Razaq Olusola Ajala is the Chairman of Odi Olowo/ Ojuwoye LCDA and Secretary General of Conference 57.
In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, he goes down memory lane talking about his humble background, growing up in the Akala neighborhood in Mushin, falling in love with politics as a schoolboy, how he met his wife, and touching and changing lives amongst others.
Let’s talk about three things that are very important in your life.
If not for politics, I would have been a private person. That is why it is very convenient for me. I can attend 12 or 13 functions a day because I won’t spend more than 5 or 10 minutes. I am not going there because of the melody of the music or because I want to dance or what I want to eat. I am going there because I see the celebrator as an important or integral part of me. No matter how tight my schedule is, I must ensure I attend. Number two is that I am a lover of my family.
When I say family man, I am not talking about my nuclear family. I believe that if God in his infinite mercy can raise you to attain the position that He has positioned you, then use that platform to attend to the basic needs of the people within (family) and around you (friends and associates). The people came out in their numbers to give me the mandate to be a councillor, vice chairman, and now Chairman.
Hence, my political philosophy is ‘common people for common benefit’. I believe that everything I have, I should spread it. I should try as much as I can to accommodate everyone. The third thing that people don’t know about me?
Well, I won’t say people don’t know that I love my wife because if I didn’t love her, I would not have married her. In order of importance, she comes first after God.
How did you meet your wife?
I met her in my brother, Barr Ishmael Yaya’s. He was the former Secretary of Mushin Local Government and former SA to the Governor of Lagos State. That day, I just saw a lady walk in majestically and it was love at first sight. There and then, I told them that I loved her. Then someone said even if you love her, this woman would never say ‘yes’. Why? Because I was raised in Akala in Mushin. That is the area people use to profile or define Mushin. To most of the people, nothing good can come out of Akala. So given her background economically, they knew that we were miles apart. Also, she had an independent room to herself; and her mother, not to talk of her father, could point to one or two houses. So, they couldn’t imagine such a lady saying yes to me, a poor boy from Akala. But I was persistent. On her way home, I followed her and when she got home, she told the mallam (the security man), to shut the gate against me.
The third thing about me is that if I believe in a cause, I give it my all. I remember when I contested for the House of Assembly in 2007. All I had in the whole Lagos State were two plots of land, which I sold to prosecute my ambition, even though I knew I could lose. Back to my wife, I had profiled her and found out that she went to her mum’s shop every morning and closed at a particular time. I did this for 11 years; we courted for that long. I even traveled as far as Offa to look for her.
What was the attraction? Her beauty?
Not her beauty or friends; but the fact that theirs was a family that had its own needs they were training their maids as if they were their children; people they brought from Kwara State; they were sending them to primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions. I see in my wife, a very religious and reserved person. We also have something in common, which is having a sound family balance. This, among several other factors, actually endeared her to me. And if it is about intellect she has it. Of course, she was pretty. So I made up my mind to marry this lady from the Ojulari family. Even, the fact that people were saying her mother was tough didn’t deter me.
Have you ever regretted growing up in Akala?
Never! That is where my strength politically comes from. That is where my strength economically lies, and that is where my strength academically lies. Why do I say this?
If you were born and raised in our area, you have the privilege to be brilliant. You have one thing, which is the support of people in the area. They are street-wise and smart. There is a high possibility that if an Akala boy goes to a job interview with someone from another area, he will beat the person and take firm control. He will combine his street smartness with the knowledge acquired in the four walls of the academic environment. There are some questions that your brilliance would not help you but your smartness will take you through.
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Elections are not around the corner, yet you’re engrossed in empowerment; what inspires you?
I think everything boils down to my background; if not for God and his grace, I would not be where I am today. I am from a humble background and know how people live or operate within that space because I have tasted it. Now, that God has catapulted me to this enviable height, I would resonate all the opportunities that come my way to everybody with special emphasis on the ordinary people.
What is the worth of the empowerment that you are embarking on at the moment?
It is over N250 million. I have divided all the people here into different strata and that is what defines the programmes for each of the strata. For the youths, we are doing sports; for the students, we have quiz competitions and for the women we have grants. Also, for small and medium-scale entrepreneurs, we have loan facilities while for the vulnerable, we have subsidised chickens which go for N6,500. They will get for N2,500. The open market for rams during ileya is 50,000 to 60, 000 naira but we sell it for 25,000. I know what it means for your neighbour to eat turkey and you cannot afford chicken. Back in those days, if our parents bought chicken, we would jump up and go out with the chicken leg for neighbours to see.
What dreams did you have as a young boy?
Honestly speaking, my dream from my secondary school days, has always been to be a politician. Our government teacher, Mr. Ojelabi, used to call me Sarumi the governor. Then there were usually hot arguments between Sarumi and Agbalajobi and I always wanted Sarumi to be the Governor. One of my best subjects in school then was Government. There was a particular examination where they asked what Sovereignty was. I defined what it was politically, economically, and legally and my teacher told me that he didn’t ask for all of that. Also, I remember that as a primary school student, when Awolowo came to campaign in the now Mushin Local Government, we left school to see him. I lost my food cooler that day amid the crowd. All because I wanted to see Awolowo.
Did you ever think of the flipside of politics; I mean the hazards?
Of course, as a politician, you have to think about that. But I was born and raised in Mushin. My wife is my prayer warrior, my spiritual warrior. From the very day she said yes, she did not turn back. Our marriage is over twenty years now. My boy would be 21 this year, I got married at 30.
Looking back, are you happy that you decided to go into politics?
Yes. I always thank God that I took the decision. God in his infinite mercy has used me, and the various positions that I have held, to make a meaningful impact. As a councilor, before any government started to pay money for WAEC or GCE, I was the first to give free 100 forms to indigent students back in the year 2000. I did it when I was still living with my parents as a councilor. Then I could afford over 3 million naira to organise tutorial classes. Jika Atto was the one who came to the heart of Akala to take English during my tutorial programmes. I went as far as the Cambridge Coaching Centre at GRA for Mathematics teachers. I went for the best teachers that were around. Apart from giving them the form, I wanted to get a commensurate result, giving the quantum of my investment. Most of the people who benefitted then, most of them are now doctors in America. Some are working with British organisations, and I know one working with the NNPC. So, that to me, is my joy and satisfaction.
