Eighty-year-old Ayodele Mustapha, who once worked as a mechanic for corporate organisations in the 1960s, tells GRACE EDEMA why he regrets missing out on formal education after his father’s death
Tell us about your background.
My father was a native of Abeokuta in Ogun State, and my mother was also from there. However, I was born in May 1946 during their stay on the Ijebu side of Ogun State. I attended Ijebu Primary School and Saint Paul School, Shagamu, where I completed my primary education.
In 1960, I was supposed to start secondary school. I took the entrance examination and passed. However, in the first week we were meant to resume, my father died.
That must have been difficult.
Yes, it was unfortunate, and because of that, I could not continue my education at the time. I had to learn a trade, which was mechanical work. I trained as a mechanic and gained my freedom in 1964. While learning, I also read books at home related to mechanical work.
Did you work afterwards?
Yes, I worked with some companies in Lagos, and I came to Lagos with my brother.
What year?
That was 1968. So, when I was here looking for a job, since I couldn’t get one on time, I decided to obtain a driving licence, which I did.
When did you get your driving licence?
I think around October 1968; that was my first driving licence. After that, I started working with Nigeria Hotels, where I remained until 1972. That year, I left for a reason and joined some other companies. I worked with SCOE. I worked with this motor show and Kosher.
So, those were the years I spent at various workplaces. But later, I joined the Nigerian Air Force.
What year did you join?
I think I joined them in 1979.
If I’m not wrong, 1968 or 1979, it’s one of the two. So, I joined them, but during the Abacha regime, they were selecting people for retirement. Unfortunately for me, I was among those picked. There was no case against me or any form of problem. In companies, people are sometimes retired because of queries in their files or bad behaviour, but there was nothing of that sort in my file.
So, there was no issue on your record?
I didn’t have any issue of that sort, but they were selecting people, and I was among those chosen. So, I was retired in 1996.
How old were you at that time?
I was more than 50 by then. Yes, I think I was over 50 years old.
Do you think you were unjustly retired?
Of course, it was unjustified. But by then, you know, there was a decree. The soldiers introduced Decree Two, under which you could not challenge or sue them to fight for your rights.
So, whatever they did to you at the time, you had to accept it, and that was what happened. Because of that, there was nothing you could do.
What did you do afterwards?
I started working in the other profession I had learnt, which was photography. So, I have been practising it till this moment.
Okay, till now?
Yes.
How do you still practise photography to date?
Your profession is your profession. When you learn it well and keep practising it, you become more proficient. Then you continue doing it every day and become a master of it.
So, do you still make money from photography now?
You see, when I worked with the Nigerian Air Force, I was practising the trade. Many of the staff knew me. They knew I had experience in it, and they patronised me. Up to about three years ago, they were still patronising me.
With this experience—being unjustly retired and having a photography skill—what lessons has working in a corporate environment taught you?
Working in a corporate organisation, you cannot rely on the job for long because it is not a personal or family business. So, what I learnt there was that since they treated me unjustly and I could not sue them for my rights, you should not rely only on a monthly salary, whether you are satisfied with it or not.
The best thing is to have another trade so that if something happens suddenly, as in my case, you will not be stranded. I was not the only one affected at that time; I think about 250 people were affected. But because of what I had learnt, I was not badly affected, even financially.
For young people today, what would you like corporate-minded individuals to learn from you, and what advice would you give young entrepreneurs?
Yes, you are asking for two pieces of advice now. For career-minded people, my advice is that you should not rely on a monthly salary. For instance, if you are working with a company, a government agency, or a ministry, you should have at least one other skill or business that can generate extra income to support what you earn.
If eventually they tell you that the work is over, you can continue on your own with what you have learnt. That way, you will not be financially embarrassed if there is a sudden stop.
Another piece of advice is that wherever you work, try to be a good and kind person. This helped me after my retirement. The people there, both the old staff and those employed later, did not stop me from coming back to carry out my business.
If I had been a difficult person while in service, I would not have been allowed to return and work there. So, in whatever situation you find yourself, try to be a good person and relate well with others.
How many years have you been married?
It is over 50 years. I got married in 1971.
That is a long time.
Yes, it is over 50 years now.
What lessons in marriage would you like to share with young people, both married and unmarried?
My advice to those who are not yet married is that they are a bit lucky. The best thing is that they should commit their ways unto God before they get married. You do not just marry anybody.
You do not marry because the person you are seeing comes from a rich family or because the lady is beautiful. You do not marry because of all these things. Allow God to choose for you, and you will have peace in your life.
What about those who are already married?
For those who are married, they should keep their love and their vows. They should try to remain committed to their love and vows. By doing so, there will be peace in their home.
These days, there are many cases of separation, even in the church, including pastors separating and divorcing their wives.
What do you think is the cause?
To my knowledge, and according to the word of God, if God chooses for you—because He is your creator—He knows the best thing for you. If you consult Him to choose for you when the time comes, He will not lead you wrongly. He will lead you aright, and you will not miss your way.
That is number one. Number two: if you choose aright, as I have just said, there will be peace in your home, and you and your spouse will be a good example to others because the Lord will be leading you.
Number three: if you allow God to choose for you, there will be no regret. People say being married is very hard and difficult to cope with, but it is not hard if you are a child of God, remain a child of God, and walk in His way.
Number four: it is love that binds a man and a woman together. You should keep that love and make sure it is not broken.
Number five: the day you go to the altar, you make vows according to the priest as he leads you. At times, they will ask you to repeat after them, which you do. So, it is very important to remember your vows every day and live by them. Pray to God without ceasing and ask Him to help you keep your vows, and it shall be well with you if you do so.
You said your daddy died when you were about getting into school.
Yes. By then, talking about university was not common. In our time, after Standard Six, if you wanted to go further, you would proceed to secondary school, where you could study up to Cambridge level. That was the highest then. So, as I was about to go to secondary school, my daddy died, which made me unable to continue.
Do you regret not going to school or not having that opportunity at that time?
Ah! My sister, I regret it. I regret it very much because I know my father was ready to send me to school, and I was ready to learn. But when he died, help did not come from anywhere. In those days, we paid school fees, and it was expensive. It was not something I could handle on my own.
That must have been difficult.
Yes. Though I don’t like the time he died—sorry, that is not the right word—but I did not like the timing of his death. Yes.
What are your wishes on your 80th birthday?
For my birthday? Ah! What are my wishes? Like you children, whatever you wish to give me— (jokes) you can buy me a car.
God will use me.
I will say amen to that.
So, how old is your wife?
Mummy is about 75, I think.
Is missing secondary education the only regret you have in life?
Ah, honestly, it is true. The death of that man, my father, hurts me a lot because I did not expect something of that nature at that time.
When we were to move into a new class in January, I had been planning to enter secondary school. The school was a very popular one in the region. They called it RSS—Remo Secondary School. It was a very popular school.