Our Personality of the Week for this week is Mrs. Augustina Nneka Osagbobu, a professional caterer and retired teacher.
In this interview with Impact Media, Mrs. Osagbobu reflects on her journey through life, attributing her achievements to hard work, perseverance and determination. She also speaks on the decline in academic performance, the challenges facing the Nigerian education system, parenting, discipline and the increasing rate of divorce among modern couples.
She advocates love, respect, understanding and tolerance in marriage, while identifying poor parenting and some government policies as contributing factors to the challenges confronting young people in their academic performance.
Excerpts:
Can we meet you, Ma?
I am Mrs. Osagbobu Nneka Augustina. I was born into the family of Mr. Pius Nzegwu and Mrs. Margaret Idegbekwu of Idumuegbe Quarters, Agbor-Nta, in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State.
How was life growing up?
I was born into an average family; I was not born with a silver spoon. I got to where I am today through hard work and perseverance. To be honest, life was not rosy at all. However, our parents did their best to cater for us and ensure that we had what we needed to become successful in life.
As children, we also played our part. We were not lazy or dependent on our parents for everything. We supported them in whatever way we could and did not simply sit back waiting to be spoon-fed.
My father was a painter, while my mother was a petty trader. We were not born in Agbor; we were born in Aba, Abia State. We relocated to Agbor after the Civil War in 1970. I was just two years old at the time.
I was born during the Civil War in 1966, precisely on August 25. My parents had nine children, and I was the eighth child. We were fortunate that my parents were able to bring all of us back safely without losing any child during the war. To the glory of God, all nine of us became graduates.
Are your parents still alive?
No, they are no longer alive. I lost my father in February 1987, while my mother passed away in November 2010. I miss them so much. May their souls rest in perfect peace.
Your academic background?
I started my primary education at Community Primary School, Akure, Ondo State, where I spent four years before returning to Agbor. I went to Akure because my mother asked me to accompany my elder sister, who had just gotten married and relocated there, so that I could assist her.
I eventually completed my primary education at Alasi Primary School, Agbor, where I obtained my First School Leaving Certificate in 1979.
That same year, I sat for the Common Entrance Examination and gained admission into Mary Mount College, Agbor. I actually wrote the Common Entrance Examination in about three schools, including Baptist Girls’ High School, Agbor; Mary Mount College, Agbor; and St. Rose Girls’ Grammar School, Ogwashi-Uku. I passed all of them, but I chose Mary Mount College instead.
After completing my secondary education in 1984, I proceeded to the College of Education, Agbor, where I obtained my Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) in Home Economics in 1988. I thereafter, proceeded to Delta State University, Abraka, where I obtained a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Home Economics.
Why did you choose Mary Mount College over the other schools?
I chose Mary Mount College as my first choice because the school stood out as one of the best at the time. Almost all the teachers then were white. The girls were well dressed, and the learning environment was excellent. It was a school I really admired.
What was life like after graduation?
I did not start working immediately after graduation, although I believe I could have gotten a job if I had wanted one. Instead, I joined my husband in his business and assisted him.
I actually got married to my husband while I was still in school, in 1986. I assisted him in developing the business for about five years before I eventually took up a teaching appointment with the Post-Primary Education Board (PPEB), Asaba, in 1993.
My first place of assignment was Owa-Alero Secondary Commercial School, Owa-Alero, where I taught for five years before I was transferred to Baptist Girls’ High School, Agbor.
I spent 16 years at Baptist Girls’ High School until the school was handed over to the missionaries. From there, I was transferred to Agbor Technical College, Agbor, where I eventually retired in 2023 as a Principal Special Grade (PSG).
With the technological advancement we have today, do you think education is easier now than it was during your time?
The fact is that education was more affordable then than it is now, but learning was more difficult because of the limited resources available to us.
Examination malpractice was not tolerated, and we did not have access to calculators, computers and other technologies that students have today. If you were intelligent, it showed in your performance; if you were not, it also showed.
Unfortunately, many students today depend heavily on examination malpractice to pass WAEC and NECO. Some students enrol in schools but hardly attend classes or lessons. They may disappear for months and return shortly before examinations. When you ask where they have been, they tell you they have been looking for money. In some cases, the money is used to facilitate examination malpractice.
I believe this is one of the reasons academic performance has declined. You sometimes see a Standard Six pupil of our time demonstrating knowledge and skills that some university graduates today struggle with. We even have cases of corps members who struggle with basic writing skills.
Academic excellence in our time was built largely on hard work and healthy competition; and because we wanted to be among the best-performing students, we put in our best. Today, the situation is different.
Another issue is the way students are assessed. In the past, class positions were announced and students were ranked according to their performance. Prizes were also awarded to outstanding students. This served as motivation and inspired students to work harder.
I believe the students will see reasons to improve and do better academically when their positions are written out and failed when they fail. Imagine a student who comes first one term and drops to 10th position the following term. That student would naturally want to work harder to regain the top position. Parents who are very much concerned about their children’s performance will also be able to take track record of their children’s performance will their positions in class are well spelt out.
Then, parents also motivated their children. A parent could say, “If you take first position, I will buy you Christmas clothes” Such incentives encouraged children to work harder.
If we do not address these issues, we may continue to produce generations of young people who are increasingly disengaged from serious academic work. In all, rather than grading students, their positions in class should be written on their results to know their performance. In situations where they fail, they should be made to repeat rather than pushing them.
What about the effect of phones and technology on students; any advantage in that?
Technology can either make or mar a person; it all depends on how it is used.
Unfortunately, many young people today are addicted to their phones and do not devote enough time to their studies. They can spend hours watching movies, playing games and browsing inappropriate content without paying attention to their education.
Even when schools restrict the use of phones, some students still find ways to bring them into school premises. The uncensored amount of time they spend on their phones at home also affects their study habits.
Unemployment is another major challenge. When students see graduates struggling to find jobs, some begin to question the value of education. You may enter a classroom to teach and you see students frowning and saying, “School na scam.”
But I always ask them: even if you believe school is a scam, how do you feel when you meet your mates and cannot express yourself properly? How do you feel when you go to the bank and cannot fill out a teller without assistance?
No matter the challenge or how they want to twist it, education is valuable. Even if the system has shortcomings, acquire education for your own good. The problem with our educational system is that it has largely trained people to become job seekers rather than creators of opportunities or employers. Ideally, education should also equip students with the knowledge and skills to become employers of labour, identify opportunities and create value for themselves and society.
What is your view on disciplining students, especially with the reaction of some parents who confront teachers for disciplining their children?
It all boils down to moral decadence and, in some cases, lack of proper parental guidance.
As Nigerians, we have a culture of respect and discipline. Traditionally, raising a child was not considered solely the responsibility of the parents; members of the wider community also played a role.
In those days, if a child was stubborn or misbehaved at home, the parents could report the child to the teacher and ask the teacher to help discipline the child with cane.
Today, however, the reverse is often the case. Some parents follow their children to school to confront or even fight teachers who discipline or flog them. Such behaviour undermines the authority of teachers and the values that schools are supposed to instil.
There was also a clear culture of respect among students. A student in Class Two knew that he or she could not simply insult or disrespect a student in Class Three. Today, however, we sometimes see students attack teachers without recourse and this is reason why most teachers feign towards the plight of students even they seem to be going astray.
Government, school administrators and parents must work together to address this trend.
Many parents also fail to discipline their children at home. Instead, they indulge them even when they misbehave. If a child grows up without boundaries or consequences, what kind of behaviour do we expect from that child?
How many years have you been married?
I have been married for 40 years. I got married to my husband, Evangelist Lucky Osagbobu, on March 1, 1986, and the union is blessed with four children.
What do you attribute the success of your marriage to?
I will attribute it to understanding, love and tolerance. In my 40 years of marriage, no third party has intruded into our marriage—not my mother, father, father-in-law or mother-in-law.
We settle our differences between ourselves. In fact, my mother-in-law lived with us for years, but she was never aware of any disagreement between my husband and me.
As a career woman, I have also supported my husband throughout our marriage, both financially and otherwise.
I have never left the responsibility of running the home entirely on him. Times are hard, and placing the entire burden of providing for a family on the man alone can put unnecessary pressure on him and reduce his life span.
Divorce rates are increasing. What do you think is responsible, and how can the situation be addressed?
I believe poor upbringing is one of the major factors. Some young women enter marriage without adequate preparation for the responsibilities that come with it. The same applies to some young men.
Marriage requires respect, tolerance, understanding, sacrifice and care. Couples must learn each other’s likes and dislikes, love one another, respect each other and be willing to make sacrifices.
Unfortunately, some young people are not prepared to tolerate one another or make sacrifices. They want their demands met without necessarily making corresponding contributions to the marriage.
Cooking and domestic skills are also important for our young women. If you do not know how to cook, learn because it is said that the way to a man’s heart is his stomach. However, these skills are not exclusively for women, however. Men should also know how to cook and assist their wives when necessary.
The increasing rate of divorce also points to the need for better parenting. Parents should prepare both their daughters and sons for marriage. Teach your daughters to be good wives and your sons to be good husbands. Teach boys how to cook and take care of the home as well.
Many parents are so focused on making money that they neglect the upbringing of their children. That is dangerous because children need guidance, attention and good mentorships.
You recently celebrated your 60th birthday. How fulfilled do you feel at 60?
Attaining 60 is not a mean feat, and I feel very happy to have reached this milestone.
Many people who were born around the same time as me are no longer alive today. Some are in hospitals, while others may be dealing with one regrets or the other over what life has brought their way.
Here I am today, healthy and without regrets, and I give all the glory to God. It is by God’s mercy that I am here today, and I return all the glory to Him for preserving my life to this moment. I pray for the grace and longevity to celebrate my 70th, 80th and 90th birthdays, if Christ tarries.
How do you relax?
I mostly relax on Saturdays and Sundays. I take care of myself and do things that give me joy. I enjoy playing games, watching movies and sleeping whenever I need to rest.
Hubbies?
Cooking and baking. There is hardly any African dish I cannot prepare, and cooking gives me great joy.
What are your final words?
I advise women to be hardworking. They should not leave the entire responsibility of providing for the family to the man alone. They should support their husbands and also play an active role in raising their children.
Women play a very important role in the upbringing of children, and that responsibility should be taken seriously.
Above all, women should strive to be good role models to their children because children learn by observation. When you live carelessly, you may unknowingly teach your children that such a lifestyle is acceptable.
Parents should therefore lead by example and give their children the guidance they need to become responsible members of society.
