Former governor of Oyo State and Accord Party candidate in the April governorship election, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, is 67 years old today. In commemoration of the day,
Rashidi Ladoja
How has life been to you at age 67?
Life at 67 is what you make it to be because apart from the responsibilities that you have acquired along the line which are mounting on daily basis I don’t see any different from when I was 50.
Life at 67 is what you make it to be because apart from the responsibilities that you have acquired along the line which are mounting on daily basis I don’t see any different from when I was 50.
At what age did you become free financially?
The year I started working, I became free financially.
The year I started working, I became free financially.
When did you become a millionaire?
Before 40.
Before 40.
What is the secret of success to you?
You work hard you pray to God and have faith in what you are doing, believe what you are doing and leave the rest to God. I always tell God that when opportunities are passing, I should be able to identify and hold it. That has always been my prayer.
You work hard you pray to God and have faith in what you are doing, believe what you are doing and leave the rest to God. I always tell God that when opportunities are passing, I should be able to identify and hold it. That has always been my prayer.
You are vast in business and politics. Where will you say you are most successful?
That is difficult, because the definition of success in business is different from definition of success in politics. Definition of success in business depends on how much money you made, how many people you employed and services you rendered to the people.
That is difficult, because the definition of success in business is different from definition of success in politics. Definition of success in business depends on how much money you made, how many people you employed and services you rendered to the people.
But in politics, it is different. It depends on how many life you touched, how many people are happy that you have been able to serve them, how many are happy that they have a governor that they can call father.
However, by and large, I can say that I succeeded in both areas. Success is limitless, but when you talk of satisfaction, I am satisfied with my contributions at both ends.
What led you into politics?
All of us were arm-chair analysts at one time or the other, saying ‘this government is not good, it should have done this.’ But most of the time, people don’t know actually the problem that government have.
All of us were arm-chair analysts at one time or the other, saying ‘this government is not good, it should have done this.’ But most of the time, people don’t know actually the problem that government have.
My incursion into politics was accidental. I was happy to do whatever I could to the society and provide employment. In 1991, when the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republican Convention (NRC) were formed, two gentlemen came to see me — Dr. Busari Adebisi and Dr. Omololu Olunloyo — to ask whether I was interested in politics and I told them ‘no, over my dead body. I will rather be in business.’ They told me that I would touch more lives in politics, but I told them that I was not interested.
At a time, some of us in Lagos said we could not be in Lagos, successful and not know what is going on at home. Who were the people contesting? They gave us the names — Lam Adeshina, Yekinni Adeojo, Haruna Elewi, Idowu, Kolapo Ishola, Professor Wande Abimbola. Because of the knowledge we had of Abimbola, we believed that he was the best governor that we could have at that time. Some of us sent for him and asked if there was anything we could do to assist him, particularly due to the link that he has with Awise. I said ‘look if it was your Ifa that made you to make University of Ife (Obafemi Awolowo University) to grow so rapidly, why don’t you come and use the same thing so that Oyo State can grow?’
We were contributing our modest support for him when I came to Ibadan. At that time, I used to go to Dr. Dejo Raimi’s office. We were talking and he said ‘Rashidi, I want you to support Kolapo Ishola.’ And I said ‘who is he?’ I was an Ibadan man, but I was not living in Ibadan.
He said he wanted me to support him. I said ‘no problem, what can we do to assist him?’ The day he met me, he was looking at me that this man that is wearing ankara dansiki, where is he going to get money for me? He enumerated what we could do and we agreed.
We met our obligation to him without jeopardising the commitment we made to Abimbola. After he had become the governor, he started dragging me into it. At midnight, my telephone would ring. Either Ishola or Raimi will tell me what they did that day, where they had gone to campaign during primaries. I came to Ibadan one day and he said he needed a place where he could work quietly. Then I said well, my Ikolaba house was there for him. I came to Ibadan just for the weekend. That was how I got into politics.
What informed the crisis between you and the late Chief Lamidi Adedibu?
I did not have crisis with Chief Adedibu. He was a person who had freedom to say whatever he wanted to say. I think that is within the law. The mistake that most people make is that people can help you to secure a job, but they cannot do the work for you. When you are coming into government, it is either you come with a programme or you come blank.
I did not have crisis with Chief Adedibu. He was a person who had freedom to say whatever he wanted to say. I think that is within the law. The mistake that most people make is that people can help you to secure a job, but they cannot do the work for you. When you are coming into government, it is either you come with a programme or you come blank.
I came into politics in 1992, as I told you; I became a senator. In 1993, we were asked to go home. In 1994, NADECO started and I joined. Nigeria was becoming too difficult, so, I went on exile. But my exile was the grace of God because at that time, I just started an office in London. So, I relocated. Bola Tinubu was there with Bolaji Akinyemi and others. And politics continued from there till I came back.
Can we describe the period that you had problem with former President Olusegun Obasanjo as the most challenging in your life?
No, if you believe that God will do whatever he wants, you will not have emotional breakdown. My doctor would come in the morning, trembling that my blood pressure would go up, but by the time he checks, he would record 110/70.
No, if you believe that God will do whatever he wants, you will not have emotional breakdown. My doctor would come in the morning, trembling that my blood pressure would go up, but by the time he checks, he would record 110/70.
When I nearly threw in the towel was when I lost my aides. That was the most challenging in my political career. We were coming and a tanker ran into their vehicle. I was visibly shaken.
The PDP just won former governor of Ekiti State back to the fold and there is rumour that you are the next person to be wooed into the party. Will you abandon Accord Party?My politics is politics of development. Anything that bothers on the interest of the people, I will do. Look at Oyo State; we fought very hard, but when the elections were over, the governor appealed to me for support and I agreed, though he is finding it difficult to fulfil his promise. But in the end, he will fulfil it. he may have difficulty, but he has four years. We have been able to prove that it is the people who make the party, it is not the party that makes the people. The party is just a name. What I am saying is that we are open to discussion. The PDP was not fair to Oyo State. Let them understand that fact that we are not in national politics for joke. We are there for Oyo State. There is nothing like rigid interest. As long as it is in the interest of Oyo State and the Nigerian people, I will do anything. But whether we are going to join the PDP or not is not yet on the table.
How do you feel at the moment about the fact that the agreements you reached with the new administration in the state have not been implemented?
That is the governor’s problem and no more my problem. I know that he is having serious challenges about it because he will like to do it. That is why I said he may be having challenges but he will do it.
That is the governor’s problem and no more my problem. I know that he is having serious challenges about it because he will like to do it. That is why I said he may be having challenges but he will do it.
Going by the economic situation of the country since the advent of democracy in 1999, can we say that the PDP has done well?
You cannot divorce the problem in this country from Obasnjo. We made a big mistake to put him there. People were thinking of how to curtail the soldiers to their barracks. And, he had a very good opportunity as president. But he was at the same time the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Affairs.Most of the time, he was in the air. Obasanjo gave more time settling scores with people, rather than facing the task of governance. He had good opportunity to the extent that I cannot safely say his government was a successful one. When you ask for his achievement, everybody says Obasanjo’s government brought GSM. Anybody can bring GSM. In fact, his government even made it to be more expensive. He asked all of them to pay N300 million.
You cannot divorce the problem in this country from Obasnjo. We made a big mistake to put him there. People were thinking of how to curtail the soldiers to their barracks. And, he had a very good opportunity as president. But he was at the same time the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Affairs.Most of the time, he was in the air. Obasanjo gave more time settling scores with people, rather than facing the task of governance. He had good opportunity to the extent that I cannot safely say his government was a successful one. When you ask for his achievement, everybody says Obasanjo’s government brought GSM. Anybody can bring GSM. In fact, his government even made it to be more expensive. He asked all of them to pay N300 million.
The road from Ibadan to Ilorin, 120 kilometres, was not completed in eight years. So, how can I be proud to say that the PDP is a successful party? We were the ones who put Obasanjo there. And after he completed his tenure, he saddled us with Yar’ Adua. You see, the work of ordinary governor of a state is very challenging that a very able and well person will find it difficult to cope, not to talk of somebody who is ill.
So, we have not been lucky. If Obasanjo considered himself lucky to have come out of prison and gone into the State House, he would have dedicated his time to service not self-aggrandisement.
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