Olubunmi Amao is the immediate Director-General, Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation. I’m this interview, she told SEGUN KASALI her life story.
LET’S look at your parental background.
My dad is the Asiwaju of Ibadanland. I was born in Kano just like my four siblings because my father met his wife in Kano and they got married there. But, when I was nine months old, my grandmother took me to Ibadan. So, I grew up with my grandmother till she died when I was eight years old.
What are the memories of your time with her?
Nobody dared touch me. If you tried, she would beat you for it. My parents were always grateful that I didn’t grow up with her till I became 18 because they thought I would be so spoilt and would not even know my right from my left.
What do you think accounted for her special interest in you?
According to stories, she had eight children and six died and when my father left for Kano with his brother, she was the only one left in Ibadan. And you know grandparents always spoil their grandchildren, but she really spoilt me silly. Anytime I was going to school, she would carry me on her back and when we finished, she would be there waiting to carry me back home.
Did you share special moments before she passed away?
She died in my arms; she was telling me I should go and wash my school uniform which I had never done before. It came as a surprise. I was like ‘when did that start? I can’t wash anything’. I remember she was using the chewing stick to brush her teeth earlier that morning. So, she now removed it with the intent of using it to beat me and I made a run for it, but she ran after me. Suddenly, she stopped and started going down. I felt like ‘this was not normal’. So, I went back to her and told her ‘I would wash the school uniform’. I just held her and we went down together. That was it. She already died and I could not get up because she was on me and I was very small. So, they came to confirm her death and I just started crying, saying ‘I would wash the uniform, please grandma’. Prior to that time, She already had her bath and everything.
So, you had to return to your parents?
When she died, I had to go back to my parents, who by then, had moved to Lagos. Despite being from a privileged background, my father was a disciplinarian; I never had that kind of experience before. It was something completely different from what I grew up with. I now started to sit up to read and concentrate better. My mum was always beating me because I was so spoilt. When I later got to England, I wrote a letter to my dad to ask him if my mom was our real mother. When I came for holiday, daddy now called me and my siblings and told me to read out the content of the letter. I was shaking while reading it. Afterwards, my mom said, ‘I just started with you people’. She does not want to know whether you are in the university or not, she would scold you greatly if you have done something that is not good.
Can you remember daddy getting tough with you and your siblings?
He told us that ‘all I have today are products of my hard work. You cannot go around gallivanting about the fact that you are the daughter or son of a rich man. You have to work hard for yourself.’ So, that encouraged us to work hard. One of my brothers once told a lady he was trying to woo that money was not a problem but how to spend it. When my father got to know, he told the lady that ‘the money this boy was talking about is my money’ and he told him that he could not brag around about his money.
My dad sent us to England, America and wherever we wanted to go. After that, you are on your own. When I graduated from school and won an award, he gave me a brand new car. In fact, I bagged a scholarship to further my education after my MBA in Finance. But, my father said no to the scholarship and rather asked me to take the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) examinations.
Why?
He wanted me back in Nigeria to do a professional course because I am his first born, but, most importantly, he wanted me to stay in Nigeria so I could manage his business. When I was doing my ICAN, I was under his financial controller. In actual fact, most of us had professional training.
Would you say strict parenting made you tough?
My parents were tough, especially my mum; she was extremely tough. After beating us for any transgression, she would still report us to our dad. From age nine, you must know how to cook. My mother was always beating me. Unconsciously, my dad had trained me to behave like a man. At the time my siblings were enjoying their holidays, he would carry me to the factory. He drilled me so much. Maybe because of that I am a little tough on my children and thank God they came out well. Two of them are pastors and one, a medical doctor who recently came to Nigeria for a programme organised by his church, Christ Embassy.
How did you come about the idea of the furniture business?
I didn’t even realise it until I got to somebody’s house and saw that things were not arranged properly the way they should be and I tried to re-arrange things for them. So, I told them what to buy and put here and there. One of my friends (Mrs. Rabiah Ajibade) now said ‘Bunmi, this is not normal o. Don’t you think you have a gift for this?’ She was the one who made me start it in England around 1979/1980.
Just like that?
I started having interest and when people started saying, ‘Come and help us arrange our house’, I would say, ‘You have to give me money’. But in actual fact, I never monetised it until I came to Nigeria. I was the one who established the furniture arm of my dad’s business before establishing mine. So, I finally went to Abuja to build a big factory because I was really established here in Lagos.
What happened thereafter?
Thereafter, the late former Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, appointed me as his Special Adviser on Tourism. Before my tenure, culture and tourism never received any recognition. But, when I came on board, we turned the tourism sector around. We collected awards due to the efforts geared towards refocusing the tourism sector in the state.
What are the traits you learnt from your parents?
Being a workaholic number one; I don’t know when to stop, especially when I am on my job or I am doing a particular job or work. Two of them are like that. Also, the fear of God. There is no way you would come from that kind of family and you won’t have the fear of God in you because there is no morning, we don’t pray.
How have you been relaxing since you left CBAAC as DG?
I have not. Not quite long after I left, I was called upon to do the interior design of the Olubadan palace. That is what I am doing now as I am talking to you. This is not a matter of resting. I love what I am doing now because that is what I had long been doing; furniture, interior decoration and others. So, calling me for this project is indeed a great honour.
What do people not know about you?
The thing is I am not the kind of person you won’t know once you are close to me because I am too open and some people take me for granted. If you come to my house, I can tell you my life story from beginning till the end, but that does not mean I am stupid or foolish.
What do you want people to remember you for?
I want people to remember me for my simplicity and humility. My father taught us not to be arrogant and that whatever position you are, let people see the humility in you. I am very friendly, easy-going and down-to-earth.
What are your favourite songs?
I love Nathaniel Bassey, especially his ‘He Has Done It’ track. I love many other gospel songs too.
What is your advice about life?
My advice is that we should start thinking out of the box. You must be determined and resolute that all that is going on must not affect you. We should start thinking of the gift God has given us. Bring out that gift and do something about it.
What advice would you give your successor?
God will guide her to do better than I did.
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