I Look for Positive Side in People

How did you become an educationist?
I retired from the famous Corona Group of Schools recently. I am an old student of Corona. I didn’t start as an educationist. I was a banker many years ago in the United Bank for Africa (UBA). I was a trainer in the Money Market Association. I was a facilitator and a bit of a motivational speaker. All my children passed through the famous school. I was there between 1963 and 1968. I saw the advertisement looking for an Executive Director in 2001 which wasn’t an educational position. It was purely an administrative position in the head office. I applied and was employed.

Why did you dump banking?
I had left banking before I went for the Corona interview. I worked as a finance manager of a company. I could finish my brief in two or three days.

Describe your growing up?
I had a very happy childhood made possible by my loving and doting parents. My father the late Mr. Ifaturoti passed away about nine years ago. My father was a very enlightened man. As a matter of fact, my parents met as undergraduates in the University of Ibadan. My mother was one of the first 30 female students to be admitted in UI. My father was from Ijesha while my mother hailed from Ondo but grew up mostly in Lagos and Ibadan.

Did this privileged setting help your endeavours?
Having educated and enlightened parents placed us on a good pedestal. At a time both were teachers. At a stage my siblings and I were attending Corona and after a while I was the only one there while others were moved to public schools. We never had lesson teachers and my mother never did extra lesson at home either. We just did our homework after school.

Describe your experience working in an education environment?
By the time I started working in Corona I knew that the job was meant for me. I had gone through some turbulent employment periods. I felt as if everything I had gone through in life actually prepared me for that moment. Being an executive director, my job was to work with the Trustee Council on Purchasing, Human Resources and so on.

What do you think makes Corona tick?
It is just being focused. For instance, this is what we want a Corona child to be like at the end of their sojourn. They design a programme that helps the children meet this objective. Not removing their focus on things that really matter has helped.

The fall in the standard of education has been attributed to many factors. In your view, what is the cause?
It is a combination of many factors; including the home. There are issues of funding. Education is not adequately funded. There are issues around the curriculum, the standard, resources, teachers’ esteem etc. These contribute largely. For instance, some people do not go into teaching willingly. You have reluctant teachers. How would they teach the children well?

How is life after retirement?
I have retired from Corona but I am not tired because I still do a lot of work. I am currently the Chief Operating Officer of Supreme Education Foundation based in Lagos.  I also serve on the board of many non-governmental organisations.

If you had to rate your satisfaction with your life so far, out of 10, what would you score yourself?
It has not been an easy path. Life is not a bed of roses because one has had ups and downs.

What lesson has life taught you?
I don’t think I want to change myself. I always work on the premise that people are good. If they disappoint me, betray me I still want to keep that mind that they mean well. When people ask me how come you keep the same driver or domestic staff for 20 years, well, I am human and they are human too and they are bound to make mistakes. I correct them in love. I have learnt to look for the positive side in people