Encomium
POPULAR media entrepreneur, Dayo D1 Adeneye, who recently clinched an appointment as a Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ogun State was hosted by the marketing communication committee, Ludare & Friends.
ENCOMIUM Weekly had a chat with D1 on his appointment and more…
Who are the people hosting you tonight?
For those who think D1 is just a radio and TV presenter, these are actually my friends from the marketing world. I was once a marketing director at AIT and Raypower. In the course of my marketing, I got to interact with these gentlemen from various agencies to multinational companies. These are marketing executives, marketing managers and so on. I am not just a presenter and politician, I am also a marketer.
What do you think you have done to deserve this honour?
It’s the grace of Almighty God. Man proposes, God disposes. I just go about my daily work, trying to do better than yesterday, in the service of my family, community, country and the world. It is said that one person can make a difference and can change the world. We can reach one person at a time. This is what we started when people said we revolutionized the entertainment industry. We started by helping three young boys. I am talking about Tony Tetuila, Eedris Abdulkareem and Eddy Remedy, The Remedies in those days. We saw that they have talents and we took them into the studio and that transformed into a record company and a big music industry that we all know today. It’s the grace of God. We just pray that God gives us the wisdom, strength and fortitude to always be in the right place at the right time. I am very happy and I am saying thank you to the Almighty God that I was able to play a small part in revolutionizing the entertainment industry.
What is your advice to the youths who look up to you as a role model?
You shouldn’t set out looking for honour. So, just do your best for mankind. Help your neighbor, be willing to lend a hand to the needy and less privileged, then the world would celebrate you. We remember the likes of Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Mandela and so on because of the sacrifices they made for other people. Once you help, you would never lack and your name would be mentioned in good places and that’s what my life is all about.
When you were in the entertainment industry, we know you as a man of principle and integrity. Now you have ventured into politics, would you still keep up your integrity and principles?
Yes, I don’t see why not. That’s one of the reasons I left my sitting room and office to come out. Everybody criticize and say, politics is dirty, but the decisions politicians make affects everyone. So, if I continue to say politics is dirty and no one wants to get into it, we are to be blamed for whatever decision they make. It’s left for you and I to get in there and participate in the process.
Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people. It’s not government of the politicians, by the politicians, for the politicians. It’s the people who make up politicians. Our former president was a teacher, the new president was a general. So, why not me, a former school teacher or a radio presenter? What makes anybody qualified than me? You and I have to get up, stop complaining and get into the game.
What is it that you will do to change the way people think about politicians?
I think I have already done that. I left my comfort zone to say I am going to do this. I think that has awakened some awareness. Some youths are asking why is D1 in politics? But he lost the ticket and he still stayed in it, there must be something there, he must be trying to pass a message. Now, he is a commissioner, he is making a difference, my generation is represented in government. So, I think I am already doing that and I pray this opens doors. I pray not to only succeed but also excel so that my generation can be proud and doors can be opened for people from my background like broadcasting and entertainment.
What gave you hope after you lost the ticket?
I have always maintained that it’s not a do or die affair. I have been blessed and I have to thank God. It’s just a calling. I feel to whom much is given, much is required. God has blessed me and I cannot continue to sit alone to enjoy the good things of life. When I drive by in a nice car, and I see people suffering, unemployed graduates, I feel their plight. Even though God has blessed you, you can’t give him money only, you need to teach him how to make money because when you teach him that, he can feed himself forever. I realized that I can do more in governance than I have done in the private sector. We have done it in the private sector through Kennis Music, our entertainment programme. For every 2Face, Tony Tetuila, D’Banj that succeeds, they employ managers, dancers and they are stimulating the economy. They pay taxes but if we are able to do the same in governance for the good of many, it will be more powerful and we can reach more people. That’s why we are in governance now.
With the new policies of All Progressives Congress (APC), do you think they can achieve their aims?
We are on it. What people said is impossible, stable electricity is getting stable. It is not there yet but better. Things are generally looking up. The issue of corruption is gradually reducing. We hope it would be reduced to a level that it would be barely noticeable. Nigeria will start to rebound and take its place among the committee of nations.
- NKECHINYERE IBEREME
