City People Reveals Her Inspiring Story
This is the story of the recent passing away of a popular retired Lagos Chief Matron, Mrs. Alice Eno Bolajoko Adepegba who died a few weeks back in Lagos.
She was survived by Mrs. Phillipa Tella, Mr. George Bell, Princess Wuraola Jaji, Princess Bose Amupitan, Prince Kate Adefunke Adepegba and Prince Adebowale Adepegba.
She was born in Ibadan on 25 August 1927. She was the last of 5 siblings, 4 girls, and a boy. Ibidun, Dupe, Funmilayo, Adeoye, and Bolajoko– Their Christian names were Lucretia, Philippa, Bernadette, Samson, and Alice.
The circumstances of her father meeting her mother, popularly known as Big Mama is hazy at best because Africans are quite drawn to folk tales. One of the legendary stories was that Pa Adewunmi (her father) had been posted toMamfe in the South Western part of Cameroon (Nigeria and Cameroon were governed as one country by the British).
As a Postmaster, it was not unusual for Government employees of colour to be posted to far away locations from their home base. This situation accounted for a high rate of mixed marriages of different languages amongst Government employees of that time. It was believed that young Pa Adewunmi had encountered Ma Oku at a traditional festival while she was dancing -this captivated the young man and he decided to pursue the matter further – this seems quite unlikely because Ma Oku was not known for frivolities. Big Mama was a strict disciplinarian to the core and a staunch Catholic, quite unlikely to participate in events of public display of dancing dexterities. It is not impossible that she was drawn to his relatively high educational background.
Her father’s courage to decide to come down to her small town on account of his career and work ethics plus career prospects are attractive qualifications. An arranged marriage seemed to be the likely scenario that would explain their meeting, anyhow, an immediate relocation to Pa Adewunmi’s home base took place.
While in Ibadan, Ma Oku did not feel particularly loved by her husband as she started hearing rumours of the possibility that her husband may marry a second wife. She definitely missed home. An industrious lady with interesting ideas about business ventures, on a scale that defies imaginations at that time, were the kind of things that exited her. The prospects building up just before she left Cameroon with her husband, in the area of exportation of cash crops – a line of business that still exists in that part of the Cameroons. Her 2nd child heard a conversation by some close relatives insinuating that Ma Oku belonged to a group of people who were known to engage in strange practices.
Fearing that their brother’s life was in danger they probably started a counter balancing of emotions. On her part, her mum felt insulted for such allegations of stories suggesting she was involved in anything. If the love for her husband was not enough when she relocated from her origins to be with him in a strange almost loveless environment, she would not invest any further in the relationship because she had no stomach for senselessness.
Big Mama grabbed her little belongings and her 5 children and embarked on the journey back to Mamfe. Her eldest child had grown attached to her father and she escaped and returned home. Mama Alice was only 9 months old at this time.
Ma Oku had returned to Mamfe and immediately began to build an empire for herself. She launched herself into the trade in cash crops and acquired large farmlands and plantations of cocoa and banana. This was a time when the Catholic Church was engaged in mission work in the southern part of Cameroon in places like Mamfe, Banso, Tiko, Victoria (now called Limbe), and Kumba amongst others. Ma Oku ensured she took full advantage of the opportunity that ensured her 4 children got a good education.
Young Alice showed particular promise in her addiction to the Rev Sisters who taught at the community primary school located at Okoyong in Mamfe. She went to school and also helped her mum at the farmlands. She did not like farm-work and it was not her idea of hard work – she was more to drawn to work that involved caring for others. This was exhibited by the Rev Sisters. When an opportunity came for her to do vocational studies either as a Nurse or a Teacher, she chose Nursing.
The sight of pregnant mothers dying of a lack of pre and post natal care influenced her to become a midwife even though she was not old enough to go for the training. Her mother ignored this and encouraged her to grab the opportunity. Off she went to Shishong in Banso, to get trained as a midwife.
Her training was essentially practical and hands-on because of the pressure to produce trained midwives. When she finished at Banso, she attended further training at the New Mary Slessor Nursing school in Calabar. This, of course, took her far from home. She speaks fluent Efik and also Bayangi a native Mamfe language. She also speaks Yoruba but not as fluent.
With training completed, she returned to Cameroon and worked in various hospitals in Southern Cameroon where she met and married her first husband, which union produced 2 children, Wonje and George. The marriage not being what she expected, ended very painfully.
Her 1st marriage ended abruptly because she got married to a man who was involved with many other women. Whilst the marriage lasted, there were several allegations leveled against him, especially the controversy surrounding how Mama Alice’s wedding gown, was used by her husband to wed another woman. It was after that incident that she left the marriage insiders revealed.
Ma Oku was a community leader in all aspects with quite some politicking in her. Her son S A George took politics as a career and engaged the British Government along with heavy weights like Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe of the NCNC campaigning for Independence from the British Colonialists.
Just at the time Cameroon and Nigeria were to become independent of colonial rule, the Cameroonians in the southern part of the country felt they would benefit appropriately in an association with Nigeria since they were relatively small. The rest of Cameroon being equally small like them will guarantee them a better chance.
S A George thought it was better to be associated with a big country and a people who understood your language and culture than to be locked in an association with the Northern part of Cameroon which was French speaking. Such fundamental differences chief amongst which was the language still plagues the country till date.
As S A George and his co-patriots were winning the argument, tragedy struck. He was allegedly poisoned and died at a London Hospital. It turned out to be a very devastating time for Alice as she had grown to be very close to her brother – who was her only confidant. The export trade was gathering a quiet storm and the then colonial government sent a number of produce inspectors to southern Cameroon – particularly Limbe – amongst them was J J George – Alice’s maternal uncle and S B Adepegba (my Father).
J J George was not quite comfortable with the Idea that a single mother was looking after two young children by herself and he had a colleague who was recently bereaved. The match was made in Heaven – S B Adepegba did not hesitate to wed Alice who was very reluctant to relocate to Nigeria Given her own mother’s bitter experience, J J George had to force an undertaken from SB Adepegba that Alice would be well looked after, should she decide to relocate. This process took almost 3 years at which time Wuraola was born.
Her husband Pa. Adewunmi who is from Ago Iba, in Abeokuta, had married a younger woman. So when Prince S.B. Adepegba was going to marry Mama Alice, her Uncle J.J. George made Prince Adepegba to sign this undertaken that what happened to Mama Alice’s mum, will not happen to her.
Part of the agreement in the undertaken is that whenever Prince Adepegba’s family members were coming to visit, they were told to give prior notice. And Pa. Adepegba was faithful to the undertaken.
The move to Nigeria by Alice was a bit chaotic in the sense that Prince SB Adepegba was always on one tour or another as a Nigerian Produce Inspector. She initially stayed with relatives of her husband at Simpson street Ebutte Meta till he returned from one of his tours and was allocated an official residence at Cooper Road and then Web Road Ikoyi where Deoti was born. With 4 children now, that included the 2 from her previous marriage, she had a handful in a strange country.
Wura had it quite tough at this time – she recalled being locked in a room at Webb Road because she was being naughty. A few minutes after the decision to let her out, the door was jammed. She was left in the dark for several hours. This probably left her with emotional scars.
S B was transferred to Port-Harcourt and had to give up his residence in Lagos. Alice had just started work at Island Maternity. Moving with him to his duty stations with 4 children meant she would not work and she must be a stay home mum in strange surroundings. She decided to stay close to her work. She rented a mini flat with her 4 children at Odunfa Street, Lagos. Here, she gave birth to Abosede. S B was transferred back to Lagos and posted to ApapaWharf. He was allocated an official residence at GRA. Apapa. Alice had to move yet again. But her husband took up the responsibility in ensuring that himself or a driver dropped her at work and also picked her up at closing time. Adefunke was born at Apapa.
Alice was at this time fed-up with the constant moves and the impact it was having on the children’s schooling especially. 6 children with a son of SB from his previous marriage, meant that she had to look after 7 children.
Adeboye whom Alice adopted from the age of 8 years old. She then started putting pressure on her husband of the need to have their own place. The idea of a new estate located in a forest area in a place called Ilupeju was sold to them by the Government. A plot was acquired – at a cost £6. Another transfer for S B, in what appeared to be his last posting before he retired from government service – made my mother decide to rent a place close to Ilupeju so she can have an eye on the property being built. This was at an apartment on Buhari Street, Olorunshogo.
Alice had already acquired her own plot, but she put her own project on hold in order to support her husband’s project. Whilst at Olorunshogo, there was a bit of pressure on family finances So she started selling drinks from her refrigerator – “STOP QUENCH YOUR THIRST BUY YOUR COLD MINERALS HERE” This was the sign that she put up on her balcony. It worked well because people came to purchase cold drinks because of the novelty of Alice owning a Refrigerator.
She sold clothes, jewellery, building materials, snacks, plates, coolers fridges, freezers, bread etc. Her Staff was her children and house help. She was self-inspired and always went to a paid employment with something or another for sale.
Once the property at Ilupeju was made water- tight the family moved to occupy it at Plot 9 Adepegba Street, Ilupeju Estate in 1969. Adebowale was born here as a result of a last ditch effort for a boy. Alice had continued to work at several hospitals depending on the location that pleased her supervisors. Lagos Island Maternity, Lagos General Hospital,Ikeja General Hospital, Massy Children’s hospital, Igbobi Orthopaedic Hospital, Infectious Diseases Hosp. General Hospital, Badagry. She was now caring for 8 children. Dr. Bailey of Igbobi hospital had a high regard for her.
She suddenly decided to resign from Civil Service because the nurses she had trained were being promoted over her. Dr. Bailey advised her that her training as a midwife was limited in scope. If she had qualifications in General Nursing it would be a different story. She dropped the idea of resigning and started studying for her General Nursing by which time she was already over 40. She attended the School of Nursing at Awolowo Road in Ikoyi in addition to her full-time Job, caring for 8 children and conducting her business on the side.
In 1973, she sent her son George Bell to Boston, Massachusetts in America for further studies. The same year Phillipa graduated from the university of Ife as a Pharmacist. Her financial burden through huge did not prevent her from starting her own building project at Adeyinka Street Ilupeju. Her project was supervised by her husband.
Though her promotion became more rapid it was not fast enough for her and she became frustrated. In 1975 – she was advised by Dr. Bailey to take voluntary retirement instead of resigning in order for her to be entitled to a Pension. She volunteered with the British Red Cross during the 2ndAll African games held at the National Stadium in Surulere in 1973. Alice was quite a community person just like her mum. The new estate called Ilupeju had a dearth of infrastructure. Quite a few promises made by the government appeared to go unfulfilled and she became an active member of a pressure group called the Ilupeju Women Association (IWA).
The group had the mandate of the new residents to hold the government accountable to their promises of providing needed infrastructure to the estate such as tared roads, piped water and communications. Alice played an active role in these initiatives which resulted in a plot of land allocated to the group to build a club hall for the use of members of the Ilupeju Estate Community. She held various leadership positions within the group including the president.
The bond between the group grew such that the Women no longer saw themselves as members of a group but as sisters brought together by a common goal i.e. to ensure the welfare of one another and the community in which they lived. Prominent among the group are Alice’s soul mates Chief Mrs. Osikoya and Late Mrs. Bayo-Kujore.
She ran a free clinic from her Home. Members of the immediate community who had health issues including minor injuries were guaranteed free treatment and health advice. Growing up around Alice was quite a job on its own. She always had something for you to do. She did not like anyone to be idle.
She took up a position in PZ Industries Ilupeju as the Medical Practitioner and was quickly promoted to Superintendent- in-charge. She held this position till she resigned in 1982 just before she went on Pilgrimage to Rome, France and Jerusalem Alice – throughout her life did not forget her origins – she visited Mamfe quite frequently to ensure immediately and extended family members were well looked after – her mission which was made even more prominent when her sister, Funmilayo in 1974, passed onto glory and she took up the responsibility of raising her sister’s children. She ensured they all got educated and lived lives of significance. Children of other close relatives were not left out. She brought a couple of children back to Nigeria, nurtured and educated them.
She did not forget the investment the Catholic Church made in her life. She had initially started attending Regina – Mundi in Mushin, but the Masses being conducted in Yoruba, was not to her liking. Her background was Mass conducted in Latin. When she heard that the convent in Maryland held Mass for their students at their chapel and such Masses were probably conducted in Latin, off she went to Maryland. There began her Journey within the Catholic Arc-diocese of Lagos.
She was involved in establishing the Maryland Parish, St Leo Parish and Ilupeju Parish, which started out as Ilupeju Basic Catholic Community. She became a pioneer member of the Catholic Women’s Organisation and was involved in the rehabilitation of the Marian shrine at the Maryland Parish. She started a Quashoko (malnutrition in Children) clinic at Maryland and she pioneered the Catholic Nurses Guild. She is a life member of the Franciscan Order, which is dedicated to a life of simplicity and an embodiment of Mercy. Her accomplishments within the arch-diocese are quite numerous to mention. She has had awards from her Church activities/Initiatives almost every year since 1991. She had tremendous respect for the Leadership of the Church.
She ran a Catechism Class from her home for more than 10 years. Alice dedicated her life to the service of God, Family and Community she loved people and hated human suffering or misery, she did whatever was within her power to ensure those around her were comfortable.
She had her own share of the misery of which was the sudden passing on of S B Adepegba on June 5, 1983. This left her without her spouse. A little over 10 years after this, Adeoti who had been quite sickly for most of her short life passed on in October 1995. She lived a full and glorious life which had many ups and downs but to God be the Glory that she has left a legacy and life lessons for most.
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