Dolapo is one of the daughters of a former Minister of Health, Eyitayo Lambo. She talks about her father’s medical practice and life with MOTUNRAYO JOEL
Briefly introduce yourself.
My name is Dolapo Famakinwa (nee Lambo). I am the last born of the Lambo family.
Where did you receive primary, secondary and tertiary education?
I had my education in Ibadan, Ilorin, United States and the United Kingdom.
How was your childhood life?
My childhood was interesting, my siblings and I are blessed with great parents. They laid a very strong foundation for us and we have fond memories of our upbringing till date. Every day, I thank God that we are blessed with wonderful parents.
Did your father visit you often while you were studying?
I attended day schools, but my parents interacted with my school teachers. They also attended parent-teacher association meetings and they were well-informed of the school activities. They did the same for my siblings. My parents are exceptional. Their interest in our academic activities positively affected our grades.
Did you follow in your father’s career footsteps?
I would say yes and no for various reasons which I prefer not to talk about.
What are the career choices of your siblings?
My siblings and I are all doing well in our various disciplines. We all have a vast combination of expertise and life experiences, which include Business/Accounting, Information Technology, Entrepreneurship and Public Health.
Did your father impose any career choice on his children?
No, my father did not impose any career choice on us. He and my mother have always guided us with words of advice on our choices of career. I can proudly say that we (children) are doing excellently well because of their constant words of advice.
Describe your father’s personality at home?
For the most part, my father is quiet at home. He is a man of very few words. He is an introvert. He also writes and reads a lot.
How has his name opened doors for you?
My siblings and I are blessed to have him. He has a good name that people respect.
How do people react when they know you are his daughter?
They become more interested in me and they speak well of my father to me.
What can you say about his childhood?
If not for the grace of God, we can do not know how he was able to overcome his life challenges from childhood. That is all I can say.
What were the challenges he faced as a minister?
My father was the minister of health for a term. He served between 2003 and 2007 during the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo. During his tenure, we think the main challenges he faced were the lingering polio cases in the country and the deplorable state of hospitals in Nigeria. Others included managing the lack of cooperation amongst the health professionals and positioning the National Health Insurance Scheme on a firm footing for accelerated universal coverage within the shortest possible time after its launch. The other challenge was the fact that he was a technocrat, not a politician. As a minister, he worked relentlessly to ensure that his plans were clearly laid out and initiatives implemented to the best of his ability but he might not have scored 100 per cent in getting the full commitment of the civil servants who often pose as cogs in the wheel of progress. It is, however, on record and from different testimonials that there was relative peace among health professionals during his tenure.
How would you describe your parents’ marriage?
Their marriage is one I would describe as highly successful and blessed. Our parents have had an amazingly close relationship for over 44 years. Both of them have different love languages. They have had to make multiple sacrifices for each other, for the family and have remained happily married through it all. Their strong bond is a blessing to us the children.
How does he handle disagreements with your mother?
Like any happily married couple, daddy handles disagreements with my mother by talking with her. He talks the issues through with her and they pray over them.
Did your father advise you on the type of man to marry?
My father and mother advised each of us to be very prayerful and to decide our respective spouses based on the ‘why, ‘how’ and ‘what’ of the relationship.
Who were the famous faces you saw at home while growing up?
The public faces that my siblings and I saw at home included the late Professor and Dr. (Mrs.) Adeoye Lambo; the late Professor Ransome-Kuti; and the late Chief (Mrs.) Stella Obasanjo among others.
How sociable is your father?
My father is very intentional about his social life and he is only social for specific purposes, including church activities. He does not drink alcohol and is not a smoker. He also does not attend social venues such as nightclubs, golf clubs, etc. He is quite reserved and enjoys his quiet life, watching the TV, especially news stations.
What is his favourite food?
My father’s favorite food is Eba and to ensure that this is prepared well with no ‘lumps’, he prefers to make it himself!
What is his favourite drink?
My father’s current favourite drink appears to be either prune juice for health benefits or water most of the time.
How is his temperament?
My father’s overall temperament is quiet, passive but watchful.
What do you like about your father?
I love my father dearly, he is a father indeed. Overall, my siblings and I love the leadership qualities that he exhibits. He is always excited about our achievements and easily pleased with our little gifts. To him, nothing is too small. He appreciates every little thing we do.
What are the things you like about him?
There is nothing I do not like about him. He is an excellent father.
How does he discipline his children?
My father scolds mildly and withdraws.
Did he ever spank any of his children?
No, there was no such moment from what I can recall.
How does he handle criticisms?
My father hates being misunderstood. This is one thing he dislikes.
What is his position on the naira-dollar issue, taking into consideration that our currency has weakened drastically against the dollar?
My father feels the country has the potential to diversify the economy in order to stem the tide.
What does he enjoy doing at the moment?
He still likes reading, writing and consulting
What is his view on the state of Nigeria’s health sector?
He feels a lot has been done by successive governments and ministers. But that the Federal Government and the states still need to increase financing through higher budgetary allocation in order to catch up with the technology of the western world and that of some developing countries in Asia, Europe and Africa. This is his view.
Does he think the Federal Government’s budgetary allocation for health is good enough?
My father certainly does not feel so.
Is he jovial at home?
My father is jovial at home. There is no boring moment with him.
What is the first thing he does when he wakes up and what does he do before going to bed?
My father prays with his family every morning and in the evenings.
Does he read what people write about him in the newspapers?
Yes, he does.
What has been his lowest moment or most trying period that you know?
My father’s lowest moment was when there was a civil war in Congo Brazzaville and he was desperate to return home.
How does your father like to dress?
Sometimes, he likes to dress as a university lecturer/ professor or as an international civil servant with the World Health Organisation. He would be in suits at such times. But as a minister and after retirement, he has been more comfortable with wearing complete traditional Yoruba outfits for social events. He likes wearing buba and sokoto as casual wears.
In the political sector, who is your father’s favourite individual?
It must be former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
How does he advise you on issues related to money?
My father constantly tells us that we should not be wasteful but to always save for the rainy day.
What does he say about President Goodluck Jonathan and his administration?
He wishes him well, knowing that Nigeria is a difficult country to govern.
Are there things he wished he had done when he was a minister?
None that I know of. He did his best as a minister.
Describe your father in few words?
I am speaking on behalf of my siblings. I can boldly say that our father is a caring and loving husband to our mother. He is a doting father and grandfather. He is a very strategic and focused person. He is a dependable provider for his family.
Is he religious?
Yes, he is deeply religious and God–fearing.
Is he health-conscious?
Yes, he takes care of his health and exercises regularly.
How does he relax?
He enjoys going on vacations with his family.
What is the thing Nigerians didn’t know about your father?
One thing that Nigerians didn’t know about daddy is that he’s not an overnight success. He had big dreams from a far distance. He has been a quiet and consistent hard worker but with a very supportive wife (our mother) working and praying behind the scene. My mother has wholeheartedly supported his dreams, even when it meant that hers was put on hold for my father to become what he is today.
Where does he see himself in the next five years?
He hopes to be an impactful mentor who will be relevant in his local community.
How does he plan to celebrate his 80th birthday?
It is going to be a low-key celebration.
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