How I’m building people through my works —Precious Ajoonu

Precious Imuwahen Ajoonu is a woman of many parts. She is the pioneer Director-General of John Odigie-Oyegun Public Service Academy in Edo State. She is also the author of The Hero Inside: A Holistic Approach to Life Skills and Values-Based Education. In this interview with Adewale Oshodi, she speaks on how she is building people through her works. Excerpts:

YOUR book, “The Hero Inside: A Holistic Approach to Life Skills and Values-Based Education” definitely aims to help people realise the greatness in them, but how different is this book compared to other self-discovery books?

I will start by quoting Dr Joe Abah, one of the scholars who reviewed my manuscript. He said, and I quote, “Everyone who knows me knows that I am not a fan of self-help/motivational books. Many self-help/ motivational books do not deal with the struggles of identity, appearance, gender and acceptance that this book deals with. The Hero Inside is a product of deep personal reflection. It does not pretend to be a template that everyone who wants to achieve what the author has already achieved in life should follow. It is at once deeply thoughtful in its treatment of philosophical existential issues, totally relatable in its empirics, and yet refreshingly honest in its vulnerability.”

I wrote this book to serve as a guide for anyone who is navigating this thing called life, providing a well-rounded approach to personal growth and development. It deals with foundational issues, such as mindset which I believe drives the course of our lives. You cannot go beyond your own imagination and if you want to do great things, you must first conquer the thoughts that hold you back. The Hero Inside, focuses on the internal, instead of the external. This book aims at mainstreaming heroism, getting more young people to look inwards for solutions and find the courage within themselves to reach their truest potential. Offering practical tools and exercises rooted in principles, such as character, courage, kindness, it helps readers apply these concepts in their daily lives, making the journey of self-discovery more actionable and less abstract.

From your experience and research in coming up with this book, do you think everybody has a ‘Hero’ inside of them?

I believe strongly, that we all have a “hero” inside of us. As am educator, I make bold to say that there is no human being without the potential for greatness. In my book, I talk about my Physics teacher, who called me a ‘dunce” for not understanding the subject. I almost believed him save for my father who saw me as a “genius.” I went into the university determined to prove my Physics teacher wrong and I did it. I graduated with a distinction in Management, Innovation and Change from the prestigious University of Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom, proving to everyone and myself that I am anything but a “dunce.” Till this day, I wonder what might have happened if I believed a story about myself that was not empowering. This is why, I challenge readers of my book The Hero Inside, to do the exercises and create their own blueprint. Listen, nobody gets the final say on anybody’s life. There is infinite power in every human being and our job is to unearth it so we can live life purposefully. This book was written to mainstream heroism and show everyone what is possible.

As the pioneer Director-General of John Odigie-Oyegun Public Service Academy, what are the challenges you have faced and how have you weathered them?

I think, one of the biggest challenges, was getting all stakeholders to key into His Excellency, Governor Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki’s vision for the Academy. Being a new institution, there were people who were skeptical and everyone who has led change management at scale knows that this problem can make or mar the operationalisation process. To ensure, that we got everyone on board, it was important to conduct extensive consultations with key stakeholders across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). We formed a change coalition called the Inter-Ministerial Counterpart Team, made up of all the Directors of Shared Services who managed training prior to JOOPSA for all the MDAs. The became co-creators with me to build one of the most formidable public service training institutions in Nigeria.

As a young woman with a young family, how are you coping balancing your roles as a career person and that of the home front?

I practise holistic living, which I talk about in the final chapters of my book. I only do work that sets my soul on fire. I won’t accept a role unless it allows me impact lives at scale or run a business that can only make money. I believe in the power of the collective and I am constantly seeking new ways to improve the lives of those, around me. I am raising children who are impact driven too. As a sole parent, I prioritise time with my children, ensuring that nothing suffers. My primary assignment is first to my family before anything else. I have family activities integrated in my calendar, so that I am present for those moments that mean everything to my children.

You are definitely a role model to many young girls out there who see the enviable heights you have attained. What have you given, or the sacrifices you have made to be where you are today?

Thank you, for saying this. I must credit my parents for ensuring that my siblings and I set forth at dawn. I started reading books before I was six years old. In the 90s, there was a pandemic in Edo State, where I come from. We had so many young girls going to Europe in search of greener pastures. My mom would tell me that I needed to study hard so that I could become that Edo woman who people respect for her intellect.

Speaking of sacrifices, there were many times when I wanted to ‘quit.’ Sometimes, I ask myself, why I care too much. What keeps me going are my children and the many young people who look up to me. Over 1.5 million young people have interacted with a course I created for an organisation, so I know that I cannot give up. I must keep pushing, until my life impacts a billion humans on the planet. I have an insane work schedule and managed to prioritize writing the book, The Hero Inside because I know I cannot be everywhere but this book can. It is a compelling life skills manual that is guaranteed to change the life of the reader positively. I cannot, wait for everyone to study it and make better choices because of the book.

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