In this interview with ARUKAINO UMUKORO, a retired judge, 95-year-old Ishola Oluwa, talks about his life and the secret of longevity
When and where were you born?
I was born in May 23, 1918, at Ogurude, a small town between Calabar and Ikom in Cross River State.
How was it like growing up those days?
It was fun. My father was a marine
transport clerk. So, he was always on the river, travelling from one
place to the other. I started life at Ikom. At the age of three, I
already knew what a telephone was because we had a telephone in our
house, and in my father’s office. Various stations communicated with my
father regularly about transporting goods and so on. There was an army
barracks and a prison yard close to where we lived. I had interesting
experiences which many children during my time wouldn’t have
experienced. My mum was a very dutiful wife. She raised us well. My
father was a well educated man in those days. He went to CMS Grammar
School, Lagos. From there, he was employed by the marine department.
Would you say you came from a privileged background?
Yes, in very many ways. My dad was later
transferred to Calabar. We virtually went round all the shores of
Nigeria, Forcados, Burutu, Lokoja, and so on.
What schools did you attend?
I attended Ikom Government School before
we relocated to Sapele around 1930. There, I went to Sapele Government
School for my primary education. It was in Sapele I took the entrance
examinations to secondary school. My parents decided that I should go to
King’s College, Lagos, because its standard was high. But the
headmaster of my primary school did not like that. Some of his reasons
were that they wore shoes at King’s College, ate with fork and knife,
and called their teachers by name. He said these practices were
un-African. Then, we went to school bare-footed. One of my father’s
friends, one Mr. Taylor, groomed me for the entrance examinations to
King’s College. By the time I was in Standard Five, I was good in Latin,
Geometry and Algebra. When I took the examinations, I was the only one
who passed. I went to King’s College in 1933. At first, there were only
eight of us in the class. But by the time I finished schooling in 1939,
we were 26. That was the time my career began. I had a memorable time at
King’s College. I was made a prefect in Class Five and Six. I couldn’t
ride my bicycle out the day I left the college because I was crying all
through. In those days there was no university. So, when I left King’s
College, I went to the School of Agriculture, Ibadan, Oyo State, where I
trained as an agriculturist. It was unusual because at that time King’s
College boys were often employed in Lagos by the government. But I just
decided to break the rules.
How was your experience as an agriculturist?
It was very interesting. When I finished,
I was posted to northern Nigeria. There were two Schools of
Agriculture, one in the North and another in the South. Normally, I
should have been posted to the South. But, I was asked to resume duty in
the North for six months and I ended up staying there for 13 years. I
was transferred to the North around 1943. The situation there was
different from that in the South. The system of government was divided
into two, the regular government, as we know it, and the native
administration. The Europeans that worked in the North then hardly
visited the South and vice-versa. The North also had a peculiar system
of living. But I became used to these conditions. However, I got into
trouble the first day I resumed at the office. I was sitting down
reading a newspaper when suddenly everybody stood up because a white man
walked in. Our eyes met and he commanded me to stand up. I refused and
asked him why. He said, ‘because when a white man comes in, a black man
stands up.’ I just opened my mouth and he asked if I heard him. I said,
no, I didn’t. I asked him if each time he walked through that door, all
the blacks must stand up. And he asked me to shut up. I couldn’t
believe it. The head clerk in the office pleaded with me to keep my
mouth shut. Later, this white man called me and said I should address
him as ‘sir’ whenever I talked to him. But the incident became a
non-issue afterwards.
You were born a few years after
amalgamation in 1914, do you share the view held by some Nigerians that
the country would have been more developed if the British had stayed
longer?
I personally think that the British
shouldn’t have left when they did. After Independence, they didn’t want
to stay any longer. Then, the idea was to push the British out of
Nigeria and the slogan was SGNN: Self Government for Nigeria Now. We
were in the civil service. So, we could not interfere. But we had hoped
that when the British left, those that would take charge would be the
teachers, lawyers, and a few of the educated persons. Nobody bargained
for political parties. In those days, everything was selective. As soon
as the British left, all sorts of characters became members of
parliament, even a labourer became a member of parliament. From then,
things began to change gradually.
How did you become a judge since you attended the school of agriculture?
After my schooling at Kings College, I
went into agriculture because I liked the subject, but I didn’t like the
organisation afterwards. And I didn’t want to spend any more time
there. So, I decided to learn something else. I sat for the Cambridge
High School certificate examinations and I switched to law. I took the
intermediate LLB Law and passed. I took the first part of the final and
also passed. Before that, I was doing fairly well in agricultural
practice. I moved up quickly. I was also a lecturer in the School of
Agriculture and was seconded to the University College, Ibadan, when its
teaching farm was first established. After I passed the Inter-LLB Law
and part one of the final, I went to England. There, I did my part two
and was awarded the degree. I became a barrister in 1957 and came back
home. I was in the UK for three and a half years.
Where did you practice on your return to Nigeria?
I practised in the chambers of Thomas,
Williams and Kayode. After that, I established my chambers in 1960, with
a friend who later left to start his own practice. I did quite well. A
few other lawyers worked with me. Later on, I was invited to the bench
twice but I refused each time. The third time, I had no alternative as I
was cornered. That was in 1974. I became a judge of the High Court of
Lagos State.
Why did you refuse at first?
I was doing very well in my private
practice and earning good money. Again, I did not like the atmosphere.
In those days, one was invited to the bench if they found one’s work
good, and a letter is written to one to appear before some elderly
judges. Unlike nowadays, where people apply to become judges.
Who were some of the people who passed through your chambers?
Many lawyers passed through my chambers.
On the whole, there were 13 of us at the chamber before I was called to
the bench. Of course, I had to leave my private practice. Once you
become a judge, you cannot continue in private practice. I left it with
the boys who were there with me at the time. Later on, they started
fighting among themselves. But the good thing was that, out of that 13
from the chambers, five of us became judges in Lagos State; myself,
Justice Olugbani, Justice Ope-Agbe, Justice Adenubi, and Justice
Ayorinde,who became the Chief Judge of Lagos State.
What were the landmark cases you handled during your time?
I handled many cases in private practice,
when I was called to the bench and when I retired. If I have to talk
about these cases, it would be like writing a book. So, let’s not get
into that. But there was this case of a man called Ejigbadero who forced
people to sell their lands to him. One day, he was accused of murder;
he killed a man who refused to sell his land to him. I presided over the
case and sent him to the gallows. He lost all his appeals. There was
also the case of Okeowo, then a student, during the Ali Must Go controversy. Much later in my life, I think in 1998/1999, I was appointed the Pro-Chancellor of Lagos State University.
How would you compare Nigeria in your youthful days with that of today?
Things have really changed now. I see
many inconsistencies today. When I was born, the British were fully in
charge and there were few Africans holding key positions. But as time
went on, Africans started occupying the big posts. At first, all the
magistrates and judges were white. When I returned to Lagos, there were
many white judges. When I was called to the bench, I think only one or
two were left. The blacks had taken their place. The civil service was
controlled by laid down rules and regulations and promotion was on
merit. Everything was in order. Everybody had a right which they could
always claim. One couldn’t step on anybody’s rights, not even the
British. If a white man slapped one, one could take him to court. Power
later transferred fully from the white man to the black man, but that’s
where the trouble began. Today, Nigeria is a very confused country. We
took many steps we didn’t understand. For instance, in the US, the
states are absolutely independent of each other and of the federal
government. They contribute to support the federal government. They have
state police and schools of their own. It is the same for states in
Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Here in Nigeria, the federal
government contributes to the states. It is an absurdity.
Who were some of your contemporaries?
Some of my classmates became professors
in different fields. Five of us became judges. Quite a number became
lawyers. General Peters became the medical head of the army. Some became
ambassadors and so on. We had very good English teachers who taught us
everything, whether it was against the British or not.
When did you get married?
I got married in Ibadan in 1950. I am seven years older than my wife.
How did you meet your wife?
It was when I was first transferred to the University College, Ibadan. I met her through her mother.
How did you woo her?
I don’t know about that. But when I got
to Ibadan, the university had just started and I was responsible for
starting the new farm, which was a rare thing at that time, as most of
the farms in Nigeria were old farms. It was a government forest and I
had to turn it into a farm. So, I kept myself absolutely busy. I didn’t
know what she found attractive in me because I was working round the
clock. And there were only two of us in that faculty at the beginning. I
think what brought us together was because I already knew her mother.
But there were many obstacles on the way. She was Christian while I was
Muslim. So, her parents did not approve of our relationship.
Did the friction reduce after your marriage?
No, it did not. When we had our first
baby, they ran away (laughs). I can’t blame her parents; they were from
Ogbomoso and Christianity began at Ogbomoso, from their family. So, they
believed that every member of the family must be absolute Christians.
And I was a Muslim that had come to take away their daughter.
Did they eventually reconcile with you?
It was not that they reconciled with me, there was nothing they could do about it.
Maybe it was because your wife fell completely in love with you?
I don’t know about falling in love. I’m not a believer in that kind of theory. But she was attracted to me.
What then convinced you to get married if you did not believe in love?
If it was love then, I did not know. But
Mr. Baker (the other person working with me then) and I used to work
until 2am. I believe that love does not come till during the marriage.
After some time, when the couple start thinking the same way, then they
are in love.
What qualities attracted you to her?
They are many. One, she is very
hardworking. Then, she was working as a clerk. Also, some of my
cousins, who were her friends, endorsed her. I don’t know what took
place behind me.
You have been married for decades. What makes a marriage successful?
That is a difficult question. But give
and take is the rule. Forbearance is another. The third one is, don’t
allow interlopers. If one can keep these three things, one would be all
right.
How many children do you have?
I have four children. One of them is a
businessman, another is a lawyer, he holds a master’s degree in law; one
holds a degree in education and is an assistant director of education
in Lagos State. Another one is an engineer. I have many grandchildren.
What kind of food do you like?
I don’t have a favourite food. I eat
almost anything that everybody eats. But there are certain food I
wouldn’t touch as a Muslim, like pork.
What are your hobbies?
At King’s College, I learnt carpentry and
photography and practised them for many years. Reading is also one of
my hobbies. I have many books.
Do you have any regrets?
No, I don’t regret anything. I might have taken one or two wrong steps, but each time, I did my best to turn the right way.
What are you most fulfilled about?
There are many things, such as the
friends I made. I feel fulfilled about myself in many ways and I can
look back at a lot of things with plenty of pleasure.
Do you still do exercises?
Oh yes. I am an expert in exercising. If I
wake up at night and cannot sleep, I do some exercise, like stretching
my hands, lying on my back, raising and rolling up my feet and fingers,
skipping, jumping up and down. I exercise my feet regularly whenever I
stand still, even at my age. I strongly believe that exercise is
necessary because it helps to prolong life.
Have you had any close shave with death?
Yes, I’ve had some near misses. At the
age of seven, I almost drowned in the river going to Forcados when our
boats almost capsized as the ocean broke into the river. Two big boats
were sent to rescue us. In my adult years, it was when I had an accident
while travelling from one town to another.
What’s the secret of your longevity? You’re just five years short of clocking a century….
I don’t really know how I managed that.
For instance, you see these two marks on my forehead, it was when rogues
came into my house and hit my head with the butt of a gun. I was
admitted in the hospital and had to undergo an operation. I was in a
coma for six weeks. I did not know what was happening. Then, I came back
gradually. The operation was done in Nigeria. We still have some good
health care personnel. I had blood leaking in two places inside my
brain. My head had to be opened to remove the blood and the affected
areas were covered. I was very lucky to have survived that incident. It
happened about 15 years ago.
Are you scared of death now and are you looking forward to living up to 100?
No. I am grateful to God that I am still
alive today. My mother died at 103 and my maternal grandmother died at a
100. But my father died at 60. There is no sense in living for so long,
especially in a country like Nigeria where things have changed
completely. All my classmates from King’s College and the School of
Agriculture are all dead now. I lost my sight two years ago. I was
affected by glaucoma.
How do you manage without your sight?
I use the Intel Reader and other
gadgets which help me a great deal. With the help of these gadgets, I
can read many books, including works by William Shakespeare. Now, I am
also learning how to use the computer. It is difficult learning the
computer but I am improving on it as I have a tutor.
What would you say is the most important lesson you’ve learnt in life?
The most important thing I have learnt is
to speak the truth. If one is going to live a good life, one must
start with speaking the truth.
Source Punchng.com