It’s Easier To Lead People Who Are Educated – Okosodo, Esan Club BoT Chair

By Cami Ezenwa & Festus Edovia

The first thing that strikes you as you meet Anthony Okosode for the first time, is an infectious aura spiced with hospitality of a rare blend. Yet, that’s not all that define the Uromi, Edo born technocrat and investor. The Eagle sought him out for this interview, on account of the many positive philosophies that he stands for

Yes, could you please provide a background to some of those great things we have heard about you

First, let me appreciate you for coming, also, the association that you represent.

I thank you for finding me worthy to be interviewed. I am from Uromi in Edo state. I attended the University of Benin where I read Business Administration. I also taught slightly at one institute of journalism in Benin, that was in 1990, before I came down to Lagos where I picked up employment with Mobil Producing Nigeria in 1991. So, I worked with Mobil up to March 2020 when I retired.

I am a proud Esan man, I love my culture, I love my people.

We understand that you have been very active in activities involving the Esan people particularly here in Lagos. Could you please elucidate?

I started participating in Esan association meetings as far back as 1996. I was originally a member of a particular Esan Club around Festac area up to 2009, when I pulled out to now become a member of a team that promoted another Esan Club which is the Progressive Esan Club of Nigeria.

By the grace of God, I serve as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the club. And by the grace of God, the club is still in existence.

In terms of what do I stand for as a person: integrity; you must be a man of integrity, passion, honesty, somebody who fears God, somebody who is ready and willing to stand by the truth no matter whose ox is gored

That is in a nutshell, my person, my belief, what I stand for.

You were born in Benin and attended the University of Benin, where you studied Business Administration, what other things of relevance can you tell us.

Yes, after those, I came down to Lagos where I picked up employment with Mobil producing Nigeria in 1991. So, I worked with Mobil up to March 2020 when I retired.

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Very engaging resume, in both the career side of life and in social welfare promotion of your people. First, the career side, what was it like working in Mobil, a reputable oil exploration company?

Well, I would say that Mobil was one of the best things that happened to me. It’s a place where you learn discipline, where you must be result-oriented. Also, you must have integrity. The culture of the company is such that promoted honesty, integrity and transparency as well. So I worked in Mobil for 28 years plus before I retired and it was a happy moment.

But in life, you find out that after you have done something for a while, your body begins to yearn for a change. After about 25 years of working for the organisation, I just needed to do something different, otherwise, Mobil was one the best things that happened to me.

It’s a good company to work with; you learn on the job; you learn to interact with people; you learn through the complexities of the system. Basically you learn to face and deal with challenges. So Mobil was a big lesson to me.

OKOSODO: It Becomes A Lot Easier To Lead People When They Can Trust You

What was your area of career engagement in the company with diversities of people and different work stations?

Procurement, which is basically the act of and sciences of buying services and materials. But then it’s not just that, you have to be strategic about it all. You have to buy materials that meet need in terms of quality; you have to buy services from people who can indeed guarantee quality. And the time at which the material is bought and delivered matter; so also is the pricing. So, ability to procure materials and services at good price, in a timely manner and of the highest quality, that in a nutshell is procurement.

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The little interaction we have so far had, has proven the fact that you exude an infectious energy in what you do, especially executing the offices you hold in your club; what would you say is the driving force for this?

The driving force I will say, is that I love my people, I love my culture. Let me tell you, every meeting day is a day of joy for me because I realise I would be meeting with my people, my brothers here in Lagos. So the driving force is the love for my people, the love for my culture.

What would you say is the main idea behind the formation of the club?

Part of the objective of the club is to promote interaction amongst ourselves. It is also to be there for our people, in times of need. Particularly when a member is bereaved, we are there. We have had two occasions in the recent when we had to be outside Lagos, to identify with members who were bereaved and our presence was warmly felt.

Part of what we also do, is visit orphanages, to identify with the people there and share love.

How is it like to lead people, especially people of such diversities in economic status, differences in orientations and age, some of whom may be older than one? In fact, what does it take to lead?

Leadership could be challenging, yet, it depends on who is leading, and style.

If you are willing to be humble, friendly, if you can be trusted, are a man of your words, it becomes a lot easier for people to trust and follow you.

And again, if you are not too many as a club, it also could make leadership easy. The more you are in your number, the more challenges and complexities you would be faced with

Would you sir, want to let us in to your business life a little. Having paid your dues at Mobil and came into private enterprise, how is it like?

Yes, after I left Mobil I told myself that a man has to keep himself busy. If you are not busy, but just sitting idly, your mental capacity could become jeopardised, even your physical well-being could be impacted. So part of what I bless God for, is that I was able to do,  before I retired in 2020, was to be able to put up this place together, to serve as my office,

I love the joy of waking up 8 0’clock in the morning, taking my bath and dressing up like I used to do when I was in Mobil. I enjoy the joy of leaving the house and coming down here. I am not an entrepreneur per say; I would rather describe myself as an investor. I invest whatever God has given me, and I love the joy of seeing them work

I am not doing a 9-5hour job as an employer but I am happy coming here in the morning. I sit here, see how my investments are doing and if there is anything that comes by the way, I am happy to pick it up but there is no factory as it were that I am managing.

From the business to socio-cultural perspectives etc, are there things that you are concerned with, looking at our larger society, our country, especially in the light of the current challenges?

Let me start with the economy. Any country run like Nigeria with a high level of uneducated and uninformed people is bound to have the challenges that we have here.

In the 21^st century, there are too many people who are still not literate, who are not educated, that’s a major problem. And this is more with our Northern brothers and sisters. Education should be at every level, something every family should have access to. Part of the focus of the government should be in educating Nigerians. It is easier to lead people who are educated than the other way round.

Now because of the poor level of education that we have in this country, democracy is not being practiced the way it ought to be

You find out that when we cannot have a lot people reason and think, it is easy to cause a whole community to detail under democracy compared to where, in the same community, a great number of the people that are enlightened. This is because the educated mind will ask intelligent questions compared to the uneducated.

People who are enlightened and educated are not quick to collect peanuts on election day and then vote out their conscience.

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The fact that people are not educated in this part of the world, is affecting our system. And it is aggravating the economic problem we have in Nigeria. So, education is a major concern for me.

I am more than concerned about our political leaders who are not very sincere. When I talk about leaders here, I am talking across the boardroom from The Presidency to the man at the local council, how did they get there, how sincere are they in spending government money; with the resources available to them, how sincere are they?

We can have our people educated, if we have the right people at the different strata of government.  I hope that men of integrity come on board, take up leadership; certain things need to be put in place but again who will put that in place if the men of integrity are not there?

We need more people who are God fearing, people who have integrity at heart and really ready to take over the mantle of leadership of this country.

Very well said, because that is part of the reason we are here today, unveiling people who have things to offer to advance their society? But would they be willing if Nigerians come calling

If I have the opportunity, I won’t mind; it’s not like I desperately look forward to it, but I pray, that we have more people of integrity and who have the fear of God to take up leadership at the different strata in society, I see things changing for Nigeria.

Can we talk a little about the home front? First, is it possible for one to amount to anything significant when the home front is not in order?

Truly, it is difficult. Though you can, but it is difficult.

Amounting to something first depends on your vision first, your purpose and your mindset.

Those three things are key.And again, I am a Christian, you must acknowledge God;  if you acknowledge God in all you do, He will show you the right way.

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Have God in your life, that’s key; also have ambition, have focus, have the right mindset.

If you want to be an engineer, what do you do? You search for the knowledge necessary to becoming an engineer etc. you want to be rich? So, consciously pursue the knowledge that would lead you to becoming rich. Identify what you want to be and consciously work towards achieving it.

If it is money, learn, get the attitude and mindset of those who have money. What you aspire to, you have to consciously and deliberately pursue knowledge that revolves around that.

So, somebody can still make economic success even when the home is challenging.

Look at the richest men in this world: Bill Gates, is he married, no. Jeff Bezos, is he still married? Aliko Dangote of Nigeria, is he married, no.  Because sometimes when you make too much success, pursuing material things and material acquisition, it affects even the home front. For this reason, there has to be a balancing. When you are able to put your house in order, there is no better joy you can have. Everything has to be at equilibrium

For me I am happily married. I have been married for over 30 years now and has been blessed with four children, and they are all graduates, one of them is out of the country and they are all doing well.

We want to specially thank you again for your time.

You are very welcome my brothers