What is your idea of a fulfilled man, is it by the look or size of bank account?

Fulfillment to me is how far you’ve been able to meet your ambition or realise your goals. Some people would reach their fulfillment if they are able to achieve what they had set out to achieve. To some, it could be the size of their bank accounts but to me, it is about service to humanity. It is a matter of individual idea.

Are you fulfilled?

My stage right now, I’m not yet fulfilled. I still have other things I want to achieve. I pray God to spare my life and give me the opportunity to carry out some original ideas I have. Particularly, democracy building. I have written a book on that.

Owolabi Salis

It is equity based-democracy I call it equito-cracy. The book was launched sometimes ago but the second edition is more international. By that I mean, a wider view of democracy for nation. Having lived in United States for fifteen years, the whole experience is put together for people to learn a few things about problems and happenings around the world.

Why do you think the book is relevant to Nigeria situation?

Nigeria’s problem stem from diversities like religion, ethnicity or tribalism I call it artificial diversity. A lot of people are rolling themselves because of religion. It is rather stupid to fight because of any of the artificial diversity listed above.

Again, people as a result want to share resources, people want to compete for it and who wants to be in charge and that is where you have politics or democracy.

You see, we can only develop democratically when there is sense of belonging to everybody, where there is religious harmony, where there is no acrimony, no matter where the President comes from. If you want to win election, you should not be a tribalist, you’ve to reach out to people from other zones, possibly marry from there. But the system we have now indicates that the more ethnic bigots we have, the more political relevance you enjoy.

What are you doing in the area of service to humanity?

You look at it from two angles; one is service to humanity using your own personal structure, and two: using the group’s structure or whatever structure that belongs to the combine interest. Service to humanity from my own personal structure, I have been dong my own part. My interest is on the less privileged people. My records are there in the United States and here on a constant basis, I support the less privileged people, my party is also a grass-root party – supporting the less-priviledged people.

I belong to the Amnesty International, and American Civil Liberty Union. I tried to work hard in support of the less privileged people, crating hope for them within the bounds of the law, also doing a lot of charity work too – giving out from whatever I make and you know what, the more I give, the more money I make. I don’t know how it comes about sometimes, but that is my discovery.

Sometimes ago, I set up a radio programme, it was a weekly radio programme, every Sunday, with the purpose of making noise on behalf of the less privileged, I put people in charge and right now it is self-sustaining. It also serves as job creating avenue for some people. I am now looking into creating more job – on a larger scale, it has been very challenging.

I also embarked on training of younger ones. I bout in some equipment in containers, but, the customs and agents in our ports were very frustrating. I was not motivated to continue. The whole thing became a huge loss.

On the group structure, that is what I’ve not been able to achieve. I’ve not been given the opportunity to manage the structure. My questions that, if you’re a governor, how are you able to use that structure to manage people’s affairs properly, because as a governor you’re operating on the group’s structure and how are you able to use that to better the lot of the generality of the people.

If you have to do anything tangible in this country, you have to consider the bureaucracy,m money and power. I understand that the last two will always override the first one. But some people have all the three but they don’t have idea. That’s a major problem here. The bureaucracy is so bad that it can frustrate any good idea. Unfortunately, nobody among those in power is testing it, at least to see whether those at the grassroot have access to some things.

They should know that if you don’t break loose bureaucracy it will affect the economy. Take for instance, somebody in power will find it easy to get a NAFDAC license but it is not the same for the man on the street  who need it to grow his business. They usually get frustrated out of the business.

I have had opportunities to go to agencies in United States. There is a big difference. You don’t need anybody to introduce you to get things done. The kind of process and procedure you go through is the same anybody in power would o through. The thing is that if you don’t have the money, you go through the low system and those have the money would have to explain how they got the money.

Has it ever bothered you that you look like Governor Fashola.
Yes, some people say that and a close relation (long time though before he became governor) after watching him on TV called me and asked whether I was home in Nigeria and I said no. He said he saw me on television. Yes, he is a lawyer, it never bothered me we are two different persons.