The Nation Newspaper

Tag: life

  • APC: PDP mess must be cleared for better life

    APC: PDP mess must be cleared for better life

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has listed new instances of the alleged looting of the treasury by some officials of the Dr Goodluck Jonathan administration.

    The party, in a statement in Abuja yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said: ‘’Those who would rather give comfort to the looters by dismissing the media exposure of looting cases as mere hell-raising should realise that no sane person can be silent in the face of what is unfolding as the worst cases of brazen stealing of public funds in Nigeria’s history.’’

    The party’s statement reads: ‘’On August 16, 2015, we listed some instances of the breath-taking looting of the treasury by some officials of the immediate past administration. Today, we bring three more heart-rendering cases to the attention of Nigerians. We will not relent until closure has been brought to this issue,’’ it said, listing the new cases as:

    • A mind-shattering $2.2 billion-arms scandal.
    • A $6.9 million-fraud by the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to President Jonathan, committed under the guise of buying three mobile stages for the ex-President.
    • A N2.5 billion-scam involving the renting of house boats.

    ‘’While those charged with handling these cases are finalising the details of bringing the suspects to justice, our immediate concern is the attempt by the PDP, under whose umbrella the looting took place, to blame the Buhari administration for the mess and then infer that things have been worse in Nigeria in the past three months under the APC-led Federal Government than in the 16 years under the PDP. This is totally provocative, shameless and uncharitable.

    ‘’They say we are yet to fulfil our campaign promises to Nigeria, but they have forgotten that if only the PDP/Jonathan administration had not stolen Nigeria blind, there would have been more than enough money to give school children in Nigeria not just one but three meals a day and even pay N5,000 to 50 million most vulnerable Nigerians, not just the 25 million we promised in our manifesto,’’ APC said

    “Despite the almost daily discovery of cases of corruption under the Jonathan administration, the party assured Nigerians of better days ahead, as all its campaign promises will be kept because of the commitment and determination of President Buhari not only to cleaning the Augean Stable but also ensuring purposeful governance for the benefit of Nigerians.

    ‘’It is clear to Nigerians that the debilitating impact of 16 years of PDP’s misrule cannot be reversed in just three months. It is an obvious truth that it is always easier to destroy than to construct, but nothing will stand in the way of the Buhari administration’s commitment to improving the quality of life of Nigerians and making our country to function again,’’ it said.

    It said a major cog in the wheel of faster progress for the new Nigeria under President Buhari has been the discovery that the pot housing the commonwealth has been licked dry by the looters of yesterday, hence the need to work meticulously to recover the looted funds and facilitate the delivery of good governance that will manifest in abundant jobs, strong economy and improved welfare and security for Nigerians.

    APC said while the PDP, ever steeped in the pursuit of lies, presents the recently released data on job creation and economic growth as ‘clear signals’ that President Muhammadu Buhari was failing Nigerians, the disgraced party mischievously omitted the fact that those numbers were basically a manifestation of the disastrous final days of ex-President Jonathan’s failed economic policies.

    ‘’The PDP omitted the fact that these numbers measure job creation and economic growth for the second quarter of 2015, which covers April to June 2015, a period in which ex-President Jonathan was in office for two months while President Buhari was only just settling in to discover even more of the mess left for him to clear. No one in his or her right mind will hold someone more accountable for actions in just one month and exonerate another who was in the same office for two months.

    ‘’Since the PDP has become insular to global events, the APC will also like to educate the party that every country in the world is struggling to adjust to the effects of a global downturn at the moment. Only very few countries, if any, are growing as fast as they did, in say two years ago. From China, India, Russia, South Africa, to Ghana, Malaysia and Brazil, every country is feeling the effects of a sustained slowdown in global growth.

    ‘’The APC will also like to categorically say that it supports the policies of the CBN in its quest to ensure greater transparency in the forex market and eliminate currency substitution in our economy. The CBN’s policy to stop cash deposits of foreign currency is in line with global best practices and has led to a drastic reduction in BDC exchange rate for the Dollar.”

  • Life after office: The Imoke example

    SIR: As a lecturer, part of my regular research strategy is to go beyond the university library and scrutinize newspapers and other internet resources for any modern trend that seems germane to the many topics I teach my students.

    Just days ago, I stumbled on something relevant, a very good one concerning a certain Foundation (The Bridge Leadership Foundation) promoted by former Cross River governor, Liyel Imoke.

    According to a Vanguard report published on August 16, the Foundation had held a youth-targeted event in Calabar the previous day. This story immediately tickled my interest and I thus decided to find out more about the Foundation. My purpose is to reference my findings, first as an exemplar for my students; and second as a gratis recommendation to former governors (and others) on how best they can contribute to society after public office.

    Below therefore is the rest of this very unique story, as I gleaned from many resources, including Imoke’s public remarks.

    First was Imoke’s thesis on the dearth of ‘sense of self-worth’ on the part of Nigerian youths. That is spot-on. So is the solution he offers. He was reported to have told the teeming youths in attendance that he was just ‘the average guy, the average bloke’. And that in school, was just an average student. But what made the difference for him and his string of achievements in life was that he was driven and knew exactly where he wanted to go.

    He hit the point home that it was fear of failure that propelled him most to succeed. I tell my students the same thing, even though not in exactly the same words.

    Second, in encouraging his target audience to look beyond government for their success in life’s struggles, Imoke had revealed that in the past six months, only 5,000 jobs were created in all the public sectors in Nigeria – by federal, states, and LGAs. And that even the famed oil sector has not created any jobs in the same period. For effect, Imoke disclosed that the whole banking sector in Nigeria collectively has only 40,000 employees in a nation of 167 million citizens.

    It is a very useful revelation that should serve as a wake-up call to Nigerian youths to look more to honing their entrepren youth-beneficiaries. Now, that’s a tidy number, and it’s still counting.

    Third, Imoke was not all talk and no action. He was reported to have promised publicly that he will devote all his valuable time to the arduous business of the Foundation. Of particular interest to him is the Foundation’s core mission of assisting youths on self-development of their innate entrepreneurial skills through the Foundation’s mentoring programmes. Stressing that young people are the future, Imoke challenged them to look beyond mere political appointments and public office, and begin to take matters in their own hands.

    So, as post-gubernatorial life goes, what Senator Imoke is doing with this Foundation is the sort of avocation I will recommend to our politicians as the best life or pastime after being in office. It’s better than again running for public office or attending to the private business of wealth accumulation – two very attractive but selfish options Imoke has disclaimed to instead pursue the passion of mentoring to Nigerian youths.

     

    • Dr Sullivan Odumegwu,

    sodumegwu@gmail.com

  • Lessons of life

    Lessons of life

    While delivering a short talk to a group of students on the lessons of life recently, I mentioned my molue experiences when I was a full time reporter years ago with the now rested The Comet newspaper – the progenitor of The Nation. I got an almost blank response from about 90 per cent of them who said they’ve only partially heard of it and none has boarded one.  Expectedly, my lecture focus took a different direction as I lectured them on the good, bad and ugly sides of my molue experiences and the lessons it teaches about life.

    I recollect with relish how my colleagues and I use to board those rickety huge buses that almost defined Lagos in the past from different parts of Lagos to Ijora where the newspaper house was then located. Molues are now relics for the museum thanks to the introduction of BRT buses by the Fashola administration in Lagos State.

    Inside the molue, you have superb ‘salesmen’ who can convince commuters to buy drugs based on their colours! Strange as this sound, it’s true. They mix red, yellow, brown and white drugs together and the ‘resident pharmacist’ on-board then gives them the ‘prescription!” You also find on-board drugs that cure all diseases – yes, ALL diseases – inside the molue.  There are still other drugs, when taken, ‘boost energy’ and with it you can ‘run from Ijora to Ikorodu’ without getting tired! I can go on and on.

    Beyond the molue experiences, life teaches tremendous lessons that always come into sharp focus as we age. Life has taught me not to confuse money with happiness because money can’t make me happy, but self-sufficiency gives me the freedom to share myself creatively, without worrying about how I’m going to pay the bills.

    One key lesson is being grateful for this moment because it is all there is. The source of most of our frustrations and anxiety are the result of living in the future, or the past. We sometimes glorify the past because things were ‘quite easy’ way back then or we simply envision a utopia future.

    Talking about gratitude, what a United States based Nigerian father, Evans Nwankwo did is quite instructive. He sent his 14-year-olds twin teen sons to spend the seventh grade (junior secondary school) in Nigeria to learn some gratitude.

    According to reports, the boys, Noble and Evan attended Mea Mater Elizabeth High School in Enugu. There, they passed through the daily routine of waking up by 5 am for exercise and prayer, something they never experienced in the US. There’s also no help from mum on homework or washing clothes, either.

    The elder Nwankwo explained why he took this route: “Adversity is important in somebody’s development in life, as far as I’m concerned, because there comes a time when the storm is going to hit you, and if you never had that to fall back on you’re just going to fall apart. I strongly believe that because it’s been important in my own development.”

    Raised in Nigeria during the civil war, he was one of 13 children and the family was well off until the war changed everything when his father was killed. He eventually made it to the US and built a business. The report further said that people around the city of Cincinnati probably know Nwankwo’s work – his construction company is the go-to contractor that has worked on several sites including Fountain Square, the Freedom Center and Washington Park.

    Prior to the twins leaving the US, the Ebola outbreak was making headlines, as were attacks by the Boko Haram on schools – especially in northern Nigeria. The elder Nwankwo said he had “a lot of apprehension as they were getting ready to go, a lot of anxiety.” He however summoned the courage and allowed his sons to leave.

    On his experience, Noble was quoted in the report as saying: “It was kind of eye-opening to see how much you actually have to work to get a simple bucket of water, and how you actually have to use your own strength to carry it back and forth. And it’s actually pretty tough to hand-wash your clothes with that amount of water. You have to really manage it.”

    He added: “You have to be trekking all over the school just to get water to bathe with… Here you can just turn on the tap and there’ll be water flowing like it’s nothing. There, you’ll be struggling for it. Sometimes we would go without water for a couple of days.”

    Since returning back to the US, their dad said he’s already seen a change in his boys. “I feel that the experience is one that will live with them forever, and they will be forever changed – maybe not on the immediate, but long term.”

    The report said the twins agreed to what their dad said. “I appreciate the washing machine. I appreciate the running water. I appreciate the shower, so I don’t have to use a bucket of water in a bowl…I appreciate my parents a lot more because I realise how much – especially my dad – I really realise how much he had to do to get here.” Evan was quoted as saying.

    Besides the actual experience, they said their dad taught them a lot as well. “He’s taught me a lot, and he’s made me go through a lot to make me a better person, to make me a person that can just endure,” Evan said.

    I’m glad the elder Nwankwo was able to successfully teach his sons some harsh realities about life, it is also gratifying that it ended on a positive note; some have tried to do what he did but it ended in fiasco and the children come to hate their father for causing them to ‘suffer’ unnecessarily without understanding the underlying reasons.

    Life teaches that some people want things to always go their way, but the plain truth is we cannot have things our own way always. Which is why pursuing happiness is not at all the same as being happy, which is a fleeting feeling dependent on momentary circumstances. Happy times pass, because time passes. This is something we rarely grasp at first.

    The lifelong pursuit of happiness – on the other hand – is more elusive; it’s not based on a particular outcome.  What you are really pursuing is meaning – living a meaningful life.  It starts with your “why.”  (Why are you doing what you’re doing with your life?)  When your “why” is meaningful, you are pursuing happiness.

    There will be times when things go so wrong that you barely feel alive. And there will also be times when you realise that being barely alive, on your own terms, is better than living a lifeless existence for fifty years on someone else terms. In other words, happiness comes most easily when you know what you’re doing, believe in what you’re doing, and love what you’re doing (and who you’re doing it with), regardless of how things turn out.

    Finally, life is too unpredictable for rigid expectations. When you stop predicting and expecting things to be a certain way, you can appreciate them for what they are.  Ultimately you will realise that life’s greatest gifts are rarely wrapped the way you expected.

    With a positive attitude and an open mind, you will find that life isn’t necessarily any easier or harder than you thought it was going to be; it’s just that “the easy” and “the hard” aren’t exactly the way you had anticipated, and don’t always occur when you expect them to.

    Most of the time, life delivers the experiences that are most helpful for our personal growth.  How do you know it’s the experience you need?  Because it’s the experience you’re having.  The only question is: Will you embrace it and grow, or fight it and fade? The key, of course, is to accept that not everything is meant to be.

     

     

     

     

  • Take my water, take my life

    Now that the tensions of the Nigerian general elections are settling, it is time to wash off the dust and move on to take actions for the safeguarding of lives. In the months leading up to the electioneering campaigns, and indeed for decades, the World Bank and the then government officials have been meeting and taking decisions set clearly on the worn and largely discredited track that sees water as a commodity for speculators and not as a human right.

     As it turned out, the electorate in Lagos chose to vote for change at the federal level while remaining steadfast on the platform of more of the same, or continuity, at home. And so, we have a government in place that seem to believe that the best ways for public service delivery is by privatisation and enclosure of the commons. However, we note that before this year’s election, the people of Lagos voted with their feet and voices on the streets of the city to express their rejection of any move to privatise water under any guise.

     The shocking statistics from this aspiring mega-city inform us that up to 90 per cent of the residents of Lagos do not have daily access to clean and safe water. With that scenario, the prevalence of water-borne diseases in the city cannot come as a surprise. Nationally, more than half of Nigeria’s population have no access to clean water and more than two thirds have no access to sanitation, according to official statistics. Our compatriots depend on wells, ponds, boreholes, water carts and water trucks for water supply. This calls for public investment in the sector but government seems to have been hypnotised by the privatisation mantra repeatedly sung by the World Bank and its agencies such as the International Finance Corporation.

     The story of privatization in Nigeria is in the same mould as that of any forced appropriation of the collective patrimony for private profit. We recall that in the dying days of military dictatorship in the country the strategy was to allow essential public institutions of high value to stagger almost to the point of collapse and then privatization would step in without significant resistance since the institution would have been seen as ineffective. Sometimes it was the question of using public funds to bring a public institution or property to a very good state and then to auction them off to those who are well connected to the corridors of power.

     At a point it was not surprising that governments were literally privatised or sold to the highest bidder. Under military regimes, governments were privatised and controlled by those with the biggest guns. Today governments are often captured by corporate interests or by those with wads of cash or bags of rice or salt.

     It is not surprising that a major contributor to the failure of the Lagos government to solve the water crisis has been the Lagos Water Corporation’s wrongheaded commitment to privatization.  The government chooses the path of stubborn adherence to the false creed that holds that public utilities are best managed – as for profit entities as prescribed by the apostles of neoliberalism.

    The so-called Public-Private Partnership (PPP) strenuously marketed by the government is simply a means of subjugating the public good to private control. In other words, if truth is to be told, PPP is simply a way of facilitating the enslavement of the public by private interests.

     It is interesting how the ghost of the infamous and thoroughly discredited Structural Adjustment Programmes of the 1980s/1990s is being resurrected in the fancy catch phrase of PPP. Indeed the phrase has so captured the imagination of our policy makers that to think otherwise is almost anathema to them.

    Advocates of this scheme cite a supposed lack of government resources necessary for such public investment as the reason for soliciting the private sector’s ‘expertise’ and ‘capital.’ Are they listening to themselves? The claims must be taken with a hefty dose of salt. If it is true that the partnership does not entail any capital expenditure then we have reasons to be truly alarmed. Would there be no capital expenditure on the project? Of course there will be.

    The question is where would the private capital ultimately come from? And the answer is not far-fetched. The money to sweeten the PPP will ultimately be recouped from the pockets of the poorest of the poor. Apparently the thinking is that the already squeezed population can bear some more squeezing. That is what they are made for: to sacrifice, scrounge for water from dirty ponds and toxic lagoons, while the fat cats frolic in their overflowing Olympic-size swimming pools. Just think how effective the privatization of electricity has been in Nigeria and you would scream for everything to be privatized.

     Water extraction has been a great means of extracting enormous profits from Lagos’ poorest residents. In the past it was inconceivable that anyone could appropriate water bodies for private commercial use, but today that is common practice. Think about how ubiquitous water in plastic bottles have become. Some brands are even seen as status symbols and if tables at your event do not carry an array of those plastic bottles then it signifies that you don’t have class. Those who must count their coins before expending them are condemned to drink water sold in plastic sachets and snidely tagged pure water even when everyone suspects that the water is anything but pure. Some exploiters of our aquifer even claim they are selling nutritious water with stories of added vitamins and all that!

     These water miners in our cities are sucking up our aquifers often without any controlling water management plan or policy. It is a no-man’s land out there. With the collapse of public water supply across the nation anyone that can dig a hole till water spurts is welcome to do so. But one day our wells will run dry. And what shall we do then? When water stress becomes unbearable how and whom will the PPP help?

     We cannot ignore the fact that privatisation has failed repeatedly. Even those pushing for variants of privatisation, including their politician partners, know this fact.  Happily those whose cups of water are being snatched are pushing back. This is seen in the growing trend around the world of citizens taking back their water and forcing an end to corporate water grab and control by getting their leaders to bring back water management under public institutions.

     Examples of this growing trend in the fight for water as an uncompromising life support has been seen in Manila in Philippines, Nagpur in India and Jakarta in Indonesia.  For example, a court in Jakarta recently ruled that the 18-year-old World Bank sponsored corporate water contract there violated the Indonesian constitution. In Manila, regulators continue to push for the curbing of corporations’ insatiable to drive for outrageous profits. In Nagpur, while the water delivery system continues to consistently fail, water rates continue to skyrocket. Privatisation of water continues to fail as control by corporations lead to rate hikes, water shutoffs, worker layoffs and poor water quality.  In addition, the pursuit of profit blocks off needed infrastructure expansion investments making the situation grow worse as the years roll by.

     We cannot afford to see Lagos with its teeming population caught in the profit-driven PPP trap. The crucial need for accessible and safe water cannotbe overemphasised. If managed with the public good rather than profit, Lagos can escape being under water stress.  The people of Lagos, and indeed the entire Nigerian nation, deserve an environment in which water is clearly seen as a human right and where pollutions are curbed in order to allow Nature to maintain her cycles and thereby support the life of humans and other species. To deny any people the right to water is to deny them the right to life.

     During a recent field trip to Kpeme community in Togo, this writer witnessed a most ghastly disregard of water as a public good that must be protected. A phosphate factory located in the community pumps toxic effluent directly into the Atlantic Ocean turning the water greenish-yellow rather than the usual blue. Fisher folks complain that up to 1.5 kilometres into the sea is polluted by this toxic discharge. And the spread along the coast goes as far as to the neighbouring Benin Republic and perhaps to Lagos, Nigeria. When a factory manager was asked what they were doing to curb the disaster, the response was a flippant you must break an egg to make an omelette. We understand this omelette to mean financial profit. This omelette discounts the health impacts on the people and on aquatic lives. This omelette sees the ocean as a waste dump and disregards the fact that it is a commons for all of humanity and the planet. It ignores the fact that the Ocean is both a source of life and a veritable support of livelihoods.

     Lagos has an inescapable duty to show the nation and indeed the African continent that it is possible to build a public water supply system that prioritises the needs of the people and not the profits of corporations. Enthroning a multi-decade PPP may promise enhanced government revenue but it negates the tenets of a democracy that hears and heeds the demands of the people and operates in their best interests. Water is not a mere commodity to be grabbed, bottled or piped for profit. It is a prime gift of nature and true re-source democracy demands a spirit of stewardship that has no room for private enclosure of this public good.

     Bassey is an environmentalist.

  • AISHA TOSAN – My life as a ‘crime fighter’

    AISHA TOSAN – My life as a ‘crime fighter’

    Aisha Eyiwumi Tosan is the CEO of Bi-Communications, the producers of Crime Fighters. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, the former crime correspondent talks about how it all began, things that inspired her, some of her achievements and how to curb insecurity across the nation.

    LET’S talk about Crime Fighters. How has it been? We are 16 this year. It’s been challenging raising funds to put the programme on air.

    Let’s compare when you started and now. Has anything changed?

    Nothing has changed. What I foresaw that made me create the concept of Crime Fighters to educate members of the public to be security-conscious has not really changed. At the time that I started, we didn’t have kidnapping; there was no terrorism, no insurgency. It was just robbery and then people didn’t believe that they could take their destinies in their hands. They were waiting for the police to do everything for them. Has that really changed? No.

    The irony is that members of the public transfer the aggression that they have to the police, not knowing that the fact that the average policeman has done something wrong to you does not mean that you would not help the police. Whether you like it or not, when a crime is committed, it would affect you. If something happens in your environment and you refused to do something about it, then it would also affect you. As I say to people, crime has no colour; it doesn’t know whether you are black, red or yellow. Crime is not tribalistic; crime is crime. It could happen to you or anybody. It could happen to your friend, it could happen to your neighbour or your family member. You could even be the victim of crime yourself. Nigerians because they have the dislike for the police, because the police overtime are not doing well as it relates to human relations with members of the public, they tend to carry it over not knowing that you are doing yourself. I work with them. I know that some of them are terribly bad but I see beyond the Nigeria policeman because I know I could be a victim of crime. So, what I usually say to Nigerians is do not think of that policeman you see, think about the ripple effect of crime around you. Unfortunately, it is when they fall victim of crime that they begin to realise that if they had done something, it could be my turn tomorrow.

    Are you saying that we need to be our brother’s keeper when it comes to security?

    That is exactly what I am saying. You see someone committing crime and you look the other way. Then you say if I go to tell the police, they would reveal my identity. And I say to them, how many identities can the police officer reveal? If one thousand and one people besiege the police with the same report, the policeman, who you think would reveal your identity, would be tired. Most times, we are not fighting crimes in our own way and that is why you have the multiplicity of crimes going on. It is really horrible and I sit down sometimes and tell myself, Aisha, well done, because I saw some of these things then. Then I said to the society that this thing would engulf us, if we do not fight it.

    What motivated you then?

    As a reporter then, I did a lot of writing in Vanguard. At a point, I felt people were not reading and I felt that visuals would be more powerful than reading. So, I felt maybe I should transmit what I was doing to visuals and then people began to see what I was talking about when I moved to the electronic media. You could see the graphics and people were feeling it. But then again, they saw it as purely entertainment. They couldn’t see in between the lines; the message that I was passing across and talking about. You have a brother who is an armed robber and yet you are not doing something about it. You have young ladies befriend a man who is robbing and you do not see anything wrong with it. You get emotionally carried away because he sleeps with you and what he has done is not wrong. That is why you can see today that women have boyfriends and husbands who are kidnappers and women themselves now aid them.

    How has doing all this influenced your life?

    I think that the best thing that has ever happened to me is the fact that at a tender age of 22 years, I was posted to work with the police. It has helped me to guide my life, to guide my children, to guide my family members because it is a different university entirely. You get to see the good, the bad and the ugly. I was working with people who were not too decent in the society. You are seeing criminals and getting to hear all kinds of stories. Today, we are talking about rape, but if you have a seminar on robbery victims for this nation, you would hear so much. A lot of women have lost their husbands due to crimes like robbery. If they come out to tell you what they go through, you would weep for the society. So, it is something that has opened my eyes to a lot of things. Of course, I come from a military background. My father was in the army and because I come from that background, it helped me to do what I am doing.

    I’d like you to share one or two cases handled that you consider memorable

    I will give you one terrible one that I handled myself. Robbers went to the house of this particular victim, they killed him, made away with his property, raped his wife and raped his children. I did that story and it was very touching. We reconstructed it and a colleague said Crime fighters are parading innocent victims.

    Let’s talk about awards and recognitions that motivate you

    The only one that I would like to talk about now was when the United Nations through the office of Condolezza Rice, US Secretary of State, recognised what we were doing way back in Nigeria and sent an invite in 2003. That was quite thoughtful.

    If you had to advise Nigeria women, what would you tell them?

    I think women should be firm, they are not firm enough. And then they get carried away with religion. Don’t get carried away, be real with yourself. If you have a problem, you have been raped or your child is being raped, please stand up and fight for that child. You know what, it hurts. In future, if the lady is able to put it behind her, when she gets married, it would haunt her. Most times, you see some girls over reacting; they do things that are not normal and you begin to wonder why she is behaving like this. It is actually a fallout of what she has gone through or is still going through.

    What does rape mean to you?

    Rape is a crime. For the first time, we have a centre, The Mirabel Centre, that is talking about rape. Before now, it’s been a general affair where you have the federal and state government talking about it. Now, you have individuals who are coming up and doing something about it.

    Bringing perpetrators to book has been difficult and most times it is seen as a family matter. How can the trend change?

    I am happy you mentioned that it is a family matter. Sometimes, women themselves don’t stand up for themselves. If a crime is committed against you, then you need to fight for yourself. You really don’t need the family member to tell you to keep silent, to keep to yourself. When you talk about rape, you as a woman know what it is; the psychological effect and the fact that somebody that you really don’t want forcefully had sex with you. This would torment you for the rest of your life. Most of this rape may even lead to pregnancies.

    We have had cases where girls got pregnant because they were raped. They didn’t have the courage to tell people, then you want to keep it secret with your family members. The woman has to stand up, the mother of the girl has to fight for the girl. The lady who has been raped also needs to stand up and fight for herself. She doesn’t have to concede to everything her family says. That is the bane of our society.

    Don’t you see the trend changing?

    The trend won’t change until the girls stand up and say ‘no, though you are my father and my mother, I have been raped, I need you to fight for me.’

  • What do you want in life?

    What do you want in life?

    The captivating title of this book will surely draw readers to it. The book is basically the biblical storyof Bartimaeus, the blind man in Jericho, who while begging heard the voice of Jesus and his disciples, shouted on top of his voice till he was noticed and attended to by Jesus Christ. There and then he received healing after being blind for about 25years. It is a book written out of inspiration from God by Pastor Gabriel Ogunbiyi, woven around the need for human to accept God’s ways so as to benefit from his abundance. The book is divided into nine chapters and 57 pages. With forward by Evangelist TounSoetan.

    Chapter four is quite a moving story of Bartimaeus, he shunned the crowd to be heard, and many were sternly telling him to keep quiet but he kept shouting ‘Son of David have mercy on me’ the lesson here is the need for Christian faithful not to allow the crowd to shout them down when seeking help from God, indeed the crowd may not be right at times or most times, but for one’s convictions. The book teaches about our communication with the Lord (chapter eight), specifically what exactly do we want from God. According to the author, it is a simple question that in most cases generate mundane and needless answer from people.

    The story of Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) before his encounter with Lord Jesus (chapter one) is that of Loneliness, Stagnancy, unloved and branded with negative names. These, unfortunately, is the attribute associated with a blind person. For Bartimeaus, it was a glorious day after being at a spot for 24 years, when he heard the voice of Jesus Christ.

    This is a book for everyone, every chapters is supported with prayers to serve as a guide for readers. The lessons inherent in the book is unquantifiable. The story line flows like a thriller and the packaging is commendable. Above all, the book showcase strong believe in miracles, and indeed that before God nothing is impossible.

  • ‘Lessons life has taught me at 79’

    ‘Lessons life has taught me at 79’

    Sir Ebenezer Olarenwaju Ogunlana is accomplished in many regards. While living in the heart of Lagos in the early 40s, Ogunlana, a professor of pharmacy, loved music and sang to his soul’s pleasure. Like the rise of a music crescendo, he grew in his profession and passsion – singing. Rising from a choirboy at age seven to a knight and classical church music icon, he also became a former Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife, a Knight of Charles Wesley (KWC) and Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON). Ogunlana celebrated his 51st wedding anniversary and qualification as a pharmacist with the unveiling of a memoir titled: Reflections and Challenges in Time and Tides in Lagos. In this chat with Evelyn Osagie, he shares his experiences in his profession, marriage and music.

    Life has taught me ‘never to say fail’; to keep pushing; and surrender everything to God. Everybody has a specific purpose in life. The way you fulfil that purpose depends on your attitude to life. At 79 years,I am overflowing with thankfulness to God. I have no regrets. I’d do it all over again – the music, my profession and marriage. I wouldn’t want to change anything. From a choir boy, I became a choirmaster for many years and later received the prestigious Knight of Charles Wesley (KWC) award. As a pharmacist, I rose to become a professor; three times Dean of Pharmacy and chairman, Committee of Deans for one year before I became Deputy Vice Chancellor and retired at 52. I am also grateful to God for how my three children have turned out.

     

    My growing up

     

    I came from a stock of four brothers. I am an irony of fate. My father died when I was only one year and two months old. And unfortunately, this is one of the ironies in my life. My mother raised us and did not remarry, despite all the vicissitudes of life. I am a product of perseverance and determination. And having been so privileged, I owe it, in whatever I do, to reflect determination, consideration and responsibility to others.

    Growing up was made easy for me; my mother was a school teacher and the only child of her parents. My grandparents were very helpful to us. They took responsibilities that made us. While my mother taught, my grandmother prepared the meals and the house, and my grandfather, a tailor, would make our clothes. Consequently, that convergence of activities provided comfort for me. My grandfather was a very strict disciplinarian – I remember him with his white hair and white attire – whereas my mother was helpful and adorable but firm, irrevocable and didn’t spare us. And so, we grew up in an environment where we cannot help but be disciplined.

    After my father died, my mother had to go back to school. She had an Ordinary Teachers Certificate; and  my grandfather provided the facilities that got her the Higher National Certificate.

     

    My journey into 51 years of marriage

     

    Where do I start from? To sustain a relationship you have to accept each other. Today, my wife agrees with me and accepts when I say something. She has seen by experience that whatever decision I take ends better. But initially, it was not the case. Sometimes, I felt alone because nobody understands why I was taking a particular step. But as we grew together, all that change.

    I knew my wife in 1957 in Britain where she was sent for Midwifery from the University College, Ibadan, where she trained as a nurse. Aderemi was very composed, friendly and not flamboyant. I was in Birmingham in England for my A Levels. There, the relationship developed before 1964 when we tied the knot. Our first date was during a dance by African students to commemorate Ghana Independence in March 6, 1957, at the town hall in Birmingham. I had asked her to the dance which she did, and that was the beginning our love. Our first child is over 40.

    Interestingly, I had another girlfriend, who left me heart broken. I remember it vividly. She was a nurse in Britain who I had been with me for two years before meeting my wife. She was insisting that we got married; and I told her my primary objective is to finish up successfully before I can consider marriage. So, she wrote to me in Nottingham, breaking off with me. I came by bus to Birmingham to meet her; and told her that it was two weeks to my examination; but sent me away, saying she didn’t want to see me anymore. So I went back heart broken. Even though I liked her, I was able to bear the pain.

    Having suffered such heart break, I thought it wise to steer clear of Nigerian ladies. I got a scholarship from the university and I came home to visit my mother. She and my friends softened my mind and encourage me. I went back to Nottingham and didn’t see her again until seven years after, and by then, I was married. But I must tell you, it wasn’t easy sustaining our relationship back then.

     

    My tips on sustaining relationships

     

    The secret ingredient that would keep your marriage is transparency, fervency in prayer and faith that it would work out.Young couples should learn from their beginning, be slow to understand, respond adequately to the problems that may beseech them initially and find ways of overcoming them. 51 years on, our marriage is all-evolving.

    In 1957, after she finished the first part of her midwifery, she went to Gateshead, Britain and I stayed back; and these places were far apart. And by the time she finished at Gateshead and had to return home; I had to move to Nottingham. That was the most trying times in our relationship. Sincerely, it was difficult. The sustenance of relationship back then was a matter of trust, and give and take. But if you like somebody and believe in him/her, you’d have no doubt than to sustain the relationship.

     

    My 51-year journey into the world of pharmacy

     

    I have been a pharmacist in Nigeria since 1964. I took the oath of pharmacy, first, in Britain in 1963, and came to Nigeria and took it in January in 1964. And June 12 of that same year, I got married. I didn’t know the date would come to mean something else to Nigerians. So, both my marriage and my marriage to pharmacy are 51 years old (laughs). Some say my life can be split into two – pharmacy and marriage. That was why I decided to unveil my book on my sojourn as a pharmacist, which I titled: Reflections and Challenges in Time and Tides during my marriage anniversary celebration on June 12.The tribulations and vicissitudes that I faced in life informed the title of the book.

    My becoming a pharmacist was inspired by an incident in my post-secondary school days. My being a pharmacist was not for lucrative venture; but purposeful use of service that ensures that people get well using the right drugs.

    When I was in secondary school, I was going to do Classics in the University of Ibadan, but I fell ill in the mid-1955. I had Hepatitis and was taken to the General Hospital in Lagos. And it was there that I experienced the need for being a pharmacist. One of those nights, a man with Cerebral Palsy almost set the place ablaze. The doctors had prescribed drugs for him, but the hospital didn’t have them. I left the hospital determined that I was going to be a pharmacist, to contribute to humanity. I didn’t have the qualification; but I got books from British Council Centre and went to Britain to do my A ‘levels.

    So, I specialised in quality control and quality assurance of drugs. However, interestingly, I discouraged my daughter, who is now a High Court Judge, from studyingpharmacy. Even though she was determined to study pharmacy, I saw she was not good in science subjects – biology and chemistry –  and good in the arts. I knew what it was when I started studying physics; and so I discouraged her and look how it turned out.

     

    Pharmacy before and now

     

    The pharmacy profession has positively metamorphosed. It is a pity that most Nigerians don’t know the worth of a pharmacist. The pharmacist now recognises the problems of an individual and the disease. It recognises the way and manner we can combat diseases – what we call the pharmaceutical care. It is better to catch them young. The end of school training is just the beginning of training. The pharmacist should be one that is continually growing. Students of pharmacists must continually train ythemselves. Teachers of pharmacy must ensure the materials in their environment would be such that can develop others.

     

    My journey into academia

     

    I would sum up my journey in the academia as turbulence; but God’s grace saw me through. I would say I was fortunate: I became a professor before I was 40. The secret was believing in God. I prayed for guidance at every point in my life and He helped to bear those moments, stoically. During my time, the politics of Ife was very bad. However, politics or no politics, my stand has always been stay with the profession and focus on your work. Despite all the challenges, I enjoyed the academia because I rose in the ranks: I grew from Head of Department to Dean to Chairman, Committee of Deans to Deputy Vice Chancellor back again to Dean and then I bowed out in October 1988 to give the young professors room to grow.

    But it was not just a bed of roses: at each point in life there were trying times; but I maintained the spirit of determination and perseverance.  For instance, in 1971, I applied for the post of Senior Lecturer twice and at both times, I drove back to the Ibadan campus of the University of Ife sad with tears in my eyes. And the third time, it was advertised, I insisted I won’t apply. Ten days after it closed, I got a letter that I have been appointed Senior Lecturer.

    Also, when the university advertised professorship in 1974, knowing I might have the same difficulties, I didn’t want to apply. Until Funke, a cousin of my wife, visited a day before the closing date, a Friday, and insisted that I apply. She said she just left somebody’s chambers where they were discussing the politics of Ife, which, as I’ve said, was bad at the time. So, I applied and submitted alongside three of my publications. But my mind was not there because the politics of Ife. Six months after, I was asked to submit three of my publications and citation within 48 hours by the Vice Chancellor’s office. I was supervising a conference at the time; but thanks to two women librarians I did.  Soon, events turned in 1975; there was a change of government and the removal of the Vice Chancellor (VC) and a new one was appointed. It was that VC, as I was told, that saw my records and to cut the story short, I went for interview in December 1975 and by January 26, 1976, I was appointed professor.

     

    My journey into the world of music

     

    Music comes naturally. The place of music in my life is invigorating, mood-lifting and pleasure. If I am perplexed or sad, I’d just sing a song, it would disappear. My love for music kept me all these years. When I sing, I see the music go and I go with it. Music helps me to focus. It brightens the mind for knowledge. In my 79 years of existence, I have 72 years of experience in music. I became a choir boy at age seven and have remained a choir man at age 79 (laughs). In church then, I had to stand on the kneelers to be seen. I still sing; and continued to challenge myself on how to do it better. I sang at my book’s unveiling.

    As a pharmacist, I sustained my singing habit no matter what the odds were. I was a choirmaster in 1991 before I became President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria in 1994. I came back again as a choirmaster in 2004. In 2001, I was the first individual to be knighted the Knight of Charles Wesley (KWC), a musical award; and was Vice President of the Association of Church Music.

    But I was forced to retire from music in 2005 after a stroke attack. In November 2004, while I was conducting the choir during a Sunday service, I felt something funny. Apparently, I had a stroke. I was flown abroad and due to prayers, in less than 12 days, I was free and could use my hand. But so as not to put pressure on it again by February of 2005, I officially left the choir. But I still sing.

     

    Development of Classical music in Nigeria

     

    Classical music in Nigeria is being developed very well. There is adequate provision for it which was why I went to the MUSON Centre. I am a member of the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON). And the MUSON Centre built by its members. I have seats in Agip Hall which I contributed for. It cannot die. Although is music of 17th century, it remains melodious to the ears. In the future, Classical music would grow on its own as it has always done. We are learning more on the environment which makes music sound sweeter.

  • Tame environment, save life

    Tame environment, save life

    The book, Saving Lives and Securing the Environment: Chronicle of Federal Government’s Ecological Intervention, is a painstaking effort by the Ecological Fund Office to document some of the life saving efforts and activities at taming our environment and ecosystem as well as the appreciable level of success recorded by the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration which could have escaped public notice by a mere straight news of media reportage.

    The book is chaptered one to six and is written in a simple language and clear expressions. The book is also generously adorned with a lot of pictorial illustrations and diagrams that show some of the testimonials of the ecological interventions across the country by the Federal Government through the Ecological Fund Office within the last few years.

    While the first and preceding chapters of the book dwelled on identifying Nigeria’s serious ecological problems which include soil erosion, floods, oil pollution, water and air pollutions, waste mismanagement, drought, desertification and afforestation, and the consequent establishment of Ecological Fund Office under the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and supervised by the National Committee on Ecological Problems (NCEP), the main thrust of the book kicks up at the third chapter when it notes that the Fund had over the years been battling with series of irregularities, mismanagement and money been diverted to private use. And even “when the funds are used for intended ecological problems, it would eventually emerge that the contracts are either ridiculously inflated, awarded to fictitious companies or poorly executed.” P21

    However, chapter four, Transformation Agenda Transforms Ecological Fund, discusses the timely intervention of President Jonathan through his historic Transformation Agenda, to reinvigorate the leadership of Ecological Fund Office and National Committee on Ecological Problems (NCEP) to fight and restore order in the system that was once riddled with irregularities. This breath of ‘fresh air’ has been witnessed and been yielding positive results.

    At present, according to the expositions of the book, a culture of corruption, red tapism, and official indifference has clearly given way for transparency, accountability and the Fund has become like never before more proactive in terms of ecological interventions.

    Ecological Fund Office, borrowing from the book, has been nudged from the slumbering giant it used to be, into the fleet-footing, proactive and responsive outfit.

    More so, the work process of the Office has not only been automated, but periodic capacity building of its staff through training and retraining is now a recurring decimal.

    Chapter five, which is the second to the last chapter of the book, overviewed some of the ecological interventions undertaken by the Federal Government through the Ecological Fund Office. This chapter generously makes use of beautiful pictorial illustrations presenting how Ecological Fund Office has come to the rescue of a large number of communities under varying degrees of environmental threats across the nooks and crannies of the country.

    These pictorial presentations clearly show how the men of the Ecological Fund Office dull out instructions to the contractors, ensuring that standards are being followed. This, according to the book has been the constant practice.

    Finally, in the last chapter, chapter six, the book took time to appreciate the varying degrees of Nigeria’s complex and pervasive ecological problems that exist in different shapes and sizes across the country and the corresponding efforts of the Ecological Fund Office in taming these challenges.

    The chapter however states that we are not there yet as a lot needs to be done to improve the environmental conditions of the rural dwellers because they are mostly the worst hit by these environmental hazards.

    “City dwellers hardly appreciate ecological problems beyond the occasional floods they experience during rainy season when many houses built in flood plains and gutters filled with refuse dumps, causes flooding. They hardly appreciate that many villagers in the countryside are almost regularly cut off from the main communities when their link roads and make-shift bridges get washed away, their crops and farmlands submerged and even their residence lost to erosions.” P.212

    The book will not only be an interesting reading, it will also be a veritable document for researchers and other government agencies and policy makers, especially as there is dearth of literatures on ecology.

  • Life as a single mother- TV gal Adaora Onyechere

    Life as a single mother- TV gal Adaora Onyechere

    Ever since she graced the set of Kaakaki, the popular breakfast show on the African Independent Television, Adaora Onyechere, has wooed many audience with her mode of presentation and incisive analysis of the issues. In her late 20s, she says her foray into television was not without its drama as she had to risk parental admonition to pursue a course in English and Broadcasting in England. In this encounter with YOMI ODUNUGA and GRACE OBIKE, she speaks on love, life and work, including the challenge of raising a son in a society that is ethically biased against single parenthood. Excerpts:

    How and when did the journey into journalism start?

    First, I didn’t think that I would ever be on TV because for me, I had a speech defect growing up. I preferred to be at the back stage—production direction, script writer you know. I was more about making the packages that happened or that people see on TV. Back in school, when I started my A levels, I had a stint in Psychology and Law and I went on to major in English and Broadcasting and while I was in school, even my teachers worried about my presentation; so I even had to do my own presentation via recording before I came into class. So, one those days, my teacher back in England said to me: ‘Adaora, today you will face the class and do your presentation, you are not giving us audio rehearsals.’ I was in jitters because I didn’t know how to really speak without stammering before a crowd.

    I did a project on the Caribbean culture and the use of Cannabis. To enable me to be able to speak, my classmates said they would all turn their backs to me and I could talk to their backs. I started the presentation and it took some time before I realised that nobody was looking at me. There was no interaction, I thought I had already failed and so, without knowing it, I started moving to see their facial expressions. There was pin drop silence and my initial reaction was that I had failed.

    Second, I thought it was really horrible and when I wanted to walk out of the class room, I started hearing people clap. They stood up clapping; my friends were clapping, people were crying you know, it was more like conquering, a victim or sort of a disability. Sometimes the West has this euphoria around trying to make people come out of their shell and so for me, it was a breakthrough for most of my teachers because while growing up in Nigeria, I was very sheltered by my parents. I didn’t go for a lot of children’s parties and didn’t hang out a lot.

    That experience was a breakthrough for me and, having conquered that I saw the possibility of having to use my voice for the first time and then I started voice coaching. I did internship with Channel 4, did internship with BBC Online, did a lot of auxiliary training and then I decided to just go freelancing.

    Would you describe yourself as some sort of a rebel since you never really studied what your parents sent to England to read?

    I’m the first daughter of six children, I’m the Ada; there are certain things you can’t do as an Igbo first child. You have to set the example. My father insisted that I must be a lawyer and my mother insisted that I must read law and I did not want to do law. At least, I gave my parents their wish, I did a diploma in law but I just made up my mind one day and my tutors understood. We sat down and we had a conversation. I’m like we are in 2006, so it bored me stiff and I knew that I would always rebel.

    So when I changed courses, it was something else. My dad already made a threat that if I dare not read law, they would not pay my school fees neither would they visit. I had already finished the first year and going to the second year studying English when my dad paid a surprise visit. First, I was in dreadlocks because the number one rule in my house was not to perm our hair. The way you go abroad is the way you will come back. So when I had a surprise visit from my dad, it was interesting that he went straight to the law department to look for me. In fact, I had moved from the university and town because I went to Coventry and I moved to London. So my dad had to do another two hours train journey to find me. When he finally found me, it was a case of ‘pack your bags let’s go back, you’re not serious.

    I politely said no and that that was what I love to do. He didn’t even want to hear about it and he said I was going to be responsible for my school fees. I was a bit afraid because when I just thought that I had just found my victory and I didn’t believe that it would be short-lived. My father was very military in training us. I explained to him and showed him the analysis from my tutors and all how well I was doing. He understood but said however a rule is a rule and I had broken a rule and so for the first six months, I didn’t get any allowance. But what my dad didn’t know was that, at that time, I was also a part-time singer at an old people’s club. So, I was making some good money and I was okay. I totally sensed a withdrawal. I felt like I had broken the camel’s back and withdrawn my father’s love from me but it started giving me the opening to do other things and at that point, that was when I began to realise that I was growing into an adult and I needed to shape myself my way without necessarily breaking all the cultural codes but most importantly trying to find my own voice. For me, that was very important.

    What is the issue with law, is it that your father or mother studied law?

    My mother said when she was growing up, she wanted to study law but then the civil war broke out and all hell was let loose. So, when she came out of school with a degree in English, she said since she didn’t do the law in her time, one of her daughters or children must read law. So even as she started having kids, she already said to herself that I would be the one to read law. If I fail to read law, then my sister, who is actually a pharmacist, would do law. Inevitably, the first two children, in fact three children, none of us did law. The person that actually fulfilled her life desire is my fourth sister who read law at the University of Abuja and she is now a lawyer. So I think, for parents, it’s more about living out their dreams and living out their needs from their children. But sometimes they forget that every child has their calling. Children have their own desire. Looking back now, I cannot really blame them. For example, I am a mother of one and I have already in my head pictured what I want my son to be. I am thinking that I am spending so much money paying school fees, why will I not want him to be something important like a surgeon, an astrologist, something very important?

    But the reality is that the lad might just wake up tomorrow and say ‘I want to play football’ or ‘I want to be an instrumentalist.’It is actually hard to be a parent and not want to be overbearing because that is when children rebel. I remember growing up, I was very rebellious because I felt that my mind and my parents’ were always clashing. What they wanted to do, I didn’t want to do it. We would be woken up by 4am to do devotion, who does that? We would be singing praise and worship from four to six and then from six, you would be sweeping around the house and then from six to seven, everybody must have a bath and sit down at the table for meals for everybody to eat together and then, you must say the prayers and after that you must all come together to wash plates. But, looking back, I am so grateful for all the training.

    For someone who was trained in England, did you in anyway find it difficult to work in the broadcast industry back home?

    When I got back to Nigeria in 2009, I first did a stint with CCTV Network in Kogi State. You know Senator Tunde Ogbeha’s TV station and I worked on radio. I was a radio presenter, a trainer and I was also a script writer for radio programmes. I did quite a few things and from there, we started to do news broadcasting and it was amazing how I felt very regal when I was clad in African attire to read the news. What you get on normal TV is the formal, strict kind of posterior. Just after that, I left came back to Abuja. I was at the point in my life when I just needed something to break me out of the state of mind. When I came back to Abuja, I had a stint with FRCN and we did a lot of entertainment stuff.  I was also at Vision FM even though we didn’t have quite a very savoury relationship while I was there.

    Just after that, I was about to leave the country for China when I ran into an old friend, Pedro Obaseki and he recognised me from a TV show we did back in England. It was a reality TV show that showcased the best of presentations in East and South London and I happened to have been amongst those that came tops. Obaseki convinced me to come to AIT for one day to see some people. I came to AIT and I ran into Chief Raymond Dokpesi, the chairman, and a few other people standing. I didn’t even know who the chairman was at that time, we argued about the fuel subsidy and before I knew what was happening, he asked them to put me on stage for a little chit chat and that was how it began and I was on TV. We had to learn the job from Imoni Amarere and Madam Tosin Dokpesi. Then I had this fear of the hassle of having to call Nigerian names and murder people’s names. I was a bit jittery so to speak. I wanted to just be in the background but when we now started, I was put on the hot seat and they said you are the lead of the show.

    I said to myself,’how can that be? ‘But here we are today. AIT, I think, is the greatest pinnacle in my life because without AIT, I wouldn’t have been the face Adaora, the brand that everybody can recognise.  Regardless of whatever talent one has, it is nothing without a medium. You need a medium to express yourselves. if you don’t have a medium, you are as good as buried. I believe AIT offered me that platform.

    Your England story will not be complete without telling us why a young lady would be wearing dreadlocks and writing about cannabis. Did you smoke cannabis?

    My dad actually said he did not send me abroad to wear dreadlocks. He said,’you must be smoking weed ‘and I said to him that I was actually wearing the hair because of his no perming of hair order. There was nothing else to do to my hair because it was afro natural. I left for England wearing native. My mother clad me in wrapper and blouse with virgin hair. I got to the class and the first few months, I was called a Naija girl. It was, for me, embarrassing.  But as I started to scale all my grades in school, they thought there was something voodooish about my look. While I was scaling and passing, they were busy concentrating on how I looked. But it gave me a uniqueness and made people want to know what my background was and those few years I struggled with how to maintain my hair because of the cold. So, I met a very good friend Selina from Trinidad and Tobego and she put my hair in nuts, I never untied it and so it grew. By the way, the style that you wear is not necessarily what you are. That I wear dreadlocks does not make me a cannabis smoker or ganja as you call it. I see a lot of Nigerian men and women that wear natural hair but it could be that you prefer to wear a less time consuming style, a less money consuming hairstyle and you do your hair once a month, it is easy for you to maintain than perming my hair, fixing weave.

    But when I came back to this country, my dad told me, ‘you know you cannot wear this hair and go on air and then with your accent, people will ask where they got the crazy girl from’. For me, I had to do a lot of redefining of how I look and speak because I talked a lot faster and my accent was more defined when I started. I had a very off standish position when I started, not that I was a snub but I didn’t give room for people to try to analyse me. With time, I broke down the shell little by little.

    How has it been like being a single mother, is it by choice?

    I wish I could say no comment to that. My son is five; he is going to be six in July. I met my son’s dad in England; he is a doctor and a clergyman. Ideally, we were engaged to be married, things happened but he was not one to come home to Africa if I may put it that way. My parents will not have anything as having a long distance marriage and secondly was the fact that I was very young and this was supposed to be my first love. To me, he was like the god that I can see on earth, he has been there for a long time but originally from Akwa Ibom.

    I did everything I could within my power to go back, not just because I felt that I was in love but because I felt that there was no other place to be than with the father of your son and it didn’t quite happen. I stayed with my parents the first few years and it was horrible because I felt that they had gotten what they wanted but inevitably, I think I was a bit happy over the months that followed because I had family around me and that would have been something that I wouldn’t have been able to get everyday had I been back in London.

    So, yes it wasn’t by choice, I was supposed to get married at some point but it didn’t happen and it has been six years and my son has grown to be so strong. I actually marvelled at how he has worked his way into being a matured boy. I think  what has helped is that my dad is a very besotted granddad. He grew a lot with my parents when I was doing a lot of reshuffling and my dad mothered and fathered him and I’m thankful for that because I wonder what I would have done without my family and I wonder what I would have done if I had gone back without their consent.

    But, it has been tough because at the back of my mind, I feel that every journey is challenging me to be an inspiration to my kid. I have found it very tough establishing a stronghold emotionally outside the sense of being a mother, relationships have never totally occurred to me a haven. I just worry about falling apart and having to do that all over again and I have a kid to worry about, he has given me a sense of direction. I have had to look at certain relationships and say, ‘no, this will not fly with David growing in this environment.’ I have gone through depression thinking did I make the right decision? Do I have to pack my bags and go look for his dad? Did I put myself first? But he has helped me grow into the woman that I am.

    So, me being a single mom? I don’t think of myself as that in the sense of the word. I think that I am a mother to a lot of children. I say to myself that my goal if I never get married, I tend to look at myself as the other Theresa of Nigeria, having so many children that are not even born to you but living your life for others and making sure that you create value for those you will leave behind to be able to carry on the work.

  • IPAC chair alleges threat to his life

    The Chairman of Cross River State Inter-Party Advisory Council, Mr Godwin Akpama, yesterday alleged threats to his life.

    Akpama told our reporter in Calabar, the state capital, that a close aide to the governor was threatening him.

    In a letter to Governor Liyel Imoke, he said: “It is necessary that I bring to your attention this issue of threat to my life by one of your aides.”

    He added: “Greetings, governor; God’s blessing, sir. Please, this is to bring to your attention threats to my life by one of your aides through one of his aides. This is the second time he has called me to threaten my life. The first was that I was supporting Legor Idagbo against his preferred candidate. Now, he says I am castigating his boss. It is surprising that this government official is harbouring thugs, killers to undo those who raise genuine issues for his clarification!

    “It is necessary, sir, that I bring to your attention this issue of threat to my life by your aides. My life and those of my family are in this ‘terrorist’s’ hands. I will use all legal approach to seek justice to this continued threat to my life.”