Businesswoman and philanthropist, Ambassador Amina Temitope Ajayi, has won many accolades and recognitions abroad, especially in the United States of America on account of her humanitarian work. The famous Mama Diaspora as she is fondly called is very passionate about the development of the Nigerian youths. In this interview with Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf and Funke Cole, the pioneer President of the All Nigerian American Congress (ANAC) one of the United Nation’s Eminent Peace Ambassadors, shares interesting insights and character portraiture of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu while assuring that the President Elect will set Nigeria on a path of socioeconomic growth never before attained in the annals of this country. Excerpts:
As a Nigerian you have received several awards from successive American presidents in recognition of your contributions thus far. How has your philanthropy benefited your country of birth and what can you say about the soon to be inaugurated Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu presidency as a long time associate of the President Elect?
Like they say, a prophet is never honoured in his hometown. Yes indeed, I have received awards at the global stage from the presidents of God’s own country, the United States of America. President George Bush, President Bill Clinton, President Donald Trump twice and the incumbent, President Joe Biden, all gave me awards. They all gave me keys to five states including Iowa, Atlanta Georgia, Maryland and Wisconsin. All these for a woman for that matter. You see in America, they will judge you by your merit not connection, not religion, not tribe, not political affiliations, not gender. That is why they excel. There is something they call a social security number. You don’t play with it because it will haunt you wherever you go. Life in America is not a bed of roses alright but there are countless opportunities for all regardless of your station in life so long as you do what is right.
I went into exile alongside with him, I mean the President-Elect is my brother, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We ran away together then as we rejects of our nation this country Nigeria. We fought for this democracy together. I remember when we got sanctioned against Nigeria. I used to be like those youths but now I know better you can’t fight the government you can be a radical they say experience is the best teacher. That is why you need to get to you a stage you have to stop and dialogue. Old age is power that’s why people like me supported the president-elect during his campaign l. Everybody knows because I knew him when I was a young adult but so many other people knew him when he became a politician. I knew my brother as the Chief Accountant in Mobil Oil. He’s a first class brain, that’s Asiwaju. I knew his impacts in Mobil Oil Nigeria with my uncle Pius and my late brother Bade Ojo of blessed memory when Mobil was Mobil. I was very blessed, I’m an ajebota (a child born with a silver spoon) my parents were very comfortable. As a matter of fact my generation. I’m the fourth generation. Everything I’m doing that you read that I’m doing and you hear me doing in America is a virtue I inherited from my generation. Everything I’m doing it’s not me. The first one was Pa Kujonsin Labinjo, he was one of the richest men in Nigeria he was a gun merchant, as a matter we own the front of UBA to the State House Marina belongs to my great grandfather; he was so passionate about the Yoruba wars the Kiriji wars, he was not a soldier. He went and donated arms and he didn’t even know how to operate a gun so he went to Imesi Ile.
He was teaching them how to use cannons instead of the cannon to go forward it went backward thereby killing himself for Nigeria. A prophet isn’t honoured in his hometown. My grandmother and Da Rochas were friends. I also use myself and everything in me to liberate others in America, why can’t I do it in Nigeria? Is this Jesus Christ the son of Joseph the carpenter my great grandfather used his money and affluence to liberate people and that’s exactly what I am doing in America? Will they allow me to do the same in Nigeria? He’s the Almighty God number one.
Where did I get the energy, where did I get the money that He’s using my body. I can’t count some of the powerful people in Nigeria. My father trained them. I don’t want to mention them because I don’t want to embarrass them. They were in a position of power, they didn’t remember me. Did they give me an appointment? America is wondering, is White House a joke? my late mother told me that one day is not too late for God’s favour. I’m a mother now what my parents told me I’m telling the young adults now they should work hard to achieve success. Now I’m using my own life to impact others. Now let’s go to Asiwaju. I knew my brother. I told you my family is blessed so automatically I became blessed at the age of 28. My late father told me I look so much like his late mother I am an accountant well educated he told me to forget about job but to go into business that if you work in the office then it was Ministry they promote you until they retire you. Commerce business is the solution to Nigeria white collar jobs no way, entrepreneurship it is.
Then, you don’t talk about a billion, it is a million, he was my bank manager. He encouraged me to be an entrepreneur. That was how I hit the money at that age, very blessed but I was carried away. I knew how to make money and I also know how to spend money. My father would always tell me that ise logun ise (hard work pays). That one shouldn’t depend on inheritance but work to make one’s money. If you are not careful you will believe fake news. Now, the president elect should capture their brains, no bias let’s forget about all the sentiments of other political parties, one party has to win, that’s democracy. He has won now I can vouch for him, he’s a father, he will carry them along.
You are talking about the youths now; you’re hoping (cuts in) that he’s going to give them a chance and opportunity…
No, I’m not hoping to know what he is going to do because I am a living witness. As a Forty year old woman do you know what it means to buy a self-propelled barge? We got ourselves in June 12, I used to be the Special Assistant to the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu. You know our politicians. The democracy we fought for is not being implemented. I live in America Silicon Valley, the centre hub of technology. He came back but I didn’t come back.
Every Nigerian should go in front of the mirror. They will see that fame, wealth, influence is all illusion. I want everybody in Nigeria to have the wakeup call.
An average young adult cannot set up a business without battling one form of challenge or the other… As much as people want to set up businesses the obstacles mitigating against them are huge. Under an Asiwaju presidency, what would you like to see?
It’s only in Nigeria we wash our linen in public. In America, everyone pays taxes. Nobody is left out.
But the growth projection is easy out there unlike what obtains in Nigeria? People pay multiple taxes and all manner of levies even in a place like Lagos…
In America who born you not to pay tax? Why do Nigerians like to cut corners? Where is the revenue coming from? I’m a realist. where we are today is the fault of everybody. The citizens and the politicians are to blame. The politicians don’t keep their word. The young adults think everything that glitters is gold. In America if you don’t pay your tax, you go to jail. Of course, you see, it’s the responsibility of the government to empower the citizens but you can’t leave all the responsibility on the shoulders of the government. That would be too much. That is CSR. Let me tell you the secret of America, even in churches you pay tithe. Who are you not to pay tithe in church? That’s one tenth of your salary. But at the end of the year because of the tax return, the government pays that back to you and that’s what the church use for social responsibility to take care of the school, welfare. Who will pay your bills? Nobody begs in America. People work four jobs a day. What is wrong with us. where is Father christmas? We need to change our orientation. Ise ni ogun ise…Nigerian youths should pull themselves from the boot straps.
You see something about Asiwaju, he has what it takes to turn the economic tide of the country. I remember what he did to a 40 year old. That was me. He made me a millionaire. He saw the potential in me and invested in my brain. That is why I will forever remain loyal to him. I was lifting Mobil oil from Quay Iboe to Eket. Hard work is in my DNA. He knows how to invest in human capital. You think, he got the mandate at 70 years just like that? That’s a miracle. Nigeria is going to see what I call favour. That is why I am imploring the president elect to give the young adults a chance, by employing them. They’ve got brains.
Nigerian youths have great talents and are digitally savvy such that if they are given opportunities in national governance, they will unleash great developmental energies that will transform Nigeria from its present challenges to become a cynosure in the comity of nations.
I’m very certain that the President-Elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will give the youths vintage positions in his incoming government. To be honest, the Nigerian youths are great. They are not only intellectually sophisticated and digitally vibrant, but they also have a great passion for the development of Nigeria and have become great political assets. They have shown that they are politically savvy and relevant.
I personally know the President-Elect, Asiwaju. He has high intellectual acumen. He is an educated and well-bred technocrat that knows the language of business. He knows how to make and invest money wisely. He is an established accountant and knows how to manage money. He will manage the resources of this country very well to the benefit of all. He knows how to invest in human capital.
When he was the governor of Lagos State and the Lagos State local government allocation was withheld, with his financial wizardry and managerial acumen, he was able to turn the fortune of Lagos State and re-engineered its internally generated revenue to such a high level without inflicting tax burden and hardship on Lagosians. It is a great feat. He kept Lagos State going and even brought in a great development to the state, even while the Lagos money was being withheld. That is a great and unparalleled feat of a great manager of resources such as Asiwaju. If somebody can from nothing, turn the economy of Lagos around, we should credit him for that.
The young adults are almost 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population. They are the brain behind the brainbox. This is the year of the millennium and digital growth. The young adults have high creativity. When I see the creativity of the youths on social media, I am pleasantly surprised. This is the time to harvest such wonderful talents and intellectual property. Let us give them prominence in governance. Let us make them feel important.
The youths, in the next four years or eight years, will still be politically active and relevant, unlike some aged people who may not vote in the next four or eight years.
I know the President-elect and I know he is passionate about the youths. The young adults should give him a chance and I know he will play the fatherly roles and mentorship role as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Lord once asked me to go and look myself in the mirror. It was then I came to the realisation that fame and fortune is an illusion. Vanity upon vanity. That was my own wakeup call. As Nigerians we all should be ready to do our own bit. Thank God we have a messiah in Tinubu now.
Have you ever done business in Nigeria?
Yes I have been a businesswoman all my life. I combine that easily with my humanitarian work. I once started a fish pond with just two fishes and we got 24, 000 fingerlings. We were exporting abroad. I have FDA, NAFDAC licenses and they gave me small money. Why can’t other people put in similar efforts? Any company that employs a certain number of persons should be given a tax rebate. That is what is obtainable in America. It is the company that takes care of the masses not necessarily the government and hence they deserve a tax break or even national awards. Such kind of action will help to revamp the economy. Entrepreneurship is the in-thing. I wish they can give me all the graduates. Let them just say, Mama Diaspora these are for you, go and do anything you like with them. I know I won’t disappoint. I have done some of this in America.
I once used N74 million of my personal money to empower people. I didn’t take a dime from anybody to do that. I did that entirely on my own volition. The government doesn’t know about it. So I had to be a Christian, Muslim or traditionalist before I could talk about God? No. I have formed a group, Iconic Asiwaju Women of Substance. I did that all to propagate Tinubu’s legacy. It is a lobbyist organisation. Our duty is to assist the government. Whether we get an appointment or not is immaterial. We are all contributing our own quota to the growth and development of the country in our own little way. That’s the way I see it.
What would be the first thing you expect the president-elect to focus on?
Electricity is the number one priority for me. It’s either kinetic energy, turbine, solar, windmill or dam. If there is adequate supply of electricity, factories will come back on stream, it will revamp the economy.
I’m very optimistic that with the kind of person Tinubu is a lot will give positively because he is a first class brain. I know my brother (Tinubu). He made me a millionaire at the age of 40 years so I have a lot of confidence in him. By the special grace of God in eight year’s time we shall see how the young adults and women would have become truly transformed. I’m so impressed by the creative ingenuity of the Nigerian youths.
There is no need for the continuous agitations. After his tenure others can take the gauntlet. All I ask is let’s embrace peace and eschew violence. Let’s match all our manifestos together because Tinubu happens to be a man that does not see colour, race and tribe.