Sharif, one of the sons of the former Minister of National Planning, and former chairman, Petroleum Product Pricing and Regulatory Agency, Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, tells ARUKAINO UMUKORO about his father’s career as an economist
Can you introduce yourself
My name is Sharif Gbadamosi. I’m the first son of Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi. I work in a Singaporean conglomerate in Nigeria. I studied in Salford University, Greater Manchester, UK, for my first degree. Afterwards, I sat for the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants. I have a post-graduate certificate in Economics and Finance, with Applied Economics from Birkbeck University, University of London. I also have a master’s degree in International Business Management from Westminster Business School. I stayed back in London and worked for a couple of years as a personal manager. I came back to Nigeria in 2006. My first degree is in Economics. Currently, based on my profession, I’m a learning and development practitioner.
Did your dad influence your career path?
I would say my father actually influenced a lot of us in our career choices, through being a super dad that he is and as an economist. We didn’t need much convincing as we all wanted to be like him. Dad is our role model. He is a renowned economist and many of us chose to study economics as our first love, as it were, because of him. It was an inspiration watching him while we were growing up. Then, he was the Minister of National Planning, and the chairman of Petroleum Product Pricing and Regulatory Agency. He was also on the board of several companies. It was quite interesting and he did speak a lot of economics slogan in the house. That way, it was very easy to understand the subject. When you are surrounded by such, it is very difficult not to be involved. Dad made economics easy. As a result, we all decided to go to university and study economics as our first love. Then, we all moved to our separate discipline afterwards. He also taught us how to invest in the stock market. We are all heavily involved in the stock market in one way or the other.
Your father became a commissioner in Lagos State at the age of 27. How do you feel about that?
I’m jealous. I think he was the youngest commissioner then. I wish I could get that kind of achievement. I don’t know if that is possible today. Politics has changed so much in Nigeria. Then, they recognised talents and gave room to the younger generation. But today, the people who are in politics do not allow people into government until they are of a certain age; but it does not take anything away from my father. Becoming a commissioner at 27 in his days was a fantastic achievement.
What are some of the values you have learnt from your father?
I’ve learnt that there are no impossibilities when it comes to business. That it’s absolutely possible to do anything one sets one’s mind to do; that one would always find a way to achieve something when one has the will to do it. Dad doesn’t like a statement such as, ‘I can’t.’ He believes there is always a way. That was part of the training that we had and is still helping us today in our lives. For example, I tell my staff that there are no impossibilities; there are only people who chose to believe in impossibilities. He also taught us family values. Dad prides himself a lot in his family. He takes his children and grandchildren out on holidays and makes sure brought us all together during festive periods—Christmas, Sallah etc. It’s a yearly tradition. Dad also taught us to be hard working. He doesn’t believe in laziness, but that one must always work to improve oneself voluntarily. It’s not just about getting a degree; you also have to groom yourself.
What are some of your dad’s likes and dislikes?
Aside from those I had mentioned, he doesn’t like people that are deceptive and are not straightforward. He loves art. He is the second largest art collector in Nigeria after Engineer Yemisi Shillon. Dad loves etiquette. I won’t say he loves politics, but he actually loves this country. And he loves his grandchildren.
How would you describe him as a father?
Dad is a disciplinarian, and we thank him for that. At that time, it wasn’t funny, but as we grew older, we realised these were the sort of values we also wanted to instil in our children. He is also a humorous man, and he likes having his grandchildren around him.
Can you mention an interesting side to your father?
He might not find this funny at all. Whenever we go to Ikorodu and dad is around his friends, they start speaking Ijebu language and laughing. But because we don’t understand it or have a clue about what they are laughing about. We just sit there, wondering what is going on. But, generally, there’s no dull moment with dad. He is fun to be with.
How did he discipline his children whenever they erred?
Dad didn’t spare the rod.
How did he react whenever he was angry?
He would say a lot of words and he made himself extremely clear about what he was angry about; and it didn’t leave any doubt in the mind of the person he was angry with.
How was it growing up with an accomplished economist?
Dad was always busy, but no matter how busy he was, he always ensured that he spent quality time with his family. He always came back every evening; we would all sit round the dinner table and spend time together. That, at least, gave us a connection. Dad is a family man. His family values are very high. However, this was intimidating sometimes, because there was a need for us to conduct ourselves with proper etiquette and decorum in the house, because dad epitomised what it meant to be a professional and a very seasoned gentleman. Living with dad at home was like going to a finishing school. We were always being moulded everyday into the people that we are today. While it was like living in a boot camp, at the end of the day, it was the best thing for us.
What other ways did he spend time with the family?
We went on holidays every year. I’ve been to many different countries in the world— Europe, Africa and other continents— and I thank him for that. Being able to travel to these countries, I know it wasn’t easy for him to do, but he wanted to make sure that we were cultured, and that we also had a wide knowledge of the outside world. As a result of that, today we can say we have a global perspective of issues and life.
How has your dad’s name opened doors for you?
It’s a very interesting question. It does open doors all the time. Recently, I rented a new flat. The landlord was very picky about the type of people that he would allow in. When he knew my surname, he said immediately, “I would gladly rent my flat to you, because I know you are from a responsible family.” I wasn’t really expecting that. People have a lot of respect for my dad. Then, one realises that one has to live up to his high standards. It’s the usual expectation that the children surpass the accomplishments of the parents, and I would like to think of myself as a work in progress. But, in our household, the records that dad has set still remain unbroken. None of us became commissioners at the age he became one (27). I wish I was able to do it by the age of 18. But I was still in the university at the time.
How would you describe your father’s social life?
He has a great social life. He’s a socialite. He always has different events to attend or chair. Sometimes, he drags us along with him. Every Saturday, there is always an event for him to attend. My mum has this calendar/book that she records all his appointments. Because he’s well-known, many times, people ask him to be chairman at a wedding or a function and he obliges. He tries to encourage us to be more outgoing, but I’m not a socialite like him.
How would you describe his relationship with your mum?
They have a wonderful relationship. Recently, they just celebrated another wedding anniversary. They also work together. My mum has been a strong pillar of support to him, she provided that solid foundation in the home, especially when dad was always busy; she held the home. My dad never came home and found a displeasing situation with us. He found us on track because mum upheld their agreement. She is also an educationist. It’s very interesting having two people teach you in the house, one from the position of economics, and the other from the position of education. It was a good combination. I also got the gift of oratory from my dad.
What is your dad’s favourite meal?
That’s a tough one. I think that is the question my mother can answer, because we have had to change diets many times. I am going through the same transition. It’s very difficult to pick his favourite.
Does he have a favourite drink?
He doesn’t drink alcohol or any sugary stuff, just water. I would say water is his favourite.
What’s his daily routine like?
When he wakes up in the morning, he reads the newspapers and watches the news. Then he has breakfast and attends to the order of his day. Sometimes, he goes to his office to handle some business transactions and he comes back home. Now he takes his time because he is semi-retired. He also listens to classical music. You can never go to his room without hearing beautiful classical music playing in the background. It was because of him I also started appreciating classical music. I think classical music helps stimulate the intellect. He made sure all of us learnt a musical instrument while we were growing up. I play the classical piano, my younger brother also plays the piano, while my younger sister plays the violin. My older sister also plays the piano. She is also a music teacher and owns a company in the UK. We are like the Nigerian Von Trapp family in the movie, ‘Sound of Music.’ Everybody can play a music instrument and can sing to a certain extent. My mum sings very well too. She has a great voice. Also, dad plays the guitar very well. He loves playing the guitar and during his 70th birthday celebration, he played the guitar on the stage. It was fun.
Does he have a favourite artiste?
He has many favourites. He likes Mozart and Beethoven.
As a former chairman of PPPRA, what is your dad’s view about the fuel subsidy and the perennial problem of fuel scarcity?
We have discussed this a long time ago. When he was the chairman of PPPRA, he tried to deregulate Premium Motor Spirit and he was criticised for it. At the end of the day, long after his tenure, this was done by President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. The government’s coffers were being drained as a result of the payment of subsidies. He has never supported subsidy and we agree with him because if you look at the economic explanation, it makes sense to remove subsidy completely. I struggled to buy fuel every day at N97 a litre, and even now at N87 per litre. It’s not about elitism. Removal of subsidy would completely eliminate hoarding and scarcity because they (marketers) can’t claim the government owes them money and they are going on strike. In the short term, it’s going to hurt us all. But, in the long term, it’s better for Nigeria.
How does your dad like to dress?
He dresses mainly in traditional buba and sokoto. It’s very comfortable and free-flowing as well. He doesn’t like tight outfits.
Who are some of your father’s friends?
I think my dad knows everybody. There are quite a number of them. When we had a party a while ago, an arts exhibition in Ikorodu, I saw the likes of Prof. Pat Utomi, among others. We were also expecting former President Olusegun Obasanjo, but he didn’t show up.
I read somewhere that your grandfather told your father not to join politics….
My grandfather told not just him, but all of us, not to join politics. It’s a Gbadamosi policy. That’s good enough for us. Our grandfather is well-respected by all of us. In our different ways, we can still use our gifts and wealth of knowledge to serve this country.
In retrospect, do you feel your dad would have joined the race to become Lagos State governor at a time?
No. I’m happy he just stayed as a commissioner. I prefer the path he took; I like the idea of being a technocrat.
How does it feel to be the son of such a famous Nigerian?
I’m over the moon and I desire to be able to give back to Nigeria the way he has, especially in the education sector. I don’t want to go into politics, but I would love the opportunity as a technocrat, to become an expert in a particular sector and make people’s lives better.
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