Sec. Gen.Eko Club
Barrister Ayo Oshodi is the Secretary of Eko Club. A legal practitioner whio ha carve a niche for himself in his trade. Barrister Oshodi spoke with ADEWALE OGUNIRAN about his sojour in Eko Club and other issues
Who is Barrister Ade Oshodi?
I am a legal practitioner by profession. The legal practice is a family affair. I am a son of late the Oshodi, he too was also a legal practioner in his days. I joined this work in 2016 in the light of governor fashola, though he wasn’t a governor at the time. I have worked with Chief Obon Clerk for about eight years before I started my own practice. My chamber is Atonikon. We have about eight junior lawyers in the chamber and we run all forms of legal practice. For this club, when I joined, I was religious about coming to the club but it was about three years ago that one of the members here, Alhaji Wazir Ali Balogun who was then the Vice President, he discovered me and said I could act as the Secretary to the 40th anniversary committee. The then Secretary was Prof. Hazar. I co-acted with him. He later left the job for me. I had the opportunity to meet many of my Dad’s friends such as Chief Ayipola, a member of the Board of Trustees and others. When they saw that I had my own practice and I was able to do my best to coordinate a one week affair, they all confirmed me to be the next secretary. So when the opportunity came, the past administration under Prince Babatunde Adele, he was then secretary, when he left, I took up the form to contest, two founding fathers signed for me and I didn’t have any problem becoming the secretary of this club unopposed, so that is how I find myself in the club till today.
Do you have anything that prompted you apart from being a legal practitioner?
Yes. I must say that it was by stroke of luck that I became legal practitioner. I was planning to go to NDA before my Jamb result came out and I scored 248 marks. So I was the first studnt to be admitted in the faculty of law in University of Lagos. You can see it’s a stroke of luck; for me as the number one in the family to study law and the seventh child. When I started, I recognized I didn’t know a lot but I put in my best. I remember when my friends said they didn’t believe I could practice law, they thought I would be in the bank. Unfortunately, I lost my dad when I was about to start practice. I had wanted to join a social club, he would always tell me when I was qualified, and unfortunately he didn’t wait till I qualified. When I started practicing, I put in my best because I knew that is the only profession I would do.
Why do you pick interest in the club?
Remember I had a colleague that anytime he left the court he would say I am going to the club. He would take me along. I now found out that many of my dad’s friends were in this club. I was probably the youngest who was coming there, so when the opportunity came, they told me to go and get form. I took the form with my brother, we joined the club together the same day. When I started coming, I realized that this club has a lot of potentials, however, we need to build it. If you run away from this club and say you are going to any other club, every club has its own advantages. This is a socio-cultural club. I am particularly interested in the growth and socializing in Lagos state; that is why I took interest in it. Infact four years ago I invited many of my friends that joined the club and we decided to form this group called the digital group. It is the most popular group in Eko Club.
Where do you want to see Eko club in the next five years?
Eko Club was formed by many great men, professional; some of them have died. They had ideas, by the time it started growing, Eko Club moved to a very high pedestrian in Lagos state such that nothing could happen in Lagos state without the involvelment of the people in the club, but later on, we started having little crisis in the club, though its bound to happen in any organization. But for now, we are very strong. In the next seven years, I see Eko Club in the place where it is supposed to be. It will be the greatest club in Lagos state and one of the strongest in Nigeria. We are compiling a list of young sophisticated wealthy professionals. In digital group, we don’t take anybody more than 45 years. We are about 22 members in the digital group now. By the time these guys come in, we would fly.
How can you describe the activities of Governor Akinwunmi Ambod so far?
Ambode is trying as a person and as a governor. I am not a civil servant. Looking from outside, I can say Ambode is trying although you can never remove that political flare away from his activities.This is just his first term, I am sure he is trying to impress. I think development in Nigeria started in Lagos, education started in Lagos. Oshodi Takpa was one of the first Lagosians who traveled abroad to study and he understood five languages. I think that Lagosians have a good standard of education which aids development. Ambode is trying but I think he could do better.
How are you copping in the midst of all these elderly people, as a young man?
Having been sitting down with my father from my tender age, I understand them. I understand what their interests and what they are fighting for in the club. These men have put in their best in this club and they won’t want to see it collapse, they need to protect it and they are eventually going to hand it over to the people that they think can make it grow.
Which type of secret cult do you belong to?
I do not belong to any secret cult. If you want to join any secret cult, it is not by coming to join the club. May be you must have joined the secret cult before you join the club and maybe you find your cult members and you start mingling together. However, the club is not a club for cultism. If you want to join the club to start fighting any political party, nobody will allow it; and so the secretism is in all clubs, organizations, even churches but you don’t form it there.
You care and help people very much, what is the secret?
By nature and upbringing, I am not greedy and I love paying too much attention to the needy, I don’t want to see anybody in distress, to the best of my ability.
How do you relax?
I relax everyday, and I unwind everyday
