In this exclusive interview, A distinguished veteran journalist of unparalleled excellence, a visionary community leader whose steadfast dedication has profoundly impacted the growth and development of his beloved homeland, Elder Wale Idowu graciously shares the tapestry of his extraordinary life journey.
With unwavering spartan self-discipline and an indomitable spirit, he has carved an indelible legacy, earning a revered seat among the eminent community leaders of Ijesaland.
As he marks his 67th birthday today, we delve into the life and times of this illustrious trailblazer, celebrating his monumental contributions and inspiring odyssey.
Today, we celebrate a colossus in marketing and broadcasting, a luminary who once held the esteemed position of Director General of the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation. Ladies and gentlemen, we are privileged to present to you Elder Wale Idowu.
Could you kindly share insights into your upbringing and the core values that were instilled in you during your formative years?
I am, by name in full, Michael as my baptismal name, Adewale as my first name, and Idowu as my surname.
Records has it that I was born on 7th December 1957 to Edward Jimoh Idowu, my father, and Victoria Adejola, my mother. I remember very clearly that I was Daddy’s pet, being the number nine in a family of ten. I also remember that my father had his shop at the back of today’s First Bank, Ereja, dealing in farm support products, and we had everything going smoothly.
I got enrolled in 1963 at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Oke-Padi. I remember vividly that, with my 2 pence school allowance, oftentimes I would not get to school. Having exhausted the money, I would find my way back to my father’s shop. I still remain curious to this day why my father tolerated me whenever I came back to the shop, I would say I was no longer going to school. The money would have been exhausted, and I would be made to sit down for the day.
However, this came to an end on October 1, 1964, when words got to me at the shop that they were feting the pupils in school. They were eating and drinking beverages, so I made up my mind to go and catch the fun. As I was about to peep into the class, my class mistress, Late Mrs. Ogedengbe, was about to pour waste water outside, and it fell on my head. Madam (Mrs. Ogedengbe) was quick to say, “Idowu!” I was popularly known as Idowu then. Following the punishment I received, I never absconded from school from that day onward. That was how it went. Things got to a halt in 1968 when my father developed a sickness and I could recollect that he was rushed to the hospital in Osogbo. But details were not discussed with me in particular, but I was watching events and the sickness could not allow him to continue with the business of the shop, so we had to close down the shop and it coincided with the construction of First bank in front of the shop, so everything collapsed. We had to pack all the wares back home and I remember by 1969, things were not that rozy and the sickness had not left the man, so from our Ogbon Arogbo home base, he had to move to Ilemo which is really the ancestral home because that one was a bungalow, the house is still there till today so the hospital said he should not be mounting stairs.
So he had to move to Ilemo, so from there I left primary school in 1969 , but as usual with pupils of Saint Mary’s, we largely transited to Saint Lawrence, being a Catholic secondary school. Most of our parents loved that we transited to Saint Lawrence, but that could not be my lot, because the money was not there. Business was not running, so at a point, I was mandated or rather forced to go back to school, that is Saint Mary’s, where I had passed out, and I said no way, because the result of the primary school final examination that we sat for showed that I made grade A, so if I should go back, what will I be looking for again, but my parents said they will not afford me to be roaming the street, so I went back to the school, but I gave the school a condition, (may God bless the soul of Mr Olojede, my class teacher) I said I will only agree to come back to the school only if I will be made the time keeper and the man said that will not be a problem, so I was made the school time keeper. I became “Idowualago”, so against my wish, I found myself back to the school again in 1970. At the close of 1970, the issue of my future came to the front burner again. I had a sister-cousin, Aunty Esther who married an itinerant merchant, the one we called “Osomaalo” in Bauchi, my mother said I should go with her to Bauchi, that’s how I found myself in a slave labor, at the close of 1970 in Bauchi. I was managing a shop there, my boss in Bauchi, Late Mr Adeniyi developed a sickness over which he was brought back to Ilesa for treatment. During that period, I was the only person managing the shop, such that by the time the man came back, the shop has grown big beyond his expectation. Thank God, there was no attraction to corruption unlike what obtains today. In early 1973, I told my boss that I would love to go back home. Why? I said I wanted to go back home for two reasons. It’s either I go back to school or I will go and learn a trade, but because of financial difficulty, which I know obtained at home, I made up my mind that I must learn a trade. When I got back to Ilesa at the close of February 1973, my senior brother, who was also struggling, asked how much did I have, I said I had forty pounds untouched, which translated later to eighty naira, but forty pounds then was like four million today. He advised me to use the €40 to seek an admission to a secondary school in the hope that after exhausting my forty pounds, he would have been in a position to assist me. One day, I went to the Apostolic school, Oke-ooye to watch a football match. There, I met my primary school friend Abiodun Awe who later became the President of Nigeria Society of Engineers, Ikeja Branch. He said ID, where have you been? I narrated my journey of life, but now I’m back, I want to go back to school, but he reckoned that if you are going back, you should just go to form two, because you were too brilliant in class. Naturally, I was the leader in the class. I said, I don’t even know which school to go, because in Saint Lawrence, my mates were already in form Four. If I should go to Saint Lawrence, I mentioned one, two, three names, who would be my Seniors. He advised me to come to his school, Council Commercial where there was none of my mates. Just on account of not meeting my mates in Council, I went to the school the following day, and the principal, Mr Fasan accepted me. I registered with only two weeks to the first term exam. That was the year, the school calendar changed to January to July, so I had only two weeks during the first term. I had not finished coping notes when the first term examination started. I managed to write the exam, and I remember, my class teacher then, Mr Ogunsina remarked that, this candidate, referring to me, in my report card, is a candidate to watch in the future, and truly, by time I got to second term, I became the leader in the class, and on and on, till I left the school. Because of financial difficulty, I opted for Government Teacher’s College, because it was free then. After passing out, I became a teacher, and I was posted to Saint James’s Cathedral Primary School, Okebola, Ibadan, in 1979. From there in 1980 , I moved over to CKC, Odo-ona, still in Ibadan. In 1981, I secured admission to the University of Jos, to study Economics. I left the University of Jos in 1985, served in that same city of Jos. I secured employment with Lagos State Teaching service, where I was posted to Ikorodu, Yewa Grammar School, in January 1988. On September 15, 1989, I assumed duty as a Commercial officer at the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State, Ibadan.On the same 15th of September, 1990, I was posted to Lagos Marketing office at Harvey road, Yaba.
In 1991, General Ibrahim Babangida, created Osun State, from there again, I switched to Osun State Broadcasting Corporation, as the founding Lagos office manager. I was there till March 31, 2002.On April 1 2002, , I moved to Osogbo, the headquarters. I operated in the marketing office where I also got to the apex in that department, as Director of Marketing, in between, I also functioned as Director of OSBC Ventures, the business arm of the corporation. Ultimately on November 1, 2016 , I became the Director General of the corporation, till I retired on December 7th 2017, but for reasons known to the government, my service was extended till October 21, 2018. Since then, I’ve been in a peaceful retirement seven years on now.
2. Let us delve into the transformative milestones and figures that profoundly shaped the trajectory of your formative years.
I think God deposited a unique element in my person. Usually in any association that I find myself, I found that God has designed it that I are tower over and above many. During youthful days, we had quite a number of us, peers and friends. We had a very large house, which constituted a melting point for associates. My brother bought two table tennis which provided a source of ready funds for me. That again meant temptation because friends would come to share from the proceeds, others would also want to invite you out, but there is this measure of discipline, that I found just natural. Much of the income generated, I devoted to my education, and because of the level of academic prowess, that I possessed then, most of my friends looked up to me for assistance. In reference, I cannot forget, Gbenga Oginni, Tunde Akosile and Sunday Lapo on the street. I must also remember late Fatai Aregbesola, we had good moments. Muftau Aregbesola would come from their school in Osogbo to join me here, because I was the man on ground showing the direction to where to party this weekend, a party that we are not invited, we would still go there to listen to King Sunny Ade and Reggae of those days. I must also remember, Anthony Taiwo, we had good times, but thank God, we did not misuse our opportunities because all those I mentioned are men in their right today, glory to God!
3. Obstacles? You mentioned grappling with financial constraints in your formative years. How did those experiences mold your resolve and fortitude, ultimately propelling you toward the path of success?
Like I said, I think God deliberately deposited certain virtue in my being. I want to recall what Professor Lawrence Jeje said when I was launching my autobiography. He said when he read that book, he glorified God for me because the path was there for me to go haywire probably to have become an area boy. Indeed I had less supervision. Our parents allowed us free rein. You could decide for yourself what you wanted to do tomorrow. Not much of bottlenecks were put on our path and is like you are already matured before maturity knocked.
I will give an example here. When my father died in 1978, I was invited home.
On getting home I saw people clustered and my mother rushed out and said your daddy is dead. I said what the hell of News? Where is he now? Because I felt with my training in physical health education maybe I could apply some balm. But, a nurse who was just looking at me said if you want to see him, I will have to go to Wesley Gild Hospital. So without anybody’s prompting, I just went back to the school, dressed up, off to Ibadan. My senior brother was serving in Barclays Bank then and our most senior sister was also in Ibadan. So I went to the bank. I just told him we had robbery at home overnight and my junior brother was wounded. He said what of our parents? Safe. He asked me to go home that he would come and meet me at home. So I went home. Alone at home I started crying, How will I break the news to this man when he eventually come back. So in the process I slept on the chair. No sooner he returned from work then he woke me up and said ‘so what is the condition’? Which Condition? I said Baba has died. That’s how he broke down. The neighbors came. The next thing is for us to go to Ilesha. So that evening we went back to Ilesha together to see things for himself. That was on June 13, 1978 . So what am bringing out is the kind of courage that God deposited in me. We are talking about a nineteen year old boy then and I was able to bear the courage. Earlier, I went to a very close friend to our father, Papa Zungeru at Agbeni. I couldn’t meet him. I traced him to the Military hospital at NTC road Oke ado. He couldn’t believe it. How did you get me here? I said I was at the shop at Agbeni and I was told you were here. I now called him aside and said your friend has died oh. So all this I was doing with nobody’s prompting. Nobody sent me to Ibadan. From there I went to our senior sister. That’s how I manage the news all round before coming back to Ilesa that same evening. So challenges will always be there but you need grace of God to be able to manage the challenges. Yes, no money but despite that I was a leader in this Ilesa among my peers then because somehow God will always provide. I told you we had table tennis that was helping me to rake in money, Aside from that at weekends, we would go for farming and hunting expedition at Irogbo, We would also harvest rice, block moulding work on part time basis and get money and nobody contested the money with me. The freedom was there so I was living normal life with no hindrance despite the challenges of finance at home
4. Reflecting on your professional trajectory, can we infer that the invaluable experiences you garnered during your time in Bauchi State served as a catalyst, igniting your fervent ambition to delve into the intricate and dynamic realm of marketing?
It’s more like inherited discipline because I knew that my father was a disciplinarian. I knew that most of his friends, the likes of Papa Isaac Ojo Ajanaku. They were so close that they shared two sisters in marriage. My father married the elder sister, and Papa Ajanaku married the younger one. I remember the likes of Papa Ikotun. Papa Joshua, Pa Ishola, Pa Ilesanmi Aguda I remember that they were always together but my father was always the Secretary of their groups. He was the secretary of his Saint Michael’s Society in church, Alaye Chieftaincy house, Faodi family and this borders on transparency. He was always made to keep money. I think that impacted. I also note very well that my senior brother Ayo Idowu remains an embodiment of integrity, a very highly transparent man. As a Barclays bank officer when foreign exchange deals were rife in Nigeria, he was always projecting the dire consequences for the nation’s economy. He was always sharing his experience at the bank, particularly the areas bothering on people manipulating the system. In fact, I still recall that another person came to him telling him to join in the foreign exchange manipulation so that they can have money. He said that will be the last thing he will ever do in his life, and because I was also listening to all these kind of stories, I felt I needed to key in, and I think everything was just natural because up till now as we speak, I can not count on my fingertips how many associations or societies I’ve had to serve as secretary and Treasurer I think it’s a virtue that God deliberately deposited in my person.
5. Let us refocus on Ijesaland. Were your invaluable contributions to society initiated post-retirement, or were you simultaneously balancing your governmental responsibilities with active community service?
I have always seen myself as a typical home boy, I went to primary school in Ilesa. I went to secondary school in Ilesa, I even went to Government College in Ilesa. I wonder if there had been a university in Ilesa as it is now maybe I would have attended Ilesa university. What prompted my movement to Ibadan in 1979 principally was because of the death of my parents because my father died on June 13, 1978 immediately after his death my mother went into sickness and she eventually died on December 31 1978, just six months interval and for me I felt that was the end of everything. I felt I had no business staying in Ilesa any longer .I quickly arranged my posting to Ibadan and that was made very simple because I was the secretary of the GTTC Boys’ Brigade then. It was easy for the Brigade to move me to Ibadan so that I can continue my Brigade membership but if my parents had not died perhaps I wouldn’t have had any reason to stay away from Ilesa.
Following the death of my parents I distanced myself from Ilesa until my wedding time in 1988. I felt I must have my wedding in Ilesa even though there were objections from my immediate family. It turned out to be a very huge success, a very big society wedding so from there on I was getting fascinated back to Ilesa.In 1991, I joined an association; Obokun Klass Club and our meetings were every month in Ilesa, so that was factor number one. In 1992, my immediate supervisor at BCOS happened to be an Ijesha man, so everything dovetailed to coming to Ilesa regularly. So that again became an attraction. In that same year, we had Ilesa Day. On our own, we mobilized money and produced Ilesa Day calendars, which we brought here to distribute to people. We were just exhibiting our marketing prowess, our production prowess, and our creative prowess. That’s how we did the calendar and we started distributing it. We used Baba Ijesa Ajewole as the contact.
So, from that 1991 when I joined Obokun Klass Club, in 1992, we participated in Ilesa Day. Ever since then, it has been one involvement or the other.
In April 2002, I was already returned to the headquarters in Osogbo. Then Kabiyesi of blessed memory, Oba Dr. Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran II, was billed to be invested with the Chancellorship of the Federal University of Technology, Yola. In league with Erelu Olusola Obada, who felt that I had to be there, I said, “That’s not a small do; I may not be able to go because I can’t take transport.” But he said, “Okay, I will foot one way; you will foot the other.” So that’s how I went to Yola as the media officer on that trip.
From Lagos airport, I made sure I interviewed everybody, including the likes of Professor Wale Omole, OFR, and Professor Mrs. Tomilayo Adekanye of the University of Ibadan, and others like that. Off we went to Yola. As the media officer, I went to the correspondent chapel; I brought all the correspondents to the venue. They were all happy to hear that it was the Oba who wrote an economics textbook. I said, “Yes.” Most of them said they read his book, so it was easy mobilizing them. I had so much news captured from Yola. On getting home, what’s the next step? I started Obokun News. I informed Kabiyesi. The first edition came out in May. I made it a bi-monthly affair. I must also register the support of the past governor here, Engineer Rauf Aregbesola, who also urged me to start the paper. So that’s how I started Obokun News, and I ran it up till early 2004. By that time, I didn’t have money to hire staff. At a stage, I was running a one-man publication. Those who were working with me felt they were not getting enough, and truly they were not getting money. So I had to suspend it in January 2004 because of the volume of work I was experiencing at the OSBC desk.
From there again, I started joining other associations. In 1995, I joined Ijesa Sports Club. Now that I came back home in 2002, by January 2003, I vied for Director of Sports and Publicity at Ijesa Sports Club, which I won.I ran that office. The record is still there till today that I operated as the longest-serving Director of Socials and Publicity of Ijesa Sports Club for four years. From there again, I became the Vice President of Ijesa Sports Club. From there, I joined other associations. I remember my tenure as Director of Socials at the Sports Club. I used my broadcasting leverage to raise the image of that sports club, and I got accolades from far and near, up to Abuja and the Diaspora.
Before I retired, Kabiyesi more or less adopted me as a son for every publicity assignment. Other Obas, particularly when we studied the dichotomy that was in the land then, I used my time to write and to reach out to the likes of Baba Owaloko as to how we could get permanent peace in Ijesaland. Other traditional rulers, through interviews and admonitions.
I also remembered that the palace of Owa Obokun got burnt in 2008. We rallied together, and I was a member of the building committee as well as the fundraising committee. From there again, I moved up to another level of involving a royal feast. It was Kabiyesi himself who mooted the idea of a royal feast; he actually bankrolled it in January 2006, and the Ijesa society in Lagos bankrolled it in January 2007. We, of the Ijesaland axis, took it up in 2008.
It was at the meeting on January 18, planning that year’s edition of the royal feast, that we now said, “Let us go further and create a platform that will bring Ijesa from far and near.” That’s how we adopted Iwude and called it Rebranded Iwude Ijesa. After a while again, we had some of our people appointed into high places. Rauf Aregbesola became a governor; we also got together to celebrate him. Professor Isaac Adewole became Vice-Chancellor; we also mobilized to celebrate him. In all of this, I was always at the center of the organizations.That’s how the Ijesaland spirit got emboldened, and the inspiration has always been: home is home. I had fifteen years of unbroken stay in Lagos, yet I could not forget my home. From there again, the era of Ijesa Elders Forum came about. I became a foundation member. We first of all saw ourselves as taking the role of an umbrella association in Ijesaland before the Ijesa Development Council came into being.
So, all in all, there has always been one assignment after another—one assignment.
I remember when Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi came into the scene in 2016. It was almost a week to my assumption of office as OSBC Director General. There and then, we discussed the journey ahead, and I’m happy to report that the man has not disappointed in any way. He has been the pathfinder for progress march in Ijesaland, and we have been serving as his lieutenants ever since.Through his efforts, the Owa Obokun’s Palace that the first committee could not realize was completed within a space of nine months thereafter. As the General Secretary of Ijesaland Geriatric Center, we realized that hospital within a space of ten months. From there, we moved over to Leventis, where we sponsored one hundred students, whose graduation will be coming up on the 12th of December.
From there again, we moved over to Federal Science and Technical College, where the first batch of 250 scholars were sponsored last year. The second set this year have also resumed; they are about completing the first term now, over a hundred of them. There, I also served as General Secretary. So, it’s been a tale of general secretaryship in most of these assignments, to God be the glory.
Let me talk about my post-retirement era. I finally disengaged from service on October 19, 2018. That’s the last day—it was a Friday. Ever since then, it would appear I’ve been busier than when I was at work. Now, because there will hardly be any day without an assignment, in fact, I often speak to myself to take it easy—learn to slow down—because it would appear most of the services are charity-based, but they keep on coming, one after the other.
In all honesty, I think it’s one thing that has been keeping me going. Most times, when I reel out my age, for example, by God’s grace, I will be 67 this month. Professor Wale Omole once told me if he had to speculate my age, he would be looking at maybe forty-five. I said Prof has cut my age down by almost fifteen years, but that is the grace deposited by God Almighty Himself.
6. As an indispensable stakeholder within the community, how do you envisage the socioeconomic and cultural trajectory of Ijesaland over the next five years, considering the interplay of development, innovation, and heritage preservation?
Yes, Ijesaland in the next five years will be pictured from Ijesaland in the last five years. For every discerning mind, we also agree to the point that it is a blessing having Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi as our leader, a social leader. One man who is so indefatigable that he is always ready to part with his money for the sake of Ijesa.The youth, in particular, are lucky that we have such a person who has been investing good money in their career and their future. So, if in the last five years we were able to realize, without government involvement, without any public fundraising, we were able to build the modern palace, we were able to realize the biggest geriatric center in West Africa, and we were able to intervene in the lives of our youth, then the next five years will mark a watershed because we will just be capping all the efforts put in place.
The only thing we have to seek in Ijesaland is for God and the people involved to demonstrate extraordinary love for Ijesaland by helping us to pick the rightful person to the stool of Owa Obokun. Who is the rightful person? One person who has been involved with the affairs of Ijesaland and Ijesa. One person who will not go cap in hand to sell Ijesa to outsiders and to enemies. That man who will be acceptable to the majority of Ijesa because he understands them, and they want to understand him. So, it’s a two-way affair.
Once that is sealed, the journey of the next five years will just be smooth sailing, and the achievements that I’ve reeled out will turn to a child’s play because, like I always said, Ijesaland is a work in progress. God has provided all the wherewithal required for a community to get to the next level. We have mineral deposits all over the place in abundance, but we have not been able to put efforts together to harness these resources.
If all the efforts that are being put together from across the land—such as the Ijesa Mineral Resources Development Forum talking about advocacy for safe mining and the Ilesa Chamber of Commerce working towards the commercial development of the land—are combined, then all these local groups can take Ijesaland to the next level.
One thing is clear now: we cannot afford to wait on any government. We must be ready to bear our cross, and that is the only way for us to get to our destination.
7. How has your life’s journey shaped your perspective, and what profound advice can you impart to inspire and illuminate the path of aspiring youths?
I like to look at life as nothing new under the heaven. Whatever condition you find yourself in, never think it is the end of the world. Someone, somewhere, must have passed through a more difficult one. Therefore, always be prepared to shoulder responsibilities bestowed on you.
Always be prepared to confront whatever challenges come your way. Always have at the back of your mind that you want to be a victor, and you will only be a victor if you deploy all your resources and frontally confront the obstacles.
So, the youth need to learn one or two things from my background too. If I could lose my parents forty-six years ago, and particularly lose my mother on the eve of a New Year, December 31, and here I am today, a grandfather—here I am today, to the glory of God, a reference person in the affairs of Ijesaland; here I am today, a reference person in the media world—I think to a large extent, I’ve seen the corners of broadcast media. From programming to presentation, from marketing to administration, you can’t be at the apex of office without knowing the rudiments of most of these operations. Otherwise, before you know it, you end up a failure. So, all the garments of broadcasting, God has endeavored me to have passed through, and that is because I took my time.
As a student of economics, my vision and mission then were to be a chartered accountant, and that happened to most of us in the class. We thought, “Oh, upon leaving the school, we are going to register as chartered accountants.” But because of the nature of education and the mindset that we paraded, we saw education then as a path to office, whereas education is to channel your future.Your future does not end in the office. Your future does not begin and end in the banking industry. Your future starts when you are able to decipher clearly the world, when you are able to identify the challenges, and when you are able to know where opportunities lie. That is why today, I am a promoter, along with a few others, of the “school-to-work” philosophy. When you leave school, you are going to work; you are going to earn income for you to make ends meet.
It is not that because I am an engineer, I must work on the road. Because I am an accountant, therefore, I must work in a company—no! The beauty of education is for you to direct the affairs of your life. It is the education that will now guide you as to take the right decision, and the right decision means being productive. Being productive does not mean you have to work for somebody.
So, all these are challenges that we have to trade with the upcoming ones so that they can know that an engineer can become a journalist and be a huge success. The knowledge of engineering will now enable that journalist to tailor how to engineer news, how to re-engineer information—that is the beauty of it all.
Leave a Reply