In the construction and property world, Otunba Tomori Williams is one of the dominating players in the country. His T. Williams Construction Company has provided iconic constructions across the country. In this interview with The Octopus, he spoke about his works, inspiration, awards and plans for the future.
You studied arts and sculpture in school; does it have some relation to what you do now?
I need to let you understand that the two professions do not relate. When I was in school, as a sculptor, I did some jobs, which were commissioned. Since I came into the property business, I have to confess to you that I have not done anything on sculpture. Some of my friends even wonder why I do not have a studio, where I work. God has His ways of doing things.
After school, I was planning to open a studio where I would be working when the Lord opened a new way for me. When I was in school, I discovered I was the only student that graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) sculpture department. Out of 36 in the class in 1992, I was the only one who graduated. It is on record. But you see I was so crazy about the job then that I never believed I was going to do anything beside it. However, man proposes, God disposes. Akpovi discovered the real Tomori; it was not a job I really planned to do. One thing led to the other and I saw myself under the tutelage of Akpovi, as the general manager of Olootu Properties between 1998 and 2000. When Akpovi became a judge, although he asked me to continue the business, I felt I should start my own business. Being answerable to someone who would be in Delta State, while I would be in Lagos, did not go down well with me. But today, I have two companies to the glory of God, Olaleye Properties and Investment (OPI) and T. Williams Construction. I am the managing director of the two firms.
At what point did you start your own business?
I started my own business in 2004. My specialty in the real estate business is consultancy and repossession. I advise my clients on the type of properties to acquire and how to go about repossessing their properties. Gone are the days when people used unorthodox ways (using thugs, machete and serious fighting) to repossess properties. What I do basically is related to real estate and I try as much as possible to advise various families in Lagos on how to go about acquiring their prosperties and how to develop their vast areas of lands.
Who are your top clients?
I have consulted for the Onitire family, where the famous socialite, Buhari Oloto, belongs. Oloto is one of my mentors. I am presently consulting for Oba Kabiru Odesanya, the paramount head of Lagos Mainland; I have another consultancy job I am doing for the Amoore family, which is governed by the Olu of Ikeja. I also have some jobs I do for the royal family in Oregun; I have at least two families there.
Beside property and construction, what else do you do?
I have grown to a point where I know that, to succeed in life, you must stay focused. For now, all my businesses revolve round properties because one of the problems Nigerians have is that they try to put their hands into what they do not know about. I will not do that.
You recently received an award for your works in the real estate world after which you seem to have disappeared from public glare?
I did not disappear. I am not much of a public figure and I really love my privacy. I only grant interviews when it is necessary, but I have received another award after the one you are referring to. Funny enough, it is still for being the Best Estate Manager of the Year 2013. I have been doing what I know how to do best. I have been in the property world for years and I thank God that all is going very well.
You are presently working on the Olaleye New Town project. How was the project conceived?
The Olaleye New Town project started 10 years ago. Before then, the site used to be a concentration of shanties, although there were a couple of good buildings around. What I did was to bring together the various interest groups and we got the assistance of the judiciary through an order for possession, and when possession was levied the whole place was turned into a new area. In those days, the neighbourhood used to call it Olaleye Village, but now it is called Olaleye New Town, and it is based on the understanding of three families, the Olaleye family who has the biggest stake, the Smart family and the Borokini family. All these people are under the Oloto Royal House led by Oba Ganiyu Odesanya, who happens to be my royal father. We are just trying to see how to make the environment a better place. The idea was a result of the late Bale’s plea to me to upgrade the outlook of the community and after a thorough study of the old Olaleye Village, I came up with the idea of changing the outlook of the environment and we thank God for the way it has turned out.
What is the aim of the project apart from building multiple luxury apartments?
It is going to serve as a cartilage for the modern day Lagos. To put it in a modest form, the mega city project of the governor of Lagos will have a bigger boost via our project, compared to anywhere in Lagos State, because what we are trying to do is likely to be the highest concentration of modern day housing. We are trying to give a new face to modern day housing need of the average Nigerian and not just Lagosians. What we have presently is less than 30 percent of our destination point, because we are trying to build a bigger model of the shopping malls you are familiar with in Lagos. We are also going to replicate the kind of shopping mall experience you have in Dubai Mall or the Emirate Hall in Dubai. We are trying to uplift the shopping experience of the average Lagosian and Nigerian.
You are of the Onikoyi family. Does that makes you royal?
…The royal stock I was referring to earlier is quite different from the conception of royalty. I did not really come from a ruling house but I tried as much as possible through the training of my mum, Mrs. Akonke Williams, who made sure that I went through the basic education in life to live like a royalty. Despite the fact that she was illiterate, she called me one night and told me that she would do anything to ensure that I got the best in terms of education. After giving thanks to my God, the next person I would think of is my mother. It is unfortunate that she is no more but I still remember her. I grew up in Ebute-Metta and as a child that grew up in the town you are as good as anybody from a royal family. I grew up among the people that I will not say are from the middle class. I did not have all the luxury that my children have today but I appreciate the fact that I did not really lack.
Many see the typical Ebute-Metta boy as a thug. How did you distinguish yourself and lived differently?
I have found that God created each person with individual characteristics. That Ebute-Metta boys are miscreants is something I do not subscribe to, because the average Ebute-Meta guy is very respectful. I remember when I was in Ife, I had three or four Ebute-Metta friends in school, and when we came home for holidays, I never saw any trait that had to do with being a thug or a miscreant in them. They were very respectful guys. Ebute-Metta of those days was really bubbly. There hardly was an Easter celebration or an Ileya Festival or Christmas Eve that we did not celebrate. That Ebute-Metta is different from what you have today.
On a lighter note, how did you meet your wife?
I met my wife in Ebute-Metta; I was in school when I met her. I was in my third year in school. And she has been a very good wife; even when I was nobody, she stood by me and she has always been my source of support.
What attracted you to her?
I saw in her someone I could really guard; someone who could accept me for whom I was and someone who did not care about what background I came from. She is someone that was ready to stand by me always.
Your job can be time consuming. Does it affect your family life in any way?
I manage my home in such a way that I don’t give room for lapses. My wife knows me to be a focused man; I face work squarely. I leave my house in the morning for either my office or my sites. Sometimes, I attend meetings but most times, I have my meetings at my sites, depending on which one I would be but after such meetings I go straight home.
You appear to be a very fashionable person. Is this true?
I am not a fashion conscious person, but I love to dress well. Fashion is a reflection of your inner self and it has different connotations to different people but to me, it is what I see and I want to express in myself. It is what I feel and I want to bring out, not to impress anybody but to please myself.
You seem to have a weakness for wristwatches and accessories
Those are part of the outlook I told you about. It is all part of the personality. I mind what I put on and I select what I wear. The problem for me is just to find what will complement what I wear.
What does style mean to you?
Style, to me, is the expression of your inner self outwardly. What you put on reflects your inner self. The way I look is what I want to project to the outside world. It is how I feel inside me, although I must tell you, it is a variable term that means different things to different people.
Are you fulfilled in life?
I am a modest person. I have never enjoyed talking about my achievements or successes in life. Due to my humble background, I try to run away from anything that would make me start counting my eggs in front of any body. It has nothing to do with being careful; it is just a part of me. By my nature, I like people not knowing how successful I am. I want you to take me as you see me. So, when it comes to evaluating my achievements, the only thing I can tell anybody is that, I thank God for my present condition and that I am contented.
A peep into your garage, one can notice that you love top of the range cars too…
The job I do is a multi-million naira business and what you put on and what you ride in are definitions of who you are and what you are. As a man that engages in businesses that have to do with a lot of money, it will be strange if I don’t make use of these things. I also have my weakness and most of these things you mentioned might just be my weaknesses. You can also look at it this way, I went through a lot to get to where I am today, and the only way I can enjoy myself and be happy is when I put on things that reflect my inner being. Automobiles are things I love acquiring. Since I started acquiring autos, I have never sold any of my cars. In my garage, I have close to six or seven cars. I have a Toyota Beast, Ford Explorer, Toyota 4 Runner and Mercedes Benz ET 20, among others.
Is there a probability that you would contest for a public office in future?
By my nature, I don’t think I have the tendency to run for a political office.
What is your disposition to politicians generally?
I don’t have anything against them but I just don’t see myself in that light. I am contented with what I do, and by the grace of God, what I have is enough for me. There is no basis for it. What most people will do as politicians, I am already doing in my various localities like Ebute- Metta and Surulere where I reside. If you ask most of the youths in Aguda or Surulere, they will tell you who I am and what I represent.
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