Gregory Adedayo Akinlotan is a creative artist, he is living with disability but he didn’t allow that to deter him from enjoying his life. He studied Electrical Electronics at the Federal Polytechnic Ede and after school started his own company Gregade Multimedia, a flourishing business with which he is impacting in the lives of people in his community and Environs. In this interview with Remi Oladoye, Akinlotan gave an insight Into his background and how parent who have people living with disability among their children should not neglect them but train them and how government can help people living with disabilities.
I am Gregory Adedayo Akinlotan, born about 4 decades ago. I attended First Baptist Primary School, then proceeded to Okeho Iganna Grammer School, Okeho before attending The Federal Polytechnic Ede, where I studied Electrical Electronics Engineering. i wasn’t born with physical challenges, I was struck with Polio at about getting to one year old. There was efforts towards treatments, but none worked. It was an exhausting time for parents and family, but we scaled through and here I am today. To God be the Glory.
Growing up and realized that you cannot move like others do gives some concerns, how did you overcome such feelings
Have I overcome the feeling? I will say I have learnt to maintain the feelings because, the feeling is always there, and I think it will always be there, but realizing and accepting my reality has been a key factor to overcome most of the challenges. Living with a disability is not an easy thing, it requires you planning a lot ahead. So, if I have to do something tomorrow, my plan would probably start yesterday or day before yesterday or even long before then. Another thing is that I lessen my expectations on what is to come, but ultimately, I am a friend of every, an enemy of no body, because normally a person with disability will always need an assistance from someone, but we are not liabilities. Disability is not liability. I have been blessed with wonderful family and friends, who are always there for me.
You are into cinematography and graphic designs what inform your interest in the skill and how satisfied are you in your job?
I am born a creative, I started drawing at a very tender age, I have loved art from birth and having studied fine art in secondary school strengthened my love and passion for art. While growing up as well, I had the opportunity to be gifted a small film camera, so photography has also been there with me since… But turning this passion into a profession started during my HND. I knew after school life would begin and I was not raised as a begger, I have been making money with my art works since I was in JSS1, but I want something more fun and digital, so I started learning Photography and Graphic Design. So, immediately I finished my HND, I started the business and God has been wonderful.
Assuming you don’t have any challenges what career will you have purse and to what level ?
Probably, I would have been a Rev Fr, I honestly don’t think I would be pursuing a different career. I only think it would have given more opportunities to explore my potential to the fullest. And even with this challenge, there is no limit, I will stop only when the time is up.
What are the challenges you are facing?
Humm… There is no really a challenge par say other than the freedom of movement. Transportation costs with people living with disabilities is not even double, it is most times triple. But, normally, I am coping, I go anywhere I like and when I want, it only requires me planning ahead. I hate impromptu! My main challenge is the challenge of every Nigeria, MONEY, as in the Economy is not treating most of us well, especially post fuel subsidy removal.
In Nigeria, there is no adequate provision and recognition for people living with disability, what do you thing is responsible for that and how do you think should be done to correct that
Yes, there is no adequate provision for us because people who are able lack the foresight, and they neglect too many important things. Let me burst your bubble, every human being will one day one way or the other live with a disability. If they realize that, they will put things in place so that when they become disabled in probably their old age, they can enjoy the things they earlier put in place. The more you make life easier for PLWD the easier for you. Imagine a building with easy access, who do you think it will be more convenient for?
A lot of people living with disability have been subjected to ridicule because of their sense of entitlement and begging, what advise do u have for them?
The advice is not for them, the advice is for people who have such people in their lives. A child will become what you trained him/her to be because you didn’t neglect him/her, I mentioned earlier that I was not raised as a begger. I was trained to learn to work, to make a living for myself and my family. So, people should stop neglecting children living with disability, train them to be somebody, to be exhibit their skills, to be independent. It is not only the disables that have sense of entitlement, infact, most beggers I have given money to are able bodied persons. So, the parents, the public and the government should help in building everybody, especially given special attention to PLWD.
