* Our consumption style’s root cause of inflation
* You don’t need partisan politics to serve mankind
* How God used Ebenezer Obey to influence my emergence as Asiwaju
By Clifford Ndujihe, Politics Editor
Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi, who will be 70 on October 25, is a management consultant, educationist, businessman, and philanthropist.
The founder of Ibadan Business School, was a consultant to the World Bank and the United Nations and the UNDP, in this interview, the Asiwaju of Ijesaland shares his thoughts on Nigeria’s economy, and how communities can boost economic growth among others.
Despite the government’s efforts, inflation is still high. As a management consultant, how best do you think Nigeria’s economy can be turned around?
When you talk of inflation and a drop in purchasing power, you and I are the causes of inflation. How do you and I contribute? What are the root causes of inflation? As a worker, you are paid a package at the end of each month. If what you spend overshoots what you earn, you’re going to be in trouble. What you earn is the result of your production. What you consume is your business. Do you take from what you earn to buy land, invest in stock, obtain further knowledge and enhance your capacity? Many of us consume rather than produce. With this lifestyle, inflation will continue to be a challenge
You’re turning 70 in a few weeks but you look 50. What is the secret of your youthful look?
In life, there are basic principles that should guide an average human being. If we live and abide by these principles, the chances are very high that as you’re growing and advancing in age, you may be avoiding associated stress that will make you look older than your age.
What are these principles? Work when you should, and rest when you should. Then, be contented. Don’t aspire to own the world, but aspire to be the best in whatever you do. Learn to appreciate God for the gift of life. I will say that the combination of all these is responsible for the favour and the gift of God I have received.
How feasible is it to work and rest when you are faced with economic challenges in Nigeria?
Are you saying Nigeria’s economy is good or bad? For you to appreciate what you have, you have to situate it in contemporary time, situations and scenarios.
Over 45 years ago, that popular highlife artist, Tunde Nightingale, sang a song “Ilu le o, ko’sowo lode”, meaning things are hard, there’s hardship in town.
Also, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey waxed similar music about 40 years ago. Are you saying we are now living at the same time when those respected musicians sang? Things keep changing. Money is like another want by human beings. We can never satisfy all our wants. If I ask you to list your wants, you’re likely going to list a private airport, private jets, an estate built in your name, and the list will be endless.
If you remember that I said contentment is one of my principles in life, I doubt if anyone in the world would agree that he or she has enough money in his or her pocket.
What does 70 mean to you?
At 70, one needs to appreciate God. When I was at Total Plc, we used to call two or three of my bosses, baba, who were in their late 40s. If you go biblically, 70 is an advanced age. If you also look at statistics, life expectancy in Nigeria has steadily improved and is now at 62. Within the country, it is like someone is already living beyond expectations. At a global average, life expectancy is 73. For me, age 70 is a period to give glory to God, and I’ll always thank God. As part of appreciating God, events spanning nine days have been planned.
You’ll be nine years old as the Asiwaju. What can you list as achievements in Ijesa communities?
Development is not something only the government can bear. We have several communities. I remember those decades back then. Our communities were building schools, health centres and others. This was before the advent of the oil boom in 1956. But today, the communities are no longer participating in these noble courses.
Through the Ijesa Community Development Assembly, ICDA, we’re bringing back community participation as the fourth realm of development. While the other tiers of government play their parts, the communities should also play their part.
A few days ago, we received a release from the presidency on the ‘Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme.’ I give the glory to the almighty God for that. That initiative will be a game-changer. I invented the concept of a ward-based development initiative. And I am happy that the Federal Government wants to replicate this in the 8,809 wards in Nigeria.
In Ijesaland, we have 64 wards from our six local governments. Since last year, the body, Ijesa Community Development Assembly, has been advocating and sensitising the communities to accept a community-based development approach. This initiative is good for Nigeria. We at Ijesa have evolved this idea. With our population of 1,230,399 people, only about 240 people have been contributing the huge money we have been spending on development.
But we have evolved a template, a 10-level concept that will capture everybody. Development can be sustained through this approach. Kudos to our immediate past king and the current Owa, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Clement Adesuyi Hastrup, Ajimoko III, who gave us the backing on the Ijesaland Independent Development Monitors, IIDM, through which we have been monitoring the use of money that comes to the local governments.
The committee, which the late Kabiyesi inaugurated and was endorsed by our current Owa, enables us to monitor what they (the local governments) have delivered.
Why have you been avoiding partisan politics?
When you ask an average Nigerian why going into politics, he or she will often say, I want to go and serve. But my answer is that you don’t have to be in politics before you serve. I’ve been serving Ijesa land in the last nine years without holding any political office. If your true objective of going into politics is to serve, I am already doing that, and I don’t have to be in partisan politics to do what I’m currently doing.
What was your growing up like?
I was born to Chief Jacob Olowokeere Fasuyi and Madam Felicia Sijuola Fasuyi on October 25, 1955. I attended Otapete Primary School at Ilesa, Osun State, between 1962 and 1968. I attended the famous Ilesa Grammar School between 1969 and 1973. I worked at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Tinubu, Lagos, and at the National Electric Power Authority, Marina, Lagos. After a few years of working, I went to the University of Ibadan and left in 1982/83. Then, I served in the Gongola State, now Yola. After my NYSC, I worked at the Federal Ministry of Education and from there, I moved to Total Plc, where I worked for seven years. I resigned voluntarily to begin a career in management consulting through the establishment of arguably the oldest consulting firm in Nigeria today, established in 1991, but started operations in 1992.
In addition to my education in economics, I also obtained three master’s degrees – Labour and Industrial Relations from the University of Ibadan, 1986; Business Administration at the Obafemi Awolowo University, 1992; and, in 1994, I also enrolled for a Master’s degree in Information Science at the University of Ibadan, 1994.
Before all these certifications, how was your secondary school life?
Right from my secondary school days in 1971, precisely when I was in form three, I became socially radical. I loved parties, and it happened that I was the one sponsoring some of those parties. Occasionally, I had privileged access to my father’s drawer. I remember a particular scenario in 1971, when we wanted to bring Fela Anikulapo-Kuti to Ilesa, but he was not willing. Then, Segun Bucknor was next to him. I paid Segun to bring Fela to Ilesa just to enjoy ourselves. On July 26, 1972, Ebenezer Obey released a record, ‘Board Members’. When I heard the music, I loved it so much. Obey praise-sang some individuals in that record, and I wondered if they were spirits or human beings. Right then, I resolved that if those people were human beings, I would love to be like them. To the glory of God, that determination had since come to pass.
On the relationship between him and Chief Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi
If you remember that I’d said earlier that I never loved education. Rather, I loved attending parties and listening to music. Chief Ebenezer Obey’s music was the most appealing to me growing up. I used to listen to his music in cafeterias back then. And I have grown to love the man and his style of music. He, in turn, has developed a love for me. When Chief Obey turned 80, you won’t believe that I was the chairman at the occasion. This is the same person I was listening to his music at the cafeteria. To the glory of God, in the last 17 years of my life, he has played in all my birthday celebrations, and he has also waxed three full records for Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi. This is one of my lifelong dreams, and I would say God has made that fulfilled.
In what type of family did you grow up?
My parents were both into business. I grew up under their tutelage. You must have heard of the ‘Osomalo’ in Ijesa, and that means we were taught to be streetwise. I grew up in a polygamous family. My father had seven wives with 23 children. I’m number 16. My mother had six children, and I am the third, but the first son of my mother.
What were the challenges growing up in that kind of family?
That is one area my family, with due respect, stands out. In our family, the relationship among us, the children, was so unique and fantastic that we became a reference point when we talked about unity in a polygamous setting. In the entire family setting, we discovered that the closest confidants are always from different mothers. That was a huge legacy.
What were the lessons you learned from your parents?
Integrity, integrity and integrity! My father was a chief in a church, and he never took the community chieftaincy title. I remember that one of the kings, Loja Agunlejika, approached my dad to be made the Oba Odo, one of the highest chieftaincy positions, but my father declined.
How many chieftaincy titles do you have apart from Asiwaju Ijesaland?
I’m the first Balogun of Ijebu-Jesa, Baba Oba, Ila Ijesa, Baba Oba, Ayetoro Ijesa, Baba Oba, Idi-Oko, Ijesa, Baba Oba, Iwaraja, Ijesa and Baba Oba, Ogbara, Ijesa.
Your father didn’t take any chieftaincy title. Do you think he would have approved of all these titles?
This is why I didn’t take traditional titles; I took honorary chieftaincy titles.
With all these titles, how best would you want to be introduced at functions?
I never loved the chieftaincy title in my life. I’ve always had cause to correct people at public functions where they often recognise me as a chief and my wife as Dr. (Mrs) Fasuyi. I will always introduce myself as Mr and Dr (Mrs) Yinka and Bisi Fasuyi. I’ve been offered chieftaincy titles but I never took one.
In most cases, honorary titles are paid for. How much did you pay for your Asiwaju title?
My journey to the Asiwaju title began with Chief Ebenezer Obey. It’s an interesting story. Obey and Chief Sunny Ade used to come to Ijesa in the 70s to perform. Though I couldn’t gain access to the field where they used to play, I and some of my friends were happy hanging around the venue just to hear their voices from the outside. These musicians would not come to Ilesa if the population were not huge.
But when I moved to Lagos in 1974, I was shocked when I started seeing the same Obey playing in Lagos at the backyard, in sitting rooms with just 40 people. This is the same Obey that would not come to Ilesa if we didn’t have 1,000 or 2,000 people in attendance. Seeing the same man with just a few people got me thinking to replicate that at Ijesaland.
That made me invite three of my friends – one of them was the Managing Director of African Petroleum, Tunde Falasinnu; he was a former General Manager in Total Plc; another was Rotimi Aboyesan, a known businessman; and the other friend, Wale Shodipo.
I sought their understanding to invite Obey every quarter to Ijesaland. They agreed. I reached out to Obey. He came. But when he came, they met about 28 people. The son of Chief Obey, Sina Obey, expressed disappointment because we were few and we were not among the popular socialites at the time. After that incident, three months later, we invited Sunny Ade. And three months after, we brought Obey back. It was at that time Obey started calling me Asiwaju Ibadan group of four. At another time, he will refer to me as the Asiwaju Ibadan group of friends.
Ten years ago, at my 60th birthday, Obey was the guest musician. I had the party in Ibadan and not in Ilesa. I invited some chiefs from Ilesa who were there. All through the period Obey was playing, he was calling me Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi. The news spread to the extent that my older brother from Lagos, two days after, called me and expressed his displeasure over my non-disclosure of my chieftaincy title. In my response, I told my brother I didn’t have any such title. He said to me, ‘Was I deaf to Obey’s music? I said to him, it was only the Asiwaju Ibadan group of friends.’ He didn’t believe me and said I should keep deceiving myself. As God would have it, one of the chiefs that attended the event, Chief Ayo Agbede, went back to Ilesa, got a brochure of my Ibadan Business School and that of my management consultancy service, Supreme Management Consultancy Service, and the programme of events and pictures of attendees. Prof. Wale Omole, former Vice Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, was the chairman of the occasion. This chief took all these to Ilesa, met the late Owa, Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran II, and narrated what he heard, saw and his exchanges with me during the party. According to him, he said the party was a carnival and also discovered that they were calling me Asiwaju and that his further findings revealed that I had never taken any chieftaincy title.
He, thereafter, pleaded with the Kabiyesi to confirm me as the Asiwaju of Ijesaland. Coincidentally, Kabiyesi Aromolaran knew my family so well. My late younger brother was a confidant of Owa Aromolaran. Then, the discussion of the Asiwaju title began. That was 2015. Along the line, when the news filtered to Lagos, many highly placed men of Ijesa descent opposed it. It was a big tussle. But, on July 6, 2016, after the late Kabiyesi concluded his consultations, I got a text message from the palace saying that the late Owa had graciously accepted to make me the Asiwaju of Ijesaland. It so happened that when this message came in, I was at a party in Lagos where Chief Ebenezer Obey was the musician. Immediately, I got the message, I took it to him on the stage, and he immediately stopped the music. And, he asked if his prediction had not come to pass? In a nutshell, God used Chief Obey to make me Asiwaju of Ijesaland.
The honour didn’t come to fruition until all opposition had been resolved. After Owa Aromolaran’s communication to me, opposition still arose, and that led to another round of heated debate. Consequently, I was invited to Owa Palace, where I met all the major traditional rulers in Ijesaland. They resolved not to make me Asiwaju of Ijesaland, but Asiwaju of Ilesa, with a promise that if my performance was impressive, they would elevate me to Asiwaju of Ijesaland. That became a reality four years later.
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