Comrade Sharafadeen Oguntoyinbo is the Chairman Tin Can Island Port District , Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN).
A well known businessman and the Chief Executive Officer, Sherfex Oil and Gas, Estate business and logistics business. The labour leader who is known to many in the maritime industry, as a philanthropist , started his career in the mid 1990’s and was deeply involved in manual loading of exported goods around 1997.
In this chat with our correspondent, Roland Ekama, Sharafadeen spoke about this lifestyle, business and the maritime industry… Excerpts
Kindly introduce yourself to us?
My name is Alhaji Sharafadeen Oguntoyinbo. My nickname is Sherfex which is derived from Sharafa. People used to call me “Champion “when I was younger but when I grew older, I changed it to Sherfex.
What is your favorite colour?
I love blue colour because I am dark skinned. I love blue and white colours.
Favourite food?
My favourite food is eba and amala. I am from Abeokuta.
Favourite Football Club?
“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.
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 love everything about my children. I love my children because they behave well.
Where were you born?
I was born in Idoko in Abeokuta.
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 Tin can 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.
What is your Philosophy of life?
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.
Do you have any ambition to be President General of MWUN?
Not at all. In fact am not thinking about that in anyway because I love my life as a Muslim and am grateful to God for where I am today. Leadership is not a child’s play therefore am not interested in the number position of the union.
