A Medical Doctor turned Politician; Dr. kehinde Ololade is the Senior Special Assistant to the Ogun State governor on health. In this Interview with our Associate Editor Olumayowa Osikanmi and Staff Writer, Adeniyi Sunday, he talks about his sojourn into mainstream politics, his personal philosophy and the personality of Prince Dapo Abiodun. (Excerpt)
SPARKLIGHT NEWS: As a trained Medical Doctor, how did Prince Dapo Abiodun find you worthy of appointment in Ogun State?
Dr. Ololade: That’s pretty interesting because I don’t know the mind of his Excellency. What I know is that towards the buildup of the 2019 election, I wanted to vie for the position of a member of the Ogun State House of Assembly and I was never a member of any political party. In order for me to do that, I realized that I needed to join a political party. So I decided to join the All Progressive Congress and as part of the things expected of me as a member of All Progressive Congress was for me to run through the party from the ward level to the Local Government Congress. I was a delegate in the Local Government Congress Afterwards they had a state congress in which I was an observer. Then after that we started the electioneering process that INEC gave out for the various political parties. I obtained the form to be a member of the Abeokuta South Constituency of the House of Assembly and along the line the primaries were done and I was not successful. As a result of that, I made up my mind that since I have been part of the electioneering process already, let me identify with one of the candidates that was successful and follow through the process that took me to Dapo Abiodun campaign council. And the rest they say is history. That’s how I got here.
Sparklight News: Having contested for primaries of member representing Abeokuta South in the Ogun State House of Assembly and losing, did you feel any set back and ever felt like walking away?
Dr. Ololade: Well, you know the truth is that as an individual, the first instinct is to run away but I was privileged to meet some veteran politicians who encouraged me to stay. They said if you are not able to be the crown, you can be the neck. If you are not the neck, you can be the hand and if you are not the hand you can be the foot. They explained to me that government is truly wide and there are so many roles that one could play much more than the role of been an elected individual. To cut the story short, I realized the driving force was my passion.
Sparklight News: Did you ever have a dream of serving your people while growing up?
Dr Ololade: Well, I know mine is the case of an individual that spent a whole lot of time leading people. I have been privileged all the way from Secondary School when I started as an Assembly Prefect. At the University, I was in the college of Medical Students Association as an Assistant Secretary. After some time, I became the vice president of the University of Lagos Student Union. After graduating from Medical School, I became a house officer and I was involved in the campaign for the Association of Resident Doctors. Later I became the secretary of the Association of Resident Doctors Lagos Teaching Hospital and Lagos State branch House internal auditor. Afterwards, I became the National Assistant Secretary of the Nigerian Medical Association. I realized early in life that much more than academic assignment was leading people and the community assignment. So I have been serving people all my life.
Sparklight News: What is your relationship with the people of your constituency?
Dr. Ololade: I have a cordial relationship with them and I try to meet their needs while those bigger than me, I take it to my superiors and the relevant agencies in government that can support and help in that regard. I remembered I promised a bore hole during the campaign and God has used me to fulfill the promise even outside Government before this appointment came, I did it with personal funds.
The beautiful thing is that coincidentally some of the people in my home waiting right now are CDA members of my constituency. So I’ve had a long lasting relationship with them.
Currently, I’m still trying to find a footing on how to do it while in government because you know how it is that your office comes with a lot responsibility to your people. I continue to meet with them. So that’s what we keep doing. We work hand in hand. Once of the things we realize is that, the challenges are enormous. The available resources are minimal and we try to prioritize and see which is best.
Sparklight News: What has been your contribution to the development of the State since your appointment?
Dr. Ololade: My job is to support the health system particularly, the Governor, Honorable Commissioner, the Special Adviser and so on. I have been very supportive in the isolation centers and I am privilege to sit in the health sector team.
Sparklight News: Governor Abiodun is currently leaving no stone unturned while touching every aspect of the state which suggests there is plenty of work. As a member of the cabinet, when do you have time to rest?
Dr. Ololade: Well, the beautiful thing is that as human beings, one has his limit no matter how interesting. I am one of those that can work under a whole lot of pressure and when it is time to sleep, even if they are playing Fuji music next to me, I can sleep. When sleep comes, it has come. I don’t toy with it. I can do every other thing, I can stress myself, I can go long hours but when it is time to rest, i knock off and that has really helped me. I try not to put myself under pressure. When I get to a particular level, and I am done, I’m done.
(Cuts-in)
So you do find time to rest?
Dr. Ololade: Yes, I do especially on weekends especially when there is no political meetings, and i spend time as much time as possible with my family.
Sparklight News: I want to believe that before his Excellency appointed you as the senior adviser on health, he must have an element of trust in you that you can deliver. Can you talk about the challenges of the office you are occupying?
Dr. Ololade: There must be challenges. There is no school that you can learn how to be a Senior Special Adviser. There is no school for this. To treat patients, you learn that in school and other professions. The challenges of the office are playing the role of a support staff and the challenges of identifying where to keep quiet and when to speak. The challenges of how to contribute to a system as a supporting individual are the basic challenges. There can also be the challenges of the fact that when you are already used to a structured assignments and now you find yourself in an assignment that has to do with a lot of people. Lastly, how to work as a member of a team is also something one is learning on the job.
There is another challenge that I encountered which is because I love politics. So when I look at things, I look at it scientifically and it also has this political colouration. So how do I separate my politics from my science? So it can be a challenge.
Sparklight News: Political appointment is a great feat but your own came at time when the country was battling with Corona Virus and the End SARS protest. How have you been able to balance your work role coupled with the stress and pressure to deliver?
Dr. Ololade: The thing that worked for me is when you find yourself in a dynamic team. I am privileged to be in a team that has one commissioner, Special adviser, Permanent secretary, senior special Assistant such that I also have a lot of Civil servants, that worked hand in hand with such that we shared the assignments. I’ve learnt with them, I have shared my experiences with them also. So, when we do things as a team, we achieve more than when we do it as an individual. That has been my working tool and that has really worked for me.
Sparklight News: Away from politics, can you recall how you met your wife?
Dr. Ololade: I actually met my wife at work basically at the hospital. My wife’s elder brother’s daughter was being treated. I saw her three times within the same day so the second time in the same day, I said to myself that “if I see her again there must be something” So, I saw her again on that same corridor and I called her. As an individual prior to that, I already had a check list of what to do and I had four basic things I was looking for in a woman. As we were interacting, I was just doing my checking, check 1,2,3 and 4. So basically, that was how we met. Along the line, she had to go and serve in Jigawa and i had to encourage her by visiting her and that was the only time I went to Jigawa. I took the decision quite late so I didn’t follow a straight bus. I followed the bus that was having problems on the road and I didn’t get to Jigawa till the following day. A 13-14 hours journey took me 24 hours. The bus was getting spoilt and we were jumping from bus to bus.
Sparklight News: I believe you’ve never regretted taking that decision.
Dr. Ololade: No, it is 10 years now I’ve been grateful to God for allowing me taking that decision. They’ve been managing me because they’ve been through a lot of challenges in the period when an individual is involved in church work, politics and hospital. Three of them as individual assignment. I keep appreciating her, I keep pleading with her. I remember when we were doing our introduction, we declared it to her and her family that this individual has three aspects; he does a bit of church work, politics and science.
Sparklight News: So can you recall your fondest memory when you were growing up.
Dr. Ololade: My fondest memory was when I went to Apapa amusement park. My father will take us there with my mother and my family. We just have fun. I remember all those skate, roller coaster and the horse we just go with the car. Those are the fun areas and I remembered when I traveled to Abeokuta once or twice with my father. I remember those roads very well there’s a way I look into the car and see how they use to turn. So anytime I pass through that road I have that nostalgia that this is the road. You know the mirage on the road as you keep moving it keeps disappearing.
Sparklight News: Your biggest accomplishment?
Dr. Ololade: To venture into Politics is my biggest accomplishment. I remember very well that one person told me that ” Oga why are you afraid? You don’t have to be afraid because I was hesitant and I must really appreciate my friends because I raised the money to obtain the form I used to contest in 48 hours. When I took the decision I had only two thousand but within 48 hours I was able to raise 1.35 million. My friends gathered together, some gave me five thousand, some 15 thousand and that was how I rallied through the campaign period and the passion was there to keep me going. That’s why I keep encouraging people that even if they do not have the funds, start something.
Sparklight News: Your personal philosophy?
Dr. Ololade: My school of thought is that people should see challenges as opportunities. I have been privileged to see four or five challenges that are major and each of them I keep surmounting them. Some took three months to surmount, some took years to surmount, and some take patience to surmount. Irrespective of the size of challenge whether its health or financial, whether its emotional, or political, they must always have the feeling that life is not all or none. There are so many levels between all and none.
Sparklight News: Can you describe the personality of your boss, “Prince Dapo Abiodun”?
Dr. Ololade: From my interactions with his Excellency, I see that he is very detailed. He is an entrepreneur and a business person. Prince Abiodun is a very magnanimous person. There are so many times that I will get annoyed and my boss will not be annoyed. If you look at his pedigree, he has seen both side6 of the coin and that for me as an individual is an inspiration to me.
Sparklight News: If you are called upon by his Excellency to attain a bigger position after this tenure, how would you handle it?
Dr. Ololade: I will take it with my full chest because I have a lot of belief in his Excellency and I have a belief that God on my side in and out of the office, I am still going to be in his team. That’s a decision that I’ve made. I remember very well that when we were campaigning for his Excellency, for us to come into this Abeokuta, we came with the car and people would be scared to be identified with us. We were not supported by the government of the day that time. We were convinced and I have been very privileged with him. In life, everyone wants to advance and have appointments. The opportunities might be local, national and international. My drive is the passion to be involved.
Sparklight News: Do you have any advice for Ogun state people?
Dr. Ololade: My advice for people of Ogun state is that they should support the building agenda of his Excellency because his agenda is based on sincerity, candidness, accountability and based on integrity driven by a man with a kind heart who is sincere.
Dr Ololade
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