Funmilayo, a daughter of Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, talks about her father’s ideals with GBENGA ADENIJI
Tell us briefly about yourself?
I am Dr. Funmilayo Alakija. I am the first daughter and first child of Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye and the late Mrs. Olufunso Durojaiye. I run a clinic on overall health matters.
Why didn’t you study Law like your father did?
I am of the view that when choosing a career, one should look at one’s ability and capability. I do not like reading literature like my father does. He also noticed my capability. Medicine is what I love.
Did he influence his other children’s career choices?
No, he did not. He only encouraged us. He counselled and guided us like a good parent but he never forced careers on us. My immediate younger sister and youngest brother are lawyers. An individual’s personality should go well with his or her chosen profession.
What fond memories of growing up can you recall?
To be honest, my father is fun to be with. He has a way of carrying people along. My father has always been a people’s person. He loves people and likes being democratic in his approach. He helped me to learn how to make informed decisions. He loves learning and loves imparting knowledge. When we were young, he took us through a learning I called ‘Nature Study.’ He encouraged us to pick a topic and discuss it intelligently without gesticulating. He built our confidence in public speaking. My father loves history and story-telling. He told us stories from the Bible and history of people and places. There was no dull moment with him. Whenever he took us to watch a movie, he would have given us the background before we started watching it. After the movie, he would ask us what we learnt from it. We went on picnics at Ikoyi Park. He also took us to his hometown in Ijebu-Igbo. It was important for him when we were growing up to make us know where we are from. We got used to his parents through the visits. As a family, we also travelled within the country and to the UK. For him, learning is a continuous thing. Even at his age, he is always eager to learn. He is always keen on how to make the world and himself better.
Was he involved in any sporting activity when he was young?
Yes, he used to play lawn tennis. He also registered us as members of Ikoyi Club to learn how to swim. We are not sporty but only swam for some time. I recall that he used to wake us up early to do some exercises. Our house was always full then with visitors.
How often was he visiting when you were in the university?
My father visited me once in a while. He was also visiting when I was in the primary school.
How did he discipline any of his children who did wrong?
My father did not use the cane to discipline any child who misbehaved. He talked to any of us who did anything wrong. He made such a child to see what he or she did wrong. He did use the cane once in a while. My father talked more and used the cane less. My mother was a bit stricter with the cane. We knew we should not do certain things and why we should not do them. I cannot remember if my father ever used the cane on me. I was a bit of an obedient child. I did not give much trouble. He taught me how to care for others. If my father was not feeling too well and I did not remember to ask him how he was feeling the next day, he would ask me if his health did not matter to me. He did not use the cane in such situation but talked and the message sank. He loves mentoring people because he also had mentors. He loves reading novels.
How did he guide his children in choosing friends?
My father was very strict in that regard. We could not just tell him we were going out to visit any friend. He would want to know who the friend was. In fact, he would drive us to our friend’s house.
What ideals have you imbibed from him?
Looking back now, the first is the fear of God. My father is God-fearing. From the experiences he shared with us, we learnt early that we need to involve God in whatever we do including in the choice of partners and careers. I also learnt to be democratic even now that I run my own business. I am not authoritative or controlling. I only let people know why they have to do what they need to do. I do not however spare the rod if they do not do it right. I also learnt good moral values and decency. My father does not bear grudges. My parents could have had their differences against some individuals but they never allowed the differences to influence our perception of the people. There was no time they told us not to eat or go to the house of anybody. We grew up thinking life was about loving people and people loving us back and everybody living happily ever after.
How did he handle misunderstanding with his late wife?
Honestly, my mother was a gem. Being a wife and a mother now, I appreciate my mother more than ever before. We never knew they had any disagreements but they would have had. There was no time my mother called anyone of us to report our father to us. She was very subservient but not in a negative way because she was not the kind of person that would not give her opinion on issues. But there was a way she made her opinions known. She was not confrontational. She was my father’s confidant because he knew that whatever he told her stayed with her and she would give her honest opinion on it. If my father did not respect her opinion, he would not be seeking it. When I grew older, I was added to the list of his confidants.
How close are you to him?
We are very close being his eldest child. I am quite close to him.
How did his family react when he decided to join politics?
We did not encourage him because we knew politics is not for people like him. He is too honest and straightforward to be in politics. We see him more as a technocrat than a politician. But he made us to understand that what good people lose for not taking part in politics is to be ruled by charlatans. Not that he convinced us then on why he had to join politics but we understand it better now. If we all fold our hands and refuse to join politics, illiterates will continue to rule us.
Do you plan to go into politics someday?
No, I am not interested in politics. I do not think I have the calling. One of my siblings, Babafemi who is a British-trained lawyer and holder of a master’s degree, is involved in politics. But with a father like mine, I am sensitive enough to understand what is happening in the political terrain. My father is passionate about the country and he is not happy to see it the way it is. We all cannot be in politics to contribute our quota to the development of the country. In my chosen profession, I am contributing to the country’s health sector.
How did you handle the situation when your mother died?
The first thing I did when my mother died was to rally my siblings on how we would be around our father. We had to give him all the support he needed especially for the immediate period.
How has his name opened doors for you?
His name opens doors but not many people know I am his daughter. There was a time I was invited to give a lecture at an event organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. I introduced myself because I saw some people there known to my father. Some people came to greet me after the event and said I was a chip off the old block. One enjoys goodwill but goodwill is intangible. The only thing I can say is that whatever anybody sows is what that person will reap. My father has sown a lot of goodwill and it is coming back to him and his children in many folds. They are not things we can lay hands on but we are reaping what he has sown.
How did his family manage the period he was incarcerated by the military for his roles against the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election?
It was a rough time. It was not a good experience for my mother. Some challenges are meant to draw one closer to God. I fasted and prayed at that time. There was no communication with him and we never knew where he was during the period. Whether he was kept at the Directorate of Military Intelligence or in the Northern part of the country then, we were unable to get any information regarding his whereabouts.
What did he tell his family when he was released?
I was not in the country when he was released. Though he has always feared God, the experience drew him much closer to God. We thank God today for his sound health because some people do not even believe his age.
What do you think about his views regarding the state of the nation?
I think what is important is that we should take a hint from his views about the country.
What is his favourite music?
When we were growing up, he listened to highlife and the music of Ebenezer Obey and King Sunny Ade.
What is his favourite food?
My father loves ikokore; pottage made out of water yam. He is an unapologetic Ijebu man. He used to take oats.
What is his favourite drink?
He does not like drinking. But I remember that when I was young, he drank Campari.
How sociable is he?
My father is very sociable. He attends parties even though he may not sit down for long. He tries to attend social functions because people are important to him. He values his friends and people.
How does he relax?
My father relaxes by engaging people in quality discussions. He enjoys mentoring people from his wealth of sound knowledge and experience. He also likes reading and writing a lot.
Who are his friends?
My father has friends across ages. He is comfortable with the young and the old. Like I said earlier, he is a people’s person.
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