Primos Integrated Services Limited

"Heaven Helps Those..."

Many years after Nigeria's independence, the British officials in my dad's company, decided it was time for this autonomy to be reflected in their staff. So, many Nigerians in my father's company were promoted and replaced positions that were formerly only occupied by the British. My father was one of them. He was given a new position and an office of his own. However, sometime elapsed and my father was not given any responsibilities to suit his job. Many times, he would be in his new large office with nothing to do. He decided to go to the 'oyinbo' and ask for some work to do, but they brushed him aside. While he had nothing to lose, my father kept insisting. Eventually, they started to give him tasks. He would complete them and ask for another. Like I said, there were other Nigerians who were similarly promoted. Another was a lady, who had taken to the phone. She would be on the phone from morning until she left at the close of work. Her British boss never complained. So she persisted.

Unknown to the staff, the few remaining foreigners, decided to return to their native land. They had a meeting on who should be left at the helm of affairs. My father was unanimously chosen because he was earnest and showed initiative at the workplace.

When the announcement was made, the other lady went to them to ask why she was not chosen when she was also qualified for that position. The British man responded that she should go back to the phone she loves so much.

This was how my father became the first African and Nigerian Managing Director of NEM Insurance. He remained in this position for about 20 something years. Before he resigned and went to assume the same position in Universe Reinsurance for about six years before retiring in 1999.

Maria Efunbo Lawson-Adeyeba

Mum waiting outside with her outlet mouthed cane, because clearly you ate somewhere...

A legend returning home in the evening after being sent to buy sugar in the morning.

Bad friends

My mum had a colony of bad friends she would go out to see whenever she has a disagreement with my father.

One of those days, she took me to a friend of hers, who lived in a not-so-nice part of Yaba. Shortly, after we arrived, after providing the customary drinks for visitors, my mum began her litany of complaints.

At intervals, I would hear her friend shout, "lai, lai, mi o le gba ru e." (I can't take that) She said it so many times, I wondered how often her husband came around. The little I knew, she was a single mother. I was too young to understand that some men abandoned their kids. I just assumed that it was her choice that led to her 'singularity'. Then, she told my mum what she should say. Excitedly, they both planned their responses for the argument she would have with my father later that night.

When we got home, mum waited. She had a loaded cannister she was ready to fire at my father. I waited, too, in apprehension knowing this could be good, as a true feminist, I obviously supported my mother. The apprehension was killing as we waited.

The man eventually arrived. Unaware of what was about to happen. As he came upstairs, and began opening his door, she did not even greet him, before she dropped the bomb. Calmly, sometimes with a smile (because this was not an isolated incident), my father would shut her down with just two words. He would go in, leaving my mother hanging. Because in all my years with my parents, I was unable to find anyone that could beat my father when it came to clapbacks. They continued this until my dad had the opportunity to express himself directly to one of such friends. I never saw her again nor did my mum pay anymore visits to her or her kind. I guess she grew tired or wise or both.

Maria Efunbo Lawson-Adeyeba

Armed Robbery Attack (2)

The second one, according to my memory, occurred a week to my sister's wedding.

We had done the preparations, everything was in order. My sister's six or so tiered cake was ready and displayed in her room, under the watchful and 'prayerful' eyes of Sister Agatha. I believe she prayed more for the cake than anything else.

I was in my mum's room when I heard my father's voice. He was begging someone profusely. This was strange, but even stranger was that one of them sounded exactly like my dad's steward at the time. I asked my mum, what was going on and she whispered, "they are armed robbers." They asked for money, which my dad did not have, not even a little, because my dad was always on a budget. Anytime an expense occurred out of budget, he would write a cheque. It was not uncommon to see him giving plumbers and electricians cheques for as little as N1000. And unfortunately, armed robbers do not exactly send messages to tell you they will be coming.

When they came to my mum's room, one of them kept saying, "where are the dollars, pounds, deutsmarks?" And my mum looked confused. Me, too. My dad would bring change he had from his trips abroad and stick them in a display box, notes, coins, even our old naira notes, 50k and N1 notes were kept on display. The thieves assumed my dad had more. Some of these currencies were not even still being used in their countries anymore.

The robber latched unto my mum's finger to pull out her ring. He spat and spat on it trying to get it out and even threatened to cut her finger. To which my mum screamed and begged. I had a ribbon on my wrist to pack my hair. He asked me what it was, and I promptly put it in my hair to show him. My mum claimed she had given all her gold to the church and had nothing else to give. They took my dad's watches and what other items they found valuable. I don't know what they took from my sister, I am guessing some of her wedding stuff and probably gifts. Sister Agatha gave an animated testimony of how they shot at them and attempted to lift her precious cake and how God saved them. But her story centred too much on the cake and the bullet not entering the cake and destroying all her work.

After they left, I needed to go to school that day. I was in boarding school. I asked my father for N1, 500. He said, he had none, not because the robbers took it, but he even had nothing to give them. And he commented that just imagine his situation of not having any money to give to robbers. He was lucky they did not harm anyone. They tied the security guards outside. And cut the burglary to enter. However, my father believed it was an inside job. That they were already inside the house as the cut was too small for an adult to pass through. Also, the fact that one of them sounded exactly like his steward who incidentally was going away to Ghana at the time, made him suspicious. They were thankfully not violent and apart from the items they plundered, were good enough not to hurt anyone.

Maria Efunbo Lawson-Adeyeba