My Husband Didn’t Believe a Woman Should Work

started a group of school in Asaba. She is married to a Delta man. She has gone into education. I don’t know why my family all went into teaching. Sometimes, I ask myself how it happened, we are all teacher’s in my mother’s lineage.

At what point did you decide you were going to own a school considering the fact that back then government schools were very good?

When my Husband and I returned from England, he was posted to Ikeja General Hospital. We were told that there was a good school in Ikeja operated and owned by a white woman. My experience was that they were treating us like they were doing us a favour by admitting our children. I didn’t mean it at first to own a school. One of my friends, Mrs. Oyewole, said: “Mrs Awoshika can run a better school.” Now I have a group of schools. When I had the urge to venture into education, I went for my post graduate education at the University of Lagos, and I told my supervisor, Professor Osiyale that I wanted to do a research on Nursery education. He helped me draft a questionnaire. One of the questions was, ‘what will you consider most before sending your child to a school? Is it distance, money or quality?’ Those who responded chose quality without minding distance and cost. That was one of the reasons I laid emphasis on quality. It has helped us at Chrisland.

Chrisland has expanded into group of school with a University, how do you feel?

I can just say it’s the Lord’s doing. When I started, my husband was the oldfashioned type, who believed the woman’s place is the home and not supposed to work. The man is the bread winner. He was catering for the family, but I became bored. I used to be angry and beat my children and cry that these children are not troublesome why am I beating them? I had the inspiration to start in our boy’s quarters. When we moved to Opebi, he gave me a portion of land he had mapped out for an estate construction. He allowed me to use the land behind the house for Chrisland school.

Talking about cost and quality, you have invested a lot in education, was there any time people tried to talk you down from investing so much into education?

Nobody discouraged me. They became appreciative and supportive. One of my friends told me that she was referred to get my thesis at the University of Lagos library as reference book. She is now a teacher. People liked what I was doing and they referred their friends. I didn’t put any signboard outside the school but the school advertised itself. I only wrote Chrisland School at the gate and people were coming. If there was a block of five flat and one block has Chrisland children, at the end of the year, you see all the families bringing their children to Chrisland.

What are the challenges you faced building Chrisland School?

Apart from money, we faced challenge of government injunctions, rules and regulations. You have to do certain things that may not be necessary. All the big expanse of land required is not needed. To build our University in Abeokuta, we were told to get 110 hectares of land. Our schools, by God’s grace, we have good portions of lands. May God bless the soul of my husband. He was a medical practitioner, he had patience. When he left government service, he went into private medical practice. He was a medical consultant to industrial companies. He met many people, some would sell lands to him at cheaper rate. Some he would buy and decline some. The good ones like the Land in Idimu, it was his hope that we would build a school for both boys and girls. The girls will be groomed the way I was groomed at my Alma Mata, St Anne’s secondary school. The boys will be groomed on the tradition of Government College, which was his own Alma Mata. We would combine Government College and St Anne s’ tradition at Chrisland Schools, Idimu; that was the plan.

Chrisland?

When I started creche at the boys quarters, I wanted to make it a nursery school. I used the name All Saints School. I invited officials from the Lagos State Ministry of Education for facility assessment, one of them, when he heard All Saints school, told me there is a school using that name in Ikorodu. I told her I wanted to make this a nursery school and relocate to Opebi and the name is going to be Chrisland. The name Chrisland came through an inspiration. When I came to see the land one day, I sat in my car and said to myself; ‘Opebi Onigbagbo’, this land is Christian Land. That was how I coined the word Chrisland. When they say Christland, I said Chrisland, meaning Christian Land.

When you look back at all you have achieved, what comes to your mind?

I see God’s grace. I see that I have been led by the Almighty God. Most of what I have done are based on inspiration. Many parents who brought their children, liked the name and uniform. I had the opportunity of the Green and Yellow colour during my days at St Anne’s School . Many people fell in love with the name, culture and uniform. At 6:30am, I will stand at the gate to bring out children from their parents car. If a child is not properly dressed, I will put the child back in the car and tell the parent to go and dress the child properly. People began to notice the discipline. When I appointed a white lady as headmistress, she refused to stay at the gate. She said her work was inside the compound not at the gate. One of our white parents told me she missed me at the gate, I replied that I thought I was embarrassing them, she said they liked it, that it’s part of the quality. I continued for a while but stopped later. We still maintain that tradition till date.

Of all your achievements, which one are you most proud of?

I think that humble beginning. That was the take-off. How the whole school layout was looking. It inspired those from the Education Ministry who commended us for a job well-done, 42 years ago, they predicted the school was going to be great and it is now.

Your husband must have supported you so much to his best ability, how did you meet him?

At first, he didn’t agree. I had to beg him and kneel in the room for him. It was after then he now became supportive. We met at our days at the University of Ibadan, when I was at my final year. My friend’s boyfriend was his friend. She came to my room one day and said to me, this man said he met you somewhere and I told her, I can’t remember meeting him anywhere. We were still at Queens Hall; that was how it all started. I had many excuses, I was going to my finals. I told him if we marry, no babies until after graduation. He told us to get married. He said he was going back to England for his post graduate. I was surprised. He handled the whole wedding invitation and meals. My friends were all excited. At first, I had two suitors. One of them was begging while the one I liked was playful, taking me for granted. He left for his postgraduate in France. I started to worry that this guy, we are not married, yet he takes me for granted. The other one was begging, sending my friends and sister in law to talk to me. So, I went into prayer and fasting for God’s guidance. I was praying between the two suitors to know who I should choose before Dr. Awosika came into the picture. I said this is God’s answer to my prayer and fasting. It was after my fasting, my friend brought him that he saw me somewhere and I said where? I looked at him and I said to myself that he is not tall enough for me. I don’t like short men. I was not taller than him either. My friends insisted we go on dates and all. They encouraged me to date him.

It’s important, at that time, there was innocence of trust in God that he is the all-knowing and he will surely guide you if only you trust him.

What did your husband find interesting about you?

I think he found me naive. When he told me, we should get married before he returned to England, he told me to tell my friends and family as well. I said they will ask when did I meet you, he said tell them we met four years ago. I was 23 years old in 1963.

Do you have any fear about life?

I have always had this closeness to God. I have been exposed to many books. I read many books on religion apart from the bible. I did Philosophy, Religion Studies and Theology of African Religion under Prof. Bolaji Idowu. My family consists of Muslims, Traditionalist but my father was a Christian. He managed to keep everybody together and maintained his belief. My father’s favourite Psalm was Psalm 46. When masquerade were having their festival, they must come to our compound to pay homage to my father. We were always indoors but we enjoyed their songs. It’s a background of combined spiritual belief and you take the best out of it.

How do you feel meeting students who have passed through Chrisland School?

We are just starting, one of them who bagged a first class at Covenant University, also bagged her PhD at age 25. She got me a birthday card last year and she said ‘Mama, we are coming to takeover Chrisland.’ I told her that I am ready to hand over to them. I am not doing it for money, let the legacy live on.

You are an icon of education in Nigeria, are there other things you will like to be known for apart from education?

I would like to be known as a good mother. I still manage to keep my family together even with the professionals I have. I thank God for that. I pray they remain united. I would love to be known as a good mother.

At your age, do you still have any desire?

I desire to spend my time in a quiet area, reflecting, meditating and giving thanks to God. If I can write to inspire people, some spiritual nourishment for the world. We can learn a lot from nature and happening around us if we allow God lead.

If you were asked what gift you want for your 80th birthday, what would that be?

I don’t have an idea. Whatever I am given, I appreciate. Those asking me what I like, I told them, whatever that want to do for me, they should do it for the university.

How do you relax?

I love to stay in the garden. I like to be close to nature. I listen to the birds sing. When I am in Owo at the crowing of the crow, I listen to them every time. God is in nature and everything he has created. I like to be in a quiet place and I love to write.

How did you feel when former President Olusegun Obasanjo, conferred you with a national honour of OON?

I was very happy. One man said he went to see Obasanjo and he was telling him about me and he said: “I gave her a national honour.” So, I said, he remembered me among all those he decorated. It’s a great honour.

Following the decay in the educational system, what do you think is the solution?

I am very unhappy about it. The people around me make so many mistakes. Sometimes, I start to doubt myself. When I write to my 91 years old sister, who stayed in Akure then, she would correct my English and send it back to me in Owo. I will write out the corrected letter at that level in the late 40’s to early 50’s. The standard of English now is very bad. How can graduates make some silly grammatical mistakes? It’s not their faults, teachers are always on strike, when the call off strikes, they setup exams on things they didn’t teach the students, they pass anybody they wish to pass. It’s not right. The only solution is that we need to be closer to God. We need people who truly care. I can see signs that we are aiming at better things and we must get there.

Awosika