Mrs. Lucy Onabanjo, widow of Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, Second Republic governor of Ogun State, will be 90 years old tomorrow. Even at old age, her skin still shines and eyes see clearly, though with glasses. Her voice remains strong. She is smart and alert to the environment.
The nonagerian shared with Sunday Vanguard the story of her life before and after she met her husband, a prolific writer who wrote a popular column under the sobriquet, Aiyekooto.
She explained why she cast her vote for President Muhammadu Buhari during the last elections despite his headship of the military regime that jailed her husband after soldiers sacked the Second Republic civilian administration in 1983.
Mrs. Onabanjo, who fielded questions at her Fidipote Street, Ijebyu-Ode residence, also spoke on preparations for her 90th birthday.
On October 26, you are going to be 90. How do you feel?
At 90, I feel healthy and beautiful and cute, no problem. I am well. I enjoy everything, my food, children, not much different from when I was 70, 80 I am still alert.
How was childhood, growing up like?
Not too tough. I grew up in a family of about 25 sisters and brothers. I am about the last child of my father. My father was a rich man, he married about 15 wives. At the time I was born, my father was a bit old. So I went to Lagos with one of my sisters. That time my father couldn’t afford to send about five of us to school because he was old and there wasn’t much money. All our elder sisters and brothers were married and had left the family house. So the five of us had to depend on our mother. The first child of my mother took me to Lagos, and sent me to St Mary’s (Catholic) Convent School. I attended the school up to Standard Six. Standard Six of those days was like the university of today. After studying there, I applied to be a nurse at Lantoro in Abeokuta. And they said I couldn’t be a nurse but a good teacher. So, I went to St. Agnes Teacher Training College in Broad Street to train as a teacher.
How old were you when you met your late husband?
You have to do the subtraction, because I don’t put any thing in mind. But, he died 25 years ago, you can subtract that from my age.
How did you meet him?
I taught in Lagos, about three schools, all Catholic. I taught in Zaria. After that, I came back to Lagos where I went to St. Agnes Teacher College. After that, I got married. I was still living with my sister whose husband also had a nephew staying with us. At that time, my late husband was at Baptist Academy in Lagos, and this nephew of my sister’s husband also went to the school; so, that was how we met through the nephew. It was not only him then, I had many other suitors, educated ones. Through the intervention of the nephew, many things happened and we got married.
Being trained by nuns, did you ever consider not getting married?
They were there to educate us in the way of the Lord. I never thought of not getting married.
What attracted you to your husband?
He was very brilliant; he spoke queen’s English. That attracted me to him . And that time I wasn’t a baby, I too had ego. At that time, you couldn’t be in school and say you are walking around with boys.
How was life as the wife of a journalist?
The Lord has made me a contented person; I didn’t have friends even among the teachers in the schools where I taught. All I was concerned with was ‘Good Morning ma’, and ‘good morning sir’, and everybody would go his way. Because I was a contented person, being married to a journalist was nothing to me. He was a good husband, but I hardly enjoyed his company.
When we were in Lagos, he was in the North writing about corruption in the government of the day. If he leaves Zaria today, he will go to Sokoto or somewhere else tomorrow. He knew everywhere in Nigeria at the tip of his fingers. He was hardly at home, but the Lord gave me good children; so they were always with me. I never felt it, if he was around or not. But any time he was around once in a while, we would go on holidays in Cotonou, Accra; that was what I enjoyed about him.
What was it like being the wife of a governor?
Did you regret marrying a journalist?
I never complained about him. He had so many trials as governor, because the powers-that-be never liked him. He was Awolowo’s favourite, going from place to place so that Baba could win the 1979 and 1983 presidential election. So, I stood by him. I prepared his food myself. I never allowed any house keeper to cook for him because I knew he was not a healthy man and he was always thinking about Nigeria.
Life without Baba, how has it been?
I am a Christian. I have Christ. Life without him is not very difficult because, when he was alive, as I told you, he was always very busy. One day, I did not know the military will strike to truncate the Second Republic, I asked him, ‘when we finish this assignment in Ogun Govt House, where will we go next? Lagos or Ijebu?’He said Ijebu where we were born and grew up. I agreed. At that time, I wanted a small bungalow with plenty of flowers and grass at the back.
I am satisfied with what God has done for me. Most of the time now, I go to church; once in a while, I go to Lagos for medical check up. I was not seeing my husband regularly when he was alive. So what is the difference? Since he passed on, I put my trust in my God and He is always with me.
How do you feel seeing the leader of the military regime that jailed your husband as President now?
During the last elections, I voted for Buhari because I knew he will bring change to this county, he will fight corruption. That era, which saw him jailing my husband, has passed; it was left to him and Idiagbon to ponder in their minds and to decide whether what they did was right. After the jail issue, Idiagbon died. I wish Buhari well.
How do you want to be remembered?
That a little child was born in Ijebu-Ode, that her name was Mrs. Lucy Adebowale Onabanjo, that the married a journalist and had four children; one died, and, after that, she spent the remaining part of her life in happiness because she had trust in the Lord while believing in good health and neighbourliness. People should remember that my reward was on earth. I never waited for the reward in heaven. I am going straight to heaven and not looking for any reward in heaven,I have already got one.
Do you encourage your children to venture into politics?
None of them is interested in politics . I have two girls and two boys. I told you the fourth girl died; she did a little bit of politics because she loved talking.
What is your message for widows?
I won’t compare Nigeria with other countries. People always talk about America. That country (America) is well established and provides for her people. The situation is different in Nigeria. Our widows should try to lay their hands on something, petty trading if they don’t want to re-marry; they shouldn’t be begging but if government is willing to give them succour, that will be nice. But, in Nigeria, government is not doing anything for any widow.
How are you preparing for your birthday?
I will go to church and thank God for being merciful to me. I will dance. I am a good dancer, but as I grow old, I no longer dance well. I have told my daughter to get somebody to come and massage my legs so that I can dance on my 90th birthday. Ask my priest on the best dancer and he will tell you her name is Mrs. Onabanjo. There is a small event centre near the church, that’s where we will go for reception. We will eat and talk. If I show you the program pamphlet for the church service, you will be surprised. I don’t leave room for tributes. I don’t want anybody to write any tribute for me anybody who knows me well that I love most are rhymes, simple Halleluya hymns.
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