Iyiola Ajani Omisore is a household name in the politics of the south west having served for one and a half terms as the senator representing Osun East at the national assembly. The deputy governor of Osun State between 1999-2003 is a trained engineer and recently obtained a doctorate in public private partnership from the International School of Management, Paris. In this wide-ranging interview with Kayode Alfred ‘ he speaks on his family, career, political ambition and sundry issues.

 

 

Congratulation on your PhD, Sir. Could you tell us themotive behind you returning to school to finish your doctorate?

 

As a core professional in engineering, the higher you go, the more you master your skills. It’s like in academics where a higher qualification gives you an advantage over your colleagues. At bachelor degree level you are an engineer, at master‘s level you specialise, when you go further, youfurther specialise until you become an authority in your areaof specialization. It‘s not like law or accountancy where youhave to be a Chattered Accountant or a S.A.N at the end of it. Engineering is a day to day course, it involves invention and you can’t invent without research, and you can’t research without a PhD. PhD means research. It is what makes you more exposed and get professional jobs more than your colleagues. The more you study engineering the better for you. 

 

You were born and raised in a catholic environment.How has it affected your lifestyle generally?

 

Catholicism is a very strong creed. There is no way you are raised up in a catholic family that it will not show in you. In those days, when you have stubborn children, they would betransferred to a catholic church to gain enlightenment, until very recently when everything changed. It’s just a normal creed, that is why you saw Muslims

in catholic schools in those days. They learned faster because most of our teachers were Reverend Fathers who were not married hence they treated the students as their children. They applied their own lives to their students, there was no issue of my wife is sick or my child is sick.

 

While growing up, did you see yourself becoming a Reverend Father?

 

Of course yes. It was a common thing among young catholic kids then.

I wanted to but my mother resisted. I lived with Reverend Fathers. I was involved in sacristan, holy communion and altar management. I wanted to follow that trend because my role models were the Bishop and Reverend Fathers. Until my parents kicked against it. I attended the seminary school. Many catholic Reverend Fathers today, we grew uptogether; we were class mates. It’s like a family thing. From Ondo,

Owo, Akure, Ife, Ibadan and Abeokuta we were one catholicfamily.

 

As an altar boy what were the things that changed about you?

 

Being an altar boy made it very difficult to play pranks. I attended the morning mass with the Reverend Father by 6am every morning, from church to school, on Monday Alter rehearsals, Tuesday choir rehearsal, Wednesday bible service, you go to school. So the time

for other things was never there because I was always pre-occupied with church and school activities. Still, it was very rewarding, trust me.

 

What lesson did you learn as an altar boy that is still working for you till date?

 

One of them is hard work. No short cut to glory. Dedication and Determination.

 

You were born into a royal family, how did that affect your life?

 

Being born in a royal family with a catholic religiousbackground balances my mood. My temperament and conduct were influenced positively. My royal background taught me how to

listen more and argue less and it has helped me learn more. 

 

 

With your royal and religious background, will you say you regretted delving into Nigeria politics which is regarded as ‘a dirty game’?

 

 

It’s not a mistake; it’s a call to service. When I joined politics. I learnt to come down to everybody’s level. Some say I am arrogant which is based on their own abstractperception. I saw politics as a game which I can take part in to assist people. Most politicians are jobless. Check out their background and you’ll know why they want to retain power by all means. It is because they don’t want to come back andmingle with the masses so they do everything to retain theirposition. Those are the kind of people who flood Nigerianpolitics. But for me in and out of politics I’m doing my job.

 

How do you manage your business with politics?

 

As a business man and a professional, I realised that every aspect of a business cannot be handled by the same person. I have partners. They run the business while they give me feedback. I’m just a principal partner while the managing partners do the job of management and smooth running ofthe business. Before politics, I was active in my business but when politics came in I had to let people handle them for me.

 

 

Before becoming the Deputy Governor, you were rich and you were the toast of many artistes. Even KSA did an album to praise you. You were

comfortable but what drove you into active politics? Is it the money

that it entails?

 

It’s not about money. When we started in SDP, PPP, and AD we spent

less. Later people brought money into it and politics became an expensive game. When we were in government, ourallocation for Osun State was just 153 Million Naira before it was later ncreased so its a call to service not because of the money. I felt that’s is the best opportunity to serve my people.

 

 

Your long time friends that backstabbed you and you later found out have you forgiven them or do you still have their names in your black

book?

 

In life you have to be philosophical; that’s why the Bible is there to guide us. The heart of humans is desperatelywicked. I don’t expect anything from anybody, just live your life the way it comes. Who are we not to forgive? Anger must not be in your mind before

sunset. I have forgiven everybody. 

 

 

What is your dream for Osun state as the election is fastapproaching?

 

 

My dream for Osun state is the one we had in 1990: where poverty would reduce, where infrastructure will be optimal and citizens will have a feel that they are being governed bypeople

who put them first.

 

Are you contesting for the 2018 elections in Osun?

 

Yes I am, but the election is still far off. So we are making our plans now so as to ensure our dream become a reality.

 

 

You Wife and Daughters are all lawyers. Was this a planned thing or it just happened?

 

Ordinarily I would have loved my kids to be in the engineering profession but my advice to them has always been that they must be professional in whichever field they choose.

 

 

What ideology drives you politically?

 

That it is better to do great things for the people. That you should develop your

society if you are in a position to do so. When I was in the senate I drove many positive development to my senatorialdistrict. So that’s my ideology: doing great things for the empowerment of the masses. I know what my people in Ifewant, so I push the federal and state government to invest in their wants.

 

 

Many people see you as arrogant and snobbish but you seem to be a very soft spoken person, Who truly is Senator Iyiola Omisore?

 

The fact is when you are far away you can’t conclude on thepersonality of the person you‘re seeing from afar. As a young man, I built my first house at age 22. I have more than 30 staff, some of whom are expatriates, under me. so there is a general perception that I am going to be proud because of my achievements. They can’t access nor reach me so to know the true me is pretty hard. This is why I devise ways of reaching out to people. Even among the elites I face such issues of being misunderstood.

 

Being a politician and an astute businessman despite spending more time outside than inside your home what kind of father are you to your

children?

 

 

All you need is planning. You can be jobless and not be a good father. You need good time planning. I am veryparticular about their welfare and I even put them through when they were selecting courses during their university days. I know better than them in the labour market. My daughter wanted to be an entertainment lawyer which Iknow cannot work here in Nigeria, so I advised her against that and she listened. In all I am a loving and caring father to my kids. 

 

 

Every January 1st, you go round hospitals and motherless babies homes to donate items, what motivates you to do such?

 

 

You must find a way to affect your society positively. Even as Nigerians and Yoruba, we have the culture of helping each other. Those days, you were your brother‘s keeper, people would come and sleep in your house and then leavethe next day without you knowing who they are, we even

brought our friends from school to sleep in our house, we fed them well. I realised that I need to make people happy and to do that I must inconvenience myself and humblemyself. Ten years ago I started to spend January 1st at the motherless babies’ home, schools for the blind, andhospitals. I start each year with a lot of profit because no one does business with God and loses. I sow into people‘s life through charity. I give generously, so I’m blessed and have not regretted. I have students in my scholarship scheme aswell.

 

 

What were the sacrifices you made before you got yourPhD?

 

A PhD programme is in two parts: the course work comprises the seminar and dissertation. A PhD holder is a body

of knowledge. PhD means doing things that nobody has ever done before. It took me about 8 years from 2006 – 2013because of work. Luckily for me, when I left the Senate in 2011, I was already half way through so I worked two years fully on it. For my course work, I had about 16 courses. Getting a PhD is not easy. I am sure in Nigeria too it’s the same rigorous process. You must account for yourself, you can’t pass by chance. I read 3hours a day. Between 6-10pm, I can’t read so I sleep early and read between 12-3am. For a PhD student any book is a material that can be useful.

 

 

What does style mean to you?

 

Style is comfort for me. I dictate my fashion, I don’t follow any trend. I have carved a niche for myself so people follow my trend.

 

What do you do in your leisure time?

 

I play lawn tennis and golf too.

 

 

When you are at social gathering you hardly talk. Why?

 

 

It’s my upbringing. That’s the way I was brought up. I am now growing so old I just maintain my cool nature.

 

 

You were close to the late Oni of Ife Olubuse. What do you miss about him?

 

 

He was a father and a brother to me, he was also my cousin.I gained a lot from him even in the business world.

 

 

What’s the relationship between you and the new Ooni of Ife like?

 

 

We are cordial, and have even met several times. We even chat on phone.