Dr. Abdul-Wahab Olu Adegbenro  is a politician; thanks to a humble background of a parenthood that abhors crookedness.  He was a pioneer Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in the late Chief Adebayo Adefarati administration of Ondo State before he took over from Dr. Olusegun Mimiko as Health Commissioner.

The  former Action Congress (AC) governorship aspirant in Ondo State and former Senior Special Assistant to the then Governor  Olusegun Agagu spoke with BASHIR ADEFAKA in Akure recently about his political career and other issues. Excerpts:

What was your growing up like?

I started from a very humble background.  My parents were farmers.  That will tell you the economic potentials then.

By the special grace of God, I started my primary education in the year 1962 at Muslim Primary School, Ilara and finished  in 1967.

Financial problem prevente me from enrolling into secondary school in 1968.  So, I had to wait for one year before I enrolled in Oyemekun Grammar School, Akure in 1968 and by the special grace of God, I passed as one of the first set of May/June WAEC in 1973.

Adegbenro

But, I  had to hang on for another year due to lack of finance. In 1974 , I took up an auxiliary teaching job at CAC Grammar School, Akure. By 1975, I proceeded to University of Benin Medical School to read medicine and I graduated in 1981.  Since then, I have been practising medicine either as public medical officer or private medical officer.

Was medicine really your ambition from the onset?

No.  Because in my secondary school days, I was good in mathematics and so I wanted to read a course that has a lot of mathematical inputs in the university.  I intended to read civil engineering,  but unfortunately when our results was released, I had good scores in science and the registrar of our examination then in Oyemekun Grammar School, Mr. Jolaade, who came from my area (Ilara-Mokin) just called me and said, “young man, just go and read medicine.

With this combination you have, nobody can beat it.”  So, that was the very day I developed interest in medicine. `It was my teacher that influenced me into reading medicine.

With your humble background, how did you cope fiancially?

My parents had no idea about what it meant to study medicine in the university and so there was no particular feeling about it from them.  And that was because, like I told you, they were poor farmers. But luckily, because of my good performances in the WAEC results, I had what called Automatic Federal Government Scholarship and that saw me through my university education.

How were you influenced by  peer pressure as a teenager?

There is this adage that says, “Show me your friend and I will tell who you are.”  I grew up in a village and in those days there were discipline in the land and so, parents were in firm control of their children.

That was the kind of environment I grew up and by the time I was going to the university I was already a matured young man.  Probably by my own nature, I would not associate with anything that was on the negative side.

What was your experience in the public service?

Well, I as medical officer of the Ondo State Government  between 1981 and 1986, I left the government because the austerity measure introduced by the military government at that time was already having its toll on the system.

When I came back from service, my intention was to get sponsorship from the state government and go for postgraduate studies.  But it never came. So, I said to myself why not go out there and set up your own private hospital to give service to the people probably use it to make one or two naira for yourself?

What lessons did you learn from your parents?

My father, who is still alive, is a disciplinarian.  He would not tolerate any shortcoming from any member of the family.  So, we were brought up  to be hardworking and honest in whatever we do.  He is a honest man.  When he tells you this is it, if you visit that issue ten times, you will meet him on that same position.   I have tried to follow his footsteps in all that I do.

You later in life became an active player in Ondo State politics.  What attracted you into politics?

Well, I would say it was by accident.  Initially, I thought I would never go into politics in my life. When something is white and you call it black and go ahead to defend that position is something I  don’t believe in.

But one day, my people from Ilara-Mokin came to me and said: “You are a nice person and we want you to go and represent us at a higher level.”  That was how I came into politics during the General Sani Abacha transition period when I actually vied as a candidate for the Federal House of Representatives on the platform of DPN.

Report said you were influenced by Chief Samuel Ade Ojo, was it true?

(Laughs.)  Well, Chief Ade Ojo is not a politician.  He is business man per excellence.  One thing I want to say about him is that he loves anything that is Ilara-Mokin: simple and straight forward. So, if any Ilara man is coming out for any position, he would lend his support.

Before you accepted the call to vie for House of Representatives, did you talk to him?

Yes I did.

And did he give his blessing?

I thank God for that.

How did Chief Adebayo Adefarati got you into his government as commissioner?

Well, again I thank God.  When the late Chief Adebayo Adefarati of blessed memory became the governor of Ondo State, I wasn’t a very active member of the Alliance of Democracy, AD.  I was then a member by name.  But along the line, as God would have it, it was through the influence of late Chief Imam of Akure Land and President-General, League of Imams and Alfas, Sheikh Yayi Akorede that I was nominated for the position of commissioner and I became a member of the cabinet.

I was the pioneer Commissioner for Culture and Tourism because it was when I was appointed that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism was created by Adefarati.  After spending a year, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, who was then the Commissioner for Health, resigned his appointment to run for governorship then and so, I was moved to take over from him as Commissioner for Health where I spent the about five months. (January-May, 2003)

What was your experince as a medical doctor in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism?

Though I find it very strange,  but I thank God I was able to put it on a good footing.