Chief (Mrs.) Funke Arthur-Worrey is a qualified Secretary by profession, she holds a Diploma in Fashion Designing from the Paris Academy of Fashion Design and a Diploma in Social Studies from Ohio State University, Columbia, Ohio, United State of America.in this interview with
SEYI TAIWO-OGUNTUASE
, she went down memory lane to share her life experiences. Excerpts:
On April 23, you will be 98, how has it been?
I can’t believe I am 98 years old already because I can still talk, see, walk, although not like before that I could run. I thank God. And I go to the market when I want to. I eat what I want. I go where I want and my thinking ability is still intact.
I thank God and my families that are looking after me. I don’t know what more to say than ‘thank you God’. It’s been years since I lost my husband. But I thank God for the people in my life.
What would you say is the secret of your longevity which maybe people coming behind you can emulate?
The secret is my God, Jehovah. First of all, you have to believe in God and obey His commandments. Think good of the country. Cut your coat according to your clothes and then you have to be friendly with people. Be happy with what God has given you. Be content, nobody has it all. The little God has given you, you should try and enjoy it and be happy with it.
You have relationships with people like the former President (Olusegun) Obasanjo, (Gabriel) Igbinedion, Alakija, and many more…
Don’t forget that I have been in Lagos for 98 years now. My childhood, everything was spent in Lagos. And at that time, Lagos was very small. We were neatly formed; we were together. We were always together.
You are the uncle and aunt to your friend’s children. We were so close. We were so loving in Lagos as we grew up together. Like Fatai Williams, we grew up together. I met Obasanjo through my husband when he was in government with the late Murtala Mohammed.
Do you still get in touch with some of these people, and if you do, what do you normally talk about?
When I see them, we are all old now. Once you know somebody, you have to really get on. All these people, when I see them, they are happy to see me, and I am happy to see them and their children. And they are happy that in my little corner, I do not bother them for anything.
So, everything is in the hands of God, and I am very lucky. That is why this year I said I am going to tell you all to thank God for me. It’s been wonderful.
Can you compare your Lagos then and now?
Lagos was beautiful. People trooped into Lagos, from Onitsha, Kaduna, Warri, the East, the West, and so on. Some people looked strange to us then. But then people in the West, like Osogbo, Ife, were closer. Some of them were traders.
Lagos, to us, was Isale Eko, Tokunbo, Campos Square to Ikoyi and not just anybody could go to Ikoyi freely apart from when they were burying people because the colonial masters were there. And then, the Lagos radius extended only to Yaba. To us then, visiting Yaba may be once a year or so and that is if you had a relative there.
Then in Lagos, we knew somebody everywhere. We were all related somehow. My father and grandfather came from Isale Eko. When I was about eight years old, I remember my father would hold my hand to visit our cousins because we had aunties and uncles everywhere.
There was no insecurity in our time in Lagos, because I remember working barefooted for years.
We went everywhere, playing freely. Ebute Meta was limited then, then Yaba, then Oshodi, we were so lucky. We loved each other.
There was this love, no matter where you were from, once we got to know each other, we took care of each other, bonded and became family.
Lagos was fantastic then. We had everything. There was water, there was electricity. We went everywhere to visit family and friends. But now, it’s a different kettle of fish, because of the population explosion. Lagos is like London now, because it’s full of people. I still love it, but I just don’t like the way beggars and all are littering the streets.
In terms of security, Lagos was more secure. You could go anywhere anytime of the day. There was freedom of movement with no harassment, no disturbance. Lagos was beautiful. And we children, back then, were not spoiled.
We did our chores daily; even before we went to school and on Saturdays. Lagos was beautiful. We celebrated Christmas, Ileya and all festivals together because we were interwoven.
Nobody discriminated against another. If you were a Christian, you had Muslims relatives, whether your uncle or aunt. So that was our own Lagos, but we all got on so well.
What was your growing up like?
I was born in Lagos, my fourth-generation are Lagosians. I don’t know any other place apart from when I travelled to England to study or change the environment on holiday.
I was so fortunate. I schooled in Lagos and I work in Lagos, my first work was in Bata in Broad Street, after that, I met my husband and went to England to do a secretarial course. I worked briefly in England. I came back and I worked briefly in ESO in Broad Street. I don’t know what they call them now.
In between, with my husband I have to follow him everywhere due to his job then in the Federal Ministry of Justice, they travel a lot.
I had the opportunity to travel with him because they allow us to travel with our husbands.
I was also the treasurer of the National Museum Society of Nigeria that also gave me the opportunity of knowing Nigeria because we travel everywhere then to Osogbo, Jos and many other places just to look at the wonders of arts in Nigeria. You will be surprised at the amount of treasures we have in Nigeria.
Looking back now, what are your proudest achievements?
My greatest achievement is that I grew up in Lagos and was able to develop myself in this city. I schooled in Lagos, but I got married in England, came back to Lagos and worked here and enjoyed the opportunities provided by Lagos.
God gave me the grace to travel outside the country and even within Nigeria. I see the way people are.
But Lagos is the best for me. You know, I love Lagos, and if you go to school here, unless you don’t want to study, you can study anything. Lagos is still the best out of the 36 states.
What is the best thing that has ever happened to you in life?
The best thing that has ever happened to me in life is when I met my late husband, Steady. I had everything good for me, not necessarily money and then I had this wonderful man and everything changed for me.
From the time I married the man, I have never looked back, this is his house. I have been here now for almost 50 years. I miss him so much.
What are the biggest lessons life have taught you?
Life has taught me to be humble and for us to love one another.
Now, I don’t say I am perfect, but I just try. We all have problems, but you don’t take your problems out on others. Enjoy life. Travel if you can. If we cannot travel abroad, just go out, change the environment.
There’s no life more than this. And then you must have a hobby, either gardening or anything, you must find something to do, you may not be perfect, then make yourself comfortable by eating well, by sleeping on time, by going to parties if you can or just dancing to music anyways.
Thank God we still have this old music and fashion.
Can you tell us more about yourself?
I was born into the Royal Family of Ogunmade Onile Gbale Chieftaincy House, Isale Eko Lagos. A Charter Member and Past President of Ikeja Lioness Club, now Ikeja Golden Lions Club.
I am also a Melvin Jones Fellow, the highest honour conferred by the International Association of Lions Clubs for commitment to philanthropic acts.
An executive member of the Nigerian Federation of Business and Professional Women, she is also a member of the National Council of Women’s Society, Past Treasurer of the National Museum Society of Nigeria.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Syndigate.info
).