RETURN OF THE IDP (Internationally Displaced Princess)

MODUPE OZOLUA

Yes, it has been ages I wrote but no, I didn’t disappear. Instead, I was on social media living my best life on fabulous vacations and in bushes serving humanity. How to quickly summarize the “missing” years? Permit me reintroduce myself.

I am Princess Modupé Ozolua, philanthropist, entrepreneur, adventurous world traveler, freelance writer, pampered spa-enthusiast, consultant, fashion fanatic, foodie, Sushi aficionado, music lover, obsessed with Chinese television series; member of Phi Theta Kappa, 10th generation offspring of legendary Oba Ozolua of the great Benin Kingdom, The Oyimizhé of Ososo Kingdom, Founder of Empower 54 and above all; a happy 46-year old mother to a wonderful 24-year old man.

While some know me for pioneering cosmetic surgery and revolutionizing the beauty sector in Nigeria (2001) through my company,

Body Enhancement Ltd which earned me global recognition including Elle Magazine’s acknowledgment as a symbolic African Boss Lady shaping the African business sector (2015); others are familiar with my charity activities through my NGO, Empower 54 (formerly BEARS Foundation).

I was recently asked; “Modupé, why did you disappear at a time when the press was obsessed with you?” I smiled. 17years ago, the press was more fixated with talking about cosmetic surgery than plights of poor deformed children. Realizing helping underprivileged people was my priority; I concluded one had to go for the other to survive. To sacrifice Body Enhancement for Empower 54 to survive, I stopped granting interviews and quietly focused on helping the poor across Africa.

Serving humanity isn’t easy or glamorous; but a calling is a calling. Just as you can’t flee from your shadow, you can’t escape your life’s purpose. Without our consent, destiny sends us servants of humanity on errands that must be accomplished. Such as when we went to Maiduguri on a three day trip to build classrooms for internally displaced persons (IDPs) at the Bakassi camp (2016) but ended up staying 21 days and bestowed with the privilege of leading the Nigerian military and State government to evacuate 1,800 severely malnourished IDPs from the Bama IDP camp for treatment. Images of the skeletal children provoked international outrage and a Presidential investigation that prompted the declaration of a national emergency on malnutrition and allocation of special funds to combat it.

Did you know that in February 2018, 17 million Nigerian children suffered from acute malnutrition (UNICEF)? While the government said one in three Nigerian children were malnourished, us working in remote villages argued two in three Nigerian children were skeletal! Yes, citizens of the World’s most populous black nation with over 200 million people could barely eat one meal daily. Those are old figures though. Imagine 2020 statistics due to additional

A PRINCESS, A SERVANT hardships caused by COVID-19 induced recession. If one in every three Nigerian children were skeletal in 2018? Feel free to do the math for 2020.

Returning to Atlanta, the City of Atlanta’s

City Council, Georgia awarded me an Official Proclamation recognizing our philanthropic efforts rehabilitating IDPs in the North-East which we were doing since 2014. The Governor of the State of Georgia (USA), Jonathan Nathan Deal, and Mayor of Atlanta, Kasim Reed, officially pledged support to Empower 54 and Elle Magazine honored me as one of “50 African Women Who Shape the Continent.” Last year, in recognition of our humanitarian

Did you know that government-owned hospitals refuse to treat rape victims unless accompanied by the Police or with a police report? activities, the Mayor of Houston Texas, Sylvester Turner issued an Official Proclamation declaring my birthday, October 10th, as “Princess Modupé Ozolua’s Day” in the city’s 2019 calendar.

Nigeria 2019, en route to Democratic Republic of Congo to flag-off our distribution of medication for 620,000 children and initiate a partnership with the Nigerian Correctional Services to provide free medication for inmates; someone informed me the Office of the Deputy President of the 9th Nigerian Senate had a NGO unit and asked, “You are always complaining about bottlenecks that frustrate deliverables of NGOs to Nigerians, why don’t you get this appointment and fix them?”

After reflecting on the burdensome process of obtaining import duty waivers for clearing containers of charitable items, unnecessary hostility between government and NGOs, and the dying children I have carried in my arms; I put my ego away in a Givenchy bag, cancelled my trip to the

DRC, created a “to-do” list and contacted Senator Ovie Omo-Agege to express interest in becoming his NGO Adviser. Ladies and gentlemen, this was how I enrolled in an advance course on humility and patience of civil servant life!

Considering I have been self-employed since

I was 21-years old, working in the civil servant space is an experience worthy of writing a book, but I am fortunate to work with a man who is intelligent and genuine about helping the masses.

Since becoming Special Adviser on NGO Affairs, numerous strategic projects have been initiated, and yes, one is the review and creation of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) document on clearing of humanitarian consignment in Nigeria.

Okay, reintroduction over. Moving forward.

What is with 2020? A week after my son and I returned from an amazing Christmas and New

Year holiday in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, China, the world learnt people were dying in Wuhan! Worrying about our friends in China, we didn’t know COVID-19 was preparing kung-fu punches for the entire world!

Focused on COVID, another pandemic brewed.

Till date, countless babies and adults are raped and killed across the nation. Calls for stricter legislation to address Sexual and Gender based violence (SGBV) crisis are discussed at Federal and State Assemblies with suggested penalties ranging from castrations to death sentences.

Personally, I am tired of cries for new laws. Are there no standing laws to protect victims/survivors of SGBV? Are existing laws being implemented? How many Governors approve execution of death row inmates? On the behalf of the Deputy President of the Senate and Chairpersons of relevant Senate and House of Representatives committees, I consulted extensively with ministries, agencies and NGOs.

Did you know that government-owned hospitals refuse to treat rape victims unless accompanied by the Police or with a police report?

However, according to the National Health

Act (2014) Section 20 (1) “A health care provider, health worker or health establishment shall not refuse a person emergency medical treatment for any reason whatsoever; (2) Any person who contravenes this section is guilty of an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N100, 000.00 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or to both.”

Are you aware that rape victims pay for their medical tests and that of their alleged rapists? Did you know government hospitals refuse treatment to rape victims without payment? Did you know most victims are so poor they can’t afford the bills that police officers pay for them?

So, why create laws when government breaks its own laws? Why have social welfare departments if they are unable to fend for citizens at critical moments? Is social welfare properly funded? Is providing social aid to vulnerable Nigerians no longer a government’s priority?

Sigh! Okay, enough for today. I just wanted to say hello and inform you the Internationally Displaced Princess is home...temporarily.

Until we reconnect, please stay safe

Princess Modupe Ozolua is a Philanthropist & Entrepreneur.

ModupeOzolua@yahoo.com