Immediately after retirement, he went
straight into politics where it seems he found and worked with strange bed
fellows. With no choice left, he retired into more work, setting up a company
known as Interventions and Resource Limited: A company that handles human
resource consulting.
Kogi state born Femi Okikan tells us that ‘life
may not have been too smooth at the beginning, but sincerely, I don’t need
politics to live a full comfortable life.’
Femi Okikan tells us more in this interview
with Paul Ukpabio.
Tell
us about your early journey to the corporate board room
I
started my career as a lecturer in a Federal polytechnic; there I worked for
about five years then joined the private sector which took me to five different
companies.
I worked at Training and Conference centre
Ogere, before moving to Authur Anderson now Accenture. It was however at Seven
Up Bottling Company that I spent the longest time and eventually retired. I
worked there for 23 years and retired last year. I worked there in the human
resources department. I was in charge of that all over the country. After some
years I was promoted to the board and I retired as an Executive Director.
You
must have seen a lot of changes and development in soft drinks bottling in the
country.
Yes, that’s true! When I joined, we were
doing only bottles. We did that for a long time later on we added the plastic
to it. There have also been changes in volume, we used to have 30cl, 35cl, and
later we moved to 50cl. Seven Up was the first company to introduce 50cl,
bigger packages in addition to adding flavours into, seven up and pepsi. We
didn’t have Mountain Dew when I joined. We brought in that and others. And many
other changes that were carried out but later dropped.
The
company also later changed it’s system of distribution
Yes, from time to time we change the model.
For a very long time, we were doing door to door distribution, after a while,
it didn’t make business sense because of the cost of distribution and
maintenance of the trucks, which was heavy. We decided to take major dealers in
selected places to carry that bulk on their shoulders, for final distribution
to retailers who then pass it on to the consumers.
What
about the volume of production?
Initially, the company had five plants. But
by the time I left, we had increased it to nine. That also meant that volume
had gone up. I can’t say exactly what it was then, but we moved from the
position of doing 20 million to 100 million. So it was a huge volume of drinks
that we were doing. Nigeria is a big country and I can say that even with the
combination of Coca-cola which is even a bigger company, we are not doing
enough yet, because the country is indeed big with a population of over 170
million which no doubt, is a huge market.
What
memories of early childhood do you have?
I grew up in the rural area. The first few
years of my life were with my parents. Later I was moved by dad who said I
needed more experience outside the rural area. He wasn’t educated and didn’t
want his children to be uneducated like him. The only way he felt his children
could move up in life was by living with people who were already educated. So
he sent me to his friend in the then western region where I spent four
memorable years. The man could have been said to be the neatest man in the
town, and disciplined. And that showed in the lives of those of us that lived
with him, our school results was very good. Of course any opportunity I had to
go back to my parents at the farm in the village was always a great time of
enjoyment for me.
My relationship with my dad is also
something that I will always cherish. He kept telling me that he is not
educated, that it is my brain that can stop me from going to school not his
pocket, which meant that wherever level of education I wanted to attain, he was
ready to look for and provide finances for it.
So
who influenced you most?
My dad had a great influence on me, he
didn’t have the white man’s education, I’m sure if he did, he would probably
have become a professor, because most of his sayings are even today still
applicable. I used to call him a philosopher.
You
stayed for many years at Seven Up Bottling Company, what was your stay power?
I will say the stay power was the
environment which I can also say provided a stimulant for me. What I realised
was that; Seven Up was a place that anyone who had his shoulder in the right
place will see something to contribute: more so, for one who was in the human
resource department. That’s because for an organisation that was coming from
zero system on ground meant every aspect of the organisation needed
contribution and improvement. And again the people I worked with from the
Chairman to my colleagues kept me going. I was happy where I was, even another
company came calling for me with better remuneration and opportunities to move
around the different parts of the world every year, but I looked around, and
just couldn’t leave after 15 years, and I still stayed another eight years. You
know there are some companies you go to and they are already very well established
with systems and procedures, and you reach there you cannot put in much
contribution, you just flow with all that has already been put in place. For me
I didn’t feel that I should just go and sit down anywhere, I wanted to
contribute, to create. And we didn’t have a parent company to go and borrow
from, so everything had to be done locally. That alone was tasking and was also
a big stimulant for me because I had to come up with creative ideas. I am glad
that in that situation, we were able to make a difference, and I was part of
those who created the difference.
Life
as a retiree, what is it like for you?
The name of my company is Intervention and
Resource Limited, that is to say that we can be called upon in any area of a
company’s life that requires intervention and when we come in, results must
follow. What I’m doing is to also organise seminars for companies where I train
people at retreats, in addition to being a lawyer.
At
what point did you become a lawyer?
When I joined Seven Up, I had to rely on
our legal department for many of the issues that I had to handle. At times they
told me things that did not make sense to me, but that is the law, so anything
they told me, I had no choice but to accept, especially something that I did
not know anything about. But we had a scheme in the company which allowed one to
go back to school if you wanted to, and the company will support with some kind
of subsidy. So I took advantage of that, and in 1997, I went back to school.
Then we had the benefit of evening programmes unlike now. It was left to the
individual to decide whether who was could carry both work and school. That was
how I joined the pursuit of another knowledge. And by the grace of God, with a
little sacrifice here and there, I was able to complete it and in 2005, I was
called to the bar.
Which
university did you do the law degree, and how did that affect your family life?
I did that at the University of Lagos. I
was shuttling work, school and home. As for family life, there was no way that
it would not have affected it. As a matter of fact, at some point, I had to
pack some of my things from home and go and camp in school. Of course for that
period they were not seeing me at home. Also, when I got to Law School, I moved
out of the house again. That somehow caused a distraction from my regular
family life but again I had to remind my family that it was for our tomorrow to
be better. I assured them that each member of the family had to endure and make
sacrifices for our tomorrow.
But
at what age did you do all that?
I was 43 years old when I went back to
study law.
But you
were already comfortable from working with Seven Up
Yes, I was somehow comfortable. I went into
Seven Up as a senior manager being the head of human resources.
That
means money-wise you were loaded even at that time
(Laughs) That actually depends on what you
mean by loaded and comfortable.
So
with some level of comfort at your disposal, the campus ladies must have warmed
up to you, how did you handle them?
(Laughed again) I didn’t go there to look
for ladies. First of all, when you are working and combining academics, you
already have a big challenge on your hand, at that point, it was difficult to
allow any distraction to come my way. It was either one go the way of
distraction and mess up or focus on academics. Also I was comfortably married,
there was no need to allow one small girl to mess up things for me. Or how
would it have looked if I had gone to school and return home to tell my
children that I had failed my examinations (laughs). I didn’t think it was
something I would love to live with, so that made me focus on the academics.
You
must have been one of the oldest in the class
Yes, but of course, there were many other
people who were far older than me.
How
easy was it for you to relate with the other younger members of the class?
The class was a leveler for everyone.
Everyone was seen as equals. Age didn’t matter at that point, we all saw
ourselves as colleagues. But you also have to remember that even if someone is
70 years old, as soon as you get into school and into classroom, you will start
behaving like the average student (laughs). So, it wasn’t difficult for us to
adapt to the environment and many years after leaving school, we still maintain
that friendly relationships between us. I’m
glad I did well and I attended law school here in Lagos. Imagine if it had been
in Abuja that would have been strenuous on my marriage. My wife was very
accommodating and they used to visit me at the law school once in a while, she
came with the children and we spent Sunday evenings together. I have five
children, one boy and four girls. I also have one who is also my child. He is
my father’s son but he was six months old when my father died. So when he was
three and a half years, I went to pick him. He has lived all his life with me
before he settled into his own home. He is a married man now. He didn’t know
his father, so he calls me father.
How
about religion?
I am a Christian, if I’m at the country
side, I go to Saint Paul African church, it is a little variation from the standard
Anglican Church, but when I’m in Lagos, I worship at Redeemed Christian Church
of God.
You
have a sportive figure, what has your sporting life been like?
I abandoned sports a long time ago. I used
to be an active, award winning sportsman. I used to play hockey for my state. At
the very first sports festival in 1973 here in Lagos, Gowon was the Head of
State while his counterpart in Niger came over for visiting and was there with
Gowon at the opening ceremony. We all lined up, small boys that we were, and
they shook our hands, when it got to my turn, I held General Gowon with both
hands, and said ‘go on with one Nigeria (laughs).’ Hockey was my specialty. I
was also the goal keeper for my school at Federal Government College, Warri,
and I also played basketball for the same school. I had interest in other
sports as well. I used to tell myself then that if I ever build a house in my
life, that I will fix a lawn tennis court in the compound. Unfortunately, I
built, but I didn’t have enough resources to build a lawn tennis court there. I
love lawn tennis. But the sporting zeal died immediately I entered University
of Lagos. I got there late, and therefore had accommodation problem. I had no clue that sports men got preference
for accommodation. So I was staying in Surulere and going to school from there.
I didn’t even go near the sports area until a month later when I saw our former
football captain at Warri, on campus. He got there earlier than I did. He was
the one who told me that he got an accommodation because he is a sportsman.
That was how I abandoned sports.
Since
you don’t do sports again, how do you keep fit?
I think its God that keeps me fit. I don’t
do anything g about fitness. My doctors have complained. Most time when I go
there to see them, they say I should go and do exercise. I bought facility for exercise
and kept them at home. I bought tread mill, bicycle, if I buy today you will
see me there for the next two weeks and after that, my interest in them fades off.
I have a room where I keep those things, some days I go in there and look at
them and laugh. I thank God for the way He has packaged my body.
How
about socials?
Almost every Saturday of the year, there is
always somewhere to attend a party or an event. That is because of ties and
loyalty to friends, family and colleagues.
How
about clothes?
I like wearing smart things that fits my
body. I do not like bogus clothes. I am not a fan of agbada in anyway. It is
too bogus for my liking. I have some agbada but I usually end up wearing the
buba and the sokoto, while the agbada is nowhere to be found. I remember a funny
incident, my wife brought out agbada for me to wear with her to a wedding. I
held it to church but didn’t use it. After the church service we were to take
pictures because it was a family member that was wedding, that was when I
remembered that I left the agbada on my seat in church. So eventually I got it
back, put it on, and as soon as we finished the photo session, I removed it and
gave it out as a gift to someone next to me. My wife didn’t forgive me for a
long time. I think it is extra burden. Perhaps maybe I am used to production,
you know in production you have to look and be smart.
Who
influenced the choice of your marriage?
No girl could come home to visit me because
of my dad. I was in primary 3 when my dad called me and said he had two agenda
for you, the first being education and the second, to get me a wife. But I want
you to finish education first then I will give you a wife. So he said. If you want
to change the order you are free, if you need the wife first, I can get you a
wife now. But once I give you that wife, then forget education. I laughed, he
told me that I didn’t need to laugh that it is a serious matter. I told him I
will go with education first. So he said since I have decided to take education
first that if any day he heard that I have impregnated any girl, that is the
day that my education will end. So that caution really helped to check me
throughout my years in school.
Did
your dad eventually marry a wife for you?
No, he died before I got married, but he
had already shown me who I should marry.
So is
that the lady that you eventually married?
No she is not the one. But he wanted me to
marry the one he pocked and then add my own choice to her if I so desired. But
he died before all that could take place.
What do you think of the Kogi election?
I knew that there were two conditions that
could make Faleke lose the election, the first was if Audu died and the second was
if the judgement is written outside the law. I think what we got from all the
courts on the matter was political conditions. The clause was that ‘candidates must
have fully taken part in all the stages of the election, which I do not think
his opponent did. Audu died Nov 22, while election was Nov 21. Before the end
of that month, he was nominated so within that period before election his
opponent couldn’t have done much, so he didn’t ‘fully’ take part in all levels
of election If I was his lawyer, I would have kept insisting that the election
of Nov 21 was conclusive because if you look at all the processes, that was a
proper election. I think he lost out because of his being a Tinubu protégé. Meanwhile,
when the feudalist needed Tinubu they used him. But that event has made us
wiser.
Are
you into politics?
Immediate I retired, I went into politics.
But with time, I got to realise that people like me do not belong. I also
realised that if I couldn’t play their kind of politics, then I do not need to be
there. Some even thought it was money and position that I was looking for, no
God has helped me to that point where I do not need politics to live a life.
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