alive. Maybe he would have died on my laps. That was my saddest moment.

How did you meet your wife?

In any case, I have two wives. I met the first when I was working in Kano with Kingsway Chemists, UAC. She was working at Barclays Bank. Incidentally, I met her in the Church. She was a good chorister. She was slim, with good facial marks. She was elegant, and had a good job. Of course if you worked in a bank at that time, you must be sound. For my second wife, I met her in Oyo in 1980. We’re from the same area. My first wife is from Ogbomoso. The children interact very well. They even make conference calls in organising my forthcoming birthday ceremony. They’re united even though they’re not from the same mother. I even took part in the teleconference and found it interesting.

How have you given back to the society?

I was the President of the Rotary Club, Ogba District, in 1984. Former Supreme Court justice, Justice George Oguntade (rtd), was my vice-president at that time. I furnished the laboratory of the Ogba Grammar School and gave them water. I was Parents-Teachers’ Association (PTA) chairman of Maryland Comprehensive School for 10 years. I fenced the school and gave them modern toilets, as well as built a block of classrooms. On the religious side, I took a church as my project – the Ebenezer Baptist Church at Awe, Oyo. I gave them musical instruments, modern pews, a modern vestry. I was paying part of the pastor’s salaries. I expect my children to set up a foundation in my honour. I will give them my support.

What advice do you have for the government on the fight against insurgency?

The problem of Nigeria aside insecurity is also political, apart from the fact it has a religious undertone. The only way Nigeria can move forward is to de-emphasise religion. If we de-emphasise our religious differences, things will be much better for us. To tackle insecurity, the economic level is so low for quite a number of people, particularly where there is high level of insecurity. We have to agree to reduce poverty in such areas by empowering the jobless youths. Those places also need modern amenities. I worked in Kano and I know quite a number of places in the North. If we educate people, there will be development. The late Chief Obafemi Awolowo tried to educate his own people, and you can see the result today in the seven states that make up the old Western Region. They have a lot of professionals. If other regions had made education a priority, we won’t have much problem today, because anybody that is well educated is more likely to value life. But if one is not educated, he is just a little better than an animal. Your level of education also determines your way of life. Therefore, Nigeria must really make the extra effort to ensure that people are educated in places ravaged by insurgency.

What will you like to be remembered for?

I want to be remembered as someone who served humanity to the best of his ability and who ensured that all his children were properly brought up, so that they can help the nation through their various endeavours.