I left home with just two pounds -Professor Wale Omole

One might be tempted to think that Professor Wale Omole is strictly a disciplinarian. He however tells OSEYIZA OOGBODO and EFE OMORDIA that he also participated in all the extra-curricular and romantic escapades that come with being young. Did you have a happy childhood? I have always been happy because I would fight any stressful situation. Though I grew up in a polygamous household but by God’s favour on my life, I did well as a student and you know the Polygamous setting where you have many of you from many mothers but it wasn’t the best of circumstance that I was doing better than my elder siblings so by the time I finished I resolved not to go for HSC. I decided to leave home with just my box, a few clothes and just two pounds. I didn’t tell my mother where I was going. I went to Ibadan so I decided. I decided not just to work but to combine working and schooling. Though I could have studied any course, that decision took me to the school of Agriculture. Well as a man I decided to navigate my future by not depending on anybody. With that two pounds, the grace of God, I never borrowed, I never stole and that’s why I know God has created you to be on top but determination is the key to unlocking all his blessings. You must be truthful. Truth is so powerful. I always told my students to go after excellence and not money because with excellence money would come. Did you play pranks while in secondary school at Ilesha? Of course I did? I wasn’t the worst though but because I was involved so many extra-curricular activities, I was noticed but I made sure that it stopped at pranks. I was not going to get involved in illegal activities and my school Ilesha Grammar School imparted so much godliness in me. The motto of the school which in English translates ‘A child that comes directly from God.’ A son of God that is so popular today is Pastor Enoch Adebayo. Was he your friend at that time? He was my classmate and we are friends till this day. Last December was 50 years after we left school. We were honoured by our classmates. Chief Tunde Olojo, one of my classmates who we call the president of the post-leaving school is seventy today (last Thursday) and we are all like family. You had all male schoolmates but did you have any opportunity to interact with members of the opposite sex. Were you a ladies’ man? I was a debater, I was sporty and so I had the chance to interact during competitions as well as outings. I didn’t have problems with women, they wrote letters and we wrote letters. Was that how you met your wife? Not exactly, I met her at a party while I was at the university; I was intrigued by her neatness and cleanliness. While others put their drinks carelessly, she put hers neatly on a stool that she had placed a serviette upon and covered it up nicely. Just like that, I made up my mind to spend the rest of my life with her even without saying a word to her. She must have done a god job with taking care of you as well as you look years younger than someone in their late sixties? She has So what else has contributed to this look of well-being that you possess? There are four levels of man; the physical, the spiritual, the emotional and the intellectual. For you to look well, you must be able to obey simple rules , the most important for me is forgiveness . We have only two major charges from God, Love God and love your neighbour .I find joy from interacting with people and it gives me joy to help someone who doesn’t like me. Are your children taking after you in this regard? In various ways, they take different aspects of my personality nobody is like my carbon copy in character but they all have integrity. While they were much younger if I travelled abroad and left money where it could be reached, they would ask or beg their mother to ask before they would touch anything? What about professionally? My son is an assistant professor in the States and my daughter is a bank manager. Do your children speak Yoruba, even the ones outside the country? Of course! I brought them up to be proud of their roots. They are many things that cannot be expressed in English language. Some people are of the opinion that the Yoruba language is going into extinction. Do you support that assertion? We are working against that. I am the president of the Yoruba academy. Tell us more about that. What has the academy achieved Every group in Nigeria should have their academy. It is not to create more divisions but it helps to build upon the foundation. We are trying to address the issue of wrong documentation of our history The Binis have this controversy with the Yoruba in terms of certain aspects of their history? Are you aware of it? We should be united. Concentrate on our similarities which are many. The Binis are very particular because they have just an Oba in Benin but the Yoruba has many Obas and the language extends to other countries in West Africa and indeed the world but having said that we should become united like the United Kingdom. The English, The Welsh and the Scots were at loggerheads but today they are a united kingdom.