THE NATION, SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
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they were like people from another world. But then, they were good and smart. They still went to the market and church, because the church then was really the thing for our women. It is not that you don’t have much time because of the driver, servants, no cars, the road is blocked. At that time, your church was in your neighbourhood and you just walked there from your home. But now, it is a different world. They call you for a wedding or a family birthday party, you have to go, and that keeps us going. And when you think of all these things…I think going to birthday and wedding parties at the moment is a blessing for us. So, we the aged are trying to show the younger generation that life is wonderful. Don’t think of the other sides,
think of the beautiful sides of it. I feel good at 85 and I thank God for it. Do have any advice for those that are aging? If we go into that, it is not only in Nigeria. Everything started from China and Egypt. Now, going into the Bible, the fabulous biblical women, Esther and Deborah, among others, dressed to kill and would do anything to look young. I went to China three years ago and we went to visit a salon, there is nothing they don’t do to make themselves look beautiful and young. You would see a woman of 60 years, by the time they finish with her, you would think she is 24. I have passed that stage, but they do anything to make themselves look young, and I think that is natural; nobody wants to grow old.
But when the time comes and your grandson is saying ‘Grandma, you cannot go out or look like that,’ then you think something is happening. I remember I was used to being called “Aunty Funke.” Then, one day, somebody said Mama, and I was shocked. You have to face reality. Whether you like it or not, you have to grow old. But then, I don’t see anything wrong with women doing whatever that would make them look good or using whatever would make them to look young forever (laughs). When you see somebody who looks good, you are happy yourself. I don’t want the children to come here and say ‘Grandma, what is the matter with you?’ I hate it. Do you have a special diet? I eat well and I love food. I love good food and I love good restaurant. God has been wonderful to me in that area. If I don’t like something, I don’t eat it. I eat anything, provided I like it. At the moment, I live on vegetable and sea foods with vitamins and balance diet. In Nigeria we are blessed with varieties of vegetable. What has brought you joy the most in your life? My children. It was my husband in those days, because he did everything to make me happy. I am not talking only about my biological children; I have so many children who call me mother. They all make me comfortable and happy, and I love to see them and their children doing well. My children are teaching their own children to know the beauty of growing up nicely and knowing what to do (etiquettes). You have to respect the elders and you have to say your prayers. I don’t care whatever your denomination is; just go to church and read your Bible. The Bible is the most knowledgeable. Whatever authors are writing now, most of them are happenings in the Bible. There is nothing new that has not happened or started from the Bible. So, that has been my greatest source of joy, and I thank God for that. Who is your favourite author? My favourite author, as far as I am concerned, for the rest of my life, is Mr. Fola Authur-Worrey. He wrote this beautiful book called Mr. Michael. Try and read it. I have read some of his other books too. You lost your husband some years ago. How has life been without him? All our lives, we were together and he did everything to make me happy. It is not my doing; it is God. We were not like husband and wife; we were like a twin brother and sister. We were so close and he spoilt me rotten, I will tell the world now. Then suddenly, he died. He didn’t die young; he died at the age of 82, which was good because we had been married then for about 55 years. We enjoyed ourselves together. But then he left and I am still missing him till tomorrow, because if I am travelling now, I have to think of packing, visa, booking, etc. He did everything. But now, thank God I have children. But I still want to make sure that everything is alright. I miss my husband dearly. The talk, the party, he was a partying man. And because of him, I am connected to a lot of countries around the world. At first, I was nervous to travel on my own, but I am getting used to it and I am living to please him, because he never wanted me to be sad. If he can talk, he will say, ‘Funke, just go ahead and enjoy yourself.’ So, I thank God for my life. What were the secrets of your closeness? It was God’s doing, because some of the people who are rich and very knowledgeable…about
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courts of competent jurisdiction and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who himself is a lawyer and incidentally my classmate at the Law School, Pius Anyim Pius, says he is reconciling the parties. And I’m wondering and asking, under what jurisprudential heading is he acting? You see, I won’t want to run against the establishment because I have had enough of that. The cost has been grave. In my 50s, at a time when three of my classmates are governors, it’s time to move on. I have bills to pay. I have people I’m a surrogate father to. They are expecting from me, and if all that I have is name or reputation, there are other ways to earn a living. At least, let me face those things that can put food on the table because Project Nigeria hasn’t found a place for people like us. You are a lawyer. What are you doing in sports? Sports is my passion. Incidentally, I took a first degree in English because I wanted to be a journalist. Being a lawyer has tied me more to it. You will recall that the biggest influence in modern football, Dr. (Jao) Havalange, is also a lawyer. (Sepp) Blatter, I think he is a lawyer. It thus means that my multi-disciplinary capacity is a plus when I have to put things down. I’m also exposed to more disciplines talking to other people and relating to them by virtue of being a lawyer. I think it has been an advantage. Don’t you think you are missing something
by not practising as a lawyer? I can tell you that not more than 10 per cent of the people called to bar go to court. Lawyers are not compelled to go to court. That is not the demand of the profession. I know lawyers who do excellently well without having to step into the courtroom. There are many sides to the business of law practice. I have not regretted it for one day. Being a lawyer has been an advantage. It gives me the right dose of confidence. It gives me the capacity to analyse situations very well. It helps me to reach reasonable conclusions. In any case, I’m back in law practice as a partner. I remember that you used to present a beautiful sports programme. Suddenly, it disappeared. What went wrong? At the beginning of this interview, I remember that I told you about the cost of being on the television and holding my views. The Best of Football started in 1993 and in 1996, it stepped up as a strong platform for marketing communication. It had this idea of aspirational sports, and they saw my programme as the best for that delivery. Before you knew it, enemies of progress went to Pepsi to tell them, ‘Why are you sponsoring a man that is anti-government?’ Before I knew it, Pepsi was off; not for lack of delivery but because they got pressure from certain quarters. So, The Best of Football lost its sponsorship and over the years too, lost its patronage from media buyers. It got to a point, since The Best of
•Chief (Mrs.) Funke Arthur-Worrey
OW did you feel when you realised that your name had been dropped from the presidential committee on Nigerian football? It was one of my disappointments. As Segun Adeniyi later acknowledged in his book, it was because of my advice that the committee was set up. So, it is only human that I would be disappointed, because I thought that being there would help to work things out. And that is the sort of things I have suffered in the last 10 to 15 years when a high-level job is supposed to come my way in business or by way of appointment. I paid the price of being frank and I feel, why am I wasting my time trying to straighten things out while other people are benefiting from them and things are not even improving? So, I just I stayed off. Nigeria still has problems with football. What if you are called now to serve or submit a proposal on the way forward? Well, I can’t say yes or no really. The problem of Nigerian football is not because there are no submissions as to the way forward. I have read some submissions written by eminent Nigerians. I have also been part of ministerial committees which made some recommendations that would have changed things. The critical point is whether there is political will and honesty of purpose to move us forward. I would hate to sit down and write a proposal, whether I’m paid for it or not, and it is not implemented. Of course, we have a situation now where
three marriages that I went to like five years ago, the other day, I asked about the husband from one girl with three children and she said, ‘Oh, Mummy, you didn’t know? We’ve parted’. I said what! Because that marriage, half of Lagos was there. The money, aso ebi (ceremonial uniform), the noise, it was a fabulous wedding. I was so shocked and I just sat down and said this is impossible. But she said, ‘Oh, you know, it is nothing. I will tell you the story about what happened later’. Not only hers, there have been so many like that now because of pressure. If God says you are going to be together, you will be together, and you have to play some parts. You have to make it work. Both of you have roles to play and you have to make sure that you try your best to make it work. And then, you don’t involve your parents on both sides, because that is another thing. Sometimes, the interference of the in-laws on both sides is poison. You keep on popping in and out, saying you are advising them; that is not good. If you know what is going on, before can set up that home, you manage. But you say I cannot take it anymore I am going…Once you are still with your husband, there is a crown of protection and your husband knows that this is my wife and nothing must happen to her. Then you leave your husband’s home and go back to your parents? You will find that you are going back to an empty world, because your husband is your friend, brother and partner, and when you are low, you know that there is somebody for you to talk to, lean on or cry on his shoulder. But when you leave, it will never be the same. So, you must make sure you protect your home like an egg. It must not break with patience, with understanding and with love. The basic thing is love. And then you don’t copy your neighbours. But if you have to, copy the good sides. This is your life. This is your world and you have to protect it. Believe in yourself and believe in God. So, cut your coat according to your size. Be truthful and you must trust your partner. What was the attraction when you met your husband? It was a surprise package. He was my late brother’s (Chief H.O. Davies’) adopted son because his father and my late brother were very close. His father died and my brother took over the care of this young man because he was good and very brilliant. My husband’s father took him along with his two siblings to England when he was about six years old in the 30s to watch the queen’s coronation and to study. Along the line, he got married to a white woman so that she could take care of Steady and his brothers. And when his father died, my brother took over. And when my brother left England for Nigeria, his heart too also left and he started saying that he was going back to his fatherland. Anyway, he got a job through the colonial home office and unfortunately or fortunately, they sent him to Birni Kebbi. When he said he was coming home, we were so excited, saying at least we would know this your son. So, he came back and we all lined up to meet him, introduced ourselves and welcomed him back home at Apapa. When it came to my turn, he held my hands and I said you are welcome, you will never regret coming back to Nigeria, and so on. But I noticed that he held onto my hands and said, ‘This is my wife. Funke, you are going to be my wife.’ Eventually, he released my hands and I was furious and embarrassed •Continued on Page 48 Football cost money, I had to check my losses. You are in Nigeria while your wife lives abroad. How do you cope with that? That is personal. Why did you stop the publication of your sports paper? It was for the same reason The Best of Football was rested. Some powerful forces came one day and gave my entire editorial team the support by whatever resources to quit. I went abroad on vacation and by the time I came back, my paper, Multi Sports, had changed to Multi Sports International. My entire team left with the aid of some powerful forces. I know them but I leave them to God. It is interesting that many years later, all the actors have said sorry to me. But the damage was immense. At that time, I had to get a court order to restrain them from publishing the paper and I actually filed a suit for pass-off against them. But at that time, judicial process was very slow and getting justice was a hectic thing. I left them and moved on. When your parents discovered that you were going to abandon the law profession to present sports, how did they take it? First of all, by the time I made that decision, my dad had died. My mum? Yes, she was worried a bit, but she understood the fact that I must have thought about what I wanted to do very well before making a decision. It didn’t go down well with my wife at a •Continued on Page 48