Tonia Ike-Unekwe: My Surgeries Showed I was the Modern Day Job
Some kids could be inexplicably taciturn. They simply don’t start talking on time. While some babies start early, others struggle till they grow up to the age of seven. Incidentally, Anthonia Obiageli Ike-Unekwe was forced to speak after a bully next door gave her a thorough beating and she ran back to the house. Thinking she was running to an abode she would be comforted, she was shocked when her father scolded her and asked her to go back and fight the boy. It was a training that would change so many things about her life. Initially, she did not want to talk about her life, philanthropy and service to community which have seen her rebuild a primary school in her village, build a church hall, renovate the local Anglican Church cemetery as well as institute a Trust Fund for indigent students in Amawbia village. She later agreed to share the story after almost two years of trying to convince her and after being reminded that her story and resilence would inspire many. After agreeing, she took Stanley Nkwazema on a mental trip about her school days, how she turned down a Commonwealth scholarship, experience in banking, rising to the position of Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank in Sierra Leone, demonstrating the acumen to identify and troubleshoot critical issues impacting on productivity before quitting
Indeed very few people out of selfishness and greed never reflect on how others manage to eke out a living when they have so much and, in some cases, more than they need. Some, however, delve into philanthropy for egocentric reasons or the need to attract government attention. After her father’s burial sometime in 2007 and while spending her Christmas vacation she was indeed jolted by what she saw at the primary school she attended. It was in a deplorable state. She could even see the same chair she used while learning how to read and write. Moved by selfless spirit, she did not wait too long but met with the traditional ruler of Amawbia, her village, and the parents/teachers association, to hint them on how she intended to transform the ramshackle school building to a befitting one. In less than 52 days, she actually delivered a six-classroom block with12 modern toilets, a borehole, 50 desks and chairs for each class with ceiling fans. Indeed, it became the first time in Anambra State since 1991 that a headmistress of a school would enjoy an air-conditioned office while her pupils had access to equipped computer rooms. The school became a model for all other schools in the state as the state “copied’’ the school and replicated it in all the local governments. She remains grateful to Dr Dan, a man she so much respects who conceptualised, designed and spent most of his time to supervise and organise the project.
Early Education, Background and Growing Up…
My name is Anthonia Obiageli Ike-Unekwe. I was born at Queen Anna Hospital in Akwa Ibom State. My early times were in Port Harcourt; as I was told before the civil war. I am from Amawbia in Awka South Local Government of Anambra State. When we came back home, I started my primary school at Central Primary School, Amawbia. I did not do Standard Six. I went to Girls Secondary School at Umunya right from Primary Five after taking the Common Entrance Examination. The principal of the school was an aunty to me, the late Mrs.Odumodu, before she was transferred to Ogidi Girls Secondary School. I was moved to Queens School, Enugu, where I obtained my SSCE because my aunty was no longer in the school. I left Queens College in 1979.
Childhood Memories that are Forver…
My childhood memories have to do with the communal way of living in my family. I remember there is a saying ‘no matter who you are, you come to the Nwokolo’s to drink a cup of tea.’ Not until recently, we never had a fence/hedge in my family house. That is to say whoever needed a place to sleep for the next day could come to our house. I grew up in a family that treat people equally. No discrimination whatsoever and that left an indelible mark in my heart. It may be funny to also note that a bully ironically forced me to talk at the age of five when my mates were speaking freely. I was not talking till that incident when after he beat me badly, I ran home crying only to be asked what happened and I could not express myself. I went back to give him a thorough beating and after so much effort stammering and trying to say something audibly, I explained and everybody became surprised. I ended up talking more than any of my siblings.
Parents Like no Other...
My father was a great motivator. Whatever I do on earth I remember him. He was a great influencer; he believed in people, a good Christian, very honest man and he reached out to the poor not minding his status in life. Being the first daughter and the firstborn out of eight in the family, I believe I had complex for my father and till tomorrow he speaks to me from the grave. My mother is a wonderful woman but I can’t flow with the two. Physically, I’m a replica of my mother. My mother gets on with the boys but I love my father. We have three boys in my family.
One of the lessons I learnt from my parents was humility. They were very humble people and non-discriminatory. They wanted to help people even when they did not have enough. Particularly after the Biafra War, my father remembered everybody. We were cooking and sending it to our relations in other villages and that touched me so much. I learnt from that to help people both rich and poor. My father always said the rich also have needs. He used to say: ‘Do not say someone is rich and then refuse to help them.’ And I found that to be true. Even in the Bible, there was a time Jesus Christ was hungry and who would ever believe Jesus would be hungry; the son of God that performed miracles. Not to talk about mortals. Therefore, the rich can also be hungry. Reach out to everyone: the rich and poor. That is what I learnt from my dad.
Engineering was Childhood Fantasy, But I Actually Went into Banking…
I wanted to be a mechanical engineer because my father was one and he felt so proud about it. I saw it in him. He made a good grade during his time, a Second Class Upper. I wanted to beat him, but for some reasons I did not go for engineering. I went for Statistics and Mathematics. When I went for my NYSC at NNPC, Falomo, Lagos, I got offers to work with Mobil. But that was when banking came in the 1990s and I felt I should go into it and explore what it is all about. I was first employed by Equatorial Trust Bank. Mike Adenuga, the current chairman of Globacom, the telecommunications giant interviewed us. He educated us on what banking is all about. I did not last long because the salary was nothing to write home about. I was paid N15,000 every month. And what I did, as per our family culture, was to share it amongst my family members. I gave it to my dad, mum, siblings and God.
The job was interesting but I had to crack my brain on credit issues because my immediate boss was Mr. Tunde Lemo who retired as the Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria and I had a friend, Morenike Oyenola. The two of us were young and did not know what was called credit, but under Tunde Lemo, we were able to appreciate the 5cs of Credit and Marketing. It was not that easy, but we had this saying: ‘If you are intelligent enough to do well in your course, you should be able to maintain it in other disciplines.’
I must admit that I learnt quite a lot. I am always posted to the most difficult places and they expected me to turn it around. To God be the glory, I always turned it around. I never had it so good in banking in terms of location and they would always expect so much from me. They gave me what I would call beyond human targets and to God be the glory, I made positive marks. In Sierra Leone, you will not believe it that within four days, I was able to lift the balance sheet from a low figure of 17 billion Leones to 22 billion Leones in a period of 72 hours. This is a country I did not know anybody before going there.
And Despite All, Life Gave its Low Moments…
I felt very bad when I lost my father and my highest point remains when I survived a major surgery in Germany. The name of the operation is Spinal Injury L5, in 2012. It made me know that life is quite brief. Everyday one lives, let every living thing that has breath praise God. I have taken time to visit a lot of cemeteries and I found out that the Bible is right. Whatever you find your hand to do, do with your very mind because there is no knowledge, no planning, and no accommodation of wealth in the grave to which all are going. The living is conscious they will die; opposite of life is death. And there is no marked year or time for one to die.
Being Touched by a Deprived Environment…
When I first visited my former school, I did not feel it was good enough for someone to study there and make a good grade. I believe that the Biafra War ended a long time ago. People have moved on with time. How do you expect so much from a child without a wall or ceiling fan in a class room, poor ventilation, no laboratory and just nothing to excel? I am one person that believes in getting the best out of people around me. I wanted a place where Amawbia will appear on the map of the world through education of the young ones. I believe primary education is the best. I had to make sure that they do not pass through what we in our time passed through. I left that school in 1974 and am talking about 2008. We should be able to give back to the society, give back to people, create an enabling environment, create a bridge, set up something so that those who are touched will also improve on what I have done today. I have improved on what my fathers did. I expect the younger ones to improve on what we have on ground. The world is moving on and we need to put up the best.
It took me a long time. I came home for holiday after my father’s burial. I decided to take a walk with my kid sister. We got to the school and it was in a bad state and I said this can’t continue. The same old chairs and I felt I had to do something. That prompted me and I was working in Zenith Bank. I know my mortgage loan and know what I was earning. I had some savings and I said I should do that for my community. That is the only school there till tomorrow. I had to get people from Ghana to build the school. It cost roughly N15-16 million. We had fans in the classrooms, POP, metal chairs that can seat 50 students. I did a borehole, laboratories for boys and girls all in line with international standards. The then state governor, Chief Peter Obi, supported the arrangement. At the end of the day the school was a model for the world. It got to a point that the United States of America knew about it and offered to send some materials through NGOs to support the school.
Some foundations have supported the school from what I gathered within the country. I have also tried in my own way to supply books and few other materials to help those two years after it was launched. The school was opened June 6, 2008. I have had a lot of offers from media houses to talk about it but I felt there was no need. If there is going to be an incentive for those of us that can afford to help, education is it. It does not cost much, you do not have to build all the class rooms and you can start with rehabilitation. Look out for things they lack in the school and provide it for them. Today, the present administration is trying to give food to children in schools. Yes, we can serve them tea to make them produce good people. I am talking about the future of a great nation and that means also helping us to minimise the brain drain.
My Fixation with Number 52…
It is very divine in the sense that the first rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem was first done by Nehemiah in 52 days. I remember also another rebuilding that took place when the Jews came back from exile. It was also in 52 days. I do not know why I just like that number 52 days. I think it is symbolic and divine.
Rebuilding the Local Cemetery…
I believe our God and his son Jesus Christ believed so much in decency. Everything should take place by arrangement and in a decent manner. What also motivated me, if you are a Bible reader, is the Bible account which says work what is good towards all especially to those related to you in faith and remember when we say our Lord’s prayer, we say our father in heaven. It is not our father for the Christians in heaven or our father for the Muslims in heaven, because we are all from Adam. Whatever I am doing, I am doing it by extension to make Jehovah God the creator happy. Because he said in Ephesians 5, verse 1 that we become imitators of Him.
People felt very good because it is not something that is very common; I mean cleaning the cemetery. Some people may read meaning into it. Christ spent most of his time in the cemetery. It could be corporal works of mercy because this people were formerly living and now they are dead and everybody is going to join them. In my town, the cemetery meant for my Anglican Church was a small forest and opposite my father’s house. I grew up seeing that. In the good old days, our mothers used to clean it up but they are getting old and majority of them are out of the country. The younger ones do not seem to be too interested and keep on asking me what they are going to do for me. I need to do more. The cemetery was not good so I had to call the Igwes’ attention and offered to clean it up and after a while I put perimeter fence. To God be the glory, people sit around there now, take their drinks and I feel delighted. I am going to put flowers and if possible put water fountains so we can visit our dead and loved ones. It is just that they are no longer with us in flesh. We remember them, pray for them in various churches. Abroad people go to graveyards with flowers, sit and talk to yourself; learn about life. Graveyard is places you go and appreciate what it means to be alive and is the only place you see people resting without any problem. The key thing is people who are lying down there are from my village, my brothers. We are a very small community, so interconnected. I think it is a noble idea that whatever one does in life you do it to the glory of God.
Fear? I Have None…
Sincerely, speaking I don’t have any fear. Because as a servant of God, the three things I have been taught by my parents and clergymen are that I need not to fear death, should not fear humiliation because Christ was humiliated and he is my mentor, my leader. I should also not fear failure. These three major things if I do not fear them then I do not think I have any fear. I tell people about death which is very common. Igbos even go to the point of begging death by the way they name their children Onwubiko, Onwuka and others. Why are we pleading with death? The wages we pay for sin is death. We were conceived in sin. So why are you afraid of death? I do not fear death.
I Still Have Dreams…
I still have a lot to do. The world is passing through a difficult time. We call it interesting times. The Bible is God’s manifesto like every political party has a manifesto of what they are going to do for us. Till I am able to join and participate in preaching about the kingdom we know will come and we are mandated to go and preach, I will not think I have done a lot.
My Health Issues Made me Know the Love of God…
I think my being afflicted shows the degree of love God has for me. It shows that out of eight billion people on earth, I will say God is partial. I have a lot of ailments and I thank God that I am able to survive series of operations. It is not all about money because I know those who have more money than me and could not survive. The affliction is a sign of God’s love for me. Remember the story of Job. Apparently, God had told Satan have you seen Oby, worshiping me the way I should be worshiped? Satan would have said was it in vain that Oby is worshiping you. Let me strike her with the affliction and see if she can wear high heels and skirt suits. This is a typical case of Job. Was job the only man on earth? No. But he was called a blameless righteous person serving Jehovah the way He should be served. I think I am the modern day Job. And like Job said, until I die I cannot take away my integrity. I will continuously label Satan a liar because He that is in me is greater than death and the creature called Satan, a fallen angel.
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'things fall apart rmx'