OLUKUNLE AKINOLA @ 90

CHRONICLES OF FIRST SURVEYOR-GENERAL IN LAGOS STATE

He is a living legend whose love for the bush struck a coincidence in his first employment opportunity at the Federal Ministry of Works in the 50s. His passion for his job aside, his dedication and commitment to duty saw him traversing the entire South-west where he rose to the pinnacle of his career in 1975 as the first Surveyor-General of Lagos State. Olukunle Akinola recounts his grass-to-grace story culminating in a fulfilling career as a civil servant, in this interview with Funke Olaode

His gold wedding ring sparkles on his fourth finger. The white apparel sits perfectly on his fresh looks. The silver frame of his glasses which he intermittently adjusted shone above his sharp eye balls. Accomplished and fulfilled, Olukunle Akinola is a human repository of the history of Lagos State. An exceptional professional, Akinola in his active career life traversed the length and breadth of the South-west displaying his professional skills. Although he retired in 1987, he remains a role model and an exemplary civil servant with a track record of integrity.

Akinola, the first of three children was born on October 31, 1931 in Ipaja, Ikeja Division of Western Region now in Ayobo-Ipaja Local Development Council Area of Lagos State. His father was a farmer and his mother-a petty trader.

The conversation began on a thankful note as he expressed gratitude to God for the gift of longevity.

“I constantly thank my God for sparing my life,’’ he began. “I look at my life and I ask myself why I am so blessed with longevity. I don’t know how old or what my dad’s age was when he died in 1954 and my mother died in 1985. But in my case, it is the grace of God. Again, I don’t over burden myself, I don’t stress myself, and my home is comfortable with supportive, caring and loving wife of 66 years.”

That Akinola is one of the outstanding public servants is an understatement. He rose through various ranks to attain the number one man in his department in Lagos controlling directors. Although he retired 24 years ago, he is not tired. He still attends meetings, goes to the office and does consultancy regularly. This reporter actually caught up with him at his Ikeja office.

“I am not chasing money at this point in time,” he points out. “When I meet people like you, I talk and exercise myself. I am the President-General of the Christian Unity Band of Nigeria, (CUBN) Central Council. I have just relinquished that position last month. I gave an appointment for 12 o’clock for example, because they are coming here for some information. So I do come here to meet people, we talk and then my wife is on the other side, she is 86 years old now. So people come to me for information, for advice and that is how I spend the whole day. In a way, this is our own form of relaxation.”

Akinola might have traversed many parts of Nigeria and abroad but he remains true to himself as a one with humble beginnings. “I was told that I was born in 1931 in the kitchen. I think probably the only hospital in Lagos that was existing then was on the Island. They could not carry me from that place to Lagos. My parents had a kitchen and one side was prepared for my delivery,” he recalls.

Akinola was raised by a father who was a farmer and Lay Reader in the Anglican Communion. The spiritual foundation and self-determination rubbed off on him as he journeyed through life. “My father was a church man, he was a Lay Reader in the church and so every Sunday, we would go to church. And as a farmer, he would go to the farm. And when I was old enough to go to the farm, I accompanied him.’’

His Elementary School days were spent at St. Andrew’s Primary School, Ipaja. He proceeded to CMS Grammar School in 1946 when the ‘old’ campus was still situated at Odunlami Street. He stayed with his Uncle on Lagos Island till he graduated in 1951.

Though a focused young man, he wasn’t immune to youthful exuberance that would have derailed him. At 12 and 13, he dropped out of school for being caned by his teachers and also walked away during vaccination exercise.

“I decided to drop out of school because of the treatment I was receiving from the teachers. They used to cane us a lot if we didn’t behave well in church and in school. I didn’t enjoy it. One day, I told my parents that I wasn’t going to school again. But fortunately, my aunt convinced me that I should go back and I went back.”
And for the vaccination? “In those days, health officials used to go to schools and churches for vaccination exercise. When I was told that the people were here and for fear of the injection, and the pain, some of us including me will just jump out of the windows. And because the place from Akinyele to Ipaja was bushy, we would to go inside the bush and trek home later in the day.”

Akinola left his secondary school exactly 70 years ago. Out of the 31 students enrolled in his class, only three or four are still alive.

“Some of my classmates then include Tom Duncan, a Ghanaian; Segun Bako, who is still very much alive, Prof. Femi Pearse, who passed away recently, Olukoga, Adenuga, etc. We entered the school as teenagers and went through the laid down policy. It was during the tenure of the late Rev. Irunsewe Kale, the principal who later became Bishop of the Anglican Communion. You must get to school by 8 o’clock, we had the normal morning prayers in school. The teachers were disciplinarians. Apart from standard academic discipline inculcated in us, the extra activities in a way defined my career trajectory. I was a Boys Scout and I was a patrol leader of the First Lagos Troop.”

As a Grammarian, Akinola found affinity with the Boys Scouts because of its predilection for life in the bush which pushed him to the association in the first place. And by the time he left the famous school in 1951, his career choice was already laid out albeit unconsciously.

Moving forward, there was a problem which would have truncated his career choice. There was a policy then which stated that failure in English Language was an automatic failure in all subjects. And students had to repeat the subjects in the next sitting. “I passed out with a Grade ll Overseas Senior Cambridge School Certificate but didn’t have a good grade in Mathematics. I had to take examination by correspondence organised by the Rapid Results College to be able to meet up.”

His life as a surveyor began immediately after his school certificate. Having been influenced for his love for bush life and an in-law, a licensed surveyor Ogunbiyi who was married to his relation, Akinola joined in the exploits and never looked back.

He joined the Federal Ministry of Works in Lagos. Fortunately for him, he was sent to the Federal School of Survey in Oyo in the then old Western Region on scholarship.

He passed out from Survey school in Oyo between 1952/53 and immediately sent out to carry out survey activities in different part of the region. That was how his career started. To further develop himself in order to be grounded, he headed to the then Nigerian College of Art, Science and Technology, Enugu branch for Advanced Level after which he proceeded to South West Technical College in London. His insatiable knowledge in survey also took him to Japan. All those trainings were sponsored by the government.

Having passed the final examinations of Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors in 1964, Akinola became a chartered surveyor. He joined an exclusive list of the first set of Nigerians to become Chartered Surveyors.

Today, he is fulfilled as a pioneer but Akinola has had his fair share of the profession. Talking about the occupational hazard experienced in the cause of profession, he remembers a few scary experiences.

“I had an encounter with a snake which lived under the same tent with my wife and a young son while I was working in Apomu, now in Osun State. The survey department had tents, so when we went to our field, we put down our tents and that is where we would sleep. So my wife used to go with me but this time around she came to see me. When we wanted to move from that one to another station, we found that we were sleeping with a snake in the tent.”

Another unpleasant experience was when he was attacked by the ‘Omo Onile.” “Yes, these were omo onile, the land grabbers. They came when we were set to go and work. I think there was a conflict between the owners of the land. When we got there we were attacked. I told my labourers then that they should just be civil. I think they carried our instruments away but later we got them back. It is one of the hazards of the job.”
No doubt, Akinola has had a fulfilling career reaching the pinnacle of his career by becoming the First-Surveyor-General of Lagos State. “It has been an exciting journey,” elated Akinola says.

In 1974, I acted as surveyor general for one year. In 1975, I was promoted as surveyor-general coordinating directors who were in charge of housing and survey services. The ministries have been separated now with permanent secretaries directing their affairs. Back then, everything was under my control. He retired in 1987 from the Lagos State service.

Speaking about the revolution in the profession, Akinola is delighted that the profession is evolving from analogue to digital. “I am dazed at the revolution going on in my profession. And I thank God that I have tried my best to improve what I met on ground and still exists now. You know these days, technology has changed. I was involved in a discussion a week ago, and in one of the discussions I was lost because if I don’t even read books again, I cannot call myself a surveyor. Back then, we carried chain and everything but these days you don’t need to do that. You can just stay there and measure whatever you want to measure without disturbing anybody on the road to get your result. So, that is an improvement in terms of survey. I am satisfied that whatever I left behind is still developing.”

On his view on how government can improve on limited land to accommodate all. “It is possible. For example, when the government built developed estates with so many blocks of flats, they can assign each block to whoever wants it. So, you can do a survey and you will describe what belongs to A, B, C, and D. And the plan will show you what belongs to you and then you can register it in your name. The same thing applies to skyscrapers. In the developed world like New York which is surrounded by water, several owners can own a building.”

Akinola has been married to his childhood sweetheart, Grace Folake Akinola whom he met during his sojourn in Ibadan. She was a student of St. Theresa’s College, Ibadan when their path crossed. The lovebirds have been married for 66 years and blessed with six accomplished children.

“We have three females and three males. One is a medical doctor, Professor Oluwarotimi Akinola of (LASUTH). His wife is also a professor. The other two following him are females and then I had a set of twins. The last one is a pharmacist. We supported our children in terms of education. We are role models to them. They watch us and see what we do try to emulate us. So as a church man I try to be humble and it has helped us a lot.”
On tips on how to run a successful home, he remarked that his marriage is rooted in the word of God. And that spiritual foundation has been the bedrock that has helped his family till these days. Nevertheless, he said there is no perfect marriage as couples disagree to agree. “We disagree to agree. My wife is a person that satisfies me with regular food. She is a church woman and I am also a church man. So, our foundation of being a church couple really helped because we follow ourselves here and there so there is a close bond between us. You see what you like me to do I will do. What I don’t like, don’t do it.”

And the only life lesson that has remained with Akinola in his 90 years is ‘Make hay while the sun shines’ which means work while you work and play while you play because procrastination is a thief of time. Never leave till tomorrow what you can do today.

At 90, is Olukunle Akinola afraid of death? “Any time death comes I am ready to go and heaven is my landing station. I am fulfilled as a professional, husband and father. So, if I die today, I have no regrets. Although I read in the papers of people who are over 100, 105. If you are lucky and God allows you to stay so long it is okay, otherwise when you have peace of mind and there is no problem at home, your house is good, your family is well, when the time comes you go to be with your maker,” he concluded.