Mrs. Iyabo Funmilola Osifeso recently retired as Permanent Secretary/Tutor-General in Lagos Ministry Education District VI. The disciplinarian, who served as a school principal for 20 years before elevated to the position of Tutor-General spoke with TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO on her career and achievements, excerpts
How would you assess your tenure as permanent secretary/Tutor-General?
My tenure was very successful. I have added value to what I met here. And from the feedback I get from the principals and my directors here, we know we have achieved. It is my prayer that my successor will build on our achievements just like I built on what I met on the ground.
When I got here, we renovated the district headquarters because it used to be like the block of the primary school. But we approached the government and we were given funds to renovate. The windows, the tiles, the toilets and everywhere have been renovated. Aside from that, our students have improved considerably in co-curricular activities. In 2013, our students came first and we produced the One-Day Governor. A student in Omole Grammar school came first in the Spelling Bee competition. Also in the year 2014, the district produced the One-Day Governor. A student from Army Children High School came first. So, for two years consecutively, we produced the One-Day Governor in the state.
We have also had our students representing the district in so many activities up to the national level and internationally. We have seen lots of improvements. Although we are not where we are supposed to be yet, teaching/learning has been greatly enhanced in the district. We have put in place things like subject clinic, and we started with Mathematics whereby teachers are invited and they sit together to brain storm on difficult topics and ask questions and how to handle issues. We started with Mathematics, English, the sciences and other subjects. The good ones would assist the weak ones.
We don’t want to leave them the way they are. Some are very good and we are achieving results. We bring them together, they rub minds and the district is better for it.
How did you manage to combine your career with maintaining your home?
Well, I give God the glory for making it possible for me to make it in my career and my home is still intact. Because most of the time, I am away, especially after I became a principal in a school with a boarding house. You must live in the school. When I was at Epe Grammar School, my house was in town, so it was very easy. But when you move out, you become a weekend wife.
How did your in-laws take it?
Well, not much. I don’t have any problem with my in-laws; it is the person you are relating with that you will have to settle with, and that is my husband. My in-laws are far away. I have responsibility to someone and as much as I don’t fail in my responsibility, I ensure that food is there, there is a house help in place and I go home often.
But becoming a tutor-general was another burden. It was only at weekends that I could go home because there was no way I would be coming from Epe to this place (Oshodi). So, I stayed at Ajah, and that place is even far. But my husband understands. If he didn’t, then there would be quarrel. But when I am at home, I am at home.
What were the low points in your career?
You know people are fond of writing petitions about things that did not happen. They would say this person did something, but at the end of the day, nothing happened. A lot of negative things happened but, to God be the glory, I was never found wanting. Each time I was transferred from one school to another, they would say I was too tough, difficult or stubborn. And even right from the office, if a teacher was being sent to me, they would say that woman you are going to meet is too tough, and I often asked whether I ever asked them to do anything outside what they were employed for.
If I ask you to do the job you were employed to do, I don’t see anything wrong in that. I was moved from Epe Girls High School (a day school) to Epe Grammar School (a boarding school) because the school was in a mess and they wanted it reformed. After receiving the promotion letter, I called my teachers to a meeting. I told them that they were the ones who gave me the promotion because of the way they talked about me, that I was too difficult and strict. Their petitions projected me and moved me up the ladder.
How long have you been in service?
I have been in service for 35years, and would be exiting service in three days, by the grace of God.
Can you recall the day you received your letter of appointment? How did it feel?
When I was given the letter of appointment, I was very excited and was looking forward to making a career in the teaching profession. I started with a National Certificate in Education (NCE) and along the line, I went for other courses, like degree and masters programmes in education.
Which schools did you attend?
For my NCE, I went to the Institute of Education, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. For my degree, I also attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria while my master’s degree was in Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye.
Why Zaria? Are there no institutes of education in the South West?
That was where I got admission. I gained admission in Zaria, so I had to go. Besides, my father urged me go to wherever I was offered admission. He was not ready to follow me to plead with anyone for admission. He said, ‘Since that is where you have been given admission, you must go.’ And that was precisely what happened. I did not know anyone there. My closest interaction outside Lagos then was Ibadan. I did not want to go because it was very far.
How was it then for someone born and bred in the South West to leave for the North to study?
It was interesting. At first I was afraid because I had never left the South West before then. All my education was between Epe, Ijebu-Ode and Lagos. I had not really gone out of the state. But since my father said I should go to where I was given admission, I went and it was very rewarding.
When I got there, the people I met were very accommodating. The principal I met there was very accommodating. The school had not yet resumed, so he accommodated me in his house, because I went there three days before resumption. Another time, we went for teaching practice and I had an accident at Kontagora. We were admitted at the general hospital there, and messages were sent to the school and also home. For about three to four days, nobody came to see me, and I was like what am I doing here? So I decided I wanted voluntary discharge. Meanwhile, I did not know anyone in that community. But they attended to me and treated me like I was at home. The people brought food for me in the morning, afternoon and evening.
I think it was the wife of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in that area that was bringing food for me, as well as other people around. But when she came on that day, I told her she should not bother again, and I wanted to leave because I was not getting any message from anybody.
They were pleading with me to stay till I fully recovered. I agreed, but I was not happy. About 30 minutes later, they came from school with a vehicle to pick me. They are good people, and it was really good travelling out of the state because it was another experience. If you haven’t been to other cities, you would think that the world starts and ends in your domain. But if you go out and meet other people, then you will appreciate God’s work.
I have met people that are really friendly. If there were bad experiences, they were very few. The people I met up north were very accommodating.
Irrespective of the religious differences?
Yes. I remember when there was a strike and for several months we were at home. The people around made us to feel at home. They attended to us, and it was like we were in our own communities. They won’t do that now. The North then was very beautiful. It was a good place to live. People were kind and accommodating, and I did not feel like a stranger living there then.
When you joined the service in Lagos State, did you think that you could become a permanent secretary/tutor-general?
I never thought so. In fact, I did not want to continue with the job after some time, because you would see people in local government, the way they were living lavishly, and I was like, am I going to stay on this type of job? I wanted to opt out. I started teaching at CMS Grammar School. Later, my husband went back home at Epe, so I had to go back home with him reluctantly. I did not want to, but my parents forced me. I wanted to take another job so that I would not go back to Epe, but my father insisted that I had to follow my husband, because our marriage was too young for us to start leaving apart. So, I agreed and went back home.
It was not easy, but I enjoyed my work. I taught Chemistry then and at that place, there was shortage of science teachers. So I was teaching sciences in three schools, Chemistry to be precise, and I enjoyed it. I would go to school A, B, C, or if they wanted to do practicals, the students would come and meet me in the school laboratory at no extra cost, and I enjoyed it then. Nobody would do that for you now. After some time, I wanted a change of job, because I saw our colleagues working in other places and making rampant progress. But one of my superior officers then, the SMC (Schools Management Committee) secretary at Epe, discouraged me from doing so.
After some time, I wrote an application that I wanted to transfer my service to the local government, and the same man asked what I was going to look for in the local government that I would not find here (teaching service). He refused to sign and said, ‘Ohun te n wa lo Sokoto, o wa lapo sokoto (what you are going to Sokoto to look for is in your pocket). ‘What is there in the local government that is not here? Stay on this job and you will grow.’
Another time, I said I wanted to go to Lagos State University (LASU). I wrote again and this man refused to sign for me. So I stayed and after some time I became a principal (laughs). But I never knew I would grow so fast because at that time, principals were not made permanent secretaries. This development came about 10 years ago, and even at that, one would not have thought that one would be picked among so many people.
What will you say is the turning point in your profession?
Well, I always put in my best in everything I do. When I started, I was teaching Chemistry in three schools at no extra cost. That is me. And when they wanted young graduates at the School Management Committee (SMC), because of the way I took my job, I was one of the three that were penciled down to head the place. I was made the Head of Personnel; another young man was made the Head of School Admin and the third person the Head of Educational Services. The three of us were young graduates then. That appointment, I think, was one of the turning points in my career.
Any regret now that you did not move to local government?
Not at all. I don’t have any regret. If I had gone to all those places, I couldn’t have had it better. I stayed, I put in my best and my contribution was recognised because I moved from maybe a small school to a bigger and better one. My dedication to the job was recommending me for several postings. And once I became a principal, it was like a joke. The principal in that school in Epe was transferred to Lagos and the place was vacant. I just approached my boss then that this school, I would like to go there, and the thing just clicked. I asked myself then that if I become a principal at this early stage, what was I looking for again? But I just decided to stay.
The saying that teachers’ reward is in heaven definitely doesn’t really apply to you because you enjoyed service from start to finish. Or what do you make of the adage?
I don’t really buy into it. Everybody’s reward will start from here before the one in heaven. If you do it well, like I used to tell my teachers then, you will enjoy. Because if you are going, and somebody you don’t even recognise again, a student you had taught, would approach you and say you taught me in so and so school. It gladdens my heart.
In fact, recently, almost every week, I met those students in groups and as individuals. They will know you but you would not know them. Government also pays their (teachers’) salaries as and when due. I became a principal in Epe at a very early age. I think I was on Grade Level 10 then. Graduates then would not want to go to the rural area, but because my husband went back home, and we had just got married, I also had to go. Initially, like I said, I did not want to go. My father said no, you must go to where your husband is. Staying in the rural area gave me an edge. I started being a principal from Level 10.
How old were you then?
It was in 1992 and I was 36 years old then. I served as principal for about 20 years.
How would you compare the level of education then with what we have now?
That time, the student population was manageable. But these days, there is over population in the whole system. If you go to a class and you see the kind of heat that is coming out from the classroom, the classes are filled to the brim. Because government wants all students to be in school, all students are accommodated and most of our schools are over populated. If the class size is manageable, it would be easy for teachers to give assignments. But since the class is too large, honestly, it cannot be thorough. And these days, facilities are over stretched, unlike those days.
In the secondary school I attended, as a science student, I had a locker assigned to me in the laboratory where all the equipment was kept. When we had practical, you would go to the locker to bring out the equipment and carry out the practical yourself after the teacher must have demonstrated it to you. But we can’t do that these days because the facilities are not there; same for higher institutions.
These days, the number of subjects being offered is more than what it used to be. There are so many challenges. Apart from that, there are so many distractions these days, which we did not have at that time. The Internet, which is supposed to be a plus for students, many of them use it for so many negative things. You would see them sending love messages, and at the end of the day, you would be wondering why the children are not passing exams. While a few are reading, many others are doing something else. During our time, we did not have such distractions. When it was prep time, we were there reading, and when it was bed time, you must be on your bed; you could not be found outside. It was possible because the class size was manageable. But who can we blame? We can’t blame government because we want all children to be educated. We don’t want students on the road and we keep managing until we get what we want.
Don’t you think that government failed to plan as population grows?
No, I would not say that government has not planned. In Lagos State, there are 671 secondary schools – junior and senior. In those days, how many did we have? At that time, missionaries were fully involved in running schools and fees were being paid in government schools. But today, government is running free education because they have made a political statement that they want to give free education. They have really planned. If students were to pay, that money would be used to put other things in place.
And in Lagos, you see people coming in on a daily basis because of free education, and for one reason or the other, they are admitted into the school. If you want to say let’s admit our own children alone, the system would be more comfortable, very comfortable. They can’t even use all the facilities. But because of the cosmopolitan nature of Lagos, we have people coming in every day. If policemen are posted here now, they will come with their family. And if they go to the ministry, the commissioner will approve because they will want those children to be in school; ditto for military men. There are times we complain about over-population of the schools and the commissioner will ask where we should we keep the children.
Are you impressed with the quality of the teaching staff today, compared to your own time?
Many of our teachers now are not as committed as the teachers of those days. I am not saying all of them, but some are more committed than others, and the economic situation does not help the situation. Imagine someone coming from Ikorodu or Sango Ota. Before you get here (Oshodi), you are already tired and the work is already boring to you. And when you are going home, you encounter traffic.
When I was in a boarding school, the teachers lived in the school. The quality of work those one would do would be better than a teacher who leaves home at 5 am to get here, unlike someone who will walk 10 minutes to the office. And if you want to teach in the afternoon, the students are there. Just gather them and teach, even in the night. So the distance counts a lot. I always pray for a situation whereby government would put in place a staff quarters to help some people.
What will you say are your happiest moments?
My happiest day on this job was the day I was a made a principal. In fact, it was like a mirage. I was like is it real? I was in the office then. We went to Eko Management Board for a meeting and one of my colleagues told me that my letter was ready, and I was like whose letter was ready? Is it just like that? I asked. I was happy, overwhelmed and surprised. That was sometime in March 1992, and we were on grade Level 10 then.
What should have been the normal grade level?
It depends, because in that area, not many of us were on that level. It was a time that young graduates were just going there. At least, some were even principals on Grade Level 9 then because of the locality. The young people didn’t want to go to the rural areas. They preferred to stay in Lagos. And the population in Lagos is too large. So many people are qualified, unlike in that area where there are just a few of us.
In my district today, we have some Level 17 officials who are still teaching in the classroom; not even vice-principal because the vacancy is not there. The luxury is no longer there now. It does not happen anywhere again even in the riverine areas. Even there now, to become a vice-principal, the minimum grade level is 15.
I will continue to thank my father and my boss then, Alhaji Kola Bakare, for my early achievements. I have told everybody around me that Alhaji Bakare is the man that made me to stay on the job. I had wanted to leave but he encouraged me to stay.As a child, my mother used to have my hair cut very low. When it was kept long, I used to feel feverish, with headache. So, she told me not to be cutting my hair again. That was how I maintained my hair cut from childhood. It is spiritual.
