One on One Interview with Dr. Osahon Enabulele

It was a no-hold bar interview with the Director General of the Dr. Osahon Enabulele Foundation on Thursday January 9th, at the Edo State Broadcasting Station (EBS), Benin City.

Appearing as guest at the “One on One” television programme of the station, “Hard Talk” to discuss the Foundation’s thematic thrust, the former President of the World Medical Association (WMA), did not only prove that he was a world class medical exegete, but also, a peerless pundit on the subjects of: leadership,  sustainable development goals, social orientation, and other sundry similar topics.

The DG was quizzed by one of ITV’s best hands, Kayode Alude, in a vivid and interesting  session; described later by one observer, as, “world class”. Mr kayode wanted to know why the World citizen would be starting a Foundation here in Benin, Nigeria, when he could easily have got another job abroad and stayed there? “After all, you do have the connection and capacity to do so”. Don’t you? He asked.

Dr. Osahon Enabulele took time to delve effusively into his motivation for setting up the Dr. Osahon Enabulele  Foundation. He described it as an inherent interest and lifetime passion to impact lives positively and bring smiles to their faces; dovetailing the feeling  into the kind of satisfaction they, medical doctors, get from seeing a patient smile out of an operating theater or  the Labour room. “It is a calling”. “It has always been there and it gives me joy ”

He spoke with persuasive feelings and passionate convictions about the need to create access and opportunities for every Nigerian to give expression to his or her latent talent; emphasizing that, were that the  case, the son of an artisan could do just as well as any child from the elite class, when given equal opportunity.

He frowned at why Nigerians think to abandon Nigeria, their place of Origin, and, or expect others to do the same; frowning at the loss of hope and open cynicism expressed by even those in public offices and entrusted to fix Nigeria.

He insisted that he had regularly met  Nigerians abroad, who have become so fed up, so despondent about life abroad, that they were ready to put an end to it all. He always counselled such ones to come back to Nigeria.

Because, back here, at home, latent potentials abound that only require discovering to unlock towards growth and development trajectories.

It is pertinent to the foregoing, that the Foundation was drawn to the topic for the January 29  Colloquium, which it has titled: Nigeria and the Leadership Question: unlocking the potential for the future. The emphasis is that leadership is the critical element in the subset of development. The right leadership will focus on the harnessing and management of its human capital potential towards a collective growth achievement.

This is a major part of the ideas that are driving the Dr. Osahon Enabulele Foundation. The ideas are crystallized in the Foundation’s Vision. Which is:  “An empowered citizenry with equitable access to quality health care, education, and other societal opportunities” he said.

He was done with the interview, but the  broadcast station was however not done with the versatile Doctor just yet. He was soon to be the august guest of the Managing Director of EBS, Sulaiman Aledeh, who prevailed on Dr. Osahon Enabulele to deliver a few minutes health talk tips to EBS staff about their well being. The MD had earlier expressed his profound gratitude to the Doctor for being a very good friend and pillar to him for many years.

Doctor Enabulele then went on to list a few healthy tips to include: discipline in consumption of food and other intakes, physical exercises, good sleeping habit and maintenance of mental health by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The DG was later received at the office of the Managing Director of the broadcast station where, both leaders examined broader issues like:  implications for budgetary management, staffing, and operational strategies that foster seamless organisational goals achievements were discussed. The MD  then promised that the broadcast station will collaborate with the Foundation as a strategic partner to achieving developmental goals that will impact Edo citizens.

Chris Ojeikere is the Media Coordinator, DOEF