Being born into life of comfort and affluence means nothing to Rotimi Odutola but striving to attain success and fame is the ultimate because these are traits that run in the family. In this piece, OLAOLU OLADIPO looks at the life of a never- say- die amputee, who, despite certain set backs in life, has vowed to continue to work towards success as well as to impact positively on the lives of others.
Comfortably seated in one of the numerous sofas in his cream colour coated office, located in the heart of Gowon Estate, Lagos, Mr. Rotimi Odutola could easily pass for any other person on the street. Nothing in his mien betrayed any sense of loss, at least physically.
Clad in light brown-coloured guinea brocade, he wore the picture of happiness and self-contentment, seen in any achiever, though he had mastered that art of surmounting odds to achieve success long ago.?
Boisterous and full of life, Odutola who had looked forward to the interview session that had been arranged, had just devoured a bowl of hot pounded yam and vegetable soup, stating his regret that our correspondent came around some few minutes late as he would have liked to have him join him in savouring the delicacy.
Done with the food, his attendants soon came around to help in clearing the table of the dishes preparatory to the scheduled interview that later spanned over an hour, where he had an opportunity to recall the bitter-sweet tale of his sojourn on earth.
The seeming loss soon manifested when he tried to stand up from his sofa to the executive chair but had to seek aid from those around who promptly came to assist him. “You are surprised that I had to call on people to assist me”, he asked? “I lost my limb six years ago to diabetes, I only have just one limb, the other one on my left is an artificial one,” he said.
According to him, the unfortunate incidence became an anti-climax to his flourishing business endeavours leaving him in penury and the need to start all over again.
Born 58 years ago in Lagos Island to the illustrious Odutola family of Ijebu Ode and Obafemi Ajayi family of Lagos, he said: “The late Chief Adeola Odutola (first President of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria) was my uncle, he was not the only entrepreneur we had, we also had late Alhaji Jimoh Odutola,” he stated in a tone laden with pride and sense of fulfilment.
His father was late Alhaji Muktar Olanrewaju Odutola, a retired official who worked at the colonial government’s printing press.
“My mother was Princess Adenike Obafemi Ajayi Odutola who was a business woman and a market leader in her days before she also died sometimes in the 1980s”.
According to him, he inherited the disease from both parents saying the scourge has ravaged the family leaving only three out of the eleven children alive. Recollecting in sad tone, he said “We lost eight of them to diabetes”.
In my own case, what I suffered was adult manifestation of diabetes which I tried very hard to manage until it took the turn for the worse in 2006 necessitating the amputation of my limb after over three months in the hospital.
Managing to summon up courage, Rotimi relived his early childhood, saying, “I grew up in Kaduna with my siblings, we were born there as our father was a government worker who was always being posted across the country by government. It was while we were at Kaduna that the civil war broke out”.
Being very curious and inquisitive, he soon became a willing tool in the hands of various newshounds across the country that trooped to Kaduna to get scoops after the event. He soon became a toast to many of them who usually lured him away from home by inducing him with milk and in return took them round the various spots where the incidents took place.
Oblivious of the inherent dangers, his media friends did well in their publications to shield his identity to prevent any form of backlash from those who might have sought to take his life for the audacious acts but his parents were not in anyway amused when the information got to them.?
Though he had initially secured admission to St. John's College (now Rimi College) in Kaduna, he was spirited back to the south where another admission was secured for him at the popular Egbado High School in Igbogila, Ogun State from where he completed his secondary school education.
After his secondary education, he joined the services of Central Bank of Nigeria where he spent 17 years working in various departments of the apex bank such as investigation, surveillance, litigation, bank and computer fraud among others.
While there, he became the toast of many in view of the assignments that he undertook, which came across as tough and risky owing to the personalities and stakes involved for those in it.
“My appointment with the CBN was terminated unceremoniously. I realized that it was due to the nature of my assignments in the bank that I knew too much”. He added that “Looking back, I believe I had become a threat to the management due to the assignments I carried out”.
Odutola who said he harbours no ill-feelings over the move however, still feels betrayed, “It was a betrayal of trust, my friends knew how I was loyal to the bank and how I took my job diligently. It was a shock to me and the entire workers at the Central Bank.
In spite of the not-too- cordial situation in which he parted ways with his employers, Odutola still has kind words for the CBN which he said has had to come to his aid from time to time by prompt payment of his gratuity and pension. He also stated with gratitude that the bank undertook the upkeep of his wife and his last child who was given birth prematurely when the retirement came.
To him, the retirement had paid off as it has converted itself into a success story as all endeavours have proved very successful. “I was able to establish many businesses in Gowon Estate when I left the services of the Central Bank of Nigeria with a vow not to seek paid employment again.”
Since then, he has ventured into different types of businesses such as cement sales and block making, property and real estate, hospitality, fish farming among others from time to time depending on economic dictates.
Recalling his not-too-pleasant story with diabetes, the ailment which assumed a dangerous level necessitating his hospitalization for about 110 days and culminated in his eventual amputation, He said: “I lost so many resources trying to fight it off but in the end paid by losing my limb”.
Naturally, the stay in hospital drained his finances, which made him very poor, as he used the money accruing from the sale of some of his property located somewhere in Alimosho to foot his medical bills. “Many of the doctors at a stage, because they didn’t know me asked me to go out to seek for financial aid from people for treatment”.
According to him, a turning point came when residents rallied around to provide monetary succour for him to start off again with a new form of fish farming business which, like the ones before it boomed. “I was able to rehabilitate myself with the fishing business.”
There were series of ceremonies that were organized by different groups within the estate to welcome him back but he has vowed not to allow his disability slow him down on his numerous social engagements. “I have no other choice but to rededicate my life to God.
“If I had known that I had so much endowment and business acumen, I would not have joined the Central Bank. Though, I concede that it has a way of moulding people’s lives? positively. Nigerians must cultivate the virtue of self, reliance and not to look for white collar jobs.”