Our expectations from Buhari, by Okoya

The Aare of Lagos, Alhaji Rasak Akanni Okoya, is 80 this week. He spoke with Deputy Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU on the journey so far, his business empire, the Buhari administration, why he refused to participate in politics and other issues.

 

How do you feel celebrating 80?

I feel very happy, especially when I am in good health. Although you have some little problems, I feel very happy, energetic.

When you were young, did you ever think that Nigeria will be like this?

That is a great question; very great question. When we were young, we were in a mixed society as we played together. I was born and bred in Lagos.

At that time, you had Ibo, Yoruba, Hausa. When we played, we called ourselves, omo Ibo, omo Hausa, omo Urhobo. There was no difference.

We played with one another, hugged one another. There was no difference. Today, they point to Hausa, Ibo, Yoruba. I am surprised. At that time, we didn’t know.

We just joke with one another; omo Uhrobo, omo Ibo wayo, omo Hausa. We regarded ourselves as one in Lagos.

Why is it not so now?

Time changes. Everything changes. So, weather can change. Am I lying?

Your colleagues said you were so smart, clever and witty when you were young. But, unlike them, as they were facing school, you faced business. Why?

Yes, my father was a tailor. And we were also selling tailoring materials, buttons and so on. So, most of the times, I was with my father to sell those things.

From the age of 12, 13, 14, I was active. I was in shop business. That time, my father used to go to Dosunmu to buy all these buttons.

We sold to the tailors directly. We sewed clothes. At that time, everything was so easy and smooth. That time was different. I was going to school, but I had no time.

I had to stay in my father’s shop. Before I got to school in the morning, I would have missed one or two subjects. I was always a late comer.

I was not impressed by our teachers in school. Their polos were off, always torn. In Dosunmu, you found people who dressed well.

If you found anybody with coat and tie there, he came there to rent a house. Most of the people there were those who had houses in Surulere, Ajao, Lawanson, Ekololu.

Those who imported, and were buying and selling and they had houses there. I said look, I liked to be a landlord. I didn’t come here to rent house. I like fashion. I wanted to be a lawyer.

By the time I would be a lawyer, may be my father would be old and would not be around when it happens. I had passion for business and I wanted to own property.

So, by inspiration, I told my daddy that I better stayed with you in this business, so I could become a landlord. So, instead of buying from Sosunmu, I imported from Japan.

I started ordering from Japan with the small capital that I had. That was how I grew gradually to what I am today to the company called Eleganza.

Do you regret not being a lawyer?

I think I have no regret. I am happy about it all because my colleagues who are lawyers, doctors and all that, we are still supporting them. We are still supporting them a lot financially.

They look up to us. Some of them are even saying they regret it, that why did they go there to waste their time. I had koras, Lebanese dominating us, even in Dosunmu.

We were the people who started dominating them and we ended their influence. I and Doyin and so on. So, they regretted. Even today too, having one or two certificates does not stop you from being an artisan.

We need artisans and people who have handwork. So, if you are trained, you are better. If I qualify as a lawyer today, I will still come back to tailoring.

Tailoring gives more money today than going to acquire degrees in the university. Government has banned the importation of Army uniform, Navy uniform.

They are now sewed in Nigeria. This has given opportunities to tailors to become big billionaires and whatever they want to become.

You know the number of uniforms required? A lot of money. I won’t waste my time going to look for any other job.

Your mother must have been a rich woman to have loaned you 7o pounds to start your business…

Yes, you are right. I followed my mother to Ekinja where they brought Aso Oke, that is, from up country, Iseyin and other areas.

We bought in the morning and we sold to the people at a retail price. It was 50 per cent deposit and you pay the rest by instalment. She was always a busy woman selling one thing or the other.

Did you pay back the loan?

Of course, I did. Without my father standing as guarantor, she wouldn’t even loan me. Not only did I repay, I even paid her a lot. I made her comfortable. I bought cars for her.

The mosque opposite me is named after her; the Sabit Abeni Okoya Mosque. She was well taken care off. I took her to Europe for medical care. She went to hajji.

She went to Saudi Arabia. She would go and buy jewelries at that time in Labanon. So, she was comfortable. She really got back fully paid loan.

Now, let’s talk about your brand. Your other name is Eleganza. How did you come about the name?

Well, you are right. I was travelling to London by ship. I used to go once in a year by rail. But, that time, I decided to go by boat with Adedeoyin and one other friend.

I bought a shirt; a shirt with a big polo; nice shirt. They said it was elegant. I got to Britain. They were changing their currency.

They had to change all the coins. I needed to go to the bank to change the coins. I bought jewelries to sell in Nigeria. I sold like hell. I got the name Eleganza from there. Luckily at that time, I was in Miliki Spot. At 2 am, I used to go there.

Whenever I got to Miliki Spot, Ebenezer Obey would sing for the man who had just made money from jewelries: Obun Eko nwu mi lo. I want to see Eleganza, Obun Eko nwu mi lo o. I believed I was selling like hell. They all got to Obun Eko and they listened to the big music.

I even went to local market, to where they were selling Aso Oke, to display the jewelries, to advertise to them. I woud display all the jewelries.

I was advertising to the people. I would tell them: ‘why do you go abroad to buy jewelries, this invitation looks like the jewelries. Use your money to send your children to school.’ And people accepted my campaign. I was selling a lot. That was how I got the name Eleganza.

Over time, Eleganza has been so successful and you now have structures for managing the edifice. Could you shed light on the success story?

Hard work. The houses you see here, I moulded the blocks myself. I did it myself through direct labour. All Eleganza buildings were built directly through direct labour.

You see the Plaza at Apapa. You see the so many buildings there. We have 35 hectares of land now; our factory. Through direct labour, I built all of them. I made the blocks myself. I am a bricklayer. I am a carpenter. I am a painter. I have ideas about all of these things.

So, if you are determined, you will achieve success. Government can’t give us everything. Even, with one or two certificates, you can still do a lot.

If you are a tailor and you are serious, determined and hardworking, you will be richer than those working in the office. You don’t go and look for cheap money in a controversial way. Just work.

You can make a lot of money as an artisan; a tailor sewing a lot of police, army uniforms. This is a time of fashion. European dresses are getting out of the way.

Our own locally-made materials are coming of age. Tailoring is becoming more fashionable. When my father was a tailor, we didn’t wait for people to make clothes for us.

We sewed clothes for ourselves, not imported. There used to be bicycles. We used to dismantle them and couple. We created jobs day by day. My father was very busy.

He had a car. He had four or five houses. Since then, I have been very busy myself. There is no time for play. I was always in the business of tailoring day and night.

What are the problems confronting investors and industrialists in Nigeria?

Everybody has to be patient. But, the major issue is electricity. So, once you get light, once there is NEPA, constant electricity, 50 percent of our problems will be solved.

Fifty percent of people will be employed. They will have gainful employment. The tailor will have a lot to do. The hairdresser will have a lot to do. The mechanic, iron bender. Government will be at peace.

All we want is let us have constant light. At the moment in my factory, 35 hectare-factory, with a lot of machines, I am using generating sets, and I am burning a lot of diesels.

I still have a lot of staff to pay. By the time you pay for raw materials and diesels, you are left with nothing. After buying generating sets and diesels, you will be discouraged.

We need constant light. That is my appeal to the government. Please, help us. Once you get that done, fifty percent of the country will be happy. Fifty percent will be employed. Unemployment will reduce. I put my 60 years of experience at stake.

You are a polygamist. How are you managing your large family?

I have a large family, but at the moment, I have reduced to one or two wives. One is Sade Okoya, who has been very helpful.

Read Also: Protection of human rights, cardinal objective of Buhari administration —Minister

I can’t marry you alone because you are beautiful or you are in love. No. Unless you love the business. She loves the work. Twenty four seven, she is in the factory. She is there from seven to seven. By the time she arrives home at 7pm, she goes to the kitchen.

Even, my children. When you return from school and you are on holiday, you go to the factory. On Saturday, you are in the factory. Even the one in Europe, when you come back home, you are in the factory. This is where my mind is forever.

Why didn’t you participate in politics?

A good carpenter cannot sew clothe. So, I leave politics for politicians. I love them. They are my friends. But, I don’t know the game. Come to tailoring, business, how to make money, that is my trade.

That is my hobby. So, I don’t know politics. To be a politician, you have to have everything for it. Politics is not a place for money making. It is to serve. But, as I am telling you now, if you want to make money, enter into business.

A good artisan, a god carpenter will make good money. We are leaving most of these artisan jobs for foreigners. We are leaving them to foreigners. There is more money in business than politics. But, most Nigerians don’t realise that.

They say there is no capital to start. A little bit of water becomes a mighty ocean. Patience, honesty and you start gradually. You start with two, three sewing machines and move on.

With your certificates, you can still do carpentry and furniture making. Our orientation should change. We need more vocational schools, technical schools. Technical school is the answer.

You are turning out a lot of people from the university, and you are turning a lot of people from technical colleges, you will find that the products of technical colleges are employable. I always employ people. I always advertise.

People you are training now in the universities, they don’t fit in. The people from technical school are slightly better. To get a good mechanic to repair your car is not an easy task.

If you get a good technical school with technical workshop, the products are better off. The nation is not yet in the right direction.

How are you planning for the future of your business empire?

At the moment, we have 35 hectares of factory. And we are producing so many items. At the moment, at 80, I am not as active as before.

My young wife, Sade Okoya, is more active than me. She is maintaining the factory and by the grace of God, she is holding forte. My legacy will be sustained.

In Europe, you have business empires lasting centuries, many generations. You train your children and expose them to it. If you are a farmer, teach them how to farm.

Children must listen to their parents. If a son comes to give his parents a good car from office, the parents should ask where he got the money.

I hope other members of the family-the senior wives and other children-will not be jealous of Mrs. Folasade Okoya…

There is no need for jealousy because God has blessed me with a lot of properties and I have a lot to settle everybody. And everybody will know their positions before I die.

I pray to the Almighty God. I am doing everything to settle everybody. Everybody will know their true positions. I am a son of a tailor. Anyone of them who is ready to do what I am doing is already successful.

I want you to assess the four governors-Asiwaju Tinubu, Babatunde Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode and Babajide Sanwo-Olu-who have ruled Lagos since 1999…

To be honest with you, they are all my friends. And the reason they are all my friends is that when I was manufacturing in Oregun, you know I have factories left, right and centre, I employed more than 3,000, more than 4,000 workers. I have six factories in Lagos.

So, I am one of the largest employers of labour in Lagos and that was why I got the CON honour. Not that I demanded it. I got it in 2000. Everyone wants to know me because I am one of the largest employers of labour in the states. They are all very nice to me.

What is your assessment of the Buhari administration?

Our papa is very good. All we are saying is this: just give us steady electricity. Steady NEPA and more technical schools, more polytechnics. Let the youths be oriented towards self-employment. Government cannot employ everybody.

But, if you are determined to be self-sufficient, you will have money. I have been in business for 60 years. I am hardworking.

Those who make pure water, bottle water can become rich. Any business you do, do it well. With more technical schools and steady electricity, all will be well.

What is your comment on border closure?

As I told you, I am not a politician. My goods are selling. So, they know better. I have no comment.

You are a self-made man. After making money, in what way have you ploughed back to society?

To employ 1,000 or 2,000 people is a lot of plough back. Every month, you have to fight paying their salaries. And now, as I have told you, we are producing with generators.

My last birthday, I donated a lot of things, a lot of cars to the Lagos State government. I haven’t got that chance because we are not making profit from the factory. We are paying for diesels, generators and so on. So, I haven’t got that chance.

But, by the grace of God, in the next two or three years, we hope the light would be steady. Then, there will be profit and I will be able to donate more. I used to donate to people. I used to donate to schools. But, at the moment, it is a little bit difficult.

I have to pay for generators and secure the raw materials, pay for diesels. It is not easy to break even. I don’t owe staff. But, you have to work hard not to owe them.

Is there any moment of regret in life you can remember?

I think God has blessed me. When you are in this artisan business, you are in it throughout your life. I am a Yoruba man.

Our forefathers will say omo kii kose owo ki iya je. When you have your handwork, you are a good tailor, carpenter, hairdresser, you will have money.

You can’t be poor. So, the youths of today must learn genuine, honest trade or business with the little capital. But, by the grace of God, when light is steady, everybody will have equal chance.

What is your most happiest moment?

I think everyday of my life I am happy. With the factory, I am the happiest man. You are anxious to know your next product to come in, how good they are.

Our products are competing favourably with imported items. You think about your next products, your machines. You are happy. I travel to a lot of trade fairs.

So, when I see what they are doing there and I am bringing it here, I am happy. But, when I am producing the same thing here, I am the happiest man.

What is your advice for Governor Sanwo-Olu of Laos State?

He is trying. He has just started. He is trying. If he can do the Fourth Mainland Bridge and Marina is okay, we will be happy.

Our major challenge is road. Once he can get the Fourth Mainland Bridge done, it will be okay. He has a very good plan. Let’s give him a chance. Things will be better.