Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State on Tuesday said that he washed dead bodies as a student to pay his tuition fees while schooling abroad.
Ajimobi said this at a South-West Youths Regional Summit in Osogbo.
The governor, while urging the youth to have a positive mindset toward hard work, said he spent eight years abroad washing dead bodies to survive.
Ajimobi said he rose to the position he occupies now through hard work. He said his father was a tailor but he also worked hard and became a member of the House of Assembly.
He said, “I left Nigeria in 1963 to study abroad, but throughout my stay there, I was washing dead bodies to support myself to go to school.
“Whenever I got home from work, I will be weeping, remembering the number of dead bodies I washed.
“My boss at work then said I should not be afraid or fear, adding that such feeling is normal for first comers.
“He encouraged me to always see those dead bodies as iced fish.
“But against all odds, I survived and that is why I am urging youths to see hard work as the only way to success.
“This is our chance as youths and as Yoruba to come together to chart a successful pathway for the country.’’
Ajimobi, however, urged Yoruba leaders and the South-West governors to unite for the progress of the Yoruba race.
