What informed your choice of career?
I have always wanted to find solution to people’s challenges. I felt that being a medical practitioner would afford me the opportunity to do that.
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Why radiology and not any other area of medicine?
In the first instance, when I was in the medical school I had not made up my mind as to what I was going to specialise in or whether I was going to specialise at all. This was because I read medicine as a graduate; it was borne out of ambition. I had already studied chemistry in University of Lagos and I had started working. I worked as a teacher, tutorial mistress in the polytechnic, as a science tutor in the school of nursing before I went back to read medicine. In the medical school, I was not even a candidate that was thought would come back to specialise because I was much older than my classmates. When I finished, I got a job in a state hospital and they posted me to Oni and Sons Memorial. At Oni and Sons memorial, I found out that I could not hold on to that job as a married woman as I could be posted anywhere and it could affect my children’s education.
I also worked in the paediatric unit where there were a lot of children that were very sick. There was also an X-ray unit and there was a radiographer who took their images, a radiologist would come in from Adeoyo State Hospital to read those images, interpret and diagnose the condition. I was so intrigued, I loved that as a career and I would sometimes sit back in my office and imagine reading those images and diagnosing the conditions accurately. I decided to try despite my age and lateness to the profession to go back and do my residency programme in radiology.
What were the challenges you faced bearing in mind that you had to combine it with your career and your role as a wife and mother?
It was hectic because at that time, my children were getting ready to enter into secondary school and they needed home coaching and supervision. First and foremost, I had to cultivate the habit of reading again because I had not been reading for about five years. If you had been out there for a while without reading, you will have to cultivate the habit again. I had to spend one or two hours in the library every day and try to see if I could wake up my brain again to serious studying and I still had to combine that with putting the children through their schoolwork and trying to make sure they did well in their studies. I didn’t want my own personal ambition to disturb theirs so I had to bend backward and go an extra mile; I would come back from work and ensure that they were supervised, get them ready for bed, give my husband attention before I went to bed. The only time I had to read was when I was at work. When I finished my daily activity at the hospital, I would pack my books and head to the library, read for two hours before I prepare to go home at about 4pm or 5pm. Once I get home, the books are closed until the next day. Luckily it was a clinical programme and I had to learn while on my shift and that helped make it easier.
What are the prices you paid to become a professor?
First, my time was not mine. I had to dedicate a lot of time to work. Also, I give my late husband, Pastor Thomas Olusegun Obajimi, a renowned pharmacist, the kudos because where I was found wanting, he was always available as he covered up for me. But certainly, this took most of my time. I had responsibilities at work to attend to at the same time, I had to attend conferences and I had to travel frequently. The only reason my children were not affected was because their father paid the price, he was always at home trying to compensate for my absence. I was in Ghana for almost a year and half, I was at Bristol, UK between 1989 and 1990 for a 1-year training abroad, I was in the US in 2005 for a women capacity programme. I was always in and out of the country. I had personal responsibilities as well but for the commitment of my husband, my family didn’t really feel the effect of my absence. After that, I would still sit back to write papers and I would spend money to publish them on national and international journals. It affected my social life, I didn’t attend parties. I had to be home for the children. More so, my husband was a pastor, I had to give God my time so my weekends were always for church activities; it was quite a busy time for me. It’s just beginning to get light. Such a career keeps one busy and it may be the reason I’m still looking young. That’s it, it keeps me young, that’s the benefit I got from it.
Can you share tips on how women can successfully combine the whole fronts with their career?
The first thing, which I found out a bit late, is that you need to know God. If you know Him, give your life to Him. Become born again and He will come in to help you because truly, God is the help of man. If any man helps you, it is God who must have initiated the help in the first instance, telling the person to help His daughter. The person will obey whether he likes it or not. There is also need to keep pace with your family; the children must be effectively supervised so it is becoming more demanding on the woman to treat her responsibilities well and to pass her exams. So, it is expedient that you give your life to God. God knows the help you need and He will send it to you.
Inasmuch as God has a part to play, we also have our part to play. A lazy person cannot go far. You have to be diligent because not working hard will make an area of your life to suffer. As you work hard, you have to balance it so that the home will not suffer because of the job. At the end of the job, you’re going back home and as you lay your bed, so you will lie on it. If you have rebellious children, you will blame yourself because you didn’t pay attention to them. A time will come when your children should add honour to you but if you do not train them, they will meet your honour up. You have to balance the two fronts. Like I said earlier, you need to get instruction from God on how to balance the two.
It’s going to be hard and stressful but whatever it is worth, you must forbear until you have actually succeeded. You can’t afford to be lazy in anything that you do. You must be ready to go extra miles, doing what others are not doing to give you an edge for promotions. You must make your husband understand you so that you’ll have his full cooperation and the workload will be a lot easier. You must pay attention to your children too, no matter how tight your schedule is and God will always be there to be your guide.
A lot of women are facing discrimination, abuse and depression these days, what advice do you have for them?
Certainly, some may be depressed because of the circumstances they find themselves. They must sit and find out why what they are doing is not working out. I noticed that most ladies do not have social skills so; it plays out; exposing a fault in their marriages. Some mothers have failed in this aspect by not instilling these social skills in their children. These social skills keep children going, they keep them on their toes making them to be self reliant so they expect little or nothing from you. Social skills enable them to stand on their own.
Aside this, you must make yourself happy as a woman. You should spend some time out, do make-up, watch movies, make your hair. Also, look for the root of your problem and attack it. If your husband is not happy with you it can lead to depression, don’t allow it. You must work with your husband, you must get his support and companionship. He was put there by God for you. Depression can also come from you thinking of too many things. Don’t bear too much burden on you. Treat one issue at a time. Don’t envy anybody, celebrate others who have succeeded. Don’t look for what you cannot afford, be yourself. Be happy with yourself; don’t embrace too many things than you can bear. Wait for your own time.
As a mother and grandmother, can you give us tips on raising godly children in this age?
The family must always pray together, that’s why I said you must accept God. There is God in heaven that reigns in the affairs of men. You must let Him be your guide. From and time to pray for your family. Be attractive to your husband and let your union flow to your children. Correct your children don’t spare the rod. Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it. When you’re available, you’ll see the wrongs of your children and when you correct them, make them see the reasons for your correction. Make sure you always know what they do. Be close to your children, talk with them, have a good relationship with them, play games and watch movies with them, laugh with them. You should not be gloomy around them. When there is joy, there is no room for depression. Visit friends with them, be their friend.
It’s almost four years your husband died, how have you been able to cope with this loss?
Well, he had been ill for a while so, I knew he would go and when the time came, the Lord took him. Having the spirit of God makes it a lot easier. The world believes when a woman loses her husband, that’s the end for her. No, she has to get out of that valley quickly. The man is through with his assignment, he has gone. You are not through with yours so, continue with your assignment. Don’t allow it sink you into depression. If you want to, you can remarry; if you don’t, keep your celibacy. More so, you should always bear your children in mind on whatever step you want to take.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
What I enjoy most about this job are the times that whatever I say are golden. This gives me the opportunity to give counsel to people and make them feel better at the end of the day.
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