Ninety-year-old Mrs. Phoebe Ajayi-Obe, a Senior Advocate of
Nigeria, shares the story of her life with OLUFEMI
ATOYEBI
Which schools did you
attend?
I attended St. Monica Girls School, Ogbunike, near Onitsha,
Anambra State, and Women Training College, Umuahia, Abia State. I
later attended the Obafemi Awolowo University, which was then
called the University of Ife, after I got married. The school was
in Ibadan then but it was moved to Ile-Ife soon after I got the
admission. I was the first female graduate from the Faculty of Law
in the school. There was another woman who graduated same day with
me but my name was called before her.
My fifth son was born while I was in the Law School in Lagos. I
thank God that my husband supported me. He bought a Volkswagen
Beetle for me and it eased my movement. Each time I had family
commitment in Onitsha, I would drive there from Ibadan with my
sister. I preferred driving such long distance at night. The road
was safe and the weather was cool; so, driving was pleasant. I did
that regularly.
My father was a parishioner. He established churches and watched
them grow. He would not baptise anyone that could not read the
Bible. That showed he valued education. In his churches,
illiterates were educated and taught the moral expectations of a
Christian. That enabled my parents to raise God-fearing
children.
Why didn’t you complete your education before you
got married?
My education did not follow a straight pattern. I trained as a
teacher and while I was teaching, the then Eastern Region gave many
women scholarships to study the teaching of Home Economics in
England. We were 15 in my set. After completing the study, my late
brother encouraged me to do my Advanced Level for one more year
before I returned to Nigeria to take up a teaching job.
Your husband was a Yoruba man and you grew up in the
East. How did you meet him?
While I was studying in England, he was also there studying
medicine. We met in Edinburgh where we both studied. When we
arrived in Edinburgh, the African students held a reception for us.
That was where he showed interest in me. I was not interested
anyway; but later, I developed interest because of who he was.
Was there any objection from your parents at
home?
My parents had died but my brother, who sponsored my further
stay in England, disagreed with the union. He sent someone to see
if I was broke or if the cold was too much for me because he could
not understand why marriage to a Yoruba man suddenly became my
interest. The two people he sent gave him good report about my
husband but he was adamant.
What about your husband’s family?
My husband tricked me to dress well for an outing but on the
way, he stopped at a photographer’s shop and said I was too
beautiful, so I must take a photograph. That was the picture he
sent to his father and the father approved of me. But he told his
father that my family did not agree. My father-in-law was a senator
on the platform of the defunct National Council of Nigeria and
Cameroon.
He contacted one of the chieftains of the party, Michael Okpara,
who also called the party founder, Nnamdi Azikiwe. They invited my
brother and told him that my would-be husband was a good man
because his father (my father-in-law) was also a good man. We got
married in Edinburgh immediately. He told me after we returned home
that he decided to marry me in England because he wanted to avoid a
situation where several Igbo doctors, accountants and so on would
line up asking for my hand in marriage.
Where did you work when you returned to
Nigeria?
I got a teaching job with the then Western Region. My husband
was also employed by the government of the region. When he
was in Osogbo, Osun State, I was teaching in Queen’s School, Ede.
From there, he was transferred to Oyo and later Abeokuta. But the
Western Region refused to transfer me to where my husband was
transferred. When he was transferred to Warri, I had three
children. I thought that there was no way I would train the
children alone without their father beside them. I opted to resign
from my job and follow my husband to Warri. Since then, I lost
interest in teaching and decided to read law.
As a female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, what
responsibility does this place on you?
I did not have the ambition of becoming a SAN. I had a habit of
sitting by my husband whenever we went to a party. One day, we were
at a party with the late Justice Kayode Eso and others. Someone
suddenly asked why Eso had not given me SAN title because I was
better than those who got it. Eso said I did not apply for it. He
told Chief Olowofoyeku to tutor me on the process. I was qualified
after my cases were reviewed and I got it. But it is not a burden
in any way. I accepted it as a product of my commitment to my
work.
Are you satisfied with how SAN is awarded
today?
I am not part of those who screen people for SAN but I notice
that it is easier to get SAN today. I understand that a lawyer from
Ibadan went to Abuja and lobbied to get SAN and he got it. I can
say it is no longer on merit but that is not saying that some do
not merit it. From the performance of some of our SANs, you
will doubt their qualifications.
Can you mention some of the celebrated cases you
handled?
After the civil war, the Igbo, who left Ibadan, came back to
find out that their houses had been taken over by some people. I
felt that they should be protected. Some of them were arraigned in
a customary court charged for wandering. I represented them in the
court. They told me that because they had no where to stay, they
were sleeping in front of Kingsway Store at night when they were
arrested. The charge sheet read that they were arrested because
they were people of questionable character.
In court, I asked the prosecutor the fact of the case. He said
the investigating police officer found them in front of Kingsway
sleeping. I then told the magistrate how it was possible for
someone to be sleeping and still wander at the same time. He
dismissed the case. Journalists were there and they captured the
pictures of the freed persons; many running away from the court.
The second day, the story was celebrated in major newspapers.
I also remember winning a case for some traders whose shops were
demolished by the Africa Continental Bank and the United Bank for
Africa because they felt the shops were too close to their offices
in Dugbe. The fact was that the traders had permits from the local
government. The court awarded damages against the bank. It was also
a celebrated case in the media.
How would you compare the law profession in your
days and now?
The legal system has not changed but the practice has changed.
When I was in practice, you would be sure of favourable judgment if
you had a good case. It was a joy to get ready for court because
you were sure of getting justice.
Were there cases you lost but which you considered
unfair based on the ruling?
Because the judges could make mistake, there is Appeal Court.
Once I am suspicious that the judge could be too lazy to cite
relevant authorities on my case, I would be prepared for an appeal
even when he had not made the ruling.
Do you have children who are
lawyers?
One of them is a lawyer practising in the US. When she got
there, she had to be retrained for her to be called to the American
bar. That was not possible until two years ago when the system was
reviewed to absorb those who studied law outside the US. My
daughter is a professor in law with chambers in Georgia, US.
At 90, what is the secret of your good eyesight and
sharp memory?
It is God’s grace because I should not be alive today
considering what happened to me in the past. After a walk with some
of my friends, I was on my way home when a car hit me. I was taken
to the University College Hospital, Ibadan. I was sent to an
orthopaedic surgeon and I was told that I had a torn in my
shoulder.
I was in a great pain. I could not lift my hands. Surgery was
recommended but my children took me to the US and exercise was used
to correct it. I recovered from it by the grace of God without
surgery. I had a stroke in 1999. My children came and took me to
the US for treatment. I was nursed back to normal life. It is God’s
plan in my life to still be alive.
What is your favourite food?
Because of old age, I take a lot of fruit, eggs and so on but I
must not take too much of carbohydrate. Although you may not
notice it in me, I am diabetic. I obey the dos and don’ts as
directed by my doctors.
How difficult was it for you to learn
Yoruba?
My mother-in-law lived with us for 25 years. He saw our children
grow up. She did not speak a word of English; so, the
responsibility was on me to quickly understand Yoruba so that I
could communicate with her and I did.
What differences did you notice in Nigeria now
compared to your youthful days?
My youthful days were quite different from what is happening
today. When I was growing up in Okija, Anambra State, women
displayed their goods beside the road and buyers bought and put the
money beside the goods even when the sellers were not there.
The owner would come intermittently to collect the money until
the goods were sold out. You cannot do that today. If you do it,
someone will steal everything and run away. In those days, people
did not just leave the village and come back after a year with much
wealth. People would ask questions about your wealth and tell you
not to bring evil omen on the village. Today, people celebrate
people who make wealth through evil means and give then chieftaincy
titles they do not deserve.
If young people misbehave in those days, you didn’t have to wait
for their parents to discipline them. Any elder can discipline a
child who misbehaved and the children knew it. Today, we do not
care anymore for other people’s children because we don’t want the
parents to abuse us for disciplining their children.
In those days, young people listened to the advice of older
people, but today, young people don’t take advice from older
people. There is a huge moral deficit today.
What do you think is responsible for this moral
rot?
Today, young people want to get rich overnight. All that they
care for is money. In the past, people who got rich overnight were
questioned and efforts were made to know the source of such
money.
Ninety-year-old Mrs. Phoebe Ajayi-Obe, a Senior Advocate of
Nigeria, shares the story of her life with OLUFEMI
ATOYEBI
Which schools did you
attend?
I attended St. Monica Girls School, Ogbunike, near Onitsha,
Anambra State, and Women Training College, Umuahia, Abia State. I
later attended the Obafemi Awolowo University, which was then
called the University of Ife, after I got married. The school was
in Ibadan then but it was moved to Ile-Ife soon after I got the
admission. I was the first female graduate from the Faculty of Law
in the school. There was another woman who graduated same day with
me but my name was called before her.
My fifth son was born while I was in the Law School in Lagos. I
thank God that my husband supported me. He bought a Volkswagen
Beetle for me and it eased my movement. Each time I had family
commitment in Onitsha, I would drive there from Ibadan with my
sister. I preferred driving such long distance at night. The road
was safe and the weather was cool; so, driving was pleasant. I did
that regularly.
My father was a parishioner. He established churches and watched
them grow. He would not baptise anyone that could not read the
Bible. That showed he valued education. In his churches,
illiterates were educated and taught the moral expectations of a
Christian. That enabled my parents to raise God-fearing
children.
Why didn’t you complete your education before you
got married?
My education did not follow a straight pattern. I trained as a
teacher and while I was teaching, the then Eastern Region gave many
women scholarships to study the teaching of Home Economics in
England. We were 15 in my set. After completing the study, my late
brother encouraged me to do my Advanced Level for one more year
before I returned to Nigeria to take up a teaching job.
Your husband was a Yoruba man and you grew up in the
East. How did you meet him?
While I was studying in England, he was also there studying
medicine. We met in Edinburgh where we both studied. When we
arrived in Edinburgh, the African students held a reception for us.
That was where he showed interest in me. I was not interested
anyway; but later, I developed interest because of who he was.
Was there any objection from your parents at
home?
My parents had died but my brother, who sponsored my further
stay in England, disagreed with the union. He sent someone to see
if I was broke or if the cold was too much for me because he could
not understand why marriage to a Yoruba man suddenly became my
interest. The two people he sent gave him good report about my
husband but he was adamant.
What about your husband’s family?
My husband tricked me to dress well for an outing but on the
way, he stopped at a photographer’s shop and said I was too
beautiful, so I must take a photograph. That was the picture he
sent to his father and the father approved of me. But he told his
father that my family did not agree. My father-in-law was a senator
on the platform of the defunct National Council of Nigeria and
Cameroon.
He contacted one of the chieftains of the party, Michael Okpara,
who also called the party founder, Nnamdi Azikiwe. They invited my
brother and told him that my would-be husband was a good man
because his father (my father-in-law) was also a good man. We got
married in Edinburgh immediately. He told me after we returned home
that he decided to marry me in England because he wanted to avoid a
situation where several Igbo doctors, accountants and so on would
line up asking for my hand in marriage.
Where did you work when you returned to
Nigeria?
I got a teaching job with the then Western Region. My husband
was also employed by the government of the region. When he
was in Osogbo, Osun State, I was teaching in Queen’s School, Ede.
From there, he was transferred to Oyo and later Abeokuta. But the
Western Region refused to transfer me to where my husband was
transferred. When he was transferred to Warri, I had three
children. I thought that there was no way I would train the
children alone without their father beside them. I opted to resign
from my job and follow my husband to Warri. Since then, I lost
interest in teaching and decided to read law.
As a female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, what
responsibility does this place on you?
I did not have the ambition of becoming a SAN. I had a habit of
sitting by my husband whenever we went to a party. One day, we were
at a party with the late Justice Kayode Eso and others. Someone
suddenly asked why Eso had not given me SAN title because I was
better than those who got it. Eso said I did not apply for it. He
told Chief Olowofoyeku to tutor me on the process. I was qualified
after my cases were reviewed and I got it. But it is not a burden
in any way. I accepted it as a product of my commitment to my
work.
Are you satisfied with how SAN is awarded
today?
I am not part of those who screen people for SAN but I notice
that it is easier to get SAN today. I understand that a lawyer from
Ibadan went to Abuja and lobbied to get SAN and he got it. I can
say it is no longer on merit but that is not saying that some do
not merit it. From the performance of some of our SANs, you
will doubt their qualifications.
Can you mention some of the celebrated cases you
handled?
After the civil war, the Igbo, who left Ibadan, came back to
find out that their houses had been taken over by some people. I
felt that they should be protected. Some of them were arraigned in
a customary court charged for wandering. I represented them in the
court. They told me that because they had no where to stay, they
were sleeping in front of Kingsway Store at night when they were
arrested. The charge sheet read that they were arrested because
they were people of questionable character.
In court, I asked the prosecutor the fact of the case. He said
the investigating police officer found them in front of Kingsway
sleeping. I then told the magistrate how it was possible for
someone to be sleeping and still wander at the same time. He
dismissed the case. Journalists were there and they captured the
pictures of the freed persons; many running away from the court.
The second day, the story was celebrated in major newspapers.
I also remember winning a case for some traders whose shops were
demolished by the Africa Continental Bank and the United Bank for
Africa because they felt the shops were too close to their offices
in Dugbe. The fact was that the traders had permits from the local
government. The court awarded damages against the bank. It was also
a celebrated case in the media.
How would you compare the law profession in your
days and now?
The legal system has not changed but the practice has changed.
When I was in practice, you would be sure of favourable judgment if
you had a good case. It was a joy to get ready for court because
you were sure of getting justice.
Were there cases you lost but which you considered
unfair based on the ruling?
Because the judges could make mistake, there is Appeal Court.
Once I am suspicious that the judge could be too lazy to cite
relevant authorities on my case, I would be prepared for an appeal
even when he had not made the ruling.
Do you have children who are
lawyers?
One of them is a lawyer practising in the US. When she got
there, she had to be retrained for her to be called to the American
bar. That was not possible until two years ago when the system was
reviewed to absorb those who studied law outside the US. My
daughter is a professor in law with chambers in Georgia, US.
At 90, what is the secret of your good eyesight and
sharp memory?
It is God’s grace because I should not be alive today
considering what happened to me in the past. After a walk with some
of my friends, I was on my way home when a car hit me. I was taken
to the University College Hospital, Ibadan. I was sent to an
orthopaedic surgeon and I was told that I had a torn in my
shoulder.
I was in a great pain. I could not lift my hands. Surgery was
recommended but my children took me to the US and exercise was used
to correct it. I recovered from it by the grace of God without
surgery. I had a stroke in 1999. My children came and took me to
the US for treatment. I was nursed back to normal life. It is God’s
plan in my life to still be alive.
What is your favourite food?
Because of old age, I take a lot of fruit, eggs and so on but I
must not take too much of carbohydrate. Although you may not
notice it in me, I am diabetic. I obey the dos and don’ts as
directed by my doctors.
How difficult was it for you to learn
Yoruba?
My mother-in-law lived with us for 25 years. He saw our children
grow up. She did not speak a word of English; so, the
responsibility was on me to quickly understand Yoruba so that I
could communicate with her and I did.
What differences did you notice in Nigeria now
compared to your youthful days?
My youthful days were quite different from what is happening
today. When I was growing up in Okija, Anambra State, women
displayed their goods beside the road and buyers bought and put the
money beside the goods even when the sellers were not there.
The owner would come intermittently to collect the money until
the goods were sold out. You cannot do that today. If you do it,
someone will steal everything and run away. In those days, people
did not just leave the village and come back after a year with much
wealth. People would ask questions about your wealth and tell you
not to bring evil omen on the village. Today, people celebrate
people who make wealth through evil means and give then chieftaincy
titles they do not deserve.
If young people misbehave in those days, you didn’t have to wait
for their parents to discipline them. Any elder can discipline a
child who misbehaved and the children knew it. Today, we do not
care anymore for other people’s children because we don’t want the
parents to abuse us for disciplining their children.
In those days, young people listened to the advice of older
people, but today, young people don’t take advice from older
people. There is a huge moral deficit today.
What do you think is responsible for this moral
rot?
Today, young people want to get rich overnight. All that they
care for is money. In the past, people who got rich overnight were
questioned and efforts were made to know the source of such
money.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/zik-prevailed-on-my-brother-to-allow-me-marry-a-yoruba-man-ajayi-obe/