“I left my village with poly bag and one shirt to come to Lagos,” - Sharfex

Segun Oladipupo |

Alhaji Sharafadeen Oguntoyinbo is the Tincan Island Port District chairman of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN).
He is into Oil and Gas, Estate business and logistics business.

The journey to his present position was not a smooth ride as he had undergone several turbent experiences including not being able to stand or walk in the first four years of his life to having no food to eat which led to him dropping out of school.

His formative years in Lagos were used working for someone and diligently, he did that. He was into loading export goods around 1997.

Soon, fortune smile on him as fate rewarded his hard work and diligence.
Alhaji Oguntoyinbo shares his experience in life.

Q. Your early life.

“My name is Alhaji Sharafadeen Oguntoyinbo.

“My nickname is Sharfex which is derived from Sharafa. People used to call me Champion when I was younger but when I grew older, I changed it to Sharfex.

“I love blue colour because I am dark skinned. I live blue and white colours.

“My favourite food is eba and amala. I am from Abeokuta.

“I love Arsenal football club. I love Arsenal because of Kanu and Arsene Wenger.

Q. How do you relax?

“I am a busy man. I leave home everyday between 9 and 10 am when I don’t have meetings and I close from work by 10 pm everyday. If I want to relax, sometimes I will just decide to travel out of the country or travel to my village.
My favourite relaxation spot in Lagos is my house.

Q. How many wives do you have?

“I have three wives, when I say three wives, I mean my wife and my two daughters because they behave like my wives. I have only one wife.
I live everything about my children. I love my children because they behave well.

Q. Where were you born?

I was born in Idoko in Abeokuta

Q. How was your growing up like?

My father had two wives and my mother was the second wife. There was a message to my father then that there was going to be a boy born into the family, May be my father relayed the information to the two wives.
The two women began to fight that the child would come from each of them accordibg to my dad’s story.
At last, the boy came from my mum but for four years the boy could not stand and walk. They made the boy not to know anything, that is where I am coming from. I can’t feel the story today.

I had my primary and secondary schools education in Abeokuta even though I did not finish my secondary school. We had nothing to eat, I left my village with poly bag and one shirt to come to Lagos.

I started working in Tincan then from 1994.
It was one of my area brothers called Lekan Lawal that brought me to Lagos. I worked for him for like ten years loading cocoa and charcoal for export and import at Comet, NPA and other terminals as Labour under Abonel contractors owned by Ogunlade. I started from there.

Philosophy

I believe this life is opportunity, for me today, it is opportunity. The people I started with back in the days, some of them are died but for me to sit and talk to you today, I give all glory to God because I am nothing. No father, no mother, nobody.

One has to take things easy in this life because some people will sleep today and will not wake up tomorrow. So, all our struggle trying to be this or that is because we are all still alive.

While alive, try to help people and make sure you know God.
People should also try to do legitimate jobs and avoid shady deals. Belief in charms cannot take one to anywhere. I am a Muslim and I pray five times a day and still wake at night to pray.

We have to take things easy in this life because it is not every one that will be like Dangote.

Any position you are, just know that you are in the middle because you are above some and some are above you. So, don’t kill yourself because of money.

Q. As a Muslim, what’s your take on polygamy?

I don’t believe in polygamy because the holy Koran is very clear about marrying more than one wife. Allah said if you don’t have money to take care of two, don’t marry one. If you have money to take care of three, marry one.

If you marry more than one wife, you can never satisfy both of them and you must balance it.