He revealed this in an exclusive interview with HeadTopics.
The interview went thus:
Tell us about your early life.
I was born in Ado-Ekiti on September 22, 1951, to Chief Adeleke Omotara and Chief (Mrs) Rebecca Olabisi Omotara of Oloriogbon compound, Igbajo, Boluwanduro Local Government Area, Osun State. I grew up in many places because my father was a ftt Baptist school headmaster, who was transferred from one place to another. From Ado-Ekiti, we were transferred to Ijebu-Ode, and later, Ijagbo.
Apart from lecturing, did you venture into any other business?
I distributed Kessinsheen products between 1986 and 1997 in Monday Market, Maiduguri, which included hair cream, shampoo, activator and hair treatment products, among others
That business helped me because when I became a professor in 1992, my salary was N7,400 and my basic was N4,400. When my mother was ill in 1997, I could not afford to buy a ticket to go and see her in England; my father had to sponsor me and my two sisters. The air ticket then was N71,000, and as a professor for five years, my salary was N8,000, I could only buy the ticket with my one year salary. It was bad.
When I got to England, my father wanted to add my name on his bank papers and I was embarrassed when the lady in the bank heard that I was a professor because she had strong admiration and respect for professors. While she was taking my bio-data, she asked for my monthly salary and I replied that in Nigeria we spent the naira, which did not have the same value with their currency. She quickly said that in her country, a professor earned £70,000. I said she should write it in the papers, knowing that I was earning less than a hundred pound. I will be making a fool of the country to tell her the actual salary.
That business helped me because when I became a professor in 1992, my salary was N7,400 and my basic was N4,400. When my mother was ill in 1997, I could not afford to buy a ticket to go and see her in England; my father had to sponsor me and my two sisters. The air ticket then was N71,000, and as a professor for five years, my salary was N8,000, I could only buy the ticket with my one year salary. It was bad.
When I got to England, my father wanted to add my name on his bank papers and I was embarrassed when the lady in the bank heard that I was a professor because she had strong admiration and respect for professors. While she was taking my bio-data, she asked for my monthly salary and I replied that in Nigeria we spent the naira, which did not have the same value with their currency. She quickly said that in her country, a professor earned £70,000. I said she should write it in the papers, knowing that I was earning less than a hundred pound. I will be making a fool of the country to tell her the actual salary.
