Category: Sunday magazine

As Sir Simeon Olusola Oguntimehin clocks 80, he looks back and relieves his life as a young man to Taiwo Abiodun.

THE was dressed in Yoruba traditional ‘Aso Oke’ regalia with beaded shoes to match. Also dangling on his neck, ankles and wrists were his expensive traditional coral beads. He was also ‘armed’ with his beaded walking stick and fly whisk which are parts of his paraphernalia for his status as Lisa of Ondo Kingdom.

Sir Simeon Olusola Oguntimehin, who has just clocked 80, said it is by grace that he made it to that age, adding that any additional year is a bonus,

In a low voice that exhibited humility and betrayed his pains and emotions, he said he was  lucky to have attained this feat. “When I was eight years old I lost my father, and the future seemed to be  bleak. I never knew I could get up to this level in life,” he recounted.

Asked why he is so humble despite his high status and station in life, the Lisa of Ondo, with sense of humor and witty innuendos, replied “why should I be arrogant? I need to thank God for my life and success. I need to be humble and thank God for what He has done for me so far. What could have made me not to be humble?”

My size doesn’t matter

Although he is not a tall man but what he missed in height he has used to dwarf his contemporaries in the world of achievements.  He is a success  in his spiritual and professional  life as he holds the Holy Order of Knighthood, Grand Commander of Order of Knight of St Christopher ( KSC), JP, Officer of Order of the Niger (OON), Fellow and former President of Institute of Chartered Accountants (FCA) with many traditional titles. When  asked whether he feels intimidated by others taller than him in stature or if he feels shy because of his height, he looked at the reporter and made a reference to the  Biblical Zacheaus “No, no, no I have never been intimidated. Don’t you know the Biblical Zacheaus? He was not a tall man yet he is known about in the Bible. My height has nothing to do with my achievements!”.

As the Lisa of Ondo Kingdome, the second most important man in the kingdom- the Premier of Ondo Kingdom, he is next to the Ondo monarch.

According to him, “Some of my contemporaries are Professor Wole Soyinka who wrote me recently and promised that he would attend my book launch. Femi Johnson was also one of them, we are all of the same age bracket. And also the Awujale of Ijebuland, and many others. We are many marking our  birthdays  this year.”

Regular at home

The Lisa of Ondo said he does not joke with his ancestral home as he goes home regularly as a grassroots  person and son of  the soil. While at old age  he has now retired home to have more time to contribute his own quota to the  development  of the town. He said, “I’ve been resident there (Ondo) since January 20 as the Lisa of Ondo. The Lisa is the highest chieftaincy title in Ondo town, in Ondo parlance they call it Obade. Wherever I am, the Lisa is the one that interacts directly with the townsmen, he is the member of the Osemawe in- Council. That is why they are called Iwaefa. So the Lisa is their head.”

On how he emerged as the Lisa of Ondo

“I became the Lisa of Ondo Kingdom on December 23, 2013 by  being picked and elected by the town. We were originally six contestants. Then it was narrowed  down to four, but in the end I won. I was happy. In the olden days it was people of this age (80) that should be there, not the younger ones.”

In his letter of appointment, as a testimony to his good nature, he was told, “Your selection was made possible because of your good character. Consideration was also given  to the selfless services you have been rendering to our community and the nation in general.” The high honour “Efun Oye” was performed on  January 20, 2014, while the official installation and celebration has been fixed for October 3, 2014.

As a staunch Christian how did he participate in the rituals involved? In a raised voice the old man replied “The title does not include rituals, we all prayed for the development of the town, but the Lisa does not have rituals to play. But for those who do rituals, theirs is to pray and they performed the normal things.”

The Lisa has received many honours from local, state, national and international spheres. “I was happy to be honoured with the National award,” he said.

The road to his present status was not paved in gold, “If you read my book on how I got to read accountancy…  I lost my father at the age of nine.  When I started school, it was difficult. I completed my primary education in 1949. Then  we had entrance examination to Ondo Boys High School, it was highly competitive. Out of 850 they needed 50 for admission. There was no money, so I thought of  going for scholarship, it was then called Ondo Native  Administration Scholarship, comprising Ile Oluji , Oke Igbo and Ondo town. Having passed the entrance, I was looking forward to getting the scholarship, and we had only four spaces. I won the scholarship. Having benefitted from that, I wanted to assist  the needy. That was why I started giving scholarships too.”

The Lisa of Ondo, who is a member of the board of the Independent and Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC),  does not support the scrapping of the Commission saying it is different from the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), He said, “Ours (ICPC) is to curb corruption of public officers. Money laundering is a very powerful case.  In reality we need quantum of money that would be needed for the investigation but they were not giving us and we didn’t have access to international fund. No, it can’t be scrapped.  It is doing a good job. It should not be scrapped but should justify why it was founded. There was a time when they wanted to merge it, no it should not be merged with EFCC because they have different schedules,” he said.

He said in his over 52 years of marriage, the secret of the success has been love and compatibility.  ” We courted for 10 years, we love each other  and were compatible. If you are not compatible there is no way you can stay together for many years,” he  said.

His Philosophy of life

To him, “Integrity counts, I don’t play with my integrity. Whatever I do in life my integrity must not be tainted. I have never taken bribe in my life and I have never given. In 1955  when I was looking for work, I did not offer any one bribe  before I entered the treasury department  in 1955. I never paid any bribe to anybody. Even in the days when it was tough I never  did  it before I got my passport. I don’t believe in bribe, I don’t believe in corruption, I do my work dutifully and to the best of my ability .When I was retiring I left about 13 partners  in my firm. That was when I clocked  60.”

The octogenarian said things have changed since his days as money and materialism have taken over now. “It wasn’t money that is everything in those days. These days it is money, money everywhere. Then, we wanted personality but they all want money these days.  We have baby factory, Boko Haram, you want to have everything and that is the problem.

“When I retired many years ago I established SO Oguntimehim, a Finance Consulting firm. I have no cause to be arrogant.  Because what God has done for me in life is just like a miracle. I lost my dad at nine and my mother passed away in 1981,” he said.

He said Nigeria of today is far from that of his dream. “When I finished in 1961, I was very anxious to come back home, we were very hopeful that we were going to meet Nigeria of potentials, things were going on well until 1962,” he said.

Asked whether he belongs to any secret society like those who had attained these glorious feats and successes in life, he replied, “I don’t belong to any secret society.” He said his happiest moment in life was the day he passed his final examinations and qualified in England.

Pa Julius Adinlewa was once the sole owner of Cardinal Pools in the ’70s until he voluntarily stopped the business because, according to him, it was full of fraudulent activities. He spoke with Taiwo Abiodun

AFTER three decades in the pools betting business, Pa Julius Adinlewa decided to jettison the trade that made him popular in the South West because, according to him, “Playing of pools is the easiest way to make a poor man become poorer and the rich become poor. The habit, (pools betting) has broken many homes and destroyed lives.”

Adinlewa added that he has seen how those who play pools are being deceived daily and how many customers sold off their property when they failed to win, adding that wining is the ultimate in pools betting, and this made him to abandon the business. He said “the pools agent will swear with everything that his prospective customers would get a ‘Sure Banker’ in the week. They with their sugar-coated tongue would woo you and when you put in all your money to play and in the end when you lose all the money you invested in it, you will again be looking forward to another week, which is false hope. This is bad.”

Remembering the past he continued, “I remember my nickname was Adelink. I started pools business by  working with the  Face to Face Pools for some years. When I saw that the business was booming I went ahead to set up my own called Cardinal Pools, it was popular all over old Ondo State  and some neighbouring states. I used to travel to Lagos to print my coupon. Pools business was the main business then and it thrived. When a customer won he was paid his money. That is the credibility of pools houses. I started doing it but later I discovered that it is only a rich man who could do it and be successful. I mean a man who is not very, very rich should not to go into pools betting, it will ruin him.”

Evil business

Asked if it is a profitable business, he shook his head  and adjusted his posture, gave  a heavy sigh and  then declared, “For  the  pool agents there is money  in it, it is a profitable business for them because  during our time the agent will take seven shillings  as commission on a pound, and every  Saturday I  used to have  about 100pounds  as  my commission from my sales  which was a lot of money then. But, I did not like it – I have conscience, and I believed it was a rip- off. For those who did not win would be downcast and worried and out of pity I would give them money.”

On why he decided to leave the business, Pa Adinlewa said “I left the business for a reason too painful. The business is evil.” He, remembered some of the sad incidents he witnessed: “I could remember there was a man who betted with his radiogram to play pools but did not win at all. All his money was gone and his radiogram gone too. When he got home he started fighting his wife when she demanded for money for house keeping. He was lying at home that the radiogram was with the repairer. So, when I went to his house I discovered this, I did not like it. Many who lost in pools betting committed suicide because they borrowed money to play while many could not afford to meet up family expenses. Some of these customers who patronise pools houses make  false promises that they would pay their debtors, and some would be looking forward to buying cars and when the result comes out and he does not succeed. Seeing all these I was discouraged.”

It was seeing losers living in sorrow that, he said, made him abandon the business. According to him, those who indulged in the pools betting business are usually haggard and unkempt.

Asked whether he jettisoned the business on religious ground, he said no, “It is not religion that made me to stop it.  I don’t go to church, I don’t go to mosque, so it is not religion that made me jettison it but seeing human beings wasting, rotting and dying because of coupon, no, no. I don’t like that. There is no short cut to success, but you will see these pool players who would stay indoors deceiving themselves with coupons. The day the coupon will click he would not have the money to play and that is the spirit of money. I will not encourage anybody to be going into pools house.”

Adinlewa said after he abandoned pools business, he decided to go into hotel business and established White Palace Hotel, “I sat down and thought of what I could do and I discovered that whenever I had visitors I used to spend heavily in booking for hotels. I am a socialite, I have a lot of big men as friends. Each time they come visiting, I would be looking for hotels for them to lodge.”

He advised that pools business is not one that prospers whether you are rich or poor, that was why he decided to turn his back on it.

WHEN the parents of Favour Amadi gave birth to him three years ago, they were happy and full of hope for the little bundle of joy.

However, that hope has turned into despair as the father of the boy has run away leaving the mother Chinyere, 40, alone to cater for him. Favour, whose mother lives in Amasoma, Bayelsa State, was born with a defect that prevents him from draining the fluids that protect his brain. His head has continually increased in size since birth. This condition is known medically as hydrocephalus.

With his medical condition, when it is time to sit, he cannot when it is time to crawl, he couldn’t, when it is time to walk he cannot when it is time to talk he cannot yet he is alive and often show instinct of survival. He struggles and wriggles within his limitation albeit unsuccessfully to smile to respond to sound.

His father has abandoned his mother and the poor mother cannot foot the medical bill.

A charity organization, Everybody Counts International (ECI), has stepped in to mount campaign to raise funds for his treatment. Through the organisation, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, has asked for £15 000 (N4,0125,000), for his treatment with a schedule of 4-6 months including post operation management schedule..

The chairperson of ECI, Dr, Emmanuela Akande, in a bid to raise  the fund has already participated in Tennis Charity Competition in David Loyd in South East London. About £500 (N137, 000 naira) was realised.

To this end, ECI has called on Nigerians to donate to save Favour Amadi.

Those ready to assist can call 08039096752.

Kayode Adebola, who is widely known as ‘Master gambler’ tells Adetutu Audu, his secret of surviving.

KAYODE Adebola is a master gambler. But he did not just earn the sobriquet, the father of three told The Nation on Sunday that he sees lotto as another legal means of making money. According to him, he stakes N5000 to N7000 everyday and has been playing for the past four years.

“I have a special file for my coupon and at the end of each year, I try to evaluate how much I have spent in playing lotto and how much I have gotten in returns.” he said.

His first ever stake N400, earned him N16, 000. Some months ago he won N720, 000 and N120, 000.  He staked again and won another N2.4m from another of his agent.

However, his biggest winning was N5.9m in 2010 which later became a cause of trouble and concern for him. According to Adebola, he is actually a building contractor, but sees lotto as a vocation.

According to him, “I staked N25,000 through my two agents Kayode  and David in Sky touch Lotto on September 26, 2010 in Ijebu-Ode  and when the result came out I realised that I had won N5.9m.”

But rather than getting his winnings, the table turned against him. He was told by his agent that the managing director of the lotto company, has refused to pay the money, claiming he suspected foul play.

“All efforts to get him to pay the money proved abortive. I had won N720, 000 and N120, 000 from the same company earlier which was paid. I don’t know why he is refusing to pay this? Besides he has threatened that I should go and report to whoever I know, he is not going to pay.”

If he is suspecting foul play, how did get his winning number? He told The Nation on Sunday that he has always got his number through inspiration. “There have been times I don’t win too, do I fight the lotto company, why is he now finding it difficult to pay me now?” he asked no one in particular.

During the period, Adebola petitioned the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) over the matter and the Commission in its reply signed by Zubairu Muazu, Head of Operations, told him to direct the matter to the Oyo State Commissioner of Police.

He said he had earlier reported at Mokola Police Station in Ibadan, since the head office of the lotto company is located at Uncle Joe building, Mokola Ibadan, Oyo State. He added that his lawyer, Terry Badmos Adeniji also reported the matter to the Oyo State Lotto Commission.

This is not the first time the Ijebu Ode born Adebola will be losing his winning. He told The Nation on Sunday that two lotto companies have closed shop and effort to locate them had been futile.  “We cannot even trace him or any of his family members. He just vanished into the thin air.”

Asked why he continues to play despite the pranks played by game owners, he responded that most of the times the lotto owners do not pray that stakers should win. For instance, if one stakes N5, you are sure of N1, 200.  When you lose your money they are happy but when it is time to pay big winning, they find it difficult.

Will this deter him from further staking? He was quick to say that he has a good job, but sees lotto as another avenue for making legal money. “I don’t use all my money to play lotto, but I have a substantial part that I set aside for the purpose. And at the end of each year I tried to assess how much I spent and how much I made.”

However, he has turned a new leaf because, according to him, he has stopped playing “After the bitter experience and all efforts to get my winnings failed, my life was under threat. I decided to quit. I no longer play lotto.”