How I managed to train my children as a butcher –Deacon Olukunmi Okunola

By Agatha Emeadi

The story of Deacon Olukunmi Okunola is a very inspiring and motivational one, which demonstrates that a person of strong conviction and determination can achieve whatever he sets out to do, which is honourable and commendable.
Deacon Okunola was prevented by poverty from getting a good education. But seeing the children of his well-to-do customers he was fired up to train his children.
He was not dissuaded by the fact that he was a butcher, but rather held on to his dream to give his children a good education which he did not get.

You are a butcher with passion for education. Did you go to school?
I went to school, but stopped at Primary Six level and got the First School Leaving Certificate. I attended Bantus Methodist School in Ibadan, Oyo State. I have always loved education right from my childhood. But my parents were poor. They would have loved me to take my education to a higher level than primary school, but they did not have the money to pay for me. When I wrote the common entrance examination, I passed very well, but my father became seriously sick and because of that my desire to further my education was annulled. Though he did not die, the sickness was terrible. He could not stand and could not do anything. It was only my mother that was taking care of my father and my other siblings, all boys.
Are you the first son?
No, I am the second son.
Did your other brothers go to school?
Yes, one proceeded to secondary school on his own before going to learn a trade.
I learnt that two of your four children are medical doctors, one is a journalist and another is a mathematician. Was it you that chose the courses they studied in the university?
It is a long story
Please tell us the story?
What inspired and strongly motivated me to encourage them to study very well was what I saw and experienced when I was learning a trade. There is a place called Ademuyiwa at Apapa Road in Lagos. That was where I learnt a trade over a period of three years. Thereafter, I took permission from my master to start off practicing the trade on my own. In 1981, the governor of Lagos State at the time was Alhaji Lateef Jakande, who built about 1,000 shops at Iponri Shopping Centre. The shops were rented by important people. So, from Ademuyiwa in Apapa, I would carry meat on my head in a metal basin and go to the shopping centre to sell to the owners of the shops who were mostly well to do women. From going there, I began to get customers from among them. After one year, Governor Jakande added a section of new shops for butchers, and my master, Buraimo, rented one of the shops. It was not a lock-up shop, but an open one. So, I moved from Apapa Road to Iponri. All those rich women at Iponri were my customers, including Mummy Doja Otedola (the mother of Femi Otedola, the billionaire). Even her husband, the late Pa Michael Otedola and his rich son, Femi, I knew all of them. I used to sell meat to Mummy Doja.
Was the family living at Iponri then?
No, she had a shop at Iponri then. Then, there was another woman calledl Iya Bola, whose husband was a member of the House of Representatives in Lagos State. That was the woman that advised me most. The woman had two children, a boy and a girl. If I went to sell meat to Iya Bola, the two children would be speaking English which I did not understand. In response, I would speak Yoruba to them and they would laugh at me. On one of the days, I told Iya Bola that I would like my children to be like hers. The woman said, yes, you can achieve it. But be serious in your business; do not marry many wives and do not have many children. The woman advised me well and that got me interested.
Were you married then?
No, I am talking of 1981 and 1982. I was young then. Iya Bola used to buy a lot of meat from me. She would buy for her mother, friends and even her dog. She could buy one cow; I would kill it and share it into various portions for her. It was her advice and seeing her children that encouraged me to train my children.
Do you still see Iya Bola or the Otedolas?
No, it has been a long time. That was in the early 80s before I left Iponri for Agege abattoir. Every one is aged now. They might not even recognize me.
When you eventually got married, did you tell your wife about your ambition to give your children good education?
Yes, of course, I told her. In fact, I told her that I would not have many children. I told her categorically that I wanted three children, but she forced me to have four. I told her that both of us did not go to school, but I want all my children to go to school. You and I are in the same category, we ended at Primary Six. She understood what I said  and supported me in training the children. She did not give me headache. So, with one day at a time, we were able to do it. I must also confess that it was not an easy task at all. Two of my children could call me from two different schools, ‘Daddy, I need money o.” By God’s grace, I would respond.
Did you support yourself with contributions popularly known as ajo?  
We even did more than ajo. If I had N1,000, I would meet my household needs with N300 and save N700 for them. I realized that if one could not sacrifice or deny himself certain things for them, one could not train the children. Again, if your wife did not support you, you might also not get it right because their telephone call could come to you at any time. It was a joint effort. The days we starved and the days we ate in plenty were recorded; but the focus was to equip the children educationally.
Were they in school at the same time?  
They were in school all through, it was just that the senior one would be first to enter. So, for years we were on school matters. There were times I borrowed money when they called me. Now that they have graduated, sincerely, I do not count it as an achievement; instead I see it as my responsibility to train my children.
What was their performance in school?
They did well. I did not want to hear that any of them failed or had a carryover in any course because of financial lack. So, when they called, even if I did not have money, I would borrow and pay back later.
As a butcher, your trade will always bring women to you? How did you stay away from them?
The good advice of Iya Bola and family responsibilities held me back. Their financial demand can come at any time. Again, there was no money to throw at other women. Moreover, what was I looking for? My parents were Christians and my father was an elder in the Methodist Church. I thank God for everything. We were raised as Christians. I am the praying type who is always reading the Bible, praying and observing my fasting every Friday.
How did you meet your wife?
We met at Iponri Shopping Centre. She was a salesgirl in one of the shops that sold drinks. She was on salary then. That was where we met and got married. We did the traditional marriage according to native law and customs, but did not wed in church.
Why did you choose butchering above other skills and trades?
I chose butchering because as I told you my father was ill and every responsibility was left for my mother. I had to find a job that would enable me to earn daily income to support them (father and mother). When we agreed that I would come to Lagos in 1974, my mother used her wedding dress and her quality jewelry to borrow 50 kobo as my transport fare from our village to Ibadan and then Lagos. My mother’s younger brother carried me on his bicycle from the village to Molete in Ibadan, where I boarded a vehicle going to Lagos (Oyingbo) precisely. I paid 40 kobo and the remaining 10 kobo was my transportation fare to Badiya, where my older brother, Olalere, lived. When I explained to my brother the type of work that would fetch daily money, he took me to my master, Buraimo, who was a butcher. From there I began to learn the trade and continued with it till today. It has been 50 years of being in the business of selling meat. Initially, I used to carry meat on my head and hawk at far distances, streets and markets. Later I became a supplier to Mr. Biggs, UAC Foods, Ojota, Lagos and other companies. It was from my supplies that I got money to build my house. Then, I used to kill five to six cattle daily, depending on demand.
How is the business now?  
There is not much business now because most of those companies have closed up. Again, there are no sufficient funds too, to run the business. If I want to start the business like we used to, I need about N5 million now. Years ago, when we used to supply meat to companies, as you supplied, you were paid immediately. But that is not the situation now. Before they finally collapsed, they started owning us before payment could be made. I had boys who worked for me then. They would kill, clean, de-bone, take care of the skin and supply too.
What caused the high price in meat now?
In our supply days, one kilogramme of meat was N240. Today, it sells between N4,800 and N5,000 per kilogramme.
Is there any hope of the price coming down to that former price?
How? If it even gets to N2,000 per kilo, we should be grateful to God.