DAISY DANJUMA @65! STILL A STUNNER

The name Daisy Danjuma resonates in every circle. She has a presence that’s hard, if not impossible to ignore which ranks her as one of Nigeria’s most admired women. Daisy is a Lawyer, former Senator, and wife of General Theophilus Danjuma. She is a Law graduate of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. She began her career as a State Counsel in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice (Department of Public Prosecutions) and was a pioneer Legal Counsel to the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria before working for the Investment Bank Nigerian Acceptances Ltd. (NAL). She spent the next decade as Company Secretary/Legal Adviser to the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) before moving into private practice. In 2003, she was elected Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where she served on numerous committees, most notably as Chairman of the ECOWAS Parliament’s Women and Children’s Rights Committee and Senate Committee Chairman on Women Affairs and Youth Development. She is an alumnus of the Lagos Business School, a member of the International Bar Association (IBA), The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the International Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA). Today, she is the Executive Vice Chairman of SAPETRO Oil & Gas Company. Though now in the private sector Daisy still is a politician through and through and believes she will forever remain one. For a woman of her status, she has no airs whatsoever which is in fact one of her most endearing traits. Today Daisy turns 65 even though she looks decades younger; which she credits to peace of mind. Though some might view her life as a fairytale existence, Daisy is quick to give all credit to God and also finding a good balance in joggling her duties as wife, mother, grandmother, politician, socialite and businesswoman. Executive Editor STYLE, RUTH OSIME reports on a lovely afternoon spent with this woman of substance…

You look absolutely fabulous at 65, are they any special treatments or exercises you partake in?

I don’t even exercise, I am very busy, I move around a lot, I’m not one of those women who sit and ring the bell for their maids to come do everything, I walk around, I enjoy cooking, all by the grace of God. The genes I inherited have a lot to do with my well being. My mother was very energetic and looked young all her life. I am happy and contented; I do not do things beyond me, or things I cannot control. I manage myself within my capacity.

You are a Lawyer by profession but delved into politics as a Senator for a few years, what was that experience like for you?

It was a good experience because people generally criticize people in government over their performances, whether good or poor. Oftentimes, people are the ones who create a bad situation by not participating; if good people don’t come out to run for political offices, then why complain about the people who are there? My advice, if you believe you have something to offer, by all means, vie for a political office and the more we have good people in offices, the better the government we would have.

One reason I decided to run for a political office was because I believed I wanted to represent my people so I can improve their wellbeing, while there, I got a good office as Chairman, Women Affairs and Youth Development. Suffice it to say, 75% percent of the population are women and youths, and they are the most vulnerable in the society. We rarely pay attention to them meanwhile the economy revolves around them, even politics itself. If we take that population out, who then will adequately represent us, the aged people? The youths are the ones who drive the economy because they are still energetic and agile. That to me defines the youth, not necessarily the age of retirement, which for instance is 65 years. Some people remain youthful even during that age, and I fall into this category because I am very energetic, even more than some women who are probably in their 40s.

Do you advice more women to get involved in politics regardless of how discouraging it might seem from the outside?

I believe women make better decisions because they are the managers of the homes, including their husbands. Whatever assignment you give to a woman, you can vouch that they will deliver it quickly and beyond expectation. You can only find few women who are corrupt. Women are the top executives in different professions; banking, legal, and even government, as ministers, they have

performed excellently. I have always believed that women are very meticulous, and pay good attention to details. When people say women are weaker sex, that perception should be changed because women can accommodate more, considering that women do the same jobs men do, still return home to cook, have babies and manage the home. I will say a woman is two times a man.

Even after your stint as a Senator, you are still very active and hardworking, have you reduced your hours of work?

Like every woman, if you decide to cut down from one side of work, you inevitably add to another side. My hours of work have not reduced, it all depends on my schedule, the social aspect is even more tasking and it’s all part of life. My work hours is usually between 8.30 am and 4.30pm, but I am a politician, and a member of board of trustee of the PDP, still a member, to answer people who may be curious. I have friends in the APC, they still remain my friends even though APC won and my party simply lost. In politics, there shouldn’t be any bitterness, I believe in any good democracy, they must be a formidable opposition otherwise you do not have a party. The party in power must also understand that they can be replaced and that should spur them to work hard. However, most Nigerians are quick to decamp once their party loses at the poll, I believe it is very wrong. Why not rather stay and build your party to become formidable? Leaving your party to join the party in power will make it a one-party system and that is how we build dictators, which is not good for our democracy or our country.

Even with the politicians in power now, the economy still doesn’t seem to be improving. What advice will you give on how best to create a positive impact in the lives of the average Nigerian?

We have ignored a lot of sectors owing to urban concentration, which has caused a lot of unemployment. Everyone wants to part of the oil industry, which is wrong, and the government compounded it by not harnessing the God-given gift in the agricultural environment that we have. We don’t have natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunami, or the likes. We have a relatively stable environment, a good climate, for example, if you mistakenly throw a seed anyway, it germinates and grows, unlike other countries where you need specific places like the green houses, temperature regulated environment to aid proper germination of seeds. Hence, we need to encourage agriculture in our country, create cooperative societies for farmers, and give them a level of guarantee of proper protection and sale of their produce, ensure availability of fertilizers, training and encourage exportation through interventions. This will definitely improve their lot and bring revenue including foreign exchange. This will in return, achieve a proper balance of trade through exports, and discourage the enormous importation, which has made us a country of unproductive consumers. We have vast land to encourage the agricultural sector, we can really benefit from it; food, revenue and employment for our youth, which will stop the urban drift.

When people say women are weaker sex, that perception should be changed because women can accommodate more, considering that women do the same jobs men do, still return home to cook, have babies and manage the home. I will say a woman is two times a man.

I love Nigeria, it is nice to travel, spend a few weeks out. However there is no place like home. And that is why I pray for peace in this country and that the government should make social services a necessity and not a luxury.

The entertainment sector, the beauty and fashion industry have improved because people have decided to look within to develop their talents. Don’t you think there should be more infrastructural development to harness

these talents?

If you are in fashion designing, or a beauty therapist, or in the entertainment industry, power is key. Even for the mechanic, the machine operators, or the farmers who need good road network and right storage equipment. The power supply presently is epileptic, and this has affected the cost of production thereby exposing us to foreign items that we feel is cheaper. If our infrastructure is up to speed, we will not have the level of unemployment as is today. Nigerians are hardworking, and are ready to work, unlike other countries who do not have oil yet harness their manpower, we too can put our act together to avoid the rapid urban drift or the heavy concentration of unemployed youths, which if not checked, will explode anytime soon.

Another setback is the lack of sound education amongst youths of today.

Our educational standards have dropped so far, because the quality of teachers has equally deteriorated. Take the case in Edo state, where teachers were given an aptitude test and they failed. How can such people teach?

How then do we address a problem like that?

We have to go back to what worked in the past, for example the NCE was a basic for incoming teachers. We have to go back to the basics and start with the home. Imagine where parents pay for their wards to pass examinations at different levels, you have half-baked graduates. I confronted a few during interviews and have asked how they got their certificates because I doubt they passed their O’ levels. It is so common lately that you see graduates who do not know the difference between singular and plural words. The private education is doing it right but I do not know about the other levels. And that is the most pertinent fear of our system because they constitute the majority. It is quite sad.

Do you think certain parameters should be put in place for the new set of teachers coming up?

We should good teachers, good schools, have proper interviews for teachers should be conducted, the school system should be upgraded, and students who do not do well in the classes should be made to repeat the class, certificates should not be awarded without merit. Technical colleges should be made compulsory, because skills are very important, most countries where you have

technical skills, you learn from technical schools. Practical knowledge is acquired, artisans, workmen are good on the field. But we are in a hurry to make money and that needs to change, we need complete re-orientation.

If you look at the people who were educated in the 60s and the 70s up to the 80s, you can see the difference in the education of the youths of today.

Yes, there is a major difference, back in Amadu Bello University where I schooled, we had a lot of foreign students from University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, OAU, and from abroad who come in to do their Masters degree program in Nigeria. Most of my lecturers then, came in from University of London, I think there were exchange lectures where lecturers from abroad come in to teach in the Faculty of Law. I don’t know what went wrong but obviously, something is wrong now and it is something we have to address. It is a fundamental problem.

Considering the spate of decay owing to bad governance in the society today, where do you envisage Nigeria in the next five, ten years?

At the end of the tunnel is the light. When things become bad, that is when you appreciate the good side, so we have had to get to this point to look inwards. There is no escape route; there will be a turn around. The man-know-man syndrome will disappear, vying and getting into positions would be based on merit, your votes will count and everyone will be actively involved.

Do you think that before getting into power, people should have attained some level of success in their personal life?

Yes I believe so, because it is in that hunger that they should strongly desire positive change, but unfortunately this has not been the case. They get so toxic with power and become worse than when they met it. The case of Mugabe is a clear example, I know how he fought so hard for his country, he was in exile in Ghana at a time, but when he became President of Zimbabwe, he became far worse than his predecessors. Sometimes, I wonder what is in power that leaders cannot exert the change they so campaigned for. The primary goal for any leader should be to bring his followers out of darkness, out of misfortune and upgrade their standard of living.

Our greatest problem is corruption, accountability, and lack of sanctions. Rule of law is very important. If people realize that they will be punished for an offense, it will deter others. In Nigeria, people do things with impunity and get away with it, where is the lesson to learn from? The society decays and everybody feels he can do the same without fear. What has kept Singapore successful, a multi cultural environment, is the absolute adherence to the rule of law. It has calmed ethnic crisis, less issues. If things work right, social services and what not, people will be less concerned about who is in power, they will be busy attending to their work or daily lives where things function right.

On a lighter note, your sixtieth was celebrated in Marbella which is like your second home, one would have though you would do the same for your sixty-fifth, why have you decided to celebrate it here?

Am I not a Nigerian? Are you not here with me? I have a lot of friends here, and even though I have friends abroad, I am a Nigerian; my 50th was in Abuja, my 60th in Marbella because we have a home there, so my 65th is here because I am here.

As you get older, you stay nearer to home. I have a lot of friends here and I want to enjoy my happy moments with them.

You and your husband travel around the world on a regular basis, which place do you have a soft spot for and why?

Honestly, I don’t have a soft spot for anywhere. Your trip is always determined by the kind of people you meet there, your friends there, it is the people that make a place special.

Do you think in years to come, you both will spend more time abroad than here?

I love Nigeria, it is nice to travel, spend a few weeks out. However there is no place like home. And that is why I pray for peace in this country and that the government should make social services a necessity and not a luxury.

You are blessed with five lovely children, can you tell us a bit about them?

I thank God for my children, three boys and two girls. They make me happy and proud and I am grateful to God. The first and third boys are married, and I am blessed with three grand children.

What key lessons have you installed in your children to ensure they too have a happy marriage like you have had with your husband?

In marriage it is all about luck. You must learn to be patient, tolerant, persevere, don’t take each other for granted, most of all, it is the grace of God that keeps people together. Ultimately you must love each other.

You are actually one of the best-dressed women in Nigeria and seeing pictures of your mother, which you showed me a while back, proves that being stylish is inherently in your genes, how will you define your personal sense of style?

I do not have a favorite item or design or clothes, your style should define who you are. I wear what suits me. I don’t look at the trend, I wear what makes me comfortable, and I dictate my pace. I prefer simple cuts.

Your mother as we know, was mixed race. I remember a very fascinating story you told me a while back, about how your nephew recognized an unknown cousin of yours because he looked so much like you.

My late mother was Merry Cardigan. Her father was Jack Fred Cardigan who came to work for Nigeria Railways in 1922. Her grandmother was Anne Boyd, from Scotland. My nephew, Gboyega Falope coincidentally met this white man in his church in Scotland. After a few sightings he was convinced there was a blood link somewhere between the man and myself because he looked so much like me. My nephew approached him. His name was Brian Boyd. My mother’s grandmother was from the Boyd family in Scotland who married a Jack Fred Cardigan in England. That is how we discovered we were cousins! I am yet to meet him though.

You are always happy and well put together, but like everyone, you must have had your own fair share of challenges. How do you still maintain a calm and happy demeanor regardless of whatever setbacks life has thrown at you?

If you want to dwell on the challenges of life, one would die quicker. I believe whatever cross you have, it is for you to bear. God will not give you what is beyond you. Any problem you cannot solve is not yours unless you want to commit suicide. Anything you cannot handle, take it to God in prayers. Contentment is crucial. Know that after

every rainfall, there will be sunshine. When you think of bad moments, let the good you think outweigh the bad.

Your humility and simplicity is one of your most endearing traits. Has this trait been taken advantage of and if so, how have you been able to draw the line with such people?

I come from a prominent family in Benin, born with a silver spoon, so I don’t have an acquisition syndrome, ‘never-see-come-see’ mentality. Everything I have today is not new, so for you to be happy, you have to ignore a lot of things. I do not notice negative activities around, I have a good shock absorber and I forgive easily, if not you will remain stagnant.

Are you involved in any NGO as a way of giving back to society?

My husband has an NGO, I assist in any capacity I can, and do so on personal basis. At times we go on a medical mission. We do charitable works from time to time, I do a lot more which I do not want publicized and this makes me satisfied.

Lastly, what pattern shot do you have to say for those who see your life as an inspiration to them?

There is nothing like hard work. Go to school; get your qualifications right, and have the fear of God. I studied Law, yet I did courses in Catering, I equally did courses in Interior Decoration and Designing. As it is, I can earn from any of these. There are many things one can do. You ought to broaden your horizon, so that you are not limited in your options. You should become viable and employable. Education is a broad spectrum, because it widens your ability on etiquettes, manners and exposure. Beyond that, you should be properly informed. Information gives you the right access. Explore and fill your imagination.

For women also, it is important to be financially independent, give yourself to good labour, be value added to your husband, hold your head high, respect yourself, be polite, be humble and have integrity.

I come from a prominent family in Benin, born with a silver spoon, so I don’t have an acquisition syndrome, ‘never-see-come-see’ mentality. Everything I have today is not new, so for you to be happy, you have to ignore a lot of things. I do not notice negative activities around, I have a good shock absorber and I forgive easily, if not you will remain stagnant