In his long, productive life, Paul Connors has never sighed while thinking about the road not taken.

In 1948, Connors gave his first auto driving lesson while sitting in the front passenger seat of his 1938 Plymouth. Paul’s Driving School in Gardner was born, and he sensed then, at only 21, that all of the roads ahead would lead to a successful, rewarding career.

“I loved it right from the beginning,” he said. “I still do.”

Connors will turn 85 soon. He’s still an active, fully accredited driving instructor, putting in about 20 hours a week. Through the years, thousands of his students, from present-day teens to their grandparents in their 60s and 70s, are grateful for his careful and thorough instruction, especially when taking and passing the Registry of Motor Vehicles road test.

Connors’ soft, caring voice echoes through the years and remains with his students whenever they drive — thoughtful warnings about three-point turns or easing into traffic lanes, or mantras perfect for busy intersections: “Always look twice, because what you didn’t see the first time will be there the second time.”

It all began shortly after Connors’ two-year hitch in the U.S. Marine Corps.

“I had learned to drive in Boston, but I was born in Gardner and I thought it would be a good place to start a driving school,” he said.

Connors recalled the early years, long before anyone had ever heard of seat belts or learner’s permits. Those were the days of $4-an-hour lessons, 10-cents-a-gallon gas, and standard-only transmissions.

He’ll never forget those out-the-window hand signals.

Source: www.newstelegram.com

Legal icon, Afe Babalola, 84, tells SUCCESS NWOGU that eating vegetables, walking around his farms and being close to nature are some of the secrets of a healthy life

 What was your beginning like?

God has enabled me to achieve modest successes in virtually all the things I have ventured into.  I had a very modest beginning.  I stopped my education at Primary Six and every other thing I did thereafter was by private studies. I was going to farm like most other children in my time. We derived a lot of pleasure going to the farm.  We enjoyed good food and play. We enjoyed them and thought that was the end of the world so much so that we did not know that there was anything outside the farm.

Chief I.A. Olowu convinced my father that I should go to school. I did not initially like the idea as all my attention was concentrated on the farm. I thought that was the best that could happen to anybody as I saw a lot of food and other things on the farm.

I later went to school at Emmanuel Primary School, Ado-Ekiti. Because my attention was divided since I always wanted to be in the farm, I did not concentrate as I should. I however finished my primary school but my parents could not see me beyond that level of education.

How then did you achieve the height you attained in education?

I started private studies for Cambridge School Certificate, GCE O’ level;  A’Level certificate of London University and B.Sc Economics of London University.

I had the opportunity to work in the Central Bank of Nigeria and Mobil but I turned them down because I still wanted to study. So, I registered for external degree in Law at the London University, also through private studies. After passing through all that, I travelled to England for the Call to the Bar in 1963. I am a member of Lincoln’s Inn, London, a registered member of the Bar of England and Wales and also a distinguished member of the Nigerian Bar.

What happened thereafter?

When I came back home, I started with the chambers of Olu Ayoola and Co. in Ibadan.  He was a dignified gentleman and one of the greatest litigation lawyers in the country at that time. I cut my legal teeth there. I was there till 1965 when I established Afe Babalola and Co. (Emmanuel Chambers) which is reputed as one of the leading law firms in Nigeria today.  I was admitted into the Inner Bar as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 1987. I have national honours as Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic and Commander of the Order of the Niger. I have been practicing Law since 50 years by the grace of God.  On July 9, my colleagues and associates and my chambers put heads together to celebrate my 50th year at the bar. Initially, I declined but when they insisted, I caved in.  To the Glory of God we had an elaborate outing in Ibadan with a lecture delivered by retired Justice Emmanuel Ayoola. The lecture was on the future of law in Nigeria.

What are some of your landmark achievements in life?

I have made some achievements and I am still in the mood to do more. I thank the Almighty God for making them possible. I have been able to contribute meaningfully to the legal practice in Nigeria. I am an active member of the International Bar Association and I am also a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Nigeria.  I am also a fellow of the Leadership Institute of Supreme Court of Nigeria, a body that appoints Senior Advocates. I was also the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos between 2001 and 2008 and I won the best Pro-Chancellor of the Nigerian Universities in 2005 and 2006. UNILAG was in 2006 adjudged the best university by the National Universities Commission. I was also the Chairman of the Committee of 85 Pro-Chancellors.

Is the establishment of Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti your greatest feat so far?

That is what people say. But we are just doing the little we could do to advance humanity and ensure that Nigeria becomes a better place. I do not see it as an achievement as such but part of my contributions to the larger society. The setting up of the university is a good thing.  It is a means of setting standard and the pace for academic revolution, human capital development and empowerment for others to follow.  During the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, I was appointed the Pro-Chancellor of  UNILAG. I wanted to serve only for one term. But Obasanjo said we did a  marvellous work and re-appointed me.  There, I saw the kind of decadence in the Nigerian university system. I thought that if UNILAG was like this, imagine what would have been happening in other universities.

I started with the little money I made in my law practice. We also got some support from some corporate organisations and personalities. We started three and half years ago.  People in Nigeria and all over the world have commended ABUAD for its infrastructure, facilities and quality academic and skill development disposition. We ensure decency and discipline among students and the entire university community.

How best do you think youths should be trained?

There should be an attitudinal orientation of the youth.  We should teach and ensure that youths are disciplined. Unless we do that, we may be heading towards destruction.

Are there other achievements of the institution?

We have a predictable academic calendar. In some universities, students for a four year course may end up spending more due to some constraints such as strike. But in the university there has not been any strike and I am not sure that there will ever be any.  The first set of our students have just finished their examinations.  By the grace of God, they will be graduating by October.  That will be a four-year programme being completed in about three years, nine months.

The NUC, after some visitation on June 17, accredited all the 14 courses we put before them. One-hundred per cent accreditation is not common. Some universities work for interim accreditation for many years, but for us, it was not so.  We have committed lecturers who do the work as partners, not as salary earners.  Few weeks ago, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria accredited all our engineering programmes. Also, the computer professional body in Nigeria accredited all our computer programmes. As students are studying for their courses, they are also working towards getting professional qualification.  So at the end of the day, many of them will graduate with their academic, professional qualifications and entrepreneurship competencies. In addition to English and indigenous languages which they are familiar with, students of ABUAD must learn either Chinese or French language. Their understanding of another foreign language with English Language will position them at an advantage over their colleagues in the country and other parts of the world.

Currently, the university is ranked the second best private university in the country and about 17 out of all the universities in Nigeria.  We are ranked as the fastest-growing university in Africa. NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Julius Okojie rated our College of Law as the best he had seen in West Africa, when he visited us.

What target did you set for the university in the near future?

Africa is not even our target.  If we are rated number two among private universities in Nigeria and number 17 of all the universities in the country, within three and half years, by the time we are five or six, we will rank among the first 10 in Nigeria.  By the time we are 10, we will certainly be among the best three in Africa.

Will ABUAD’s College of Engineering provide solution to invention challenges in Nigeria?

At the College of Engineering, we have the most mobile equipment, the type you cannot see in any universities around.  We are in partnership with many universities and foundations abroad.  We want to ensure that there is a veritable nexus between learning and living.

We have summer school where we encourage people around to learn and benefit from the facilities we have here at a token fee.  Our teachers are among the best.

Can government alone effectively cater for education in Nigeria?

Government alone cannot fund education. Wealthy people in the society need to support government either directly or to set up institutions just like we are attempting to do here. The Harvard, Cambridge and London schools are all private universities and they are all making waves all over the world. We are inviting more wealthy Nigerians to set up institutions like ABUAD or to partner or support the federal and state governments to advance education in the country.

How is ABUAD going to be sustained?

We are praying God to give us more grace so that I will still be  around for the university to be on a stronger footing.  We also have Afe  Babalola Foundation that will ensure its sustainability. The best way to ensure the sustainability of the university is to ensure that a capable person is in charge so that at the fullness of time when I go home, the institution will continue to function.

At 84, you are still making land mark achievements…

God has made me younger.  We have to attribute all to the grace of God and the kind of discipline that one had adhered to. At 84, I still walk a round the whole university.  It does not cost me anything.  Also, I am disciplined in eating.

Do you have special dietary habit?

I eat natural things. I do not smoke. I do not drink alcoholic drinks. All I drink is water.  At every meal, I eat a combination of about six different vegetables. I do not eat fat meat.  God is there to help all of us but we need to cooperate with God.  The late Chief Obafemi Awolowo many years ago said, ‘Many of us, dig our grave with our teeth by the virtue of what we eat.’ So if we are careful and mindful of what we eat, there is no way it will not impact positively on our health.

How do you exercise?

I walk around the campus often and with some people. We also go to the farm and other places here.

You are still articulate mentally even at 84. What is the secret?

God’s grace! But one also has a duty to cooperate with God. What you read, think and the way you carry yourself are important. Being articulate depends on some factors. I have found that many people in Nigeria do not read. Just as we are what we eat, we are what we read and do.  If you do not read, what are you going to share with people? If you do not read, what will be your contribution to knowledge?  I thank God I can still do what some of my peers do. In terms of contributing to knowledge, I still go to court.  I still teach.

You still go to court at 84?

What then is my primary assignment?  That is the major thing I know how to do. I also contribute to the growth of agriculture.  We have about 275 fish ponds with about 200,000 fishes.  There are 75 within the campus, there is another 200 at Ajabamdele along Ikare Road. By the time you go round the farms, you see nature and fingerlings developing into big fishes. I have mango, tick, manila, palm tree farms. We are very close to nature.  Also, your relationship with your fellow man has a role to play.

How do you combine farming with your status as an international figure?

I read a book sometime ago, titled, ‘Here comes the commander in chief.’ On article 408 of that book, the writer was talking of Nigeria at 50.  He said that at 50 we still use Made-in-China handkerchiefs. That means that we are not where we should be.  He also talked of Thomas Jefferson, one of the past Presidents of the United States of America. He described Jefferson as so many things: a lawyer, linguist, diplomat, astronomer, naturalist, political philosopher, educationist, statesman, farmer, musician, scientist, inventor, agriculturist, sportsman, geographer, theologian and so many others.

I am in agriculture because I have the passion.  Remember, I started as a farmer with my parents in Ado Ekiti. So, it has been part of me. We are producing fish even for many buyers in Nigeria. We sell fish every day and people from neighbouring states even as far as  Abuja come to my farm to buy fish.

So you are not localising the sale of your fish farm?

People here cannot buy off all the fishes we have.  In each of the 275 ponds, we have no fewer than 5,000 fishes.  So how many fishes will residents here be eating per day?  We are not producing for Ado Ekiti or even Ekiti State alone, our aspiration is to help Nigeria substantially in food production. That is why we are inviting people to join in this type of venture. I have farm for snails and piggery. Imagine that five to 10 people in this community are in this type of venture with me. We will substantially help in achieving national food security.

So how do you feel being 84?

I thank God. It is by God’s grace.  Longevity is in my family. My mother died at 114 years in 2010. My father also died at an advanced age. It is the desire of every parent that his children should be greater or mightier than him.  Since my mother went home at 114 years, by God’s grace, I am going to live more than 114 years.

How many children do you have?

I am happily married and my children are doing well for which I am grateful to God.

We have many old people who are sick and starving.  Would you advocate for a social security for them?

For the elderly who are not strong and do not have the means, it is incumbent on the government to take proper care of them.  That is part of the responsibilities of government.  You do not leave this old people. In some climes, there are old people’s homes where they stay and are taken good care of. Government should take care of the old people. Some of these people would have served their country meritoriously. This is the time to pay them back.

What is the solution to the religious crises and violence in Nigeria?

If Afe Babalola at 84 is a friend to Prof. Ben Nwabueze (SAN); Alhaji Alaya Salman in Ilorin and AGF Abdulrazak, a northerner, what has religion and tribe got to do with this?  We are talking of humanity and relationship. We should think deep enough.  There is no nation that was involved in religious crisis that really survived it. We must be friendly with one another. We should always be our brother’s keepers. If we are, there will be no religious crisis in the country.

As a man of vision, were you not distracted by the female folks when you were young?

When I was younger, there was a time my mother was so worried about me because no lady would come around me. It was not my pastime for women flocking around me. I needed to be focused and to ensure that what my parents went through, I and my children do not go through it. I was concerned and determined that I will make it. When you have such orientation, you will deliberately divest yourself of any extraneous thing that will distract you.

What is your advice to young people?

They should not waste their youthful days. If they want to go to school, they should go to school and be serious.  For those who cannot cope academically, they should learn a vocation and be serious about it.

At 81, Hannah Anike is still strong and agile. In this interview with OZIOMA UBABUKOH, she talks about how her family coped during the Nigerian civil war and what Enugu looked like in her days

 What was your educational background like?

I did not go to school. My father was a great farmer, so we joined him on the farm as young children. Though the colonial masters forced us to go to school, we resisted all their moves. We gave them bribe so that they would allow us farm and not go to school. We felt that going to school in those days was punishment, but I have since realised that education would have done me more good.

Since you didn’t go school, how did you then spend your youthful days?

As I said earlier, we spent all our days farming. I am currently 81 years old and I am still farming. Aside farming in those days, I was also involved in selling farm produce in the market to make some money for the upkeep of the family. I was also a member of several dance troupes, because I used to be a good dancer. I am old now but I still dance. I was given the name Jibugwu Nwanyi and Ojiugo when I was dancing in my youth. There were dance troupes and groups in those days where we learned dancing for one year. At the end of the learning process, we would invite our husbands and children to come and watch us dancing.

We would cook for them and entertain them. They appreciated our dance steps by giving us gifts which was usually money. We kept some of the money for ourselves. We were usually invited to occasions to entertain guests with dance. People came from Abakpa and Emene end of Enugu State and from other neighbouring villages and towns, and even from places in the present Ebonyi State to come watch us dance. Our dance, in those days, was like a tourist attraction.

Can you remember when you got married to your husband?

I was a teenager when I got married. I can’t remember exactly when, but I remember that I got married a few years after I started seeing my menstrual cycle.

How did you meet your husband?

I met him through my uncle, the late Francis Ugwu-Anike. I first lived with one of my maternal uncles, the late James Ayogu, at Ogui-Nike, after which I went to stay with another maternal uncle, the late Francis Agbowo, at Iji-Nike. It was at Francis’ place that I met my husband who was from Ogui-Nike, that’s in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State.

What really brought you together?

I was a very fair young woman and so many men then ran after me because of my complexion. One of them was my husband and immediately he proposed to marry me, I accepted him with all my heart.

How many children were you blessed with?

I had six children – two males and four females. Two of the girls died when they were about five years old due to lack of health care facilities during the Nigerian civil war. My first child is Mrs. Deborah Nnamani and she lives in Enugu. Deborah was the wife of our former traditional ruler, Igwe Augustine Nnamani. The second is Mr. Ikechukwu Anike; he is a retired customs officer and also lives in Enugu. Others are Uchenna Anike who works and lives in London and Mrs. Ebere Mbah who lives in Abuja. Before I married my husband, I had a son, Joseph, from another man but I will not want to go into the details.

What effort did you make to save the two children that died?

Health facilities were not good enough in those days. Uche would have lived if the right health equipment was available. Ngozi died because of the effect  of the canon shots and bombings during the civil war. Ngozi would have survived if there was a good hospital during the war.

How would you describe health care system in your days?

I never sought the assistance of traditional midwives each time I gave birth. I gave birth to my children at St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church Hospital, Onu-Asata, off Ogui Road, Enugu State. It was even the Igbos who were working there and the hospital is still existing.

Did you train your children from the proceeds of your farm?

My husband and I trained them from the proceeds we made from our farm. Training them was never a problem because I was hard working. Whatever I made from the farm, I deposited it all for the upkeep of our children. My husband was also doing the same thing. I still farm and my husband was even a farmer till his death in 2009.

What is your most treasured moment in life?

God has made every day of my life a treasured moment. God is the one that makes me happy. But if I have to choose a moment, it will certainly be the day I led people to Christ. My parents were not Christians, but when I married my husband, I became a Christian in the Anglican Communion. I drew men to church. I ensured people were baptised and received confirmation. Working for God makes me happy. I earned the title of Nne Okwukwe (Mother of Faith) in church. But generally, I will say that I have no particular treasured moment. There were so many great moments I have had in life. I am always happy when my children successfully put to bed. I love seeing my grandchildren come into the world. I also get so happy seeing people go to school because I didn’t go to school. I enjoy seeing people who read so hard.

I have 18 grandchildren, which includes Emeka Nnamani, a former member of the Enugu State House of Assembly. I have 12 great-grandchildren.

Which moment would you consider the worst so far?

The day I lost my granddaughter, Chizoba Nnamani, would always remain on my mind. I will never forget her. She was in her 40s when she died in the US.

How then did you cope with her death, considering your old age?

Initially, my children hid it from me. When they realised that people would start coming to say sympathise with me, they had to let me know. That was less than two weeks after she died. I was able to get over Chizoba’s death because I believe so much in God. I advised myself that I couldn’t question God.

How did your family cope during the civil war?

We were always running. We suffered so much and moved from different places, to the extent that we ran from Enugu to Uturu-Okigwe in the present Abia State. We walked on our feet with children strapped to our backs. It was a very scary situation, as there were bombs everywhere. We were still on our way when we heard that the war had ended but we couldn’t return to Enugu city, so we went to Abakpa and stayed in uncle’s house.

At Abakpa, I engaged in petty trading so that we could feed the family. The situation remained like that until calm returned to the region. I pray that God will not allow such thing to happen again. The civil war was a very bad experience.

I was always falling sick during the war. It was during the war that my daughter, Ngozi, died. The shock from the canon shot at Nkalagu in the present Ebonyi State killed my daughter. Many people died in the same manner because there was no hospital for treatment.

You look very healthy at 81. What is the secret of your longevity?

I believe a healthy lifestyle makes one live long. I will say God has kept me strong and alive. I don’t drink alcohol and soft drinks, so I have every reason to live longer. I don’t eat fried food and some other unhealthy food, so it is possible I could live up to 100 and even longer. All these have kept me strong.

But I am not God. Only God that knows when I will die. Even if He says I should come home now, I will hold no regrets. God gives life, power and blood. I am happy that He has given power to me to still farm, even at my age.

What is the effect of civilisation on your lifestyle?

I don’t think the modern times have affected anything negatively in my life. For instance, there is light and it helps us see at night. The roads are there and it has enabled transportation of people from one place to another. Back in those days, we would trek to Abakpa and Abakaliki from Enugu, but today life has been made simpler.

How will you compare today’s Enugu to what it was in your time?

The dirt in Enugu State could make one sick. In the past, people didn’t throw things anyhow, but today the drainages are filled with dirt and the state government and residents are doing nothing about it. Even the Enugu State Waste Management Board is not even helping matters; their officials litter the environment in their attempt to clean it. For instance, after putting the dirt into their truck, some of them keep dropping off on the main roads while they are moving, thereby making Enugu city dirtier. Now that it is like this, I will advise the Governor (Sullivan Chime) to regulate the activities of ESWAMA and ensure that Enugu becomes very clean, as it was known for. I will advise Chime to be God-fearing and watch over the people he is leading.

What is your advice to the young ones?

My advice to my children and every young person is that they should have the fear God. They should allow God to guide their ways. I will also advise that they study well because that is the only way they could develop themselves. I call on youths of today to desist from acts of kidnappings, armed robbery, and lead a better life. They should change their ways and follow God. I weep whenever I see youths killing. Killing is a taboo. It is not good to kill what God created. In my days, there was no kidnapping, but today we find such things everywhere. There was no armed robbery in my time. We could leave the doors open and go to sleep, but now, I don’t go to sleep until I ensure that the doors are locked.

The age-old tale that a model’s career is over by the time she reaches her twenties is, well, old news these days. Introducing Jennie Rhodes, a silver-haired model who is making waves at the impressive age of 81.

According to the Daily Mail, Rhodes is the new “it girl” when it comes to the world of older models, and her resume shows it. The striking beauty has been hired to be the face of a new campaign for fashion label VIELMA. In the campaign, Rhodes shows off a strong collection called ‘Beautiful End of the World.’ Designer Gabriel Vielma says Rhodes, a former Hollywood actress, was the perfect choice for such a campaign as opposed to a younger model. “There are different beauties in this world. Not only the young posses this quality. A flower possesses beauty as does fashion. My looks are strong and dynamic and the model I chose is both,” says the designer. “Her presence tells a story and this is in line with my collection. The clothes sit just as well on this woman as they would on a 17-year-old.”

Source: dailymail.co.uk

A Manatee county man celebrated his 80th birthday at the poolside at the GT Bray Aquatic Centre in Bradenton doing what he loved most.  He was teaching swimming lessons.

He talked matter of factly about his age, “I see too many people my age who don’t do this,” he said.  Old is an understatement and I don’t want stereotypes to define me.”

Steinfirst first started lifeguarding in New Jersey as a teenager in 1949. “I just thought it was a lot of fun to do. And an interesting way to meet the ladies,” he said.

He later spent time in the business world, but his real love was always the water.  Over his lifetime, he enjoyed sailing, scuba-diving and kayaking.

Steinfirst began teaching swimming lessons part-time in the 1960s. He was concerned that drowning was one of the leading causes of death among young children and took great pleasure in helping to influence young lives.

“The instructing part is important to me,” he said. “It’s good to watch them progress.”

Steinfirst has been at the GT Bray Aquatic Centre in Manatee County for about 11 years.  During that time, he’s seen attitudes change among children and their physical health.

“A lot of kids just don’t want to exercise today,” he said.

He credits exercise for his longevity. “I’ve always been active. I’ve never been one to sit back and do nothing,” he said. “I swim about 1,000 yards every time I’m out here.”

Steinfirst believes you’re never too old to lead by example.

“(My fellow lifeguards) have trouble keeping up with me!” he said.

‘Old age’ can’t keep up with him either. To him, his 80th birthday is nothing but a new number.

“Just another day, really,” he said.

Source: wfla.com

In this interview with MOTUNRAYO JOEL, 80-year-old Olumuyiwa Babington-Ashaye shares his life experience and success secrets

Where and when were you born?

I was born on July 30, 1933 in Lagos State. However, my parents hail from Ogere Remo in Ogun State. People call me Sunday sometimes, and my mother also told me I was born on a Sunday. I also have a calendar that dates back to the year I was born.

Your father was the Ologere of Ogere, Oba Alfred Babington-Ashaye. How was it like growing up in a royal home?

My father married 15 wives. And in my family, there are 14 children – seven boys and seven girls. Three of them are dead. I am the first of all the children, though the only child of my mother.  I related well with my step- siblings and we were always together. I still keep in touch with them.

Where did you have your education?

I started my education at Olowogbowo Methodist School, Lagos and my secondary school at St. Gregory’s College, Obalende, Lagos.

I worked briefly with the then Barclays Bank, now Union Bank. After that, I travelled to England in 1957 to study Accountancy. I first qualified as a chartered secretary and then as a chartered accountant.

Why did you choose to become an accountant since there were other popular options in those days?

This was a profession that wasn’t in the forefront at the time. In the whole of Nigeria then, there were about two or three accountants, one of them was Akintola Williams. That was why I took up the profession. I didn’t understand why there were few accountants in Nigeria and the urge to know why pushed me into the profession.

What was the experience like?

At the time in England, before you could become a chartered accountant, you would need to do your articleship, which is also called apprenticeship. They will give you a specific period of five years. You would have to write an examination within this period. But before you are even articled, it would take quite some time, because the whites didn’t feel comfortable having blacks around. Being an accountant, you would have first-hand information of the company’s details and they (whites) wanted to be sure they could trust you. So no one wanted to employ blacks. Blacks were called animals, uncivilised people. Even getting an accommodation was a challenge. On the street, you would see signposts such as ‘no coloured and Irish allowed.’

There was no reason to settle down over there. Nigeria is my home. I’m a black man and black is meant for Africa. It never crossed my mind to live abroad despite spending 13 years there. And at that time, people travelled to the UK to study and not to settle down. Moreover, your salary is the same. What you earned in the UK was what you would earn in Nigeria. The naira was very strong.

Where did you work on your return from the UK?

I was offered a job at Akintola Williams, after which I worked in the Oil and Gas sector for several years.

At what age did you then get married?

I got married at the age of 25, in July 1958. I was in the UK and I was lonely, so I needed a companion. My girlfriend who was in Lagos was also feeling lonely. So, we thought there was no need waiting again and decided to get married. Another reason why we got married was because we didn’t want to live in sin; we wanted to do things the right way.

How many children do you have?

I have seven children from my second wife. I married her on December 15, 1973. My children are doing well in their careers.

What about your first wife?

We separated due to some personal reasons.

How did you meet your second wife?

I met her at a friend’s party in Ibadan, but I didn’t get the opportunity to talk to her. To be honest, the moment I saw her, I knew she was mine. The next day, I went to my friend’s house and asked if he knew where she was residing and then he directed me to her house. I introduced myself to her, we then exchanged numbers.

What does success mean to you?

Success, in my view, is the fulfilment of your ambitions. My belief is that as a young person, if you have a great aim, you need a strong attitude and perseverance to attain it. And once you achieve your ambitions, you can be tagged as a successful man or woman. Achieving success is not difficult, all you need is self-confidence. Success doesn’t necessarily mean having so much money; it’s just being able to achieve your set goals. Your success should give you happiness.

Based on your definition, will your say that you are a fulfilled man?

Yes of course, because looking back at my background, my mother, who was a fashion designer, waited for 10 years before giving birth to me. I never thought I would go to a school like St. Gregory’s all my life, but I did and I made sure I remained focused in school. Right from my childhood, I had an ambition to become a successful man. I have never lived in a rented apartment. My school, St. Gregory’s was a school made up of successful boys who are still successful till date. They were called the ‘Brazilian boys’, and I looked up to these boys and had the intention of becoming successful. I remained focused. In life, you must have a focus; you don’t need to copy anybody’s way of life, just be yourself. I can proudly say that I’m a happy and fulfilled man. In life, I have no regret.

During your youth, what activities did you enjoy?

I enjoyed boxing. I was popularly known as ‘terrible ashus,’ a brief word for Ashaye. I had strong punches. If I punch you, you must definitely go down. I was a good boxer. But I stopped boxing the day my mother caught me boxing in school. I also enjoyed swimming, running and theatre arts.

What makes you happy now?

Listening to country music is a hobby that makes me happy. Every night, I listen to country music before going to bed. It gives me courage and ambition. It also soothes my soul. You learn a lot from them. Ebenezer Obey is one of my favourite Nigerian artistes.

What special thing can you remember about your youthful days?

Girls liked me. Even at my mother’s shop, there were so many girls there who used to buy things for me. There was no attachment, they just liked me.

What difference have you noticed between your time and now?

Honesty is rare these days. There was nothing like rigging and exam malpractices in my days. People were honest, including our leaders. In those days, we loved to teach children the right way, but things are different today.

What is your best food?

My best food is yam porridge with fish.

How do you keep your body in shape?

I walk a lot, but honestly I think it’s God’s help that keeps me healthy. People may not know this about me, but I’m very conscious of God. I believe there is somebody that I cannot see who is around me. He is the reason for my achievement. He keeps directing me. Right from my childhood, I always called on God to protect me, when I wanted  to go out or do something terrible, and He hears me. When I was young, I used to pray for God to include me among the successful ones even up till today.

I advise young ones to make God their best friend. You don’t need to tell anyone about your problems, just call on God. He knows you even more than your parents or spouse. When I was in England, I failed an exam twice. I kept asking myself what the problem was. I went to see a vicar in church. When I got there he was drinking wine and offered me, but I refused. I told him about my situation and he advised me to work hard. I wasn’t still comfortable with his advice. Then I asked myself, if I was in Nigeria what would I do about this situation, that was when I decided I should fast and pray. I fasted for some time and one day I dreamt that I should be reading particular passages of the Psalms in the Bible. I did it and passed my examination. I believe that when you have any problem, you should call on God. It all depends on your confidence and courage. When I go to church, I go there to do business with God and not with my mates. I hear people pass comments in church about dressing, but that is not my business, I have come to do business with God. When you call on Him, He will give you three answers – yes, no and wait.

I have never used my money to open any bank account. Whenever I approach banks for loans, they open an account for me and give me the money. The most important thing in life is to have confidence in oneself. I once wrote to a former governor of Lagos State that I was born and bred in Lagos and that I needed a land. He gave me the land. Fear hinders people from making a big move in life.

As the son of a king, people would think you have everything in life…

That is true because I have heard people saying it. But that isn’t the case. I’m very contented with what I have. I may not have what you have, but I won’t envy you. Growing up, I didn’t have all what I wanted, but I was content. I wasn’t jealous of anybody. I believe everyone has their time to shine. Even when my friends were building houses and I could not even afford a block, I still helped them. I just knew my own time would come. If you’re my friend and you’re successful, one day, your success will affect me positively. If you pull down your friend, you are indirectly pulling down yourself.

At 80, you still look great…

My prayer is to enjoy my old age than my youth. Everyday, I pray that God should help me to be self sufficient even as I grow older. But if God spares me, I pray to live to be 100 years.

You married your second wife 40 years ago, what is your advice to youths on marriage?

Young men should think about themselves first before getting married. Couples must base their togetherness on the foundation of love. To women, she must marry for love sake and not for money gains. If you marry too early, you may want to jump out.

What is the secret behind your love for your wife?

She is very caring. The woman must be able to take care of the home and family. She shouldn’t neglect the husband because of the children. When I go out, she waits for me to come home before eating.

At what age did you consider yourself to be a rich man?

I think I was 40 years. I was humble about it and my friends too advised on what to do. I was happy with myself.

How do you keep yourself busy?

I still go to the farm. I even call myself a farmer. I have a cassava farm, piggery and others. I enjoy farming. Everyone should engage in farming because it is good.

Which of the political parties do you support?

I don’t support any of them. They all don’t have an ideology and I don’t know what they have to offer Nigerians. They have no focus. All the parties are the same. They are fighting for their individual interest.

Which of the Lagos State governors has impressed you the most?

I will choose Governor Mobolaji Johnson, he was  approachable. He wasn’t a politician like other governors. Bola Tinubu just wanted a name for himself, I won’t be surprised if his wife becomes the next governor. For me, Johnson was the best.

What is your advice to Nigerian leaders?

Everything in life is temporary, sooner or later we will answer the call of God. And once you answer the call, judgement is next. There is no lawyer to defend you over there. You won’t be able to take any money to your grave. I will also want them to read Ecclesiastes12:13-14 always.

In this interview, 81-year-old Andrew Chegwe tells ARUKAINO UMUKORO about his adventurous life and how he survived a nine-day journey through the Sahara Desert

Where did you grow up and how was growing up like?

I was born in Umutu in Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State, on September 7, 1931. My father, Joseph Chegwe, was a famous farmer and my mother, Mariam Chegwe, was a big fish trader. She never bought on retail but traded in bulk. We were brought up in a farming family. At a point, my parents wrote down commandments for me to follow. For example, they told me not to pick money on the ground. My childhood days were a very happy one. It was spent among friends and we were always on the farm. To please my father, you must be a very hardworking person. For my first 10 years, I was always on the farm, daily, except on market days. This was the reason why he objected to my going to school earlier. It was my elder brother who persuaded him to allow me to start schooling. And my father gave him a condition that I must come to the farm to take my lunch. My elder brother accepted. I started primary school in 1941 at the age of 10.

Tell us about your education.

My school uniforms were wrappers. I spent three years in infant one A and B. It was after infant two that I graduated to Standard One. For these three years, we were versed in vernacular and learnt the Igbo alphabets. We were taught in Igbo for the first two years, and then with English, from Standard One. In 1947, I went to Sapele where I stayed with one of my father’s close childhood friends. There I went to Zik’s School owned by Okotie-Eboh, and then St. Patrick Catholic School where I got my Standard Six and also learnt Catechism in 1949.

Afterwards, I started working as an apprentice mechanic and was employed by Northern Woods Company owned by the Greek. But one fateful day, I got doused by fire from fuel ignited by a lantern. It burnt all parts of my body, except my manhood. I spent three months at Eko Hospital. When I was discharged, I was at  home for another four months. Thereafter, my father asked me to stop working.

What were you doing after that?

I went into the business of selling garri in 1952. That year was when I bought my first shoes. I sold garri into Ibadan, Onitsha and Kano. Back then, there was no bridge across the Niger. But because sales were poor, I only made a profit of £4 in Lagos from 50 bags of garri. In December 1954,  I took my garri to Kano where I made £115 profit. That was when I took the first flight to Benin. I spent £13 for the flight. The 20 bundles of zinc used in covering our large family house were purchased from that money.

Later, I decided to join the Seminary to become a priest. My parents were surprised that I took such decision. I was 24-year-old then. I spent the first year in Benin. Then I was transferred from Benin to St. Theresa, Ogunpa, Ibadan, where I spent four years. I was promoted to the senior seminary at SS Peter and Paul, Bodija, in 1961. But Easter Monday of 1961 was my last day at the seminary; I felt very sick and was bedridden for almost two months. So, I was asked to go home to recover fully. In other words, I shouldn’t return to the seminary. Because I couldn’t bear telling my parents that I was asked to leave the seminary. I decided to commit suicide the next day. I wanted to jump from the third floor. It was Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie who rescued me. He was my next bed neighbour then.

After I was refused thrice to return to the seminary, I was privileged to travel to Germany in October 1963, where I studied Political Science at the University of Mainz, after undertaking a German language course. Because of her flourishing trade, it took my mother only two months to repay the loan of £300 I took to go to Germany.

What were some of the most adventurous things you did in your younger days?

During the holiday, I was also working at a factory where they produced alcohol and you were allowed to drink as much as you liked. After three weeks of working there, I fell very sick with stomach ulcer and was in the hospital for two months. I was advised to come back to Nigeria. But then, I learnt how to drive in two days and bought an Opel Caravan. This was in 1965. I decided to travel by road from Germany to Nigeria and my German friends said it was impossible. So, I and my younger brother, Michael, who was asked to leave Germany by the police because there were some irregularities in his passport, embarked on the journey. We moved down South Germany into Geneva, Switzerland, where we crossed border into Southern France, then Spain, where I drove for four days along the coast. During the journey, we survived an attack from a large animal. I had a gun which could be used to kill or loaded with SOS bullets that could be used to notify a plane if I was lost in the desert.

It took me nine days to cross the desert, because there was no direction or road marks. In the desert, you must maintain a certain speed before you can drive or you will be stuck in the sand. But no matter how careful you are, you can’t drive five kilometres without getting stuck. During that journey in the desert, I lost the four tyres of the car and the four spare ones. It was just the rims that were left after sometime. I faced sandstorms daily that could have buried me alive.

What were you eating?

Then, I also realised that certain human emotions were stronger than the others. As a result of fear, I lost every sense of hunger, despite having enough food in the car. An Algerian military outpost somewhere in the desert saw us far away and rescued us during the sixth day. They fed us and advised us how to go from there to the nearest city, from which we could travel all the way to Kano. There were two Nigerians there, a Yoruba and Igbo man, so we stayed in that city for two days before we continued our journey.

I left my car at the border between Niger and Nigeria, which was some distance from Kano, because I was asked to pay duty on it. There, I sent a telegram to my family to come and pick me up from Kano. It took me three weeks to get to Nigeria because it was not a marked out route. I spent four days in Spain, two days in Tamasaret, Algeria, and nine days in the womb of the desert. I travelled on rims for about the last four days in the desert. This was in 1965. From Nigeria, I later sent mails to my friends in Germany, which contained some of the sand I got from the desert, for them to believe I made the journey through. I went back to Germany in September 1965, but this time, I took a plane. I couldn’t have attempted that twice. I returned to Nigeria in 1971.

When the Biafra war broke out in 1967, what happened?

We organised ourselves into the Biafra Union in Germany. Then, the Germans wanted to know what was happening in Nigeria but there were no materials to that effect. We, the Biafra Students Union, now divided ourselves into groups. The technical group were the people who produced Biafra radio that Nigeria couldn’t silence. I headed the propaganda group and wrote a book about the war, and used photographs taken by German journalists who had come back from Nigeria. I went to many towns in Germany to speak about the war and by the time we finished, many Germans were in tears. Afterwards, the book, written in German, is titled ‘Biafra, the tragedy of a people.’ It sold millions in Germany. By the time the war ended, it was Michael Okpara and Dr. Ogbonna who told us that Biafra had lost the war. That was the end of the struggle. We had wanted to form a front there in Germany to come to Nigeria and join the Biafra struggle.

On your return to Nigeria, what did you do?

I started importing used cars from Germany to Nigeria. I was the first person. It was cheap and I refurbished them here a bit and sold them for good profit. I supplied army depots in Lagos, Benin, Delta and Enugu. On one of my last trips, someone used false documents and labels for the cars I had imported and I lost nine cars. That was how I lost that business. Later, I started importing lace materials from London and coral beads from Italy. I also imported and supplied choice woods for furniture making. I did this from 1993 till 1996. After that, I started writing books. I’m working on my third book, which is about faith. I have never worked for anybody.

You studied political science, and were part of the Biafra struggle while in Germany, why didn’t you go into politics?

I had wanted to, but my wife discouraged me. If politics was all about service, maybe I would have joined. If we truly want change in Nigeria, it must start from our voting system. The Independent National Electoral Commission should eliminate all traces of rigging first and ensure a credible election in 2015.

How did you meet your wife and how long have you been married?

People are against marriage by proxy. But that was how I met my wife, through a friend, who understands me so much and also was working with her. She had also been to Europe. She studied medicine in England and started her own business, importing pharmaceutical drugs and supplying them to government agencies. Before then, she had worked with Sleep Comfort Furniture. My friend had also told her about me. He then came to me several times because he wanted to introduce me to her. After much persuasion, I decided to visit her office. She was so beautiful and I was mesmerised by the way she walked. I decided to marry her after the first meeting. We got married in 1982. We are also from the same tribe, Ukwuani.

What is the most important ingredient of your success in marriage?

I’m hot, while she is very cool and calculating. I’m very happy that I met her. To me, she is an antidote to who I am. I am very adventurous and fearless. It’s like the working system of a car battery, the positive and negative wires, they complement each other and makes the car to function very well. That is what she is to me. She cautions me when I want to do something that doesn’t seem good to her. I am like the hot dry season and she is the rainy season. Two of us can  produce bumper harvest. That’s how it is. We are so happy together.

How come you married late, was it a personal decision?

Yes, it was. I lived an adventurous life. I was also a dashing young man. Back in Germany, their girls pressurised me to marry them, this happened more than four times, even with ladies who just met me for the first time. Many girls ran after me. But I took time to decide to marry. My parents didn’t put pressure on me to get married, although my father died in 1961.

What is the secret of your longevity and youthful looks?

My wife cooks good food and feeds me with a lot of vegetables. I’ve begged her to open an eatery because if you eat her food, you must come again (laughs). For someone who has had such adventurous life like I had had and the number of accidents I have survived; I’m grateful to God. In 2008, I had this prostate gland operation and they made a mistake with my bladder. I was in a coma for nine days before they were able to remove it. I’m still alive today. Also, I have peace of mind with my wife, this makes me young. You see, happiness and satisfaction contributes to good health, and then add good food to it. My wife has a time table for food. What she gives you today won’t be the same tomorrow or next. She has varieties. It’s a blessing. God also used the seven years I spent at the seminary to prepare me to be a devoted Christian.

What’s your best food?

There is nothing I cannot eat. But my favourite is eba and ogbono soup.

Do you regret not completing your schooling at the seminary?

I wouldn’t say regret, but that I missed it badly. I’m so much deep in Christianity. I was still a virgin until I was 30. I couldn’t have opted out on my own. That is why I am also grateful to Cardinal Okogie, but for him, I could have ended up very badly.  And the prayerful life I missed in the seminary, God eventually gave it back to me through my wife. Sometimes, she could pray for hours.

What about your children?

I have many children; some are married, one is based in Spain with his family, another lives in Lagos, one is a lecturer at the Delta State University. Some are working in Lagos and Abuja. I have no regrets that I gave birth to my children at my old age. There are men who can still reproduce at 75 or 80 years of age. The anxiety that one is getting too old might be a stumbling block in itself. I have many grandchildren.

What advice would you give to young people about marriage?

Marriage is a life vocation. Marriage is something that you have to decide and be convinced about. There should be no pressure on you. Again, it should not be hurriedly done, otherwise, you will make terrible mistakes and regret them. It’s good that now churches have made it mandatory for prospective couples to undergo months of counselling to prepare them. Don’t rush into marriage or be enticed by material things or a person’s wealth. If the person loses them tomorrow, what happens?

What is your greatest fulfilment?

It is my faith. Sometimes when I look at the world around me, I just imagine how it would be that one day I would be with God in heaven, because of that I don’t fear death at all. In fact, if people who are getting close to their death would allow me, I would go and console them and teach them how to die. My faith and confidence in God also helps me. God brought me into existence; definitely, I must go back to Him one day.

Harry Scott, who will soon turn 80, is celebrating his birthday by going the world in six days, playing golf at each stop.

Scott loves golf and travel, so beginning Labour Day, his latest adventure will take him to six cities on six continents in six days, and he’ll do it all solo, playing some of the greatest golf courses in the world.

For the past 20 years, Scott, a widower and retired accountant from Ocean City, has pulled off a number of high-speed adventures, including attending 30 Major League Baseball games in all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums in 30 days. In 2012, Scott played 50 golf courses in 50 states in 50 days.

When asked why he does it, Scott smiled, looked down at his shoes and said, “It’s fun and I want to do it while I’m still young.”

“I don’t know where he comes up with these ideas,” said a long time friend of Scott, Bill Elliott.

Elliot described Scott as a popular, but unassuming gentleman with a quick smile. Scott sings in the church choir and serves on a board of the local medical centre.

“He just has a different idea of the meaning of the word ‘vacation,’” Elliott said.

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A former president, Court of Appeal and pioneer Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, Justice Mustapha Akanbi, shares some of his life experiences in this interview with SUCCESS NWOGU

When were you born?

According to my mother, I was born in Accra, September 11, 1932 on a Sunday. My mother had seven children in all, three died but four of us survived. When I was five years, I was brought to Ilorin and I started Arabic school here in the same quarters where my family house is now. After some time, my father came home. In fact, he came to get married and also give his daughter in marriage.  At that time, most of the houses in Ilorin were thatched roofs. Regularly you could see fire from some homes and people will be shouting and running.  But our house was zinc-roofed. Compared to Ghana, where you had zinc roofs all over, it was strange to me. When I was brought from Ghana to Ilorin to stay with my mother, I wept that I could not live in Ilorin.  After some time, my father took me back to Ghana, in September 1939, during the World War years.

Where did you continue your education in Ghana?

I continued with the Arabic school and enrolled in African College the same year. I was in standard five by then and knew English History, from the Britain to the reign of the Henry VIII, because the man who established the African College was good.  We had elderly and brilliant people who taught us. Many of the quotations I quote today, I learnt them there. I really appreciate my father, an illiterate, who sent me to a good school. From there I went to another school in Accra in 1946. That year my mother returned to Ghana. I finished standard seven there. After that, I went to another school, where some other chaps who later became prominent jurists, schooled. I later worked briefly in Ghana. I was a teacher in New Era Secondary School and Kings’ College Commercial Secondary School.  I also left the school. I got admission to the Kumasi College of Technology to do Estate Management. Although I thought I would get a scholarship, I was not given because I was not an indigene. Luckily, I had scholarship to go to the University of Cairo in 1957. But my father did not welcome the idea.  He said that I should go and read either Law or Medicine.

What happened afterwards?

Unfortunately he took ill for two years. At that state, I was beginning to lose hope. My intention was that since I was not going to marry until I was qualified, I should move back home.  So, I applied to the Northern Civil Service and, luckily, I was sent on a course.  We were 29; 17 from the South and 12 from the North. Among my classmates was S.K. Daggogo-Jack, who once headed the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria. I topped the class and was invited to apply for scholarship to read Law. When I graduated, I was one of the 12 candidates appointed to sit in the Institute of Administration which later became Ahmadu Bello University to do Part One.  I was one of the five who had the required papers to go to England to continue. Eventually four of us made the finals in record times.  Nwosu, who later became Chief Justice; Shehu Mohammed, Justice of the Supreme Court, he died in an accident; the late Justice Ekundayo, and myself were the four in our batch. From there, I was appointed the state counsel and served in Kaduna, Kano, Makurdi, Ilorin. I was then sent to Law Officers Course again in Britain to do International Law and Legal Drafting. When I came back, I was schemed out of Ilorin and posted to Jos. I should have been the number two here in Ilorin. But I do not beg or bootlick for anybody. I was posted to Jos, where I foresaw all these settler problems and tribal issues.  I resigned and went into private practice in Kano. I set up a branch in Ilorin and later became Attorney-General in Kano.  When I was in practice, I was invited to the bench, but I resented it, I thought I would do better for myself in private practice. But my dad had a different view. When I told him that they wanted me to be a judge in a high court, he asked me to accept it. He said: ‘Do not worry about what you will give me or your mother.’

Did you heed your father’s advice?

Yes. That is how I became a judge. He felt that the greatest honour that he could have was for his son to be a judge of the high court in his life time.  When you see an illiterate thinking this way, I cannot but honour his opinion.  I have been a loyal son to my father.  I have never said ‘no’ to him. After graduation, I became and retired as President of the Court of Appeal.

Can you remember some of your childhood experiences?

During my childhood days, Accra was much more advanced. You cannot compare Ilorin with Accra at that time. Besides, Accra was a capital and Ghana was then called Gold Coast. There was money. Everything was there.  We ate corned beef, sardines, and had many good things. Then, we used to go to the beach and played all sorts of pranks. We even fought with people. At the area that I lived then, you must be tough and be able to fight. We also learnt and practised some boxing here and there.  We were always running up and down creating problems. But the luck I had was that my father was a strict disciplinarian.  If you ever got caught, you would be well disciplined. I remember when I was in standard six; we almost became rascals of the highest order because we had a weak teacher.  We, however, had a headmaster, Mr. J.N. Asante, who was tough and one of the best. He was a brilliant teacher; one of those who I can say made me. If he taught you and you failed, then nobody could teach you how to pass. I enjoyed his class.

I remember in standard four, whenever he came to the class, he called out pupils to be disciplined. He became our class teacher in standard seven. I was torn between either leaving the school or staying.  I remember I had only four lashes from him and that was when all the class members were punished. I remember the day I went to tell my father that my teacher did not like me and that they wanted to expel me from the school.  Nobody wanted to; I simply said so out of fear. But my father so trusted my performance.  He appreciated me and believed that I had the ability to do well.  I was his letter writer.  Then, he would ask me to go to the bank to do some transactions for him, so I was closer to him than any of my brothers.

How many children did you father have?

My father, an avowed polygamist, had 16 children. I was the ninth. At the time of his death, there were 11 children left, including me. But since his death on December 21, 1984, 10 more had died, leaving six of us. By Islamic law, you cannot marry more than four wives at a time. Even at the time of his death, he was left with two wives, my mother and my step-mother. There were three other women he married. None of them bore him a child. But you might say in between, all in all, he had married about seven wives.

You don’t use eyeglasses and still looks agile despite the fact that you will be 81 in September. What is the secret?

At a time I was using glasses but I found out that I didn’t really need it, although doctors recommended that I used it. I can read without glasses, even at night, except if the light is dim. But in the day time when the light is bright and everything is clear, I do not have to bother myself.

Is there any special food or lifestyle that keeps you graceful?

I do not have any special food.  For health reasons, doctors advised me to avoid taking sugar, so I do not take anything sugary.  I also try as much as possible to eat less food.  Sometimes, there is a lot of food for me to eat but because they have advised me to cut down my food intake because of my weight, I reduce it. But, if I am hungry, I may go against the rule sometimes. I can eat at any time. For some people, they do not eat once it is 7pm or 8pm, for me, I can eat at 10pm or after.

You must have had many female admirers when you were much younger? How many girlfriends did you keep?

When I was young, I was the darling of a lot of ladies in our quarters. But I had a focus; I knew I will never be married unless I had the qualification, professional qualification or a degree. My brothers married in their 20s and I married in my 30s.  This was after I had qualified as a lawyer. I did everything in moderation and I made friends. There were people who wanted to marry me.  In our custom, if you come from a good family and you are well-behaved, a lady will be betrothed to you. But I rejected all until I went to England and I finished my studies. I went to the Law School and passed. Then at that time, I decided who I should marry.

Have you ever felt threatened by people who may not be happy with your position and judgments as a prosecutor and judge in the past or that they may kill you or harm your children?

No, I am a great believer in God.  Like I used to tell people, supposing somebody is sent to kill me, if God’s protection is with me, I may not cross his path. He will not even come my way.  I received letters of threat recently; I suspected that some of the letters came from Accra, Ghana because of a certain property I fought over for the owners. I just came back from Accra. I confronted them. I even wrote to the police here in Ilorin.  But I still do not believe they can remove one hair from my head without God’s permission. I do not allow such a thing to worry me. In some of the cases I handled, if I persecuted people instead of prosecuting them, then my conscience will prick me that I have done something wrong.  If I convicted an innocent person, then I will have problem.  But if I did the work with fear of God and in accordance with the law, and in my judicial oath, I do not have anything to worry.

There was a case of a man I prosecuted for pouring acid on his wife in Kano.  He was jailed 10 years; everybody I prosecuted was convicted. Justice Michael Holden, who later retired as Chief Judge of Rivers State, was the person who convicted him. Holden left Kano for Rivers State. In subsequent years, I met the man who was jailed for 10 years. I was then in private practice. He recognised me when he saw me, although I did not. I thought he would be bitter against me but he was not. I suppose, he did not finish his 10-year jail term, probably he was granted a reprieve for good conduct at the prisons. I was financially more buoyant than in government job.  So, I gave him some money and he thanked me.  If I had been hard on him, he would have been bitter. The most difficult case in which I subjected somebody to a rigorous cross-examination was a case involving one Vincent.

When we met in subsequent years in Benue, he treated me very well. They drove a nail in the forehead of a political opponent. They were politically influential; they had big names behind them but the work was that I must prosecute them.  And I did not shy away from doing so.  In fact the person whose relation was killed tried to offer me protection but I refused. I told them, ‘If you offer me protection, it would seem as if I am working for you. Let me do it. God will take care of me,’ and He did.

In all honesty, would you say you never jailed an innocent person as a judge?

Luckily for me, when I was prosecuting, I was prosecuting as a state counsel.  I remember one man, Ikoku, who was sentenced to death. I did not sentence him to death; the judge did, so that is not my problem. As a defence counsel, there was no single person that was tried for murder that I defended that did not get away. It was only an armed robber who was sentenced. It was towards the end of the case that I had information that he was involved. But I started with the Federal Revenue court so I was not concerned with murder cases. I did not sentence anybody to death as a judge but at the Court of Appeal, appeals came before me.  It was a court of three.  And if I presided, especially when I became the presiding justice, or the President of the Court of Appeal, I either confirmed what had been done by the lower court or allow the appeal and get the man off.  But where you have been convicted at the lower court, like the man that killed the late popular musician, Ayinla Omowura. He used a mug and struck him (Omowura) dead. The appeal came and I was the one who read the lead judgment. I dismissed the appeal and confirmed the death sentence. I do not have any guilty conscience.  The evidence was quite clear.  Your playmate and your boss, you killed him.  I do not have any cause to look back and feel that I had done something wrong. I swore an oath to do justice to all manners of people without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.  So, if you cannot do the job, you leave it. At every stage of my life when I got fed up with the work that I was doing, I resigned. We are accountable to God, when we die, we will account for what we have done in this world. God has not sent down angels to come and judge people.  Human beings like us will judge.  So if we do not do it, maybe the wicked ones will do it.  I do not have any feeling that I wrongly convicted anybody. I believe that if you do justice, you will get the grace of God in abundance.

Eighty-one-year-old Jim Hodkins, with his wife, Bertha, survived a fire outbreak in their home in Sibley.

Jim, a Missouri man, jumped from the second floor to escape, broke his leg in the fall, then managed to crawl back into the house to rescue his wife.

The fire at Jim and Bertha’s home broke out on a Friday morning, local media reported.

Fighter fighters said Jim woke up and realised the house was on fire, but couldn’t get downstairs because the first floor was already engulfed in flames.

His wife Bertha suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, said Ed Winfrey, who owns the home and has rented to the couple for several years, according to KMBC.com.

“I heard the sirens, and when I stepped out of my house about a quarter of a mile from here I saw the smoke and came over to investigate,” Winfrey said.

He said he found Jim sitting in a chair, clearly in pain, while Bertha was safe inside the couple’s car.

The elderly couple were treated at a local hospital, where Jim was listed in fair condition and Bertha was in critical but stable condition, according to KSHB.com. In addition to Jim’s broken leg, both were treated for smoke inhalation.

Winfrey said the home, which was built in 1850 and survived the Civil War, will have to be torn down. The cause of the fire was yet to be reported.

Source: www.ndaily.com

The retired Catholic Bishop of Benin Diocese, Patrick Ekpu, who will be 82 in October, speaks with JAMES AZANIA on his childhood experience, his more than five decades as a priest and other issues

What was your childhood experience and who were your parents?

Childhood as I came to know what was happening around me was pleasant and it was the kind of experience a child will have if he lives with his parents and other siblings. My father was John Inidia Ekpu Igboke; Igboke was his father’s name, and my mother was Otiekpe. Arebamen was her maiden name. We were two boys and four girls.

Can you tell us about your siblings and what some of them are doing?

My only brother lives here in Benin. Next to me is a female. I have another sister who lives in the United States with one of her children.

Which schools did you attend?

I attended Government School in Uromi, Edo State. In 1943, I was transferred to Holy Cross, Benin. My last two years in primary school was at St. Joseph’s Catholic School, First East Circular. In 1950, I was admitted into the minor seminary. At the end of that year, I went to Oke Are in Ibadan and completed my secondary school, after which I came back to what is now St. Paul Minor Seminary in Benin.  It was a major seminary then. After three semesters, the seminary was moved to Bodija in Ibadan. In 1963, I was transferred to Iguobazuwa in Benin and after about 11 months I was appointed to be in charge of the parish in Ibuzo, now in Delta State. I was there at the beginning of the civil war. Later in 1967, towards the end of November, I was transferred to Igueben in Benin and after about one and a half years there, I went to Boston University in the US.

What did you study there (Boston University)?

I read Sociology.

Did you set out to become a priest?

By the time I was leaving primary school, I had made up my mind to become a priest.

Why?

Well, at the time I began to think of it, I had not even been baptised as a Christian. I remember shortly before was baptised, I saw late Father Ojefua and I told him I would like to be a priest and he said I had to be baptised first. There were not too many African priests in those days; they were few. By the time I left primary school, there were only three Nigerian priests in what is now Edo/Delta. So, the possibility of you seeing them was almost not there. But God has a way of infusing ideas into somebody’s mind and leading him to that goal.

Alternatively, what would you have loved to be?

In the course of study, I loved logic and I was a good logician, but felt I would make a good lawyer. So, I toyed with the idea, but it was not something I thought through.

What were your parents reactions when you chose to become a priest?

My father did not disapprove, except he said he had only heard there was a Father Paul Emecheta in Asaba area, who allegedly got married and had a child before joining the priesthood. My father did not mind if I had a child and then became a priest.  But my mother did not understand the full implication of her first son becoming a priest.

Would you link the taking over of missionary schools by government to level of moral decadence in the society?

I will because those who went to faith-related schools would have been taught that depriving someone else of his right is evil. But those who have never been told that either at home or in the church are just pragmatic in whatever they do. To such people, whatever profits them is okay. They are not bothered whether it hurts other people or not. It is okay as long as it profits them. They might have heard that certain things are bad and they may even know it themselves but because nobody has sat them down to tell them it is wrong, they will simply be doing that which is bad because they see people doing it.

The church is facing the issue of gay marriage, how will you react to that?

We all have a role to play in that regard by enlightening our people because we are throwing our culture away. Have you ever heard where a male cow is going after a male cow or a male camel going after a male camel? If we saw that practice, then we might say it is natural for a man to do that, but you know that the issue of procreation is social. It is the environment that affects people’s behaviour and if the social environment encourages what you are doing, or promotes it, then you can easily fall into it. But if it does not, then it will not develop.

What was your daily schedule like when you were in service?

Well, it has changed with changes of circumstances of life. I used to wake at 4am and clean up. Thereafter, I would go to the chapel and pray. I remember when I told my friend in the US that I used to wake up at 4am; he laughed at me and asked if I was crazy. I later shifted it to about 5am and when I retired I changed it to 6am. Immediately after waking up, I go to clean up the chapel for morning devotion, after that I will have my breakfast. After breakfast, I would go to the office. I have my lunch at 1pm or some minutes after. Thereafter, I would have my siesta and after that I would go to pray at the chapel and sometime I go for exercise and I would go back to the office.

 What time do you go to bed?

About 10pm.

I learnt you and Anthony Cardinal Okojie are friends?

We were contemporaries in the seminary. We have been friends from college days when he transferred from St. Gregory and came to join us in Ibadan. I discovered he came from the royal family of Uromi, and ever since then our relationship has grown stronger and stronger.

Tell us more about your sporting activities

I was never a sportsman; but sometime I play tennis.

What is your best food?

What may be my best food may not be available to me.

What is it?

I like the German breakfast which consists of bread, liver sausage, cheese and cup of coffee.

Does that contribute to good health?

I’m telling you about my best food. Well, people associate good health with balanced diet. But what is good for you might not be good for me. It depends on what one makes up and the circumstances surrounding it. The food you eat in Nigeria is not what you’ll eat in Germany, United Kingdom or United States. What may be good for us here in Nigeria may not be available in other countries and may not be the best food.

You will soon be 82, what will you say is the secret of longevity?

I don’t know whether there is any secret, for me I think long life is a gift of God, because one has seen others who apparently were quite healthy and led normal good and acceptable lives, did regular exercise, yet died young. Others in the same circumstances lived much younger. So, nobody really knows what the secret of long life is.

Can you recall some of your best moments?

At the age of 11, I left home and I have been in Benin City ever since then. So, there were not too many occasions when I and my siblings sat together or enjoyed things together. As a result, I cannot recollect some of those moments.  But I remember when I was going back to school in Ibadan, in 1955. My immediate younger sister and I were together and we took a picture. That was the last time I saw her because she died a few years later.

Can we count that as your worst moment?

I wasn’t around then. I was in Ibadan facing my studies, and I wasn’t around to experience the sorrow the family had at that time but I felt it very much later.

So, you cannot recollect any of your worst moments?

The moment that made me feel very bad was when my eldest sister lost her only child. It was a very painful moment and after that, she never had a child again.

What are those changes you see in the present generation that are different from those of your period?

There was more discipline and willingness to take instructions from your elders. But it appears there is uncontrolled freedom or licence for people to behave the way they like these days.  People don’t seem to have a sense of direction, they don’t know and they don’t want to learn from those who know. That is very dangerous.

What do you dislike in people?

If somebody tells lies; he’s a liar, I cannot tolerate lies. No matter the circumstances, always say the truth. I have a very high regard for someone who is truthful.

What advice do you have for the youth?

I will advice them not to take hasty decisions. They should consult those who know and seek advice before taking decisions. They should always be patient. If your friend has a car, don’t say you must also drive a car even when you know you don’t have the means to acquire a car. Avoid doing things that can put you into trouble.

In this interview with MOTUNRAYO JOEL, 90-year-old Moses Agbonjinmi and his wife, 86-year-old Elizabeth, share the secrets of their 63-year-old marriage

 When were you born and where did you have your education?

Husband: I was born on September 5, 1923 in Igbajo, Osun State. I attended a government school in Igbajo from 1932 to 1938, I can’t remember the name. I was unable to proceed to secondary school because the money needed to fund my education wasn’t available .

 Wife: I was born in 1927. I had my primary education at Igbajo too but did not attend secondary school.

What is the secret of your successful marriage?

Husband: Our secret is that we understand each other well. Whatever I like, she also likes and vice versa. We are deeply in love and she knows what gets me upset. When I make a decision on an issue, she doesn’t object. She respects me. I can proudly say that we are united. We don’t disagree or have arguments. Our marriage has been peaceful since we met. To have a happy marriage, you must marry someone that you understand. Understanding in marriage is important. It is also important that the couple must be genuinely in love with each other. These are the important ingredients of marriage that we have kept intact. They are the secrets of our union for many decades.

Wife: For me, it is honesty. Aside the fact that we understand each other, we also trust each other. This is the basic thing that has kept us together. Before I take any decision, I must seek the advice of my husband. If he is not at home, such decisions must wait until he returns home. I know my husband’s body language, so when I notice that he is not looking happy, I ensure that I make him happy by touching his heart and discussing the issue that is giving him sadness.

So you don’t have disagreements?

Husband: We have never quarrelled. I have never quarrelled with her up till date. This is because we understand each other.

What are some of the challenges you faced in your marriage?

Husband: We faced many challenges, but the one that really shook my wife and I was when I became partially blind. This was in 1988; I had to depend on her for virtually everything.  It was hard adjusting at the initial stage, but we managed to sail through the storm. It almost affected our marriage, but at the end of the day we became closer and our love was strengthened.

Wife: Another challenge we faced was when we were waiting from a second child. I think it took about a year or two before we had our second child. The wait was a long one for me.

What is it about your husband that has kept you in love?

Wife: He is a man of his words, he doesn’t lie to me. If he tells me that he will be at a particular place, I trust he will be there and not somewhere else. He is trustworthy. Since I married him, I’ve never doubted my love and trust for him. My husband hardly makes decisions without consulting me.

Husband: Her looks. Till today, she still looks beautiful in my eyes. I also love her godly character. I couldn’t have asked for a better wife. She is respectful and caring.

What memorable experiences do you share?

Husband: The most memorable was when we had our first child. We were so excited. We had a big party to celebrate her birth.

Wife: The birth of our first child brought joy to our home.

Do you use the three letter words, ‘I love you?’

Husband: Yes, I still tell her I love her. I say it verbally and through my actions. She knows I love her dearly.

Who was your first girlfriend?

Husband: My wife was my first girlfriend.

Who was your first boyfriend?

Wife: My husband was my first too.

What mistakes do men commit when they are searching for wives?

Husband: Some men are only attracted to a lady because of her physical features. They don’t take time to know the character of the lady. I always tell youths, especially men, that the period of courtship is very important. You don’t just see a beautiful woman and marry her immediately. Beauty alone shouldn’t be the reason for choosing a wife.  Men who jump into marriage will not be happy at the end and when joy is missing in a relationship, it’s a waste of time.

What is your advice to young couples?

Husband: They should be able to compromise and understand each other, internally and externally. Another important thing couples must know is that once a third party comes into your marriage, that marriage will never be the same. So, couples should avoid involving a third party, no matter what transpires between husband and wife.

How long was your courtship before you decided to walk down the aisle?

Husband: We courted for four years before tying the knot. When we met for the first time in 1947, I was struck by her character. It was my cousin that introduced her to me. I actually complained to my cousin that I was ready to get married but didn’t have anyone to marry. He then informed me that he had a friend who would be my perfect match.  One day, he took me to her house, I was a bit nervous meeting her but I had to put up a front.

Did you fall in love with your husband the first time you met?

Wife: The first time I saw him was in a picture, but I was a bit skeptical accepting him as a friend, because back then, one couldn’t trust pictures. But when I saw him face-to-face, I was happy. He met my expectations.

So, did your wife welcome you with open arms?

Husband: I was very lucky; she welcomed me well with groundnuts (he laughs). In our time, when a man goes to visit a woman, she offers him groundnut. I guess the use of groundnut had a secret meaning. But I was happy she did.

Were you financially buoyant when you got married?

Husband: No, I wasn’t. I just had a little money I had saved up from my shoe making business, but it wasn’t much. My wife and I started life together from the scratch. I was a shoe maker and she was a petty trader, but love is what keeps us together.

Do you help your wife in the kitchen?

Husband:  Of course, I help my wife in the kitchen. Till today, I pound yam for her. I sweep and clean the house. Whenever she is too tired to cook, I do the cooking. A man has to always assist his wife in the kitchen. I take pride in helping her in the kitchen. It’s in our culture to do things together always.

What is your husband’s best food?

Wife: He likes pounded yam with egusi soup. And that is my best food too.

What is the secret of your longevity?

Husband: I thank God for good health. I enjoy walking; I could trek for miles without getting tired. Some weeks ago, I trekked from Lagos Island to Ipaja.

Is that so?

Yes, I trekked from Lagos Island to Ipaja. Trekking is one of my hobbies, I do it with pleasure. That is part of what has kept me fit. I also eat good food and I don’t smoke. I take little alcohol but it’s not to the extent that I get drunk. I also farm once in a while.

Wife: I enjoy trekking too. I also enjoy singing and dancing. You can’t catch me idle, I’m either singing or dancing.

Where did both of you work?

Husband: After my primary school education, I went into farming. I used to help my dad take care of his cocoa farm until 1941 when my father died. After that, I moved into shoe making. I learnt this skill from a cousin. Then in 1969, I gained employment as a teacher. I was placed on Grade 3. In 1971, I was promoted to Grade 2. I retired as a teacher in August 1984. Since then, I’ve been on my own, doing some petty works here and there.

Wife: When I finished my primary education, I learnt sewing, but I also had some petty businesses by the side.

How would you describe the Nigeria of your days?

Husband: Nigeria was a good nation. Corruption wasn’t as prominent as it is now and the people feared God. Everything was working well. Our education sector was sound. But now, things have changed. This is because the leaders are not helping us. What bothers me now is the lack of honesty of our leaders. They have failed to provide the basic amenities and infrastructure for our people. We don’t have leaders who are ready to help the country provide things like water, electricity, good roads and adequate health care system.

Wife: We enjoyed living in Nigeria. Our country was better than what we have today. Food items were very cheap. But today, things are so expensive. One goes to the market and spends so much money to buy little things.

Can you recall some of the social activities you did during your days as youths?

Husband: I enjoyed farming and I still do. Aside this, I enjoy reading. I don’t have a particular type of book I read, I just read anything that I can lay my hands on. I was a quiet young man, so I didn’t engage in rigorous activities like my other friends.

Wife: I wasn’t involved in any social activity. I got used to staying at home with my parents who taught me so many things about womanhood and taking care of the home.

What do you do before going to bed?

Husband: We always go to bed at the same time. But before we go to bed, we always pray together. I don’t think we have ever slept without praying together.

How did you train your children?

Husband: My wife and I with the help of God trained our children up to university level. It wasn’t easy because we weren’t so rich. I was a teacher at that time, so with the little money I made as salary, I would invest into my children’s education. It was a beautiful experience. We are grateful to God that our children are successful. Some of my children are teachers, banker, and businessmen.  I must appreciate their mother, she was helpful a great deal, nothing ever occupied her time. She was always there for our children.

Wife: Like my husband said, it wasn’t easy training six children. We did it with the help of God.  My husband was a teacher and I was a food vendor. I would go round schools selling food. The little money I made from my business was used to support my husband in training our children. I couldn’t leave the whole burden to him.  It wasn’t so easy training six children, but I thank God.  Most, if not all the money I made from my business went to my children’s education. Every year, I bought clothes and shoes for them and organised Christmas parties for them.

What comparison would you draw from the values youths of your time had and those of today?

Husband: In our days, youths were hardworking and also contented. We knew that there was time for everything. We weren’t money-conscious. But today, youths are too money-conscious. What they are to achieve in 10 years, they will want to get it now. They are impatient. In my time, respect was important. Youths valued their culture and traditions but now, it’s the opposite.

On November 25, 1932, FDR had just defeated Herbert Hoover, the daily newspaper cost two cents, and Ann Shawah said “I do” to John Betar in Harrison, N.Y.

Fast forward through 13 presidents and 80 years to 2012: the Betars are still happily married. After five children, 14 grandchildren and 16 great children, the couple from Fairfield, Conn., will celebrate their 80th wedding anniversary on Sunday.

“We are so blessed. We are fortunate,” John Betar, 101, said.

“We are very fortunate. It can be repeated and repeated,” Ann, 97, echoed. “It is unconditional love and understanding. We have had that. We consider it a blessing.”

John Betar met Ann Shawah growing up in the same Syrian community in Bridgeport, Conn. Betar immigrated to America as a young child in 1921 with his brother, he explained, joining his father who put down roots for them in Bridgeport. After attending grammar school, Betar began working as a fruit peddler and met Ann Shawah, the daughter of Syrian immigrants, in the neighbourhood.

“I fell for her right away,” he said. “I used to have a Ford Roaster and I used to pick her and her friends and drive them to high school. Gradually she liked me and we got together.”

It was slightly more complicated than that. Ann was arranged to be married to another man, 20 years her senior, whom her parents thought would be the best provider for their daughter. The 17-year-old was less than pleased with the arrangement and taken with Betar, then 21. Breaking with tradition and going against her family’s wishes, the two eloped.

“At 17, you wonder if you’re making the right choice,” she said. “I had grown up with him and we had good times together and we knew each other very well. And it’s turned out to be 80 years. ….God seems to have been with us. And we’ve been very fortunate and wonderful.”

The two built a life together, a home, a family and lived out their own version of the American dream. Betar continued peddling fruit and in 1938, opened up his own grocery store, Betar’s Market, in the south end of Bridgeport.

“We worked hard and never got tired of making money,” he said. “This is the land of opportunity.”

Ann stayed at home and raised their children. “She was a great mother,” Betar said. “She raised five children and she was a wonderful caretaker.”

Five children spawned 14 grandchildren and 16 great children. The couple said the later generations “bring new life” and light into their lives.

“Last year at [John’s] 100th birthday party … there was group of little 2 year olds and 5 year olds and a group that’s just turning 19 and 20,” Ann recalled. “We had it at the beach and we had fireworks. It was very special. The younger children went out on the beach and wrote ‘Happy Birthday Jiddo,’ [Grandpa in Arabic], in the sand, all along the beach. … How can you not feel God’s right with you and blessing you?”

For all its transformative potential, the high costs of 3-D printing continue keeping it from achieving mass consumer adoption. Now a new open source device may change that with its ability to create plastic filament at a fraction of current prices.

The design, created by 83-year-old engineer and inventor Hugh Lyman, is the winner of the Desktop Factory Competition, an X-Prize-style challenge that kicked off last May. Created by Inventables CEO Zach Kaplan and Pocket Factory founder Bilal Ghalib, and backed by the Kauffman Foundation, the challenge set a goal to turn cheap, common plastic pellets into the filament utilized by most desktop 3-D printers in order to make it easier to access the 3-D printing world.

The competition’s stakes were high: Winners would receive $40,000 provided by the Kauffman Foundation and a 3-D printer, CNC mill, and laser cutter from Inventables. The specifications seemed simple enough; the new machine had to be open source, cost less than $250 in parts, accept PLA or ABS resin pellets, be able to mix in colorant, and extrude 1.75mm filament.

While the project seems straightforward, it still took 10 months before a device that met all the specifications was submitted, despite 38 teams clamoring to solve the challenge. Lyman’s design stores raw plastic pellets in a hopper, melts them into a liquid state, and extrudes print-ready filament for a fraction of the cost of store-bought equivalent.

“I was running out of money paying $40 to $50 for a couple pounds of plastic,” Lyman says, discussing his interest in the competition. “By the time I got my extruder running I was filling garbage cans with filament.”

And even after winning the Desktop Factory Competition, Lyman was hard at work on the Lyman Extruder III, which he says will be smaller, less expensive, feature fewer parts and work in a horizontal or vertical orientation. Like his first two extruders, Lyman says this one will also be open source “I’m not happy with patents,” he says. “Only 1 percent of them are any good.”

Lyman has run three engineering and manufacturing businesses in his 83 years, but warns that there is a world of difference between inventing and marketing. “To make a product and produce it is easy,” he says. “but unless you want to deal with accountants, attorneys, and lawsuits, don’t start a business.”

Despite having witnessed decades of technological advances in his lifetime, Lyman is still impressed with 3-D printing. “It’s the most exciting thing I’ve done, he says. “I love it. When I designed my center point finder back in 2005, I had it 3-D printed by a service bureau in Tacoma, Washington, and they looked great. Then I just forgot about it, until browsing one day I found the RepRap website. I bought a kit, made it, and it worked. Then I saw another 3-D printer that was uploaded on Thingiverse, thought it was better, and made that from scratch. Then I found another model on Thingiverse and I’m printing that out now.”

As for the $40,000 prize, Lyman says after the IRS takes its share, half of the prize will go to his wife while the rest will fund his hobby.

source: wired.com

In this interview with ARUKAINO UMUKORO, Okhai Ojeikere talks about some of his life’s experiences and photography career spanning over six decades

  When were you born and how was it like growing up?

I was born on June 10, 1930. I was born in a small village in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State. There was no much excitement in the village. But it was quite interesting and enjoyable all the same. We were with our parents in our locality. We had parents who tried to pass on the value of life to us and made sure we abided by it. I grew up in the village and attended primary school there until 1948. I left the village in March, 1949, for Ibadan, Oyo State, to pursue a viable career. I lived there with my uncle, Mr. Robert Ihegbe, who was a tailor. I wanted to learn tailoring from him. Later, my father died. So I went to Abakaliki to live with my elder sister, who was married to a police officer. He wanted me to join the Force, but I refused. I told him I didn’t want to become a policeman, but wanted to learn a trade as an apprentice.

How did you get into photography?

It was by accident. Before then, I had already started work as a labourer in a farm. I didn’t know anything about photography. My sister’s husband died in April 1950. He was buried there and my sister and every member of the family had to return home to the village. Then, it became clear that I was on my own. A business tycoon, who was one of her husband’s friends, gave me a room in his house, free of charge. We had a couple as neighbours. They called me ‘small boy.’ The man’s wife was the one who encouraged me to buy a camera and learn photography and told her husband, who was a photographer in Enugu before they came to Abakaliki.

Also, I tried joining the Nigerian Army, all to no avail. They said I was too young then. On my way back from the recruitment centre in Enugu, I bought my first camera for £2. I didn’t know what to do with it. Her husband asked me why I bought the camera. I told him I wanted to know how to use it. So he taught me. I had only two lessons for a few hours; the first day,  he taught me how to use the camera, the second day he taught me how to develop the film. There was no more meeting after then. He also showed me where to buy films in the town. I didn’t return to the farm after then. I wanted to learn more about photography, but then, there was no one to teach me. I didn’t have the opportunity of professional training. That was in 1950. I have been a photographer since then.

How were your first experiences as a photographer like?

I took my first pictures of some elderly men drinking burukutu, a local type of wine. All the pictures I took were okay, except one or two shots that I cut out a part of one’s arm. When I got home, even the man was so surprised that, at first, he didn’t believe me when I told him this was my first time of taking pictures. He said he had apprentices who learnt for six months and couldn’t take pictures as I did, having learnt for only a few hours.

I made six shillings in less than one hour for taking those pictures. My labourer work earned me one shilling a day. At the place where I took those old people drinking burukutu, I met some Europeans who were mining lead in the town and they asked me to develop some pictures for them afterwards. I later went back to the village and took pictures of my school mates who celebrated their coming of age. I also went to some schools around to take pictures during their sports events.

How was your work experience?

I started as a darkroom assistant in 1954 at the Ministry of Information in Ibadan. That was the first time I saw other photographers at work, as well as modern cameras and electricity being used for printing pictures and seeing a real dark room. I worked in the Ministry of Information for seven years and resigned in 1961. Right from time, I had established my own studio, ‘Foto Ojeikere’, which started in a one-room.

In 1961, I became a studio photographer, under Steve Rhodes, for Television House, Ibadan. Although I didn’t have certificates and testimonials like the other applicants, I was the only applicant who brought samples of his previous work and I was employed. I took about 20 of my large prints there. I worked there for three years. Then, I worked in the creative arts studio at West Africa Publicity, Lagos. I worked there for 12 years. There were many defining moments for me during these periods which built my career. At every stage, God provided the opportunities.

You’ve travelled around the world holding photography exhibitions; you were honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2011 Nigeria Photography Award. How did you feel about having your works recognised?

I just feel great. Before then, I had already received an international award, from Bangladesh, although I didn’t know them and they didn’t know me. But they knew my works.

You’ve done several photography projects, including one which documented different Nigerian hairstyles.

Yes. Incidentally, that is the area people know because that is the area which has been exposed. That project exposed my work to the international community. Hairstyles are continuous. I took some last week. I had the dummy of Nigerian hairstyles book with me for over 30 years. I approached many publishers who agreed it was publishable and profitable material, but they didn’t have resources or sponsors.

God decided that it was time for it to be exposed. In 1998, I met a curator from France who came to Lagos and was collecting artworks throughout Africa, especially through the French speaking countries. They told him about me in Nigeria. Then I had done exhibitions at the Goethe Institute, French Cultural Centre and German Cultural Centre. To cut the long story short, we discussed modalities and later signed a contract agreement, after I had consulted with my lawyer. After 18 months, I was invited to France for the book launch and extensive exhibition. On the opening day, 3,000 guests were present. I travelled with my wife and one of my sons, Amaize. He is also a photographer and my personal assistant. He supported me throughout the project. We stayed in France for 10 days. It was wonderful. That was how that project on Nigerian hairstyles came to being. After it was published in 2000, I realised that I had a lot of treasure.

What are some of your other projects?

I have a project on the Nigerian child, with over 2,000 images dating as far back as from 1960 till date. I have images on architecture, which dates back to the 60s also till date. I have completed projects on portraiture, with over 2,000 images. No project is ever completed as long as life continues, there is always addition; I have projects on music and dance as a whole. I have projects on 12 subjects, including marriages across Nigeria. I have over 2,000 images on the way we dress, the way we eat, type of food we eat, agriculture and so on. Then, I have more than a million images on nature, sky cape, landscape, dams, waterfalls, trees, flowers, everything nature. I have so many images that no person knows about.

How proud do you feel that one of your sons followed your footsteps?

Any parent will be happy about that because there are many professionals who have children and none of them took after their father. But I’m very lucky and blessed that one of my sons is a professional photographer; every member of my family are photographers, but he is a professional. All my children have cameras, including my grandsons.

What is the difference between your young days and now in terms of parental upbringing and teaching of life’s values?

Everything has changed. The extended family setting has been removed from the Nigerian life; it is not as it used to be. In those days, any person that had relationship with you was your brother or your sister. But these days, you talk about cousins, first, second and third, fifth cousins, distant cousins; that was not so in those days. There was nothing like uncle or aunty. But now, it is not so. I think the values of those days are better than what we have now. Everybody was everybody’s keeper. But now, everybody is to himself, which is not good enough and is not African.

Tell us about your family.

I am particularly very grateful to God for me and my family. We have 100 per cent cooperation and family unity. I have only one wife and my children are from the same woman. We have been married for over 60 years, by the grace of God, and we have never had any misunderstanding. We also thank God who gave us children and none of them gives us any cause to regret. We are blessed with a girl and four boys; all of them are graduates and happily married, except for the youngest that is yet to be married. I have grandchildren. They came to spend the long vacation with us recently. I have been particularly very lucky. All my children are very successful. My life and that of my wife have been very successful.

What are your regrets?

I have nothing to regret. God has just been wonderful to me and my family. I have no regrets.

Can you pick a particular achievement you are most thankful of?

It’s the gift of children. The usual ups and downs of life were there, but it was nothing to distract us, hurt us or make us feel unhappy. It has been very wonderful.

How did you meet your wife?

That was a long time ago. We are from the same region, locality and clan. Fortunately, I happened to stay in her father’s house because of the relationship I had with them. One of her elder brothers was married to my in-law. Photographers need a lot of water, but in my area, water was a very scarce commodity. However, there was water in her area, just flowing across the street. Also, I had an aunty there. I was also going to their house because of the good relationship we had with her family. Her elder brother took interest in me and introduced me to their father, who also took interest in me. When I wanted additional accommodation, they gladly gave me a room in their house. So we were staying together. There were about 12 girls of her age in the big compound. Her father, who was a chief, got married to seven wives. She also had three uncles, with their wives and children, all in the same compound. As a chief, her father had his apartment and it was only her mother, who was staying with him in his palace. Others lived around the courtyard.

My wife was one of the favourites of her parents, especially her father. And in a house with so many housewives, there were bound to be quarrels. But her mother always kept her peace every time and never joined the quarrels. I took notice of that. Then I said to myself, if this woman (my mother-in-law) was not quarrelsome, then her daughter may not be quarrelsome. And the marriage came out as I expected. We have never quarrelled since we got married in 1959. We had our first child when I clocked 30 and she was 18.

You’ve been married for over 50 years now. What’s the secret of your successful marriage?

To start with, it is divine grace and the blessing of God. It is God who gives you endurance and tolerance. You don’t create any of these by yourself. Apart from that, I don’t like quarrel, because my parents were very quarrelsome and I used to run away from the house all day because of that. But when I stayed at my wife’s place then, I now saw a woman and her husband who do not quarrel. I felt very comfortable relating with them. Our marriage has been successful. We have a very happy and contented home. If people come back to this world, I wish God will make me marry her all over again, because our relationship has been very wonderful.

What advice would you give to young people about marriage?

Marriage is based on three main principles: love, tolerance and endurance. Those are the anchors of married life. If you do not love your wife, or you cannot tolerate her or endure, then you are a failure. These three things are not difficult to achieve. It becomes a problem when one of the parties cannot endure or tolerate the other. That is the principle of life, give and take. Also avoid losing your temper because you may never find it when you want it. If you lose it, you may lose it forever and that may not be good for you.

What’s your favourite food?

Pounded yam is my favourite. I can eat it with any kind of soup. Because of her caring attitude and good food, I find it very difficult to eat outside. There is nothing that would interest me more than what she cooks.

You still work and take photographs at 83. What is the secret?

It is because God has been very kind to us, to me in particular. Thanks to the family too, and my wife has been taking good care of me as she has been doing right from when we started over 50 years ago up till today. There are some men who don’t see eye-to-eye with their wives. It does not make sense. I eat my three-square meal every day. I eat the right meal at the right time. Also, I hate quarrel, to the point when I got married, I told my wife immediately about my dos and don’ts, that I didn’t like quarrel and nagging. I have never tasted beer or cigarette in my life.

Can you mention some of your contemporaries and friends?

Steve Rhodes, my boss at the Television House; Segun Olusola, was my very good friend. We were together at the Television House and when I was leaving, he was the only person who gave me a send-off, a dinner in his house for me and my wife. Mr. Ogunbanwo has been my very good friend since 1961. I have so many good friends, including my colleagues in photography, Tam Fioforio, Don Barber, Sunmi Smart-Cole, and others.

What keeps you agile and youthful?

It is divine grace and good family care. But some people of our age do not have good family care. I don’t have problem with my wife or children. I’m a free thinker, I’m not very religious, but my mind is at rest. I don’t begrudge anybody. There is no space in my mind for grudges. I’m at peace with myself and with everybody. That does not mean I do not offend people, but I never do it purposely. I try to be at peace with everybody. Don’t think negatively, quarrel or keep malice.

Do you do any exercise or like a particular sport?

I do a lot of exercise by moving up and down. In the morning, when I wake up, I do slight stretches; I used to play some native music those days.

Apart from photography, what are your other hobbies and interests?

I like meeting people, talking with and advising them. I like advising people a lot, especially the younger ones.

Judges in the ‘X Factor’ show, Gary Barlow, Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger have discovered their oldest ever star, a 94-year-old man named Bill

The judges were impressed with ten-piece group The Nostalgics – which includes pensioner Bill and a woman who had just had a pacemaker fitted – that they have put them through to boot camp

According to The Sun, Gary said after the band’s rendition of Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’: “I want to know the name of the woman on the organ. Is it Elton? Oh, it’s Betty. I love Betty on the organ. Betty, you got everybody up. Well done.”

And Louis added: “I loved everything about it.”

A source said: “The X Factor’s had contestants from all different walks of life and of many different ages but Bill is definitely the oldest.

“I’m sure we’ve never had anyone who had a pacemaker fitted days before auditioning.”

But the insider suggested the group might be in for a bit of a “culture shock” when they get to boot camp.

“That stage of the competition is traditionally the most rowdy and raucous, with all-night boozing, music and bed-hopping. The producers might have to put The Nostalgics into a different part of the hotel. Having said that, if their audition is anything to go by, they may well want to get involved in the action and have a good time.”

Source: www.msn.com

A former Managing Director of NITEL, Mr. Victor Haffner, who turned 94 on September 1, in this interview with YETUNDE BROWN speaks on his childhood experience, career and other issues

How old are you?

I was 94 on September 1, 2013.

Can you tell us a little about your background?

I was born in Lagos, I went to elementary school at Christ Church School, Faji, Lagos Island. I was told that I was a truant even though I can’t remember that. However, I can recollect that when I was in standard one, I was doing very well,  I later went to a grammar school when I got to standard three. At that time, there was a preparatory class in grammar school. They were very strict at Christ School, Faji. There was a teacher in standard two then called Mr. Sholanke. He was very rough; he used to whip the boys. Perhaps,  I would have been a truant again in standard two but I did so well in standard one and got a double promotion to standard three. So, I missed standard two. Ms. Jibowu of blessed memory, the sister to late Chief Justice Jibowu was a teacher in our school, Mr. Oshibo was the headmaster. From standard three, I went straight to the preparatory class in grammar school. We left a record in the school which has not been broken till today, about 12 of us. I, Akintola Williams and late Rotimi Williams. After class six, I started working. I worked with people that were more or less like my father. One had to work overtime before one could earn £3 a month.  I later resigned and went to the United Kingdom.

Why did you choose to become an engineer?

When I got to the United Kingdom, I was not sure what I wanted to do, I had learnt music, I could play the piano, knew the theoretical aspect and was also a choirboy at the cathedral. I had an option of becoming a professional musician or pursue another profession which was very dear to my heart. The professions dear to my heart then were in this order: medicine or engineering. If I had had enough funds and was supported by my late uncle, I would have been a doctor today. I decided to study engineering because it was much cheaper than medicine. After qualifying, I started working with at least two or three companies in London.

When did you return to Nigeria?

A friend of mine told me to apply for a post in Nigeria. I hesitated but he begged me to come back home so I agreed and applied. It was done by the colonial office and it was dominated by West Indians who favoured those from the West Indies.  By the time I went for the interview, I had already passed class six with exemption from London Matriculation. I had credits and distinctions in all the subjects so I had no problem with that. I was already working as an engineer in London before applying in Nigeria. However, I was not employed. Since I was working in London, I was not bothered when my application was not considered in Nigeria. After about six months, I got a letter of employment from Nigeria.  I was put on a salary scale of £500. The day I got the employment letter was the day I was expected to send my letter of acceptance if I was interested in the job. So, I replied and said I had accepted the offer. I waited for another four months. While waiting, I had to do post graduate training with the British post office and other companies like Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company. I did all these because it was part of the conditions given before I could be employed in Nigeria. I came back to Nigeria in 1956 and was posted to Kano. As a young boy, I had never travelled beyond Ibadan in the South-West. I was a bachelor so I said I was ready to go to any part of the country. I went by rail and it took about three days before I got to Kano. I was there for about 18 months and got transferred to Lagos. After eight months in Lagos, I was moved to the directorate headquarters.

What interesting experiences can you remember about your career?

I was at one conference in London when I was instructed to leave and rush back to Lagos. I didn’t know what happened and had to, leave London for Lagos. I went to the headquarters and I was asked to take over Cable and Wireless. Cable and Wireless was the company that was running external services in Nigeria. And on January 1, 1963, a new company was incorporated which was Nigerian Telecommunications Limited in which government had 51 per cent equity while Cable and Wireless had 49 per cent. I was transferred to the office in Marina.

I became the Managing Director in 1964 and was responsible for the development programmes. We were doing very well until 1975 when the military invaded and ruined the system. It was in Buhari’s regime that the harm was done and the company was joined with P and T and was named NITEL.

In 1975, I was kicked out of the company. That was the day the federal public service was dismantled and many civil servants were dismissed. I became a consultant of a big corporation called Marobeni which was a big company in Japan.  That was where I made my money from. My pension allowance at NITEL was N128 per month and at the end, I was denied it completely. I spent 12 years working as a managing director and yet I was denied my allowance. In 2003, I decided that I had done enough and retired from service. By the time I was kicked out from the federal public service, I was just 55. As at the time I left P and T, I was Assistant Engineer-in-Chief. Thereafter, I became the Chief Executive Managing Director of External Telecommunication (NITEL).

When did you start raising your family?

I started very late. I got married at the age of 37 and I had a reason. It was one of two things then in London: It was either you lived as a bachelor or you married an English girl. If you didn’t want to marry a white girl, then you would have to wait until you found a suitable girl from your race. Some people married while they were studying while some were studying while their wives were working and paying for everything. I chose to do everything on my own. I did not get married until I got back to Nigeria and that was in 1957.

How did you meet your wife?

I met her when I was coming back to Nigeria. Coincidentally, we were on the same ship coming to Nigeria

Was she your first girlfriend?

No, she was not my first girlfriend. I used to have so many white girlfriends but I did not want to marry a white lady.

How long did you court before getting married?

We courted for about 15 to 18 months before we finally got married.

How many children do you have?

I have five children, four boys and a girl. They are all independent and are living abroad.

Since you had a passion for medicine, did you encourage any of your children to study it?

No, I did not. But I have other family members who are now doctors.

Is your wife still alive?

No. My wife and I were married for about 50 years before she died of dementia in 2007.

Why do you think marriages do not last nowadays?

There are so many reasons why marriages crash today. One of the reasons is that if you are a man and you do not have a girlfriend before, either white or black, you are not likely to understand the tricks and behaviour of women. If you marry the first girl you meet, you may be in trouble because you may not know her well enough to go into marriage. Another reason is if there is no give and take. You must be very flexible. The two of you cannot always have it your own way. If you cannot accommodate the behaviour of another person, there would be problem.

Did you have any challenge while you were in NITEL?

Yes, there were so many challenges while I was in NITEL. One of problems I had was from the workers. There was a time they wanted me to leave NITEL and they staged a coup, singing ‘Haffner must go.’ One must be very strict. One also needs to be straightforward in whatever one does. That way, nobody can allege that you have committed fraud because investigations will vindicate you. There are times they can send people to watch what you do. You will not know. In NITEL, they did that to me.

What was the attitude of workers to government job while you were in there?

They were very cooperative. But it was important to treat them well. Everybody has a limit, if you underrate the capability of a person, at the end of the day, there is a tendency to write such a person off. But when there is limit to which a worker is expected to perform, such cannot happen. That was what I used to tell my subordinates especially my chief engineer. He was very brilliant and couldn’t be faulted. He wanted everybody to be like him but it is not possible.

What are you hobbies?

My hobbies are reading and music. I like listening to music, every type of music. I have so many music CDs in my house. Be it our local musicians like Sunny Ade or Ebenezer Obe. I also like classical music. My mood determines the kind of music I listen to. I also take part in the musical aspect of my church. For instance, when we were to buy a new organ at the cathedral, I was made the chairman of the fund raising committee. We have just bought a new organ and it is about the best organ in West Africa. It costs us nearly £1m.

Do you have any favourite food?

I have travelled far and wide. I have been to so many countries and I have tasted the food of all the countries I visited. The countries I have not visited are mostly those in Western Europe and this is because it was difficult to get to that part of the world then. As somebody who was in the communication field, we used to have conferences in various countries of the world. So, because I have eaten food from different continents of the world, I cannot say that I have a particular food as my favourite.

Do you like sports?

I love watching golf but I don’t play because I have been involved in a lot of accidents. I watch athletics and other games like football and crickets. I used to play tennis.

What is your daily routine like now?

I don’t push myself. I regiment myself, before the end of a day, I decide what I am going to do the next day. I write down things I want to do and appointments I have in a day. I may not do it all but I just don’t do things impromptu.

How many siblings do you have?

My parents had four children; I am the third child and the only one still alive.

How was it like growing up in those days?

It was easier growing up then. There wasn’t much traffic; there weren’t so many vehicles, so you could walk by the roadside without having any fear that a motorist might knock you down. Even though, there was public transport, we preferred to trek from Lagos Island to Ebute Meta. The level of discipline was very high then. But now, there are more distractions. This is why the youth are easily distracted. You have television and all sort of games now. But in those days, we had just gramophone not even stereo.

Where are you from?

I am a Lagosian.

Do you have regrets in life?

No, I don’t have any regrets.

Which day will you describe as your happiest moment?

It depends on the stage in life because when you feel a particular day is your happiest, another thing may come up later in life that will make you happier. I think the happiest moment in one’s life should be when one is able to do what one set out to do.

What do you do to keep fit?

I used to swim because I have a pool in my house but I can’t swim anymore. I now do more of walking. I walk around the house and I have to keep my feet down because of arthritis.

Can you say you have lived a fulfilled life?

Of course, I am not sick, for instance, I have never had  malaria. Everybody’s metabolism is not the same and you need to know your metabolism so that you will know what works for you.  Doctors are very important and we should consult them whenever the need arises. You should know when something is wrong with you. There are some sicknesses that can kill if you don’t attend to them immediately, like prostrate cancer.

Do you still travel abroad?

I have travelled long enough. I do not travel anymore.

How many grandchildren do you have?

I have five grandchildren.

Do you have any painful moment?

Yes, I have, I would say it was when I had an ailment and was hospitalised for a long period.

In this interview with ARUKAINO UMUKORO, 84-year-old Pa Adio Mosanya shares his experience as a railways station master, his days of unionism and his nuggets for good living

When were you born?

I was born in March 7, 1929, in Ibara, Abeokuta, Ogun State, where I am from. I’m 84 years old.

How was your growing as a child like?

I grew up in the village. My father went to Ota to do some farming. He was a big cocoa farmer. Later he became a big buyer of the produce, trading in cocoa and palm kernel at Ilaro. I did not start school on time. I started when I was over 10 years old. My dad divorced my mum when I was about four years old. I was under the care of my paternal grandmother. She died in 1954 at the age of 96. She took very good care of me. Then my father’s elder brothers also took care of me, one was a farmer, the other was a trader.

Where did you school?

I started schooling at the All Saints Anglican School, Araromi in 1939. My father’s elder brother was the secretary of the board of governors of that school. I was there until Standard Four. Then I left the village and went to Ilaro, where I read my Standard Five and Six. I finished in 1948. At the end of 1948, I left Ilaro for Lagos and stayed with my uncle, late Chief Solomon Sajobi, near Jankara on Lagos Island. Throughout 1949, I had no schooling because I was not admitted into any of the government approved schools. In 1950, I was fortunate to be admitted into St. Gregory’s College, Lagos. I left St. Gregory’s in 1955.

When I finished from St. Gregory’s, I joined the railways as a station employee after passing out of their technical school along Apapa Road. In those days, if you just passed out, you become a station employee, Grade Two. I was posted out to a station called Ila market, between Ofa and Ilorin. I also worked at Iddo Railway Station, Apapa Wharf and Oshodi. In Oshodi, an event occurred. We organised a strike which affected Lagos to south of Minna, it was called the Western District. By then, I was just a member of the station in Ebute Meta station union.

Was that incident the beginning of your involvement in unionism?

Yes, it was that crisis that turned me into a unionist. Before then, they had been encouraging me to become a member, but I refused. Although I was paying my dues, I did not play any active role because I believed they were not sincere. I was a unionist from 1976 to 1981. I was given a scholarship to Moscow, then in USSR, where I obtained a diploma from the Shvernic Higher Trade Union Institute, Moscow. Earlier, I was selected by the Nigeria Labour Congress delegation to Eastern Germany, Berlin in 1980. That gave me a lot of travelling education. We went to Berlin, Germany, Holland, and London, UK. I was Vice-President of Nigeria Union of Railwaymen between 1980 and 1981 and Chairman of the Action Group Youth Association, Mushin district from 1963 to 1966.

What were the reasons for your strike action at that time?

What motivated our strike action at that time was that the government of then military head of state, Olusegun Obasanjo, decreed a 40-hour a week for workmen. But we were working 84 hours from the colonial days. We had neither Sundays nor holidays. So, when Obasanjo decreed 40 hours, we were happy and thought our union would take immediate action. But we later found out that the union leaders, with the management were hand in glove. I led a delegation to them. The late Alhaji H.B Adebola was the secretary-general of our union at that time. Adebola and late Pa Michael Imodu were the fire brand of the railways and the central labour in those days. As they were not helpful, I formed an ad hoc committee, which elected me chairman and led the protest against both the management and the union. That was in 1976. The protest lasted for a week.

Were you demands eventually met?

Oh yes, they were, but with some punishments, so to say. Although we were still doing the 84 hours, they increased the pay. For 84 hours, the colonial masters were giving us an extra one-third of our salary. But they should have given us over time. When we protested, they increased the allowance to 50 per cent. I can’t remember how much the salary was then. But when we started with the railways, it was £150 per annum as a school certificate holder or £12.10 every month. That was a fair amount in those days, because in organisations like UAC then, theirs was £10.60. As punishment for my actions, I was transferred to Apapa. The National Security Officer came to pick me up during the action. They had said we were saboteurs. We were sent to Alagbon for close to four hours, where I met the commissioner of the NSO Police, one Mr. Adesuyi. When Adesuyi heard our arguments about why we went on strike, he spoke to me in a way I did not like. The police wrote us a letter. After the letter, they investigated us. When he asked about the letter they wrote to us, I told him we had lost the letter. He said I was a bogus liar and that I should be put in detention. I told him that my background and the schools I attended would attest to that. I told him I was a product of St. Gregory’s College, Lagos, we don’t tell lies there. Then he retorted, “I am a product of Kings’ College, Lagos.” I replied, “Kings’ College, my foot! We are your masters in football.” He said, “But we are your bosses in hockey and cricket.” That was how a matter of detention turned into one of laughter. In those days, Kings’ College and St. Gregory’s were rivals in sports and many other things. When they brought him lunch, a bottle of star, two boiled eggs and two pieces of cake, he asked me to join him, having been reconciled by school pride. Then he told his men to release us and ensure that we were taken to our respective houses.

When did you leave the railways?

I left the railways in January 2, 1987. I worked there for 31 years and retired as Chief Station Master.

What is the most interesting part of your work experience in the railways?

I had many fine experiences. I moved with the public. It’s part of the railway’s dictum that a station master should be civil and obliging to the public. So, I enjoyed meeting the public.

What are other examples of the rivalry between Kings’ College and St. Gregory’s?

It was in football. My school, St. Gregory, was leading in Lagos, because we were always winning the School Cup, a competition for a group of eight schools. Whenever they played the School Cup, we always got to the final and defeated all others. Kings’ College was very proud because it was a government school and had many things. At the same time, St. Gregory’s was very proud to be a missionary school and we had the best of what education could provide at that time.

Were you a sportsman during your school days?

I was not a sports man, but I was in the literary and debating society. Then, I tried to be a good student in all my subjects. I was very good in Latin, Literature and English, but not so good at Maths. I didn’t take Maths in my Secondary School Leaving Certificate Examinations.

Can you remember some of your school mates at St. Gregory’s?

Mr. Remi Mayo, the former and first Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Akintola Ajayi, who retired as a Director for the Federation. My late friend, Ogunnaike Femi, was Ports Manager, Tin Can Island. He was assassinated. I had many others friends.

The country’s railways were run more effectively in your time, where did the government miss it?

The greatest disservice the military boys did this country was the killing of the railways. There is no developed nation where railways were not part and parcel of its development. But in Nigeria, they killed the railways.  When they sent for the Indians to come and reactivate the railways, the Indians were doing very well and encouraging the workmen and women. You know railways workers love their overtime, where they can put up their best in efficiency. Our men were very careless about that. Then, our elite brought trailers into the country to rival railways and since they were in politics, there was nothing they could not do. The loads that railways should have transported were now being transported by these trailers. For instance, when new cars came from abroad, petroleum products and other imported goods, the railways carried them to the hinterlands. Then, they came back with exports, such as pillars of groundnuts from Kano, the railways could not finish a three-year stock. The military abrogated everything. The first thing was that when the politicians ordered the trailers, they hijacked many loads meant for the railways.

Compared to your days, what’s your view about the country’s present education system?

The missionaries did a good job. It was the same with the government-owned schools. Then, schools were efficiently run. Teachers were devoted. A class had a maximum of 36 pupils. If one failed, the teacher would not be happy because it would be like he had failed. Teachers encouraged the pupils. But when political jobbers came into the fray, everything changed. There is corruption everywhere now.

How was it like growing up in your days, in Nigeria of pre-Independence?

We had very rich homes. There was sincerity, reliability, and truth in those days. Cameroon was part of Nigeria then, and you could be in Cameroon and send your son or daughter to a school in Lagos and a guardian, whom you do not know at all, will take care of your child. Now, you cannot do that, when children sell their parents for ritual money.

What changed in post-Independence Nigeria?

Although there were development such as the entrance of television and telephone, and life was faster; the sophistication was good, but insincerity and corruption became too much. After that, things were not good. For example, we have had no electricity in my area for the past one month because some people stole the cable. I was asking a Power Holding Company of Nigeria official if it was possible for anybody who did not know about cables to touch it. He said he could not answer the question.

Your father and uncle were cocoa farmers. Why didn’t you become one yourself?

It was because I left the village and relocated to the township to run after education. So, I couldn’t continue with that. I still lament that I did not become a farmer; farming is the best profession because if you labour on the farm, God crowns your efforts and you are content with whatever you have.

You’ve written a book titled: Post-Independence Political Evolution of Western Nigeria (The Obafemi Awolowo Factor). Did you ever meet Awolowo personally?

Yes, I did. I met him personally after he was released from prison. Before then, I had only seen him from afar when he was the Premier. Awolowo read my first book, Martyrdom of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, when he was detained in Bradstreet prison in 1963. The late Abraham Adesanya took a copy of my book to him. He read it and sent it back to me to thank me. Adesanya told me how he appreciated what I had done, and that, like him, the other inmates also read the book from cover to cover. I am an Awoist to the core. Honesty, sincerity, and courage were some of Awolowo’s qualities. He was very close to the masses. His projects were masses-oriented, like free education.

Can Nigeria afford free education today?

It is not that we cannot afford it, it is the way we spend the money. It is plutocracy.

What’s the secret of your longevity?

Thanks to the Almighty Father. Unless God does something, nobody can do it. I had no mother to take care of me in my early childhood. But I was fortunate to learn the values of life. When I became a man, I didn’t flirt and hated smoking. I drink a little. But for years now, I have stopped drinking beer. I take a little wine sometimes. I have only one wife.

When did you get married?

I got married in 1957.

How many children do you have?

By the grace of God, I have six children, three guys and three women. My first son was born in 1963. He is now in Texas, US. My second son is in Germany. My last son was born in 1983, he is also now in Germany. My daughter lives in Lagos. My second daughter lives in Abuja. The third one is in Germany with her husband. I also have grandchildren.

You’ve been married for 56 years now. What’s the secret of your marriage?

I thank God. I have no complaint. My wife is very understanding and more economical than myself. She can prepare soup with very little money.

What’s your advice to young people?

They should be tolerant. If you tolerate each other, you will have a successful marriage. If you are lucky to have a good wife, you will have paradise on earth. Emperor Napoleon said, ‘Nobody can submit himself to the dominion of marriage without the forfeiture of some palms of his glory.’ When you are married, your bliss starts. That’s what I believe.

In those days, didn’t girls run after you knowing you were a very handsome man?

(Laughs) At that time, I was not in a position to make dalliance with women. I was very reserved because I did not want to do anything that would make my late father feel bad about me. I was very much afraid of my dad and respected him very much. He would have not been happy if I dated girls. The condition under which he sent me to the college was very tough and I didn’t want to give him any little thing to make him think otherwise about sending me to school.

How did you meet your wife?

We first met at Adodo. Then, my father used to buy produce and had rented a shop from the late Darusa, the money bag of those days. I had gone to visit my elder brother during the holidays. But when I met her, along with her twin sister, for the first time, I told her I liked her and she also said the same. When I came back to Lagos, my brother encouraged me to marry her. She already had many suitors then. Later, my brother took me to a pastor who prayed for me and said God showed him my wife to be. I was in Form Five then.

Was it love at first sight then?

Well, at that time I was very much in grief, so I wasn’t even thinking of a relationship then. 1954 was a very critical period for me as one who came from a polygamous home, I suffered a lot.

What happened?

Then I was staying with a guardian who was taking good care of me. I was also doing very well at St. Gregory’s. I lost my mother in 1948, when I was in Standard Six. But then, my father decided that I should come back home. He was persuaded to ask me to come back. That was how I was brought to Bridge Street, Idumota, where my father lived. I wept bitterly. I should have gone to the boarding house. The rigour of going to St. Gregory’s College from Idumota, coupled with other experiences in polygamous homes, affected my studies. My father married up to five wives, at different times. As a result, I did poorly in WAEC and managed to pass in Grade Three. I should have had at least a Grade Two. These things made me resolve not to go after too many women because it will also affect the children. When one child is doing well, the other woman whose child may not be doing well would be jealous and envious, and could go to any length to bring that child down. My father was very much in support of good education. That was my experience. I thank God I left that district alive. It was that experience that also pushed me to join the railways. The late Chief S.O. Adebo asked me to meet him at Ibadan. He was then head of service in the Western Region.

Are you close to any of your step brothers and sisters?

Yes. Some of them live in Lagos.

What’s your favourite food?

Like Obasanjo, I like pounded yam (laughs). I like eating it with vegetable soup because it frees the bowels. I also like beans and yam. Currently, my staple food is noddles and coffee. I also like fruits.

What are your hobbies?

When I first moved into this house in December, 1972, I used to do a lot of gardening, but not anymore. Now, I read a lot of newspapers. Right from my school days, I used to buy nearly all the newspapers. I love the press a lot. Then, I got a cardboard and created a political album. Whenever there was any major news in the papers, I cut it out and pasted on the cardboard album. It’s a pity a lot of it has been destroyed by rats. I also like playing the native game, Ayo. Incidentally, my dad too was an Ayo exponent. He died at the age of 88 in 1981.

Do you have any regrets?

I have no regrets, because God has been very kind to me. He gave me a spirit of contentment.

What are you most fulfilled about in life?

I thank God for long life. I didn’t expect that I would reach 80, but God gave me more than 80 years. My children are also doing well.

Henry Morello prayed to Saint Anthony, the patron saint of lost things. But as the 84-year-old spent a fifth night stuck in a ditch in the Arizona desert, he started to lose hope. “My phone went dead, my battery went dead, and I went dead,” Morello said.

But Morello lived to tell his tale Tuesday at a Phoenix hospital, where the diabetic man was admitted in good condition despite drinking windshield wiper fluid to stay hydrated.

He didn’t have water, Morello said, so he broke open the wiper fluid container with a rock and filtered it with napkin to try to make it safe.

Morello said he made a wrong turn while driving home February 7, 2011, from the Phoenix suburb of Cave Creek and ended up stuck in the desert north of the city, near the state’s major north-south road for Grand Canyon-bound travellers.

Morello said he became stranded when – realizing he took a wrong turn – he made a U-turn and wound up in a ditch. He tried to crawl out of the car, but did not get far and returned.

He ripped a chrome piece from his car and put it on the roof, hoping someone would see the reflection.

A pack of hikers found him Saturday morning. He heard a knock on a window from a hiker, and suddenly his long, painful ordeal was over.

“I just kissed him,” Morello said of the hiker. “He looked like an angel to me.”

The unidentified hikers were not part of the 100 volunteers who passed out fliers and searched for Morello since Wednesday, but they knew he was missing, said Jim Sheehan, a friend who helped organize a search team.

“Nobody ever gave up,” said Sheehan, who was on a search plane when he got a call saying Morello had been found.

Morello said he used car mats to stay warm and even read a car manual from cover to cover to pass time. Nights were hardest because he would get scared, he said.

Overnight temperatures the week he was missing were in the upper 30s to the mid-40s, the National Weather Service said. His car and cell phone battery went dead early in the ordeal.

Doctors at John C. Lincoln Hospital said he arrived in good condition considering what he had been through. Morello will remain there for a few days while he is treated for kidney damage.

Dr. Kevin Veale said initial reports were that Morello had consumed some antifreeze, which would have been much worse than wiper fluid.

Morello’s nephew, Carl Morello, said his family in Chicago was overjoyed to hear that his uncle was found alive. “Miracles still do happen,” Carl said.

Morello lives on his own but a caregiver visits daily. He won’t be driving by himself for a long time, said Sheehan.

Morello said he learned another lesson from his adventure: “I’ll never drive without water.”

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Former Wema Bank Executive Director and Obasewa of Ijebuland, Oluneye Okuboyejo, who recently retired from the board of University Press Plc, tells OLUFEMI ATOYEBI how he survived with his family during the first coup in Nigeria

How did you spend your youth?

I was born on May 21, 1933 in Ijebu-Ode but I spent my youthful days in Sapele and Warri. Because of the typical Ijebu background my parents had, they went as far as the then Mid-Western Region to trade. I was with them and attended St. Luke’s Primary School, Sapele. Reverend Odunuga from Ijebu-Ode was the headmaster then.

I also attended the prestigious Hussey College in Warri. After passing my Cambridge School Certificate Examination in 1953, I left Sapele and moved to Ibadan. Before we left secondary school, five of us were picked from Hussey College and sent to the Ministry of Education in Ibadan as officers. I was there until 1958. The present Olubadan of Ibadan, Samuel Odulana was my boss in the office. He was known as S. Lana and I did not know his full name until he became a king. He cherished punctuality and accountability. My aim was to use the opportunity to gain admission to the University College, Ibadan, now University of Ibadan. The competition to gain admission was so tough because there were just two major tertiary institutions in Nigeria at the time. I did not gain admission at my first attempt.

What did you do after failure to gain admission?

While studying for the examinations, I played for Hercules Football Club in Ibadan. I met Dr. Lekan Are there and we became friends. He is from Oke-Are and I was living in Amunigun. The team was the best in the city in the early 50s. Are was brilliant and gained admission to the UI while I was still waiting. I then called my parents and explained to them that I could no longer wait and that I wanted to travel abroad to study. In 1958, I left for the United Kingdom to study. My parents wanted me to study medicine but after examining the lifestyle of my brother and his friend, I decided to study law when I got to the UK. Being medical doctors, my brother and his friend had no time for themselves. They were the first set of doctors at the University College Hospital in Ibadan and they slept there often because of the pressure of the job. I wanted my freedom and moreover, my friends called me ‘The Law’ in school because of the way I dressed and argued. I also loved being a lawyer because of the respect lawyers earn in the society.

But I had a problem convincing my parents to allow me read law so I called an uncle and told him to beg them on my behalf. I think my father reluctantly agreed but he continued to pay for my tuition and send money for other needs.

What about your mother?

Because my friends called me ‘The Law’, our neighbours and her friends called her ‘Mama Lawyer’. So I knew she would support my decision and I was right. But she did not argue with my father when he said I should study medicine.

At 25, how easy was it for you to adjust to a new culture and environment in the UK?

I was determined to succeed, so it was not so difficult for me. The condition in the UK for law candidates was that they must have passed Latin language at Advanced level. I was a science pupil in Nigeria and although I did a bit of Latin, I was required to spend one year studying Latin and other subjects which I did. I was then admitted to the Holborn College of Law, London in 1960. The college, which is now a university, was an external institution that was feeding University of London and training students for the Bar Final.

Were there other Nigerians in the school?

We were many and I can easily remember that the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Mohammed Uwais, was in the same set with me in the college. In 1963, I obtained my certificate and at the same time I earned my university degree. At that time, if you were called to the bar in the UK, you could practice in Nigeria. But a few months before we completed our study in the UK, there was a change of law which required us to attend a law school in Nigeria. We protested at the Nigerian High Commission but we did not have our way. But the protest reduced the duration of study at the law school to three months and on arrival in Nigeria, I was in the second set of students of the Nigerian Law School that was at the time located at Igbosere area of Lagos.

Did you practice in the UK?

Before I left London in 1963, the Western Region Government in Nigeria sent representatives to London to interview and offer employment to some of the best Nigerians studying there. I was offered an appointment but my wife and child were with me and I was not in a hurry to return. The government then promised that the appointment would be deferred until I returned home and that the ticket fees for my family would be paid. I eventually returned immediately after my study. I was offered the position of the state counsel. But before I resumed, I met Afe Babalola, whose wife is my wife’s youngest sister. Afe was in the UK when I was also there. He advised me to join him in his chamber in Ibadan but  the government paid for my ticket to Nigeria and it would be dishonourable for me to walk away. I joined the House of Chiefs as a senior officer.  But in 1966, there was a coup and the legislature was disbanded. On my request, I was transferred to the administrative arm of the government where I could rise to the position of a permanent secretary.

How much was your first salary?     

As a graduate coming from abroad, I earned N620. I was given an accommodation in Agodi and later Eleyele and Iyaganku. I was also told that only two people in the civil service earned what I was being paid. But the region was desperate for my service.

How much of your first salary did you give your parents?

I gave everything to my parents. That is the tradition in Yoruba land. The father will distribute the money among members of the family and give the rest to the child. Then they will all pray for the child. That was what happened to my first salary.

Did your children do the same?       

I trained my children the way I was trained. I have six children who live abroad. Each of them brought their first salary to us although with the kind of economy we have now, we could not touch their money. We just prayed for them and support them whenever they need any assistance. God has been very good to me in everything. I am not rich but I can afford whatever I want to eat at my age.

Where were you on the day of the 1966 coup?

I was at home in Eleyele, close to the military barracks.  My wife was a teacher at the military school. In the night, we saw people running around and there was confusion in the barracks as gunshots were reeling out constantly.  My wife called me and expressed her worry. For a couple that just returned from Europe, coup was strange to us. When we realised that a coup had taken place, we dashed under our bed with our two children. What made the neighbourhood volatile on the day was the fact that the Premier of Western Nigeria, Samuel Akintola, lived across my house. There was battle for control in his house and he was killed in the coup. After the state creation of 1976, I was posted to Ogun State with my friend, Abayomi Oduntan, as permanent secretary.

What were other challenges you faced in the new environment?

There were few but the major one was individual ambition. When I left in 1984, I was not due for retirement but I was at the peak of my career. My salary and allowances could not be increased again, meaning that I could seek a new challenge elsewhere to better my earnings. I approached the governor, the late Olabisi Onabanjo, with my proposal to retire voluntarily. He was instrumental to my appointment as Executive Director of Administration, Wema Bank. The bank was just being taken over by Western Nigerian Marketing Board and it was in shambles. I took over a dilapidated structure but with the effort of the good people on the board, we were able to put it on a sound footing. My friend, Lekan Are, came in as a shareholder when we diversified governments’ holdings and privatised the bank. He was always critical when we held meetings but we listened to him and his contributions helped the bank. I left in 1993 with the aim of returning to full legal practice. So, I set up a chamber in Ijebu-Ode. But it did not take off fully fledged as I planned because I was called to help resuscitate Merchant Bank in Lagos. They had liquidity problem but I used my goodwill in Central Bank of Nigeria as a former director of Wema to help Merchant Bank.

How did you become University Press Plc director because it’s a different industry from what you were known for?

Are is the Chairman of UP Plc board and when he called me to fill a position on the board, I accepted it. I took over from Ola Vincent, the former CBN Governor and I retired fully in March this year. I am happy that the company is very healthy now under Are. His ingenuity helped the company’s survival. With a share capital of N150m, the turnover has reached N2bn without borrowing money from the bank.

How did you meet your wife?

My wife, Olubanke, is the daughter of the past Awujale of Ijebu land, Oba Gbelebuwa Adesanya. We met through school activities. She attended Anglican Girls Grammar School, although I did not attend school at home, I was a member of the Association of Ijebu Students. That was where we met and we became good friends.

What encouraged you to approach a princess and how did you gain entrance into the palace when you visited her?

It was not easy to reach her or get to the palace but God had destined us to be one. The king normally had his rest close to the back door of the palace in those days so nobody was allowed to use the door. But my wife’s mother liked me so she allowed me in through the door each time the king was not there. When he got to know about it, he realised that our relationship had gone far so he just approved of it. I later moved to the UK and she joined me there. She actually came to study and she stayed with her brother, Tayo Adesanya, who attended King’s College in London. That gave us the opportunity to nurture our relationship and get married. But her father died soon after she came to London in 1960.

Did you face any challenge or competition marrying her?

There was no competition involved but there were other challenges. In Yoruba land and other African cultures, marrying a princess is never an easy task. My friends called me and were almost telling me that I could be swimming in difficult waters because my royal in-laws would dominate me after marrying their daughter. But my wife did not make a show of any of the royal paraphernalia she was bestowed with. She was submissive, gentle and kind-hearted. You hardly could hurt her. Before I sat for my final paper in London, we got married in 1961. Before leaving Nigeria, she was a teacher.

Did your parents immediately accept your wife when they knew you were dating a princess?

The truth was that they thought I would have difficulties later on. But the moment they saw how she was relating with them, they accepted her and loved her. They gave her gifts regularly and she bought things for them.

What has touched you most in life?

That was the day I got the result of my final law degree examinations in London, June 1963. There were many Nigerians who had to come back for one paper or the other. The result was published in a newspaper but because of fear, I did not buy the paper. My classmate who bought it called me and congratulated me. I was in the toilet when I heard the good news.

What are you doing now?

I have always been deeply involved in community service. I am the chairman of Ijebu-Ode Development Board of Poverty Reduction. It was founded in 1999 in collaboration with the Awujale of Ijebu land, Oba Sikiru Adetona and Akin Mabogunje. It was meant to ease the difficulty of the less privileged people in the society.

What is your favourite food?

I like amala and ewedu because I lived in Ibadan for so long. I also thank God for my good health even though I have always been busy.