In this rare encounter with the quiet First Lady of Osun State, Chief Mrs Titilayo Adeleke, she tells Saturday Tribune’s Tunde Ayanda and Segun Adebayo the usual life inside the Osun State Government House, how she met her husband and other personal things…
What does life look like in the Government House?
Nothing unusual. My day-to-day activities are basically on women and children, also on widows. I love children a lot. We need to encourage them to go to school so they can make something good of their lives in the future.
At the same time I’m preaching, not only to promote education, education due to the unemployment situation in Nigeria, I want to encourage younger people to become enterpreneurs, they should learn business and hand-work so they can support themselves.
We have a training centre here, also there are Technical Schools for those that can’t further their education, there they will learn a lot. We have about nine in Osun state, and recently the governor went to Abuja and was invited to a Tech Hub, we went there together and saw a lot of inspiring facilities. We heard they’ve been on the project of the Tech Hub in Osun State since the time of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, but now the machines are out of date and they need to be upgraded with the modern ones, my husband was so excited and he asked them to bring the equipment to Osun State, we have about nine colleges and they are going to revamp all these. I was there myself, and I’m glad to have witnessed what I saw there. They learn how to repair phones, laptops, desktops and so many other fantastic things. I was quite impressed.
The First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu came recently to Osun State. How do you plan to leverage on such visits for the betterment of Osun State?
Let me tell you how the Alternative High School For Girls came to Osun State. While representing Osun State in the committee of First Ladies in Abuja, there were lot of programmes the Renewed Hope Initiative had been doing before I joined. Senator Remi Tinubu said she already built an Alternative School for Girls in Agboju, Badagry, and she told us about the joy when it was opened and the women and girls had the chance to go back to school. She said she learnt Bauchi also had something like that. In our meeting, there was a raffle draw which our chairperson, the First Lady of Kwara, Professor Olufoluke Abdulrazak, picked on behalf of the 36 First Ladies, and to my joy, at the raffle she picked Osun State out of the 36 States and that was how we got that.
The work has started and I think in the next few weeks, you will see our progress. I’m now tasked with moving around to enlighten the women in the State. The school is for the young and the old who are willing to go back to school. In side the school, there are other vocations to learn, and the Open University is also like an alternative, our mission is to get our women back to school.
Can we know a little about your background and growing up?
I was born into a Christian family, both my parents are late now. I went to Ewenla Nursery and Primary School, which was where I did my kindergarten and primary school. I left there to further at Molusi College Ijebu-Igbo, and from there to New Era where I finished my secondary education. I’m from Ijebu-Isanyin, from a family of six, I’m the only girl and the last child. I later went back to Ijebu-Ode Grammar School for my continuing education and came to Lagos. I met my husband when I was working. My company, Open Gate Finance transferred me to Osun State and I met him when his brother, Alhaji Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke was the governor of the state.
We had a courtship for three years before we decided to start having children. We are blessed with wonderful children. My husband wanted me to be a full housewife to take care of the children despite having maids helping me, but I felt I needed to go back to school. I went back, wrote my JAMB and was admitted into the University of Lagos where I studied Sociology. I later went into textile business. I stopped after a while when my husband bought a house in Lekki. I wasn’t familiar with the terrain, so I decided to go into construction and selling of building materials which I really enjoyed, but when we lost Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke, I had to come back fully with my children to Osun State. All my kids finished from Adeleke Secondary School, and also graduated from Adeleke University. I have four graduates and I’m expecting the last to graduate. I just want to give God the glory.
What were those things you enjoyed doing before you became the First Lady that you can no longer do?
I’m a grassrooter, I move around and mingle with people. I still do my usual stuff. I go out most times to the salon, eat and gist with people. I got saddened about some situations, like seeing young boys and girls running after cars, and hawking.
There was a particular boy I met hawking vegetables. He was 12 years old, and he told me he needed money to buy books. So he started growing vegetables to sell. He told me it’s from the proceeds of the vegetables that he helped himself in school and also helped his mother. I supported him in my little way and asked him to open an account. I was supporting him but sadly I lost my phone and I was unable to reach him. I always ask around for him when I go to the salon. I do engage with women and children a lot, that was my life before my husband became governor, and I still enjoy doing that. In my little way, I try to support the women, now that we are politicians. Do you know there is no budget for the office of the First Lady? I only try to do my best with the little resources I have.
Do you still cook for the governor?
Why not?
Your husband has a warm personality, as his wife and the closest person to him, how would you describe him?
My darling husband, Senator Nurudeen Ademola Jackson Adeleke is a very friendly man. He is kind and someone who can remove his two eyes to give out. He is a cheerful giver and accommodates people. Even when he is in bed, he is thinking of how to manage and help the people around him.
Has anything changed about him since he became governor?
Not at all! Up till now, he doesn’t eat alone. he eats with friends and anybody that comes in when he eats, before he became governor. He would dish the food for everybody, but because he is now governor, a little has changed, they serve him before anyone, but they all eat together. He doesn’t like seeing any woman crying or suffering.
When you first met him, what was the attraction?
His humility. He didn’t see himself as the son of a Senator or brother to the governor. He was down to earth.
He likes dancing, do you also dance?
Well, he taught me but I’m not into dancing.
Do you enjoy seeing him dance?
Of course! I love him and I love his behaviour. He likes praising God. In any situation, he is always thanking God. We passed through a lot. Whenever I was down, he would encourage me, telling me to wait for our turn and I think that was why God favoured him. If you are closer to him, you will see that was why God decided to have mercy on him. He loves to praise God. He will dance and sing, whenever I’m angry, he dances, so, what would I do? The anger will disappear.
You are a Christian, married into a Muslim family, did you experience any issues?
You know my husband had to complete the term of late Senator Adetunji Adeleke, and his late brother was a Muslim. You know in their family they practise both religions without any problem?
After his tenure in the Senate, the people said they wanted him as governor, the family initially didn’t want him to contest, but after much pressure, they had no choice but to give in.
We’ve been like that, he gave all our children Muslim names. If you love someone you need to love him with everything, so I became a Muslim and there is no problem.
Is that why you dress like a Muslim?
Yes. The Muslim sisters are always inviting me to their Asalatu.
You are so quiet and gentle, but you are married to an outgoing, cheerful man, is there no conflict?
I inherited much from my mother who was very cool- headed. My parents were friends, they were so close that we grew up knowing them like that. When my mum was about dying, she told me by the time I got married, I should love my husband and be patient, that a lot of situations would come, but I should hold strong to my marriage and that has been working for me.
I hardly relate with people, but now that we are in politics, I’ve learnt that and I now enjoy the company of others. I have some women I visit, they are my friends and I love them.
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