Pius Emelifonwu @ 60

To the Glory of God, I am 60 today. Born to Late Felix Chukwunweike Emelifonwu and Elizabeth Olufunke Emelifonwu nee  Esenwa.

My father was from Illah in Delta State. His parents were Stephen Nwabuzor Emelifonwu the first Post Master in Illah and founder of Christ Apostolic

Church in Illah. His mother Inoko Emelifonwu was a traditional healer.

My mother's parents were Albert Ikenwa Esenwa of Illah and Nigerian Post and Telecommunication and Adedoja Laleye aka as Iya Alakara of Ifon in Ondo State.

My father was first of several children and my mum was first of six children. My parents were traders based in the Northern part of Nigeria, precisely Kaduna State.

I was born in Zaria but my early school was in Makarfi. My father had a house in Zaria where the senior members of my family resided.

My father had three wives and my mother was the youngest. In a way my mother was based in Makarfi with me as her oldest child even if, I am her second and number 5 in the family.

My early childhood was sweet. I was a boy about town. I had a good standing in school. 

Going to the mosque on Friday, in my school was obligatory. Mondays were tough for defaulters. For me, it was always interesting since I used to go in defiance of my Dad.

It was interesting because, I was a model of some sort, since I was not a northerner and yet, I always put up an appearance.

Makarfi was sweet. I had a swell time. My earliest memory was of my mother giving me a spanking for stealing from her money box. 

I needed the money, one penny, to learn how to ride a bicycle. I watched my mum, I did not know, she was watching me.

I thought she was asleep but no, she was watching me. I picked the money and one leg out of the door and she called me back.

I got the spanking of my life. Surprisingly not long after that incident, I was visiting a neighbour with my mum. What my mum was discussing with the lady I do not know until my mother told the lady that I do not steal. I was shocked and that was it. I just perished the thought of stealing. What did my mother mean? I did not ask her but out of gratitude, I just made up my mind, it was going to be the last from me.

Another early Memory I had was when my mum travelled to Zaria for I know not what and missing her, I told my dad, it was high time I listened to my older siblings and exchanged city school for my Makarfi school by going to Zaria.

I thought I was smart but my father was smarter. He did not give me an answer. As soon as my mum returned, my father called me and told me to prepare for my journey to the city, I told him, I was not going.

Precisely, how old, I was, I wouldn't know but everything ended for me before I was 7, for at the outbreak of the civil war, I was yet to be 7 and the war forced the whole family away from Makarfi and Zaria.

My father never made it out of Zaria. He died in Zaria. May his soul rest in peace. Amen.

With the death of my dad, leaving behind two widows and eleven children life was tough.

With the death of my father, once again, the family was divided but not in terms of village and city.

This division was in terms of our mothers. My mother's children went with her to Benin, to her dad who was already separated from our grandmother. My father's first wife, took her children to her own parents in Illah.

Benin with my mother, my elder brother and younger siblings was a mirror of Makarfi. I was enrolled in a nearby school. Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, Mission road. We were living at Ogiefa Street.

My grandfather and his wife mama Onyenauchea of Onitsha Ugbo, treated us well. For me it was another rollercoaster of a life. Everybody said I was smart.

In school, I remember one of our examinations, we were having dictation and someone had the English textbook and we were copying. 

The young female invigilator saw us and took the book away. When the results came at the end of the examinations, I came 7th and was promoted to primary two.

I recall that  the new school was somewhere around a valley but then, there I continued until one day, on our way to school, we met my older cousin, Obiageli Emerokwem, now an Olori in Aiyedun, Kwara State, staying with us returning from school and she asked us back home.

Another exodus. This time to Illah. At Illah, we all stayed with my great grandmother Onyefazenu in her hut, at Ogbe Obi. Off to school with time and it was St Bernard Primary School and I was doing well in class.

My teacher was a widow, always in a black dress. Her name was Adawuzo. She was dark, tall and portly. I recall the day my mum gave me jollof rice from a previous day. Honestly, I still prefer it to the fresh one. I was so carried away, I performed poorly in class that day.

Another memory of St Bernard was our football match against St John which we lost. The taste of the  defeat was bitter. 

Once more, we were on the move. My mum, my younger siblings and myself. This time, it was to Lagos.

My mum was 27 and got married to my uncle Chief Emmanuel Olisadunkwu Emelifonwu, with whom she had two children, a boy Michael and a girl, Francisca.

While she stayed with him, my younger sister and myself were parcelled to my uncle, Fidelis Olisaeloka Emelifonwu. Incidentally, my uncle, who became my guardian had a tiff with my dad, but it did not stop him from having me.

My uncle was a trader. He had more heart than money. At a time in his house, were altogether with my sister and myself, eleven relations staying with him.

While, with my parents, I was a semi lord, with my uncle it was a different ball game. My uncle was the definition of strictness.

If you so much as lied, you got whipped. If you did your chores poorly, you got whipped. For me, it was a big reversal of fortune. 

Till my uncle passed away, when I was past my fortieth birthday, I was still scared of him. The scars of those early whippings with horse whip just would not go away.

While I lived in constant fear of my uncle, he knew. My younger sister, Nike, could not cope, she returned to my mum.

While with my uncle, in spite of his lean purse, his large heart pushed him to ship me to St Pius Xth Grammar School, Onitsha Ugbo, to harness the potentials I showed in Primary School at St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School, Suru Lere.

St Pius was glorious. It was a school that loved Grammar and the Arts but revered Mathematics and the Sciences.

Even when I was better in the Arts, I forced myself into Science, since that was the abode of the brilliant.

Interestingly, in St Pius, Science students always led the class but my set was slightly different. 

In our Mock Examination, an Arts student, Egobudike Okwechime came first. It was remarkable.

From St Pius to Jibril Martins Memorial Grammar School, Abule Nla, Iponri , Lagos for Advanced Levels, since I did not pass my matriculation Examination to Unife.

At Jubril Martins, I had a good time and made friends with Justice Niyi Onigbanjo, General Wahab Garba, Barrister Sunday Oyewo among others who were my classmates.

Niyi Onigbanjo and myself passed Jamb and got admitted into UNN. Sunday Oyewo joined us later to study Sociology. I studied Economics and was at the main campus at Nsukka. Niyi studied Law and was at Enugu.

UNN was sweet. I was decidedly a sportsman because I wanted joy. I rose to become Tennis Champion at UNN. Almost all the friends I made were sportsmen.

Fortune Otega was not a sportsman but he was my friend. I never knew he had music in him.

After UNN, where I managed not to distinguish myself academically, I was posted to Sokoto State for National Youth Service Corp. There I had a swell time. I stayed with my cousin retired Deputy Commissioner of Police, Chief S F Chukwurah, who was the State Police Public Relations Officer.

For my Tennis, I played at the Police Mess. There I made friends with Architect Sani Ndanusa, Alhajis Guluma, Jalingo and Idris who was Governor of Kogi State. There too I made friends with Bola Orodele, Muhammad Dalhat, Kabiru Yusuf and Bala AbdulKadri.

After Youth Service, I returned to my uncle to face job search. I found a job with Lagos State Government, as an Economics teacher.

My posting was interesting. The posting officer was a young Youth Corper called Grillo.

St Gregory's College Obalende an old school with a rich history wanted an Economics teacher that could teach English Language. Lafiaji High School, a Jakande School whose name, I was hearing for the first time, needed an Economics teacher that could teach Mathematics. Since Modern Economics was full of Mathematics, I chose Lafiaji High School, as I reasoned that teaching Mathematics would help me cope in the world of modern Economics.

Indeed I never regretted choosing a new school over an old school. The Principal I met was also a new Principal. Her being new on the job did not stop her from winning the hearts of all who encountered her, whether students, teachers or parents. May God bless her memory. Amen.

Mrs. F. A. Mabadeje was a quintessential woman. She was thorough and brave. She took no prisoners and had a healthy sense of humour.

On my birthday in 1995 she dropped a note for me to see her at home. On her birthday in 2000, I resumed work at the youngest Discount House in Nigeria, Consolidated Discounts Limited, with Mrs Mabadeje's husband another F. A. Mabadeje as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

At Consolidated Discounts Limited, I experienced another vista of Life. There I got married at almost 42. There I had wonderful children.

Today, I am at home, waiting for the next phase of my life. It has been God so far and to him be all Glory and adoration.