How Raimi, Adedibu lured me into politics -Ladoja

Sen. Rashidi Ladoja turned 75 years old on Wednesday September 25. An astute politician, Ladoja, in an interview with selected reporters, recalls fond memories of how he came into wealth, owning his first ship and joining politics as an unwilling citizen. Southwest Bureau Chief, Bisi Oladele, was there 

CAN you share with us your defining moments in politics?

I was not interested in politics. I used to come to Ibadan at weekends just to know what was happening. I wasn’t a socialite but I knew the late Dr. Dejo Raimi through my cousin. We used to go there and he was very generous to us; if you are sick, he will treat you without collecting a kobo. He will still entertain you. One day, we were talking and it was during the time of SDP and NRC. He said: “Rashidi, there are many people who were juggling to be governor. Lam Adesina, Lere Adesina, Robert Koleoso and so many contenders from Ibadan, so many of them.” I said: “I have my candidate and he is Prof Wande Abimbola.” He rejected Abimbola’s candidature and urged me to support Kolapo Ishola. I asked him to tell me about Ishola because I don’t believe that someone should make politics his sole profession. He explained that Ishola was a land surveyor who was at that time serving at Akinyele Local Government and wasn’t even taking salary. So, he phoned him and he came. We started talking and I found that he was somebody who could be a very good governor because I found that he was committed to goodness of the people. He listed what he needed and I decided to help and I gave him dates for subsequent contributions. He later told me he couldn’t believe that someone selling ankara could bankroll the project and I begged him that it shouldn’t go beyond the three of us. I told him that I would not bring any money by myself but my personal assistant would deliver the money. And that was it. God made it possible. When they did the primary, they had to do a second round, at that time NRC had already chosen Alh. Yekini Adeojo. People in my household thought I would be an NRC person because of Adeojo. They were mocking me because I wanted to support SDP that couldn’t choose a candidate. After the result of the primary was released, I went to see Wande Abimbola and I found people were unhappy there. They were weeping and sad. I told him to support Ishola and he said he was the only one he was relating with and I asked if he wanted to meet him because I knew somebody who knew him and I invited them to a dinner so they can meet and come to terms. We left them to discuss on their own. That was my first taste of anything politics. Before then, when they were forming the party, Prof Olunloyo and Dr. Busari Adebisi came to me and asked me if I was interested in politics and I said: “Over my dead body.” I didn’t know I was going to get entangled in it. So when the time of the run-off came, it was smooth. He secured the ticket, remaining the election itself. Offers came. I remembered a traditional ruler offered N5 million but they put strings on it. They wanted certain contracts. Ishola came to consult me because I gave him my house at Kunle Abass to use as hideout. I told him I didn’t  know if he needed help but if I were him, I would not tie myself to any condition because then you won’t be free. My advice to him was that he should tell them that they own the party, that he would give them a fair chance as owners of the party. So instead of the N5 million, they gave him only N250, 000. Immediately, I told him to take it to the party office and inform them this was what was given to him. So by the grace of God, Ishola won. The result was announced on Sunday. By 7.00am on Monday, Dr. Raimi and Ishola were already in my house in Lagos to thank me for my support and they asked me what I wanted in the administration? I told them they voted for Ishola. Why would I want anything in his government? They asked me to nominate commissioners but I rejected the idea. I said the only thing I wanted was that they should create hope by making sure people can send their children to school; get transport quickly and have access to basic amenities.

Then, on the eve of the inauguration, they all came to my house; it was there they typed his speech and reading to us and we made inputs. In fact, he slept in our house, then ran home in the morning to change his dress and he said we were going to follow him to take over the Government House and the Governor’s Office from Gen. Abdulkareem Adisa. So we followed him and also followed him to the stadium. Dr. Raimi was appointed the SSG and I went back to Lagos. Then I came to Lagos because the 40 days Fidau prayers for my wife coincided with the one week of their inauguration. So they came. In fact, he invited the late Otedola, the governor of Lagos State to my house. They wanted me to come to Ibadan, thinking I could be depressed with my wife’s death. I followed them. Thereafter, they filled the cabinet. Dr Raimi would pick a name and I would ask him about the person. He would tell me about him. It happened one-by-one. Eventually, they filled the cabinet posts. Then, I went back to Lagos to face my business.

The day I went to see them in their office, I sat down for nearly 30 minutes before somebody identified me because they didn’t take my form in. That was when I knew that once you get to power, most of the people that knew you will not be able to reach you easily again because the security people they gave them are not known to them.  You will fill the form and they will take it inside when they like. So I was sitting in the waiting room when somebody just said: “Mr. Ladoja.” I said:  “Yes sir.” He asked: “Does oga know you are here?” I said “No, but I have filled the form.” He just took me in and said to the security personnel: “Ishola would not have been there if not for this man.” But that was not my intention. I just greeted them, passed through to Dr. Raimi’s office and he accompanied me to Ishola. They accused me of not visiting them and I told them they have been restricted. But I promised them that I would visit again,

So when did you make up your mind to join politics.

So one day when I bought my Volvo car, I drove to Government House because I told them I was coming to see them. I told them I came to show them my new car since they do not go out again. They checked it out and we drove it round town. Ishola sat in front and Dr. Raimi was at the back. As soon as we drove out of Government House, there was light out. So we passed through Bodija, there was light in some places. We passed through Sabo, not much light but the suya people had light from their generating set. At Onireke, some houses had light from generator. When we passed Iyaganku, almost every house had light. We now went to Oke-Ado, crossed the Foko bridge and it was pretty dark, passed through our house in Isale-Osi. When we got back, we said that is why they said there are so many towns in Ibadan, there are cities within city. I told him these are the places where the votes come out from. Yet they are poor. I asked him to compare them to all the places we are coming from. I told him it must be his responsibility to see how he can upgrade their standard of living. I said for example, in Isale-Osi, look at it, I learnt they have three or four public pumps and I have been told they have disconnected other pumps. He confirmed it. I learnt it was the condition they used in taking the loan, which is that they will not be given free water. But I told him that if you don’t give free water, you will give free cholera and typhoid. The same people will come and say they are helping you with solutions. Then he asked me what he could do and I advised him: “I don’t expect you to be going from place to place to connect water to public taps. Give that to the local governments, after all, let the local government know how many water points they have under them and let them pay for that and the people will have water and the council will manage it so they can collect their money, that is a solution.” And before we got back, he called Water Corporation manager that the corporation should start connecting the pipes the next day. He added that he wanted to have a meeting with all local government chairmen.

Then he said: “Rashidi, you said you don’t want to join politics. I have been begging you to come and be a senator. It can only enhance your business, it is not a full-time job and that is how to take decisions in politics because the problem that I have been having for three months, you just solved it; that is how to take decisions. So I agreed. That was my unmaking and the beginning of my journey into politics. Immediately, he picked his phone to call someone and said: “Baba, Rashidi has accepted.” The man said he wanted to speak with me; he did and he prayed for me. That was Baba Lamidi Adedibu. He just told me to help fill the form and I can go, that they will do all the work. The rest is history.

You fought to support the emergence of Governor Seyi Makinde. But since after the election was won, it looks like you’ve distanced yourself. Have you really distanced yourself?

No, I have not distanced myself

What is your level of participation in this government if you have not distanced yourself?

I told you when Ishola was elected; I told him you were the one elected. If you don’t call me to eat with you, I don’t need to come and put my nose into it. When he needs advice, he comes. He was here for two hours yesterday. When he needs advice, he can come. I have not been in government since 2007 when I left the place. I have not been in secretariat since then. What am I going to do there now? There have been three governments in place since then. He is my son, it’s not me; he is in charge now. When you grow old, there is a time when your father will not even call you by name again. My father was calling me Alhaji, later on I became senator, and then; I became governor. That’s how it should be. So, he is in charge. God has a way of doing things. My objective was to dislodge APC government particularly. I know that my brother did not build a government that I could be proud of, that was Ajimobi. He had to go; if he had to install somebody, it means his regime will go on. Even if the person wants to make a change, it may not be possible to make the change. God made it possible for us to agree that if this coalition will make it possible for us to send Ajimobi away, let it be.  My primary objective was not to rule Oyo State; it was to say the state should have another government

Are you proud of Makinde so far?

Of course, yes. I am but you have to understand one thing, Seyi is coming from another background and he has not even settled down. Please let us give him chance to settle down. He has just chosen his commissioners and we have to understand that when you are looking for something particularly, when you want to be governor, you must have made a lot of commitments also on the way. When he was making his commitments, maybe he didn’t think there would be any coalition; now he is trying to find a way of balancing it. His supporters have not complained to me yet over appointments. ZLP told me I should not interfere; I should let them fight their battle. That means they are not happy but if you say that I should be father of everybody; that is who I am. I said Seyi was here yesterday night. We talked about how everything was going on and he assured me that he has not forgotten the pledges he made

How eventful have been your 75 years on earth?

There are successes and failures; there are triumphs and disappointments. And in the long run, I will say that I’m grateful to God that I can claim more triumphs than disappointments. When you get to a stage in life, you ask yourself what is important, then it is not your success and triumphs that are important but are you leaving the world better than you met it? And where is my world? My world is here; my world is Ibadan, my world is Oyo State, my world is Nigeria; my world is Africa, before I now talk about the other world; am I leaving this world better than I met it? That is why I said there have been triumphs and disappointments.

Most Nigerians only know Ladoja, the politician. So, talking about successes and failures, they will measure it in terms of successes and disappointments in politics. As a businessman, do you experience disappointments?

Of course, there are disappointments because you expect certain things to go this way but due to factors that are not within your control, either change in policy or others, you meet failures. You think that you should go this way; somebody is saying you should go another way and you have no choice than to go that way. So those are the things that you face that can bring disappointments.