Celebrating 50 years of God’s goodness his life, the Principal Partner of Sam Akanbi & Associate and the Managing Director, Samak Properties Development Company Limited, ESV. Sam Akanbi in this interview with Oluwaseun Sonde, speaks on his 50years milestones, parenting, his salvation experience which have been thrilling, interesting, and how his Dad’s words of advice have impacted his life greatly.
Can we get to know you?
My name is Samuel Olasukanmi Oluremi Akanbi, born in Ibadan, precisely 15th of June 1973. It was on a Friday. I had my elementary school in Abeokuta, I’m actually from Ogun State, went to Narwarudeen Primary School, Isale-Ogun, Abeokuta. I left the school in Pry 5 when my Dad retired from Ogun state civil service, and followed him to Ibadan, where I continued my primary education in IMG Primary School Moor Plantation, Apata Ibadan.I gained admission to African Church Grammar School, Apata Ganga, Ibadan.
All thanks to the Lord, I got born again while I was in Junior Secondary School, JSS 3 precisely, and it’s been wonderful since then. I worked for awhile before gaining admission to The Polytechnic, Ibadan. After graduating, I worked for 9years plus in Federal Ministry of Agriculture. I joined the service through a World Bank Project and was eventually absolved into the civil service.
I later resigned to pursue career in Estate Management, where I sat for the professional exams of Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and valuers (NIESV), for two years or there about, before becoming Chartered Estate Surveyor, that should be in 2012. And have been practicing since then. I was also ordained as Pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, presently a Pastor In- charge of an Area in Abuja. I am happily married with four lovely children.
How is it like to celebrate 50years?
Wow!! It’s great clocking 50years, I have been looking forward to it. Well! It has been interesting. It’s been wonderful you know, being a married man, a Pastor over a Church, and manage two Companies; as the Principal Partner of Sam Akanbi & Associates and the Managing Director Samak Properties Development Company Limited, so bringing all this together, it takes the grace and wisdom of God, it has been thrilling, and interesting.
Most importantly, I want to thank the Lord that He has given me good health, He has been so good to me. He has been my helper and my sustainer, the Lord has been so good to me, He has never failed me since I came to the knowledge of Christ. When you have God in your life, you will enjoy His goodness. He is a dependable God. So to me I want to thank the Lord, whatever I am, it has been by His grace. I’m so excited.
Can you take us through your experience in life?
Well, I have learnt a lot from great men that I surround myself with. Through direct contact and relationships. Sometimes you learned from other people’s experiences, or through reading or your personal experiences.
Also there are some things that happened that you learn from the word of knowledge, word of advice and word of wisdom from people that are older than us. I want to thank the Lord particularly for my Dad. He died last year. That man was a philosopher, he taught me a lot from when I was young, he made me realized that success is as a result of hard work and prayers. He taught me how to believe in myself. He taught me how to fight for my right.
I remember there was a time my company got a job and later had issues with the organisation that gave us the job. We were wrongly accused and I was almost given up. He told me son, don’t be afraid to fight. Go to court and fight for your right and the company name. I was initially scared to challenge them in Court but after he counselled me. I when to court and the case was resolved and we git our pay. That is my father for you.
He always say to me in Yoruba, “Ikokotoma jata idie a gbona”, “Enitoba ma je oyin inu apata koo ni wenu ake”. So, he taught me to be ready to pay the price for every success I want. He will say there is no free launch anywhere! You have to pay! He made me realize that whatever you are going to get in life you need to work for it, my father made me realized that there is dignity in labour.
He also taught me to be honest. My father taught me how to be truthful always and that is priceless.Finally, my dad taught me how to enjoy life, he told me when you work, when you get result, find time to enjoy your life and relax. He like Ebenezer Obey song that advise you to enjoy your life after a hard working day. A very funny Man. I thank God that I have learnt a lot from him and it has paid off.
When was the most happiest moment of your life?
The most happiest moments of my life are the days I got saved and when I had my firstborn. The day I gave my life to Christ, I had this inner joy, I can’t express it. There was this inner joy that I can describe it. I can consider that as one of the most happiest day.
Also when I had my first son, my first child, having waited for three 3years after marriage, It was a great day. I was in the labour room live, there’s no way a man will witness that labour room experience, and still come back and be punching your wife. Every man should be courageous to witness it. I did it was the happiest day of my life. I was waiting to see the guy. I wanted to see my son. So these two days remains my happiest moments.
The moment of being a father and a husband; how is it like?
You see, fatherhood is a very interesting! Although, it is very very demanding but I tell you, there is nothing to be compared with it, I am so excited being a parent, I remember a period I had a job in Warri that sometimes takes me away from home for weeks.
One time, I came around after four weeks away from home. My family realky missed me. So, i told them on phone that i will be back that weekend. I asked the driver that dropped me to park outside the gate and let me just walk in. So, I sneaked into the compound, hide myself at the back of the door, and pressed the bell. When they came out but didn’t see anyone. They were almost closing the door when my daughter heard a familiar voice. She said this is dad’s voice, she ran out and screamed.
They all ran towards me and hugged me and began to cry. Their mother jumped up from her sleep and ran out to see what happened. She was like “what?!!! You guys want to give me heart attack”. I can’t forget that experience, I felt very emotional. We held ourselves for a very long time. They were so happy having Daddy back home. It is very interesting to be a parent.
What would you say to Nigerian men aspiring to clock your age?
Well, give God the praise for whatever the position you are. The begin to think of what you are going to do in the next 10yrs. because in another 10yrs you will be retiring officially. It’s time to start planning seriously for your retirement if you have not done that. How do yiu want to retire, where to build your retirement home etc.
Secondly, it’s time for you to take care of your health. Exercise and rest more. you can’t eat what you use to eat at the age of 40 again. You have to watch your lifestyle, your eating habit, your sleeping habit, then you need to exercise, you can’t build six packs any longer (laugh), what you just need to do is exercise to keep healthy. Walking is good. I am already planning to start golfing. Dance is also good. It’s a form of exercise. Fortunately, you go to church at least a week.
Also worry-less. Leave everything in God’a hand. Take it easy. Check your BP, Sugar level and cholesterol regularly. And finally get closer to your Maker.
To ramp it up my advice to young men of my age is to take things easy, be calm, whether you don’t have, pray, God will give it to you, whatever you have, be wise to manage it. Old age comes in, at old age there are some things like my dad use to tell me before he passed away. “Do whatever you need to do to prepare for your old age, so that you won’t be a liability to your children at old age.