Mrs. Olubisi Osinbajo
Mrs. Olubisi Osinbajo, the 85-year-old mother of Vice-President
Yemi Osinbajo, shares pleasant memories of raising her children with
KEMI LANRE-AREMU and TOFARATI IGE
Can you share with us some of your fond childhood memories?
Firstly, the abduction of those schoolchildren in Dapchi, Yobe
State, gives me a lot of concern. I want them to be freed immediately
and that’s what I’m praying for. This morning, I read the Bible and
prayed for them at 4.30am and I repeated the process at 8am. However, I
believe that God would answer our prayers. As Christians, we should put
everything in the hands of God. Since we have done that, I believe that
the girls will be freed.
As regards my early years, I don’t really remember much of my
childhood. I have a photograph on the wall of my house; it contains my
brother and elder sister, Mrs. Lafinhan, who I spent many years with
while growing up. She trained me because she was a domestic science
teacher then.
I attended an elementary school, and from there I went to a teacher
training school in Sagamu, Ogun State. Later on, I was a teacher at the
girls’ college in Sagamu, before I got married in 1954.
How did you meet your husband?
I met him when I was very young; I was still living with my sister
then. He was a friend to my sister’s husband. I regarded him as an
elderly person because he was 14 years older than me. After his training
in the UK, he came to look for somebody else at the girls’ school where
I taught. I saw him in the entrance hall and I greeted him. He
expressed surprise at knowing I also worked in the school. I went to
inform the person (Miss. Adegunle) he came to see that she had a
visitor. Meanwhile, Miss Adegunle already had a boyfriend. I never saw
him as a boyfriend because he was much older than I was. Three weeks
later, he visited me in the school. He talked to me and he was very
serious about it. I told my parents about it and they sanctioned the
union because he was a much disciplined man; he is not like the men of
nowadays. My father was pleased about it, but in the place where I come
from, Ejigbo in Osun State, they didn’t like getting married to Ijebu
people. However, my mum was from Ilaro in Ogun State. We eventually got
married and we were together till he passed on in 1996. He loved me and I
loved him. I used to cook about five different dishes per meal for him.
He was very pleased with me, and I was with him as well. After we got
married, he told me to stop working and focus on training the children.
We were just managing, seeking and worshipping God. We brought up all
our children in the way of God and we trained them to be humble. By the
grace of God, they (children) did everything that we told them to do.
How did you feel when you first became a mother?
I had my first child, Femi, on July 29, 1955. I was delivered of
Yemi on March 8, 1957, and I had Akin in 1960. Tunde came in 1962 before
Tolu (the only girl) came in 1970. When I gave birth to my first son,
Femi, I was so happy about it and everyone in the family was happy too.
My mother-in-law was a very nice woman and she knew God; she was a
prophetess.
How was the experience like bringing up four boys?
It was a tough time. When you are dealing with boys, you don’t
sleep with your two eyes closed, and I would give you some instances to
buttress that point. One night, I went round the rooms to make sure they
had all slept. However, there was one empty bed and I wondered where
the occupant of the bed could be at that time. I took a chair to the
front of the house and I was there till about 4am, when one of my sons
drove into the compound in my car. I didn’t even know that he could
drive. He changed into his pajamas and tip-toed into the house;
immediately he saw me, he shouted “mummy” in surprise. We held each
other and began crying. He asked me if I had sat there the whole night,
and I told him that I couldn’t sleep, knowing that one of my children
was not in his bed. He prostrated and begged me not to tell his dad
about his escapade. I told him that I wouldn’t inform his dad only if he
promised that he wouldn’t repeat the act. On another occasion, one of
my sons drove in someone else’s car and he had an accident in it with
his girlfriend. When I was informed, I rushed to the scene and took him
to the hospital; and the parents of the girl also did the same. I asked
them to x-ray his head to make sure that nothing was wrong with him
because he hit his head on an object when the accident occurred.
As a mother, you have to be active. Sometimes, you have to put on
trousers and show them that you can act like them. When they jump, you
jump too; and that is why I am called ‘Mummysco’. I thank God that
everything is alright today. Parenting is not easy; it takes the grace
of God to succeed at it. You cannot train children on your own; you can
only pray for God to help you.
You had to sacrifice your career to be able to train your children. How did that make you feel at the time?
I didn’t think much about it because my husband was very loving. He
always did whatever I wanted and there was no cause for anxiety. I took
to his words and concentrated on training the children. When they
became grown-ups, I started a nursery and primary school because that is
what I was trained in.
Did you have to use the cane or were there other forms of punishment you adopted?
There are so many things you can do without using the cane. Once,
when one of my sons was making trouble, I threatened that I wouldn’t
refer to him as Mr. until he changed. I told him that whenever I wrote
him letters, I would just write his name without adding Mr. He cried and
begged me to call him Mr. You may think it is insignificant but that
threat changed the boy at that time. He began to do well and I finally
called him Mr. You can achieve a lot by praying. I used to wake them up
at 4am every day to pray. God is faithful and he always answers prayers
of parents. I advise those still actively raising children to pray a lot
for and with them. If your child does not do what you like, call on Him
and He would answer.
Some people believe that boys should not do household chores. When raising your boys, did they do chores?
Of course, they did. Everyone had something to do in the house.
They can cook very well and some of their girlfriends, who couldn’t
cook, ran away because they felt they wouldn’t be able to meet up. They
can do a lot of things. Their father always told them that whenever they
wanted to greet an elderly person, they should prostrate. One day, Yemi
prostrated in court for his friend’s father and the man really
appreciated the gesture because even his own son didn’t prostrate in the
courtroom. We always emphasised to them that they should be humble at
all times.
Did you influence their career choices?
Yes, we did. Daddy wanted them to be doctors and he took them to
science school. However, as a teacher, I felt that they should be
lawyers because they performed better in art subjects. One day, the
principal of the school they attended, Igbobi College, came to daddy and
told him that “these children would make exceptional lawyers but they
would be ordinary doctors.” It was then that daddy withdrew them from
science school and took them to art school.
When you eventually gave birth to a daughter after four sons, how did you feel?
One day, I was attempting to fix something on the wall and my
daughter, Tolu, said to me, “Mummy, be careful; don’t fall.” I was
surprised because I had never heard anything like that from my boys.
Those ones weren’t concerned whether you fall or not. That incident
struck me and I was very happy that I had a girl at last. She helps me
in doing a lot of things. Even though the boys can try to tie my
headgear, she does it better.
When your sons started having girlfriends, what type of advice did you give them?
Daddy always told them that if they impregnated any girl, they
would have to marry the person, whoever she was. He told them that he
did not care if the girl sold pepper or salt, he would ensure they got
married. We were happy that they didn’t ‘touch’ anybody till they got
married.
What’s your advice for mothers in this generation?
I pray for them. You cannot train any child unless God helps you.
Sometimes, I cry when I’m praying for them because they need our
prayers.
Can you compare the way children are brought up now with how it was in your days?
You cannot compare it in anyway. In those days, you could
communicate with your children with your two eyes but you cannot do that
anymore. Children of nowadays wouldn’t even look at your face. If you
think they are looking at you, you are just wasting your time. Then, the
children looked at their parents’ faces to know if they were doing well
or not.
How did you feel when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo signified his intention to go into politics?
We don’t like politics. My husband and I also told our children not
to partake in politics. However, Femi was once a councillor. But he
later resigned and returned home. He said he could not cope with them.
When we heard of Yemi’s own, we knew that it was God that put him there.
Since then, we have been praying; I cannot rest again. I pray for him
every minute; even when I see him on TV. I always tell God to take care
of him.
What kind of advice do you give him?
He is a man of God and he always advises me that I shouldn’t be
worried; rather, I should pray. Whenever you pray for your children, God
answers. This morning, I have prayed for three of my grandchildren who
are celebrating their birthday today (March 9). I prayed for them and
sang with them; and I did the same yesterday which was Yemi’s birthday.
At 85, do you still keep a tab on your children?
Of course, I do; especially by praying. I usually pray for all of
them at 5am on their birthdays and they all know that I don’t miss it. I
make sure to call them on the telephone and they always expect my
calls.
How do you feel when the VP or government are criticised?
I do not feel anyhow. I only pray for him and I know that he is
doing his best. I know that it is God that put them there; and He has
established them. When you put things in God’s hands, you are sure that
everything would be alright.
When you go out, do people give you special recognition as the Vice-President’s mother?
Yes, they do and I feel that it is too much. It happens even in
church and one ends up not being able to worship well. Some people would
bring cards, letters and they would all want to talk to me. One
evening, a person came and said that her landlord drove her out of his
house because of her inability to pay the rent, and she wanted me to get
her an apartment and pay for it. Things like that happen every day. I
told my daughter and she teased me that people were giving birth to
lawyers and doctors but I decided to give birth to a Vice-President. I
believe it is by the grace of God and He would give me the wisdom to
handle it.
Do you still scold the Vice-President?
Yes, I do, and on occasions like that, he calls me ‘Mummysco’. It
doesn’t matter how big they are now, they are still my children.
How do you relax these days?
I read a lot. I have got some books on my table that I’m reading at
the moment. I used to go for Bible Class in church and I also used to
go to church on Sunday. That was until I fell ill shortly after my 85th
birthday. During that period, I couldn’t step out of the house but I
thank God that I am getting better now. I always tell my contemporaries
that once you are 80, you should always look at the floor when walking
because if you fall, that could be the end for you. I watched a
programme on TV where a former Vice-President, Alex Ekwueme, was invited
to seat on the high table. While walking, he kept looking at the
ground. He didn’t look up until he got to his seat. Many people didn’t
understand why he did that but I knew. However, I thank God that I am
still hale and hearty.
You live in such a modest abode and you have no airs and
graces about you. Why did you make that choice considering your status?
I think it boils down to what my parents taught me. From an early
age, they always told us to be humble; that you don’t need to show off
for people to know that you have arrived. Someone even said to me that
we should make our low gate higher. But my husband always told me to
leave the gate like that so that everybody can see me and I can see
everybody. He said we should not cover ourselves up and shut ourselves
from the world. We do not covet the riches of other people because we
are content with whatever we have. Yemi (Vice-President) doesn’t think
about himself at all; he is always thinking about other people. That
trait was also in Chief Awolowo. Even when we took food to him in the
prison, he was worried about what the poor people outside would eat. It
was always about other people.
Do you have pet names for each of your children?
(Laughs). No, I don’t have any.
Can you recall some of your proudest moments as a mother?
Yemi was a debater when he was in school and he was quite good at
it. We always felt proud whenever we watched him debate on television.
Even people used to tell us that they were very impressed with what Yemi
did. Akin (a former attorney-general of Ogun State) was also a debater
and he was good at it too. We were also proud of Femi when he became a
councillor.
Are you involved in the upbringing of your grandchildren?
I always pray for them and they know that I pray so much for them. I
also pray for all the youth in this country because we need them and we
want them to do well in life. I also pray that all the Dapchi girls
would be freed so that our hearts would be freed.
***
Source: Sunday Punch
No comments:
Post a Comment