The Insight by Lateef Adewole
Firstly, let me use this auspicious moment to express my unquantifiable appreciation to all my friends, families, acquaintances, and readers, who through one means or another, felicitated with me on the occasion of my birthday yesterday. Your visits, calls, text messages and all well wishes meant a lot to me. May God continue to bless you all. May celebrations never cease in our homes and lives. Amen.
This Thursday, 23rd of June, 2022, marked another milestone in the journey of my life as I added a year. On such occasions, it is tradition for me to do a thorough reflection about life; mine and in general. This year was not different. While I understand the urge to always fill such a day with fun and merriment, it is always my admonition that celebrant of such a day should be more sober than jubilant.
Everyone who adds another year to their age should always realise that they are simultaneously edging towards their last breath on the surface of the earth. While it is more comfortable to say the day is “adding one year”, in reality, it is actually “removing one year”. As we grow older, we continue to get closer to our grave, even if we do not like it. If nothing else is certain in this life, death is a “sure banker”, as they say in local parlance.
Therefore, while it is good to show gratitude to the Almighty God for keeping one alive till such moment, in the face of million ways people die on daily basis, such must be done with decency and decorum. Especially for us in Nigeria today, like it is often joked about, that anyone who is still alive in the country today, deserves to be given a “Certificate of Survival” (lol). So, all thanks must be given to God for such an opportunity to still be among the living.
When I reminiscent on my life’s journey so far, I know that many of my dreams are yet to be realised. Many goals are yet to be attained. There is still a long journey ahead of me. Yet, today, I am grateful for how far I have come. Life has been full of ups and downs. The journey has been rough. I wondered why it has been so. On a deeper introspection, I realised it has been “self-inflicted”. How do I mean?
At every point in my life growing up, life often presented dual paths to me; the easier route and the harder route. I came to realise that most often, I have taken the harder route. This will amaze many readers. Why should there be an easier path and a person will choose the harder one? I would have asked the same question if I was not the traveller on that journey.
As a child, born into a financially average family in the early 1970’s, life was good. Nigeria has just exited the civil war. Oil boom just happened. Citizens were doing reasonably well. As time went by, with irresponsible management of the sudden wealth of the country, things began to take a different turn as we turned into the next decade. In a matter of some years, Nigerians began to cry of hunger and austerity. A once blooming country, became a nose-diving nation. My family did not live in isolation of it all.
By the time we were in the 90’s, things had gone so bad. Nigerians began to struggle for survival. Going to school became difficult. Healthcare dilapidated. At a point in my life, it was a big challenge for my parents to keep my siblings and I in school at the same time. And we were talking of public schools then with minimal expenses to be in school, not private as we have now. I have often said that had schools being this expensive during my growing up, I would have dropped out of it, as my parents would not have been able to afford it.
Still, with the difficulties I faced, the seemingly easy way was to quit school, instead of struggling and suffering to continue, the harder way. But I chose the later. That was how I struggled to finish secondary school. As if that was not enough, going through higher education was like passing through hell fire. We all know that university schooling is more financially demanding. The fees, which were very meagre actually because I went to public university. The many other sundry expenses. The handouts, accommodation, transportation (I trekked many kilometres daily to save money), and feeding.
The few mufti clothes I needed to get as it was not like uniform used in secondary, which was a “face-saver”. In the face of all these daunting challenges, I chose the harder path to remain in school, study hard even if I could not afford to buy text books. I excelled in my academics. I was on Dean’s list all through my years in the university. I graduated with honours in the First Class category. I was the Best Graduand in my department, and in my faculty. I had the second overall best result in the whole of the university that year. My hard work was rewarded.
As someone with such excellent academic performance, the easier route for me was teaching at the university, which was natural to me, but I chose the harder way of searching for jobs outside my comfort zone. The process of which was as rigorous as I had gone through the previous years in the university. I started with a smaller job, from where I got a better one. I did not get my dreamed-job of working in upstream, being an Engineering graduate. It was in the downstream oil and gas.
However, working in that sector, where I had to meet and relate with all kinds and categories of people; the rich, the middle class, the poor and extremely poor, changed my life forever. I had to travel all over the country through working in different regions in Nigeria when transferred from one place to another. I had first hand touch and experience with different ethnic groups that make up Nigeria. I made friends across the country. This exposed me to real life. Real world. I came to realise there was more to life than me, myself and I alone. No life is worth living if it is not in the service of the people and humanity. Such a life is empty.
While I have always thought I had suffered most growing up, I met people whose definition of life is suffering itself. I was humbled and my heart has always been full of gratitude. There were and still are people who did not or could not access 10% of the opportunities I got in my own difficult times, whether in education, health, living and all. I realised that “aye pe meji” (there are two sides to life).
By this time, I was no longer the poor boy from poor family. I had a good job, I earned decent income that took care of my needs. I could support my parents and siblings more conformably. I got married to a beautiful lady and we were blessed with lovely kids. That should have been enough for me. I should have continued to do my job well, get promotions within the company, by moving from one organisation to the other as I was well qualified. I had also earned a Post Graduate degree, a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in Management, with excellent grade also.
But, in the course of my moving all over the country, something gave way in me. Everytime I saw people who reminded me of where I was coming from, I became sad. I wondered how many of them will be fortunate to escape poverty as I was lucky to do. At such moment, everything I had meant nothing to me. I could not stomach the feeling of what the Yorubas describe as: “bamu bamu ni mo yo, emi o mo b’ebi n p’omo enikookan” (as I am well fed, I care less if any other person is hungry).
Every single day, I kept thinking of which way I could help the people and contribute to the betterment of my country. Being in public office, especially through politics remains the major path to public service and helping the larger society, but that was a tall order for me, as we have transited to a stage in our national life, where participation in politics has lost it altruism but only for self-aggrandisement. It has become means to self-enrichment, not true public service as it was supposed to be.
Then the “crazy” thought of leaving my good job crept into my mind. It kept reminding me that I earn salary truly. And I did my best within the available resources to support those around me, but that how many could I actually support, to what extent and for how long? This “crazy” thought would not leave me alone. It kept tormenting me, asking where would I have been if the owner of my organisation was “selfish” like I wanted to be and did not establish the company I worked with, where I earned dignified income, not one I was gifted?
The thought pointed me in the direction of Dr. Mike Adenuga, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and many big business men and women. I was made to imagine the tens of thousands of people who they support through employment and who earn decent incomes that cascaded into other millions of others through their dependants. Could they have helped all these people using their salaries if they were just employees? It finally drove me to the edge. I had a choice between the easier way of remaining in my comfort zone as an employee, make my money, live comfortably with my immediate family in particular, and do the much I could in helping others, and the harder way of resigning from my job to pursue bigger dreams, riskier, uncertain path of going into private business. I eventually chose the harder way. I resigned from my job!
I can recall vividly how many family members and friends thought I was “crazy” or “that village people don reason my matter”. How could a “sane” person voluntarily leave his or her reasonably paying job, to pursue some fantasies of building a world-class business, in a toxic and business-unfriendly environment like we have in Nigeria, when your father, mother or uncle does not belong to the class of “who-is-who”? I understood their concerns. And truly, I have come to appreciate the more in the nearly a decade I have thrown my hat in the ring. It has been challenging.
It takes serious patience, perseverance and determination to continue. The environment is much frustrating, as it is challenging. Small businesses struggle with nearly everything. From financial support to infrastructures. From government regulations to government policies that constantly affect businesses, many times, negatively. From difficult human capital to troublesome customers. It requires unwavering personal resolution to remain in business.
Everytime I felt like quiting, especially when opportunities of getting other well paying jobs were dangled in my face, and I was tempted to take them, that “crazy” thought would resurface and reminded me of why I started in the first place. It was my love for the people, my country and humanity. I have hope that a successful business will create employment for teeming jobless citizens, many of whom suffered through schools like I did, only to still continue to suffer after graduation. That is heartbreaking.
A successful company will provide goods and services to serve the people. Like our company’s involvement in renewable energy using solar power system to solve the epileptic power problem of the people. We have been doing this and I am happy. A successful company will generate revenues at profit, from where taxes will be paid, as our contribution to national income. This will give the political leadership of the country revenues to provide infrastructures for the benefits of the citizens. Same company will contribute to the GDP of the country.
All these and many more, are what drive me to keep going, despite the overwhelming frustration. I keep hope alive. I might not have gotten to my destination. I might not have attained to my goals. I might not have realised my dreams. But, I keep hope alive. I have absolute faith that I will get there, by the grace of Almighty God.
It is in the same spirit that I started my weekly articles: “The Insight”, in the past five years after I left my paid job. Before then, despite my disenchantment with the system and many ills that bedevilled the country, and opinions I had all along, it was impossible to publicly express them as I have done in the last five years due to how companies frown at such and made policies to prohibit such. I have only expressed them privately among friends. Nothing in public; published or on social media.
I reasoned that if I could not serve the public by occupying political office, I could contribute to national discuss through my writings, something I actually did not plan for. I am an Engineer but that engagement has earned me the title of a “Journalistic Engineer”. I have written hundreds of articles that focused on addressing many challenges facing our country Nigeria in particular, and our continent, Africa, sometimes. I write on diverse topics on politics, social, economy, education, business, relationship, motivation, engineering infrastructures and so on. This has been my own contribution to my country and humanity.
In all, the journey ahead is still far, and only the patient can get there. I am prepared to make needed personal sacrifices no matter how difficult or inconvenient, in the pursuit of that dream; My Dream! Like the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola, once said, “those who cannot dream dreams, cannot see vison”. My vision is to be part of a better world, through a mission to contribute to the betterment of my people, my country and my world. I am resolute in this. So help me God.
Once again, I give thanks to the Almighty God Who has spared my life till today and taken me this far. Also, I thank all the people who have been there for me through the journey. They are too numerous to mention but my parents, siblings, my lovely wife and children stand out. Thank you all. My friends, colleagues, and associates, who contributed in one way or another, I owe you all a debt of gratitude. To the readers and publishers of my weekly articles who I called “The Insight Family”, your supports, encouragements and criticisms have kept me going. God Bless you all.
As we move towards another round of elections in 2023, where we hope to freely, fairly and credibly choose another set of people who will lead us from “top to bottom”, we can only pray for the best among all. Those who will genuinely make Nigeria a better country and her people, better citizens. It is disheartening seeing what our immensely blessed country has become because we never got it right in leadership, despite incredible number of talented, brilliant, competent and capable citizens that we have, both home and around the globe. We must break this jinx. Enough is enough!
May God continue to protect us and guide us aright.
God Bless Nigeria.
You can follow me on:
Twitter: @lateef_adewole
Facebook: Lateef Adewole.
Email: lateefadewole23@gmail.com
Whatsapp: +2348179512401
Share, forward and retweet, as sharing makes love go round!
