As a young banker, men were intimidated to ask me out –Sinatu Ojikutu, former Lagos State Deputy Governor

Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu

Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, former deputy governor of Lagos State, shares her life experiences with ADEOLA BALOGUN

If you are asked to thank God at 70, how would you go about it?

The Christians will say we dance with cymbals, and bells and drums and glorify God. That will be one aspect of the celebration. The other one is that of sober reflection about all that has passed. It will be full of thanksgiving. And as we say in Islam, while you are thanking God, you are asking for forgiveness and at the same time, asking for mercy. In life, it is not how you started but how you end.

To me, it is an end of an era and the beginning of the extra one and it has to be spent in the service of God.

Will it be appropriate to call you a Lagos girl?
Very much so. I am a Lagos girl with an ingrain of Ekiti inside me. I don’t think anybody can be a Lagos girl more than I am. I was born and bred in Lagos; I was actually born at the Mercy Children Hospital. I started my elementary school in Lagos but along the line, because of what I learnt my mum saw as being precocious, she decided to send me to Ekiti where people are reputed to be studious. I was there to finish my primary school. For those years, I was in Ekiti for the school period while I was in Lagos for all the holidays. Ekiti discipline and austerity mingled with Lagos thrills and pomp in my life. Right from that period, I knew what it meant to have and not to have. This disciplined me a lot. Whenever I was in Ekiti, I never complained there was no meat in the soup or there was no electricity or tap water running. I blended with the people there and they loved me for that. Anytime I was in Lagos, I never missed Ekiti and anytime I was in Ekiti, I never missed Lagos. I would go and fetch water from the stream before we had a well at the back of our house in Ekiti and I enjoyed playing by the moonlight. Life in Ekiti was the complete opposite of what obtained in Lagos and it was amazing how I was able to cope. My siblings were brought over but they couldn’t withstand it and they ran back. God gave me the grace to be able to live in both worlds without any challenge.

How was girl education at that time?

It depended on one’s background and parentage. I had parents that were educated; my father by the standard of that time, was a rich man and it did not play with the education of his children. So also was my mum. All of us girls were given education. In those days, there were girls who did not go to school for one reason or the other. There was a particular girl that lived with us and actually worked for her male siblings to be through school and I found it odd at that time.

Where did you school in Lagos?

I went to one of the famous schools in Lagos at that time, Ereko Methodist School, a mixed school. My eldest sister went to Aunty Ayo while all of us went to Ereko Methodist School. After Ekiti, I went to Ladies of Apostles in Ijebu Ode and I was into athletics and sports like netball, the forerunner of basket ball. In the university, I did javelin and short-put. I was not a bookworm as such but I enjoyed reading. You would always find me in the library reading fiction.

What was your dream profession then as a schoolgirl?
This is an interesting aspect of my life. I never dreamt about anything I wanted to be in life; rather I only knew what I was not going to be. Most of the schools I attended then did not have sciences taught on a serious scale, perhaps I would have gone into sciences. I knew I didn’t want to be a typist because I didn’t want to be a secretary; I knew I didn’t want to be a lawyer even though my father was one. Right from the word go, I said I could not see white and call it black. At least I was sure of those two professions but I was open to other professions. My elder sister wanted to become a doctor even when we were not exposed to sciences. It was a serious setback for her. I was very good at reading and my English was one of the best; in fact I was an A student in English. I said I wanted to study a course that would allow me to move anywhere and I was lucky someone introduced me to economics. That was how I studied economics at the University of Lagos.

How was Unilag at that time?

Unilag at our own time, in terms of lifestyle, was a little higher than secondary school; it was restrictive. Those of us who wanted to prove that we should be freer as undergraduates ran foul of the university authorities. There was a time I was pulled out of hall of residence and asked to come from home for a semester because they said I came in after 7pm. We had some female lecturers and minders then who tried to oppress us. It wasn’t even me that came in late but I was not allowed to explain myself. The woman lecturer in charge then didn’t want to hear my explanation. I was written a letter and I wrote back but they said my letter was rude. It was a serious aspect of my life that could have cut short my education if the woman had her way. The next thing I had was I was referred to the senate and I had to engage the services of a lawyer. The woman referred the case to the senate and asked the university to expel me. The university senate sat down and looked at the case and instead asked me to come from home for one semester just to pacify the female lecturer. We later became friends but if she had her way, I would have been expelled for something I didn’t do. That incident encouraged me to champion causes of oppressed people. I was very popular among the male students then. I was privileged enough to have meal vouchers which I usually distributed among indigent students quietly though. Somehow, it became known and I was known as someone that gave out meal vouchers. The males were very warm with me and when some people felt females should be put forward for the position of vice president of the students union, my male friends approached me and encouraged me to contest with two other female candidates. My votes doubled those of the two females put together and that was how I emerged as first elected female vice president of the students union.

So that was where the politics started?

Of course, yes. Actually, the politics started from home. My father was a politician but of a special breed. He was one of the three that refused to cross carpet in those days in Lagos politics. He ran for election into the City Council as a councilor or something and politics then was interesting. The highest then was to twist names of opponents unlike the evil things politicians engage in nowadays. There was no violence and Lagos politics was quite interesting then. Later, my father went to the Western House of Assembly then as an independent candidate representing Ekiti. He was NCNC but because he could not run on its platform, he became an independent candidate. After the crisis in the Western Region, he came back home and said he was done with politics. He actually didn’t practise law as such; he quit politics to go into business. That in a way helped in shaping my life, that you don’t have to cut corners before you can amount to something in life. Despite quitting politics when he did, God still blessed my father with wealth.

When you came out of the university, did you work?

Interestingly, when I graduated, I was not under any pressure to work as others who had family members to cater for. My father left a will that all his children should be allowed to attain any level of education they desired; he died in 1959. I was living with an elder brother who was a judge. One day, he had guests from a bank who held a meeting with him. I served them refreshment as a dutiful sister and when he was introducing me to the guests, he said here is my sister that just graduated from the University of Lagos. Not that I didn’t want to work, in fact some of my mates were given appointments right from campus; some entered the civil service but I didn’t want that for my life. One of the guests engaged me in a conversation and asked me what I studied and what I intended to do and I said I didn’t know yet. The man asked me whether I would like to work with them (They were from National Bank). He asked me to apply which I did. I was interviewed and was given a job. Incidentally, my father was one of the original directors of the bank. That was how I joined National Bank. I was the first female university graduate the National Bank employed and I was working with Mr. J A Adebayo who was working directly with the General Manager. I joined banking as a senior executive, working as his assistant. We were on the executive floor. Later, I decided I wanted to go to operations and I was posted to Ibadan. Before I left the National Bank, I wrote a letter warning that with the underhand practices that I noticed, the bank might be heading for trouble. Whether my letter was given credence or not, I didn’t wait to see because immediately I dropped it, I went off to America for my Masters. Then, it was very dangerous for anyone to write such a letter. I already got my visa, arranged my travelling and I just took off as soon as I put in my resignation and the warning letter. I went for my Masters at Long Island University in America where the Central Bank of Nigeria spotted and recruited me. In fact, when I came back with CBN, I met some of my former colleagues on Broad Street who said National Bank had not crumbled, just to remind me of my prediction but not long after, the bank went into distress. I saw it coming especially when I was in the supervision department. I was overseeing our operations in the western region up to Asaba. I had to tour the branches to examine the books and I observed a lot of bad practices going on at the National Bank. Managers would just die in accidents and all that. For me, anytime I was travelling, the driver would drive me out but as soon as we were out of reach, I would take over the steering wheel and I warned my driver to keep the knowledge to himself. So at the branches, they would not even want me to check the books, they had already prepared gifts for me to take back. They would put all sorts in my car but I would just distribute all those things to women along the road. My driver was not happy but I compensated him by buying things for him with my own money. God just gave me that vision to be very careful but I did not remain so long in the department before I asked to be transferred to operations but the little I saw informed the warning letter I wrote.

In all, how many years did you spend with the National Bank?

I was with the National Bank from 1970 to 1973 and I had two promotions. I worked with Mr. Adebayo who was a disciplinarian and it impacted so much on me. He was a strict boss but very kind and knowledgeable. We were young and we were the toast then but I never experienced any sexual harassment or any senseless propositions from men. I worked with men who were disciplined and being a female university graduate was such a big deal then. The men knew I was on the same level with them and nobody dared tell me any nonsense; the respect was there. I was not even the kind of person to tell nonsense; men then found me intimidating to ask out even though I had more male friends than the females. Many females always wondered how I found it easy to relate to men which was not easy for most of them then. Even for you to say you wanted to befriend me, you had to really think about it. In fact, I had a man who came to me and said he had really been admiring me and I then asked him to say exactly what he wanted. You know, girls would not ask you what you want, they already assume that they know what you want. But in my own case, I would ask you to state precisely what you wanted and pointedly. Along the line, people would malign you if they could not get you. There was nobody I could not approach. I remember walking in to meet Mr. Ola Vincent then at CBN that I wanted to be in operations. He said he had seen my letter but that he considered it uncommon to take women there. He said supposing I was transferred to a very far place in the east and I told him I had worked in a commercial bank and knew what operation was all about. He shook his head and asked, ‘when are you getting married?’ I told him I would get married; in fact I came back from America engaged but that would not stop me from going anywhere I was transferred. I had that kind of relationship with men which many women didn’t find it easy unless when they were in bed with them. I always told them that I would rather use the brain God gave me instead of using bed to entice men. I told them that by the time I started doing that, the grace of God would desert me. So in my career as a banker, I didn’t mix work with bed and this did not endear me to the opposite sex. At CBN, I would say I was one of those who made women to be considered for positions and be posted to operations. I would wear trousers to work but I was sanctioned for it. I was told I could not wear trousers to work but I told them that I found it easier than wearing skirts that would expose my legs and cause distractions. But I was told that was not CBN culture but today, women wear trousers to work.

But eventually, a man summoned enough courage to talk to you and got engaged with you…

Oh, along the line, I had boyfriends that other females snatched from me; maybe I was not accommodating enough and the men found other girls more accommodating. My husband I met in America when I went to do my Masters. He was a graduate assistant in the university and he was among the panel that interviewed me. There were four of them sitting and I noticed that he was looking at me and because of that, I didn’t want him to be the one to interview me. Even though my turn fell to the man next to him, he still said hello, where are you from? I almost didn’t answer him but to keep his eyes off me, I said I was from Ivory Coast. Interestingly, he believed me and he lost interest immediately. Then, he was befriending a Jamaican girl. I too thought he was a black American without realising he was a Nigerian. One day, I was chatting away with a Yoruba guy, Peter Adeniji on the corridor on my way to the library and I didn’t know he passed by. After the chatting, he went to meet Adeniji to ask about the Ivory Coast girl that was chatting with him in Yoruba. Adeniji told him that I was an Isale Eko girl and laughed that I told him that I was from Ivory Coast and he believed it. Then, I was just coming from a relationship that went awry and didn’t want anything to do with men. Adeniji actually introduced us and we clicked. Even though he was Ojikutu, he left for America from Liberia. From the day one that my husband met me, he made up his mind to woo me and make me his wife. I left Nigeria not to come back for a long time and I asked him to go and visit having been away for a long time. But he insisted we got engaged before leaving. A lot of pressure was put on him to get another girl when he got to Nigeria but he stood his ground and waited for me. He fenced everyone off with my big picture in the living room and told them he already had a fiancé.

We learnt you had challenge at a time in your marriage…

Oh yes, it took me a long time to bear a child. I would conceive but I was losing the pregnancies. It was a big challenge but my husband stood solidly by me. There was this pressure from one of his sisters who wanted to control everything but God took control. My mother-in-law was the best; she stood by me throughout because that was the time I was having a rough time at my place of work. After leaving CBN, I went to head the Lagos State Transport Company which was a turbulent terrain. I took my discipline there but I met a lot of resistance from the workers and they embarked on a 21-day strike, demanding that I should be removed. I incurred their wrath when I stopped them from stealing tokens and diverting routes. I didn’t know some people were making money with leave allowances, so I insisted that anyone going on leave should have their leave allowance. That stopped funds they were using for business. I incurred the wrath of the board who wanted us to give contracts to people who would not perform or to buy things at exorbitant prices. So, I was up against the entire organisation and they planned a strike. Alhaji Lateef Jakande was the governor then. My board chairman, Mr. Soetan was with me, he understood everything; there were politicians on the board who said they must make money to recoup what they spent on campaign. Jakande investigated and decided to shut down the place. At that time, Lagos transportation depended on LSTC as there were no yellow buses then. Then, the military was in power at the centre and because of the strike, I was invited to a meeting with General Musa Yar’Adua at Dodan Barracks. Jakande said he would not remove me; the workers were sackedand he said whoever was interested in working should reapply. That was when I decided to go back to CBN but Mr. Soetan told Jakande not to allow me to go. Jakande went on air to say he had appointed me as Controller of Estates. He said the problems of Cof O would be solved once and for all as he had put a woman who knew her onions in charge. Coupled with the difficulty in bearing a child and pressure of work, my mother-in-law stood by me and pampered me. But to God be the glory, I was blessed with a child when I was appointed as executive director of the Bank for Commerce and Industry by the Babangida administration. I don’t wish any woman in marriage to be barren because our society is not kind at all.

How did you become the deputy governor?

That is another story. God has a way of rewarding hard work. At work, I was known for hard work and I followed assignments to the letter; some liked me for it while others loathed me for it. When politics came back and they were looking for a female deputy governorship candidate to pair with Sir Michael Otedola in the Nigeria Republican Convention, people who apparently had followed my track record recommended me. I was not an active politician then but a civil servant. I understand that when I was suggested and some argued that I was not a Muslim, Dr. Babatunde Fadipe who was close to Otedola campaign said I was a Muslim and mentioned my Muslim name, Sinatu. All along, I had been bearing Aderoju Ojikutu. My nomination was well received and got positive reaction and that was how I was contacted and drawn into politics. Interestingly, my work with the Cof O helped a great deal particularly in areas like Alimosho, and the new areas where people said they got their Cof O because of me. My candidature boosted Otedola’s fortune. I also learnt that Jakande played a role even from the prison then.

So, how was the office of the deputy governor?

The office of the deputy governor is what the governor wants it to be. If the governor does not want the deputy governor to exist, it will not exist and that is very sad. A good governor will use his deputy to the best advantage to assist in governance and the deputy too should not do anything to undermine her boss. It also depends on how you come about your deputy; the office is what the governor wants according to the constitution and until they assign some specific roles to it, the situation of rancor or redundancy will not change. There are some traditional roles that the deputy should handle or there should be an understanding between the governor and the deputy to work together. A deputy should be as qualified as the governor to enhance governance.

But did you work together with Otedola without any rancour?

We worked together but I was not allowed to apply the knowledge and the vision I carried to the office. There was a time that I had to say I was not a mere mirror in the office; we had people who wanted to be deputy governor more than the deputy. They had a way of going to the governor to say things to make him feel bad. They made it as if I wanted to overshadow him which was not so. I was very visible and unfortunately that proved to be my undoing. Anytime they wanted anything from Baba, they went to him and told him things to upset him, painting a picture that I was doing more than what I should do. Then, Lagos was saying we were too slow and I was trying to make the governor realise that the complaints from the populace were becoming disturbing but some people had a different opinion. At a point, the secretary to the government and myself were invited by Oba Oyekan because we were from the Island and were not relating well. I said that by the time I was done, I wanted to be able to walk on the street of Lagos without being stoned. At a point, I asked for a medical leave and thank God for that move, Baba and I would probably have had a showdown. If I did not endure and fought, probably that would have put paid to the idea of considering women for the post of deputy governor in the state.

Was it out of bitterness that you took Lagos State to court over pension?

No, I fought for my right. I actually did that from looking at the plights of the former public office holders. The Federal Government gave directives to make provisions for pension and you now made your own and say the law starts from the time of Tinubu; it is like they are saying there are two constitutions. I asked for my entitlements by first discussing with Raji Fasola and he said I should go and put it into writing which I did. I waited for two years without any response. When I sent a reminder, I got a letter that said I was not qualified. I went to court as the last resort and I got judgement that they should pay me. The government went on appeal which they have abandoned now. But the new governor has promised to do something about it.

As the former deputy governor, how did you feel when you were declared wanted for fraud about two years ago?

That was a very terrible low moment in my life. I informed the police about my travel plans even after I had repaid part of the money. This is what happened. I had forgotten about my husband’s plot of land in Lekki, so some people approached a relative of my husband with a Cof O which they claimed was for my husband’s land and she informed me. I invited my agent to investigate the land and he came back to say that the land was still vacant. But unfortunately, our own plot of land had been occupied by someone else while the agent mistook the vacant one as our own and a transaction took place. It was a genuine mistake and when my attention was called to it and the buyer demanded for a refund, I paid some and promised to balance up when I got some funds I was expecting. I never knew that some people were bent on tarnishing my reputation and blew it out of proportion. They said I had put the fraud money into my trading; I am not a trader. As I said, I informed the police I was travelling only to hear that I had been declared wanted. We settled the case anyway but I am in court over my husband’s land. We are still in court.