-
Tells City People His Success Story
-
As He Celebrates His Birthday
Tuesday 01, August, 2023, City People Publisher Dr. Seye Kehinde, celebrated UK-based philantropist, HRH Prince Ade Olagunju, bringing him to an Instagram Live Chat on his birthday. The Prince used the medium to acknowledge his contribution to humanity and the society. Prince Olagunju was happy being celebrated. During the Live chat, he told the Publisher how he started his healthcare job with his mum. Below are the excerpts of the chat.
Firstly, let me congratulate you on your birthday. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Thank you very much. My name is Prince Ade Olagunju, I am the grandson of the late Oba Abeni Ariwajoye Bolarinwa Olagunju, the Owa Olotan of Otan Igbaju. My grandfather was a king from 1925 to 1962. He was one of the longest reigning kings in Yorubaland at the time. It was just three of them that met the late Queen of Britain, Queen Elizabeth when she came to Nigeria. My grandfather Oba Abeni Olagunju, with his very good friend and the Ooni of Ile-Ife late Oba Aderemi. She was very happy to meet my grandfather. That was the template of my life. Then my own father Prince Ezekiel Abobagbe Olagunju who was the first medical personel in Ila-Orangun, he was a Medical Doctor, trained by the British. That was where I picked up my health care career at the early age of 8 years.
That means your grandfather and your father have motivated you in life?
Yes, my grandfather was the person that changed the course of Osun State. In fact, he was an herbalist before he became a King. The work of herbalist then, was just like that of a medical practitioner. He was taking care of people then, by helping people and solving their health issues before he became a King. My father also was trained by the British as a Medical Doctor and he had a clinic in Ila-Orangun, which was the first private clinic in Ila-Orangun. He was given a title as the Agbomola of Ila-Orangun. Had the same title as my late father. I can say with all boldness that my forefather and my father, impacted so much in me in the area of healthcare and this in no small way motivated me to go into the healthcare industry. I want to emphasise that healthcare job is in my blood. I’m not doing it for money but making sure that I give back to the community and that I continue in the steps of my fathers. It was the good thing that my grandfather and my father did that made my mother to marry my father.
Can you tell us a bit about how your mother influenced you?
My mother was a beautiful young lady trained by the British and her father was a Catechist, people who interprete for the Rev. Fathers. Her father was a very religious man. But the day my mother wanted to start teaching as a young lady, she went to the back of the house to urinate and as she was coming back, she fell down and that was how she could not walk again, at the age of 25 years. Back home in those days, they believed that they bewitched her since they were not civilised to know that if someone is disabled it is not the end of the world. Because of my mother’s physical challenge, she was unable to find a husband. It was my uncle who was my father’s confidant that gave my mother to my father. When my father responded to my uncle, he said “I am happy that you gave me your daughter but she can not walk, she is disabled” It was a joke and shortly after, my mother became pregnant which resulted to my birth. I have a lovely step mother and step brothers and sisters.
One morning, I woke up as a young boy, at the age of Eight years and realised for the first time that my mother could not walk. All other mothers were going around but my mother could not walk. I could remember how one of my uncle’s wives abused my mother because she request to use her “poo” and she was insulted in my presence. My mother was crying and I was crying. I was a young boy then, so my mother said anytime she wants to use the toilet, I should bring the “poo” for her. That was the first care work I did. That was the beginning of my career, my mother was very kind, wise, and a forgiving woman. She was very religious as a Catholic, she used to pray every midnight and every mid-day. She said I may not live long to take care of you but your father is a good father, therefore, be good to him. Many people do wonder why I always talk about my father. I will ask, how many men from a royal family would stoop so low to marry a physically challenged person? In those days, it was like a taboo. My mother told me in tears that I should always appreciate my father because he was the one that brought me to this earth through her. So, I always give God the glory everyday. I remember my past every minute. That humbles me everytime and it reminds me to help people of less privilege.
Where did you grow up?
When my mother was in her 4th month of pregnancy and seeing her physical challenge, she travelled to Ado Ekiti where I was given birth to. I was few years old when I went back to Ila-Orangun. I had my early education at Ila-Orangun, I went to Roman Catholic Primary School, Ila-Orangun, I went to Agboade Grammar School, Ilaorogun. Then I went to Igbokojo Grammar School, Ibadan. It was from there I travelled out of the country. When I got to Britain, I was not expecting anything and before then my parents had died. Since then, it remained only me. I came to Britain about 30 years ago, I educated myself from College to University. I studied Healthcare and I worked in a Care home under this great man called Allan Shudder. I also worked with many healthcare homes and my experience in the industry was never in question. When I was in the University, I worked as a Taxi driver, and still worked in the healthcare sector. It was there I realised that this is what I was born to do, because, there were a lot of people in situations similar to my mother’s there. That was the beginning of me thinking of helping people, and to establish my own home care company. In 2016, God gave me the favour to start my own business, called Rainbow Outreach and Healthcare Solutions Limited, with over 300 staff. Sometimes I do wonder how I got to this stage but I always thank God for supporting me.
What are the lessons life has taught you, looking back at how you started your life?
What I learnt in life is, you must go through “pain”, what people call trial, but I call it training, and that training helps you to manage and keep yourself in check until you get to where God is taking you to. Lets talk about the word of God. It is easy for God to evacuate the Israelites from Egypt but God the supreme did not do that, He took them to the wildnerness and told Moses, “when you will be rich and doing well in your mission in the years to come remember me”. People who never had it bad in life, never appreciate God. That is why I always tell people what I have seen and learnt from my previous boss, Allan Shudder. Allan Shudder was selling clothes on the streets. What life has taught me is number one, to forgive. To appreciate every single day of my life and create a culture of giving, not only money, not just giving them money and cloth, giving them life, let people have what will help them to help others. I have helped a lot of people not because I want to take the glory but for them to be responsible and help somebody else, that is how life should be. I am happy for everything that I have faced in life, that has caused me such pains, as I put them together and work hard to make sure people I come in contact did not go through pains in life.
At what point did you become this deeply religious?
I was ordained Pastor, I had a church. In the Bible, Job said what I fear most has happened to me and it happened. You can do church business and you can do ministry business, what I am doing at the moment is ministry. My business is to help people in a way, to make life better for them. The Rainbow Outreach and Healthcare is divided into two parts. The outreach is the ministry aspect while the Healthcare is the business area. So, I am no more in the Church as a Pastor, I am in the Ministry to fulfil their destinies.
The name Rainbow, does it quite bring your people together or what?
Rainbow is a symbol of perfection. Rainbow is when all hope is gone. Every human being wonders how it is colourful and beautiful from one end to another. It reminds everyone that there is somebody over there, that is God Almighty that has the remote control of that rainbow. It is a sign that, whether you are in pain today, that tomorrow you will be smiling and rejoicing. That is why I said Rainbow stands for perfection.
Send Us News, Gist, more... to citypeopleng@gmail.com | Twitter: @CitypeopleMagz
