The new Iyaloja General of Nigeria, Chief (Mrs) Folashade Tinubu Ojo has debunked the rumour that her father, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu imposed her as the leader of Nigeria Association of Market Women and Men saying the chieftaincy title is frightening to Asiwaju.
Folashade who was officially installed as Iyaloja General at the Iga Idungaran palace of Oba of Lagos also debunked the rumour that her educational attainment is not beyond Secondary School level.
Speaking with journalists at her office in Ikeja at weekend, Folashade explained that contrary to the reports about town that her father imposed her on the market women and men. She said, “Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is scared and opposed the idea at the beginning when ‘Mama’, Alhaja Abibat Mogaji muted it.
“Those who said my dad imposed me on the association don’t know how he opposed the idea when Mama came up with it. For three separate occasions, Mama kept on pestering my dad that she wants to take over from her as the leader of the association.
“I learnt that it was when it got to a stage when Mama uttered a statement from the deeper side of her heart that if my dad will not want his children to disobey his directives, he should support her desire. It was at this stage that my dad tactically heeds to the demand from Mama,” she said.
“Aside this, I have stand in for Mama as the leader of the association at various occasion since 2010. I have been acting in her capacity while she was alive. I have garnered experience deputizing for Mama since 2010. I have the experience and virtually all the market leaders knows me quite well and I relate very well with them even when Mama is still around,” she explained.
On the leadership role threw on her shoulder, Folashade described her attainment of the President General, Association of Nigerian Market Women and Men as an assignment from God. “To be honest with you, I never thought of becoming Iyaloja in my dream in life. Before now, I have always had ambition to go into politics like my dad but now, such cannot happen any longer. God had said Iyaloja assignment is what HE wants me to do and who am I to say No when God say this is how HE want me to live. I am not the type that queries my creator,” she said.
However, Folashade admitted that despite the fact that her grandmother, Alhaja picked her as successor while she was alive, her choice did not take place with fiat as people thought. “It is not unexpected because for any public position, whenever it is time to choose a candidate, there could be as many aspirants as one could think of but only one will be chosen at the end of the exercise. If the chosen candidate is well accepted by the majority as it happened in my case, other contestants will need to hands down and prepare to work together as a team for the development of the association or political party.
The Iyaloja General admitted that the responsibility of an Iyaloja General is enormous. “There is no way I can do it alone. The job before me is beyond what I can do all alone by myself. I need everybody contribution, support and prayers,” she said adding, “ I will try not only to improve on the record of Mama, Alhaja Abibat Mogaji but will break new grounds of which generations born and yet unborn are to live with.
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