LAMI TUMAKA@60! RESET AFTER RETIREMENT

Prior to her retirement from The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA), Lami Tumaka held sway in her position as Director, Special Duties. A recipient of the Maritime Media Woman of the Year in 2011 and 2012 as well as the poll-driven Best Maritime Industry Public Relations Officer Award, among others, Tumaka contributed in no small measure to the re-branding of NIMASA and the entire maritime sector in general. Naturally, her friendly and vivacious personality made it all seem like a walk in the park. Some people would say her absence has left a void in the Maritime industry that would not be easily filled.

In this interview, she speaks to KONYE CHELSEA NWABOGOR about the joys of turning 60, her NIMASA journey, life after retirement and the importance of trusting and investing in people.

You worked in NIMASA for over 20 years. How well will you describe your time there and what key things did you learn in your climb to the zenith of your career?

I was with NIMASA for 22 years to be exact and I learnt quite a lot. I am a person who trusts people easily because if I may say so myself, I pride myself with the fact that I have a clean heart, and so, I see no reason why I should not trust or be suspicious of people. So, because my own mind is like that, I tend to think that people are like that as well. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. At NIMASA, I learnt not to take people at face value. I learnt the need to be more introspective and more careful. I also learnt the importance of giving people the opportunity to express themselves. If you do this, they over time, excel. And here, I am speaking about myself because I was given the opportunity to excel and I did my best.

The Maritime sector is typically a male dominated one. Would you say you experienced any gender related difficulties?

You are absolutely right, NIMASA is a technical agency, a technical corporate organization. It used to be mainly male dominated because people felt women were not well equipped for the rigours of the work at the agency.

When I first joined the agency, we had more men at the directorate level but in my 22 years somehow, we were able to break that glass ceiling. Of course, it wasn’t easy, but we did it, nonetheless. By the time I left, we had more female Assistant Directors, more female Deouty Directors and Directors too.

Now, the question people usually ask me is that in breaking the glass ceiling and rising to the top were my male colleagues in anyway chauvinistic? I will be totally unfair if I classify the NIMASA men as such. On the contrary, they respected us the women because they recognized that we rose to our various positions not so much because of our gender, but because of the content that we had - our knowledge base and skills. So, they kind of helped us through. They did not antagonize us; they did not look down on us. We were really at par with the men. And in NIMASA there was this thing, women helping women. Once a woman rises to the top, we mentor the younger ones and we make sure that the pool of capable female hands is well populated at every point in time. Our share number outdid the men at that level and it was a plus for the women and young girls that were employed.

How did you get into public relations? Was it intentional or something you fell into during the course of your job?

I like to describe myself as PR, I am PR, PR is me. It’s innate, I am a born PR person because I love people. As you already know, PR is all about relationships. If you know me or meet me for the first time, the first thing that strikes you is my warmth and my passion for people. So it was only natural, that with time I went into Public Relations. My job at Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN)as the manager public relations was where I really cut my teeth in the Public Relations sector. Let’s not also forget that I went to Holborn college in the UK where I got a Diploma in Public Relations. My main degree was in Ahmadu Bello University where I studied English Language with a bias for Literature. So, you can see everything about me is tilted towards what I later did in public relations.

Now your are retired, are your plans going forward?

I am a professional in two industries.

Having spent 22 years in the Maritime sector, I can assure you I have learnt a thing or two. Also, there is my media background, where I also have an edge having worked in public relations. I know I will still find some relevance in these two industries should there be any opportunity. I can assure you; I am retired but not tired.

At 60, you have had your own fair share of life’s highs and lows. With that in mind, what will you say are the key things you have learnt and now apply to your daily life?

Life is a challenge, nobody ever told us it will be smooth sailing. I am not a fanatic, but I am a very religious person. I practice Islam. Islam is one religion that if you abide by the principles and are guided by its tenets, whatever challenge comes

Having spent 22 years in the Maritime sector, I can assure you I have learnt a thing or two. Also, there is my media background, where I also have an edge having worked in public relations. I know I will still find some relevance in these two industries should there be any opportunity. I can assure you; I am retired but not tired.

your way in life, you are able to surmount. The religion tells you that from the day you were born, your paths in life has been marked out. Although through prayers, you can change whatever is unfortunate on your path.

The loss of my husband and my mother were earth shattering events. But you are guided by what the religion says; ‘From God we are, and unto God is our return’. Of course, you will mourn but you will be guided by the fact that we are all one day, going to go back to God almighty. My point is, my religion has helped me to get over the worse things life has thrown at me. And that for me, is what I hold on to daily.

Some people tend to focus more on impacting people as they mature in age, their views change and they learn not to stress the small stuff anymore, does this apply to you and what advice would you give to younger ones in finding a good balance in their life?

As you age and you mature, your values and priorities in life change, you become more focused. My advice is that the younger ones should be passionate about whatever they believe in. They should be goal oriented. Go for whatever you believe in and see it to its logical conclusion. Be positive in your attitude. This one is very important. What I tell people around me is that they should practise positive mental attitude, that is always looking at the sunny side of life.

Never allow challenges no matter how insurmountable it might look to you to bring you down. The morning will always come no matter how long it takes. Always look at the sunny side of life.

Are you involved in any form of charity or philanthropy?

I am passionate about issues concerning the lives of the less privilege. I am also very passionate about children and young adults. I usually go to the village and try to mentor the young girls and boys there.

At NIMASA, I spearheaded the corporate social responsibility program where we had an impact on almost 28 states here in Nigeria. We made contributions and distributions to the flood affected victims in some states, and IDPS in the north east. My then Chief Executive, Dr. Dakuku Peterside set up a committee which I chaired, and we went to the length and breadth of this country to make worthwhile contributions and distributions to the flood affected victims and internally displayed persons.

As a successful career woman and mother, what advice would you give to young mothers who are currently struggling with pressures of motherhood alongside building a career?

They need to find a balance. Find a balance and go with what works for you. If you need a nanny that will help look after your child, go ahead and get one. It’s also very important that you stay focused at work too. Be dedicated, be committed, and sharpen your work skills. This will ensure you stand out amongst your colleagues. Also never give up. Never say I am inundated with my family work; you just need to find a balance. Again, if you need help with the kids, go ahead and get it. Don’t stress. I will also say that it is good to have your kids at the same time so that sooner than later, you are done with childbearing and then you can concentrate on building your career.

What would you miss most about your 22 years in service?

It’s not easy to be used to a particular life style, where you wake up every day, you have a place to go to, you mix with people, you travel for international meetings, then suddenly, it’s over! At first, like anyone would, I had panic attacks. I had my fears, the fear of the unknown. What will I do? What will happen to me? But like I said, I always look at the sunny side of life. As soon as those feelings came, I was able to overcome them. I told myself, you have spent 22 years doing this thing. You must have learnt and picked something that will make you able to stand on your own and do so well for yourself so what are you afraid of? I will miss going out every day. I will miss being able to contribute to the development of my county. I am retired but that doesn’t mean I won’t find other meaningful things to do with my time that would keep me busy and add value to everyone around me.

At the age of 60 what is your philosophy of life in going forward?

Live and let live. Be good, be kind, be wise, be generous. Whatever you do, must be in moderation, there shouldn’t be any excesses. Above all, you must be guided by the Almighty God in whatever you are doing. I describe my entire life as a life of grace. It has been one beautiful blessed life. But for the grace of God, I wouldn’t have experienced all I have so far. In retirement, there was so much glory. My family and friends came together to celebrate me. Someone said the nation stood still for me during that celebration and it means a lot to me. I will not take it for granted.

Never allow challenges no matter how insurmountable it might look to you to bring you down. The morning will always come no matter how long it takes. Always look at the sunny side of life.