‘I have always enjoyed serving humanity’

Nigeria’s Oluyemisi Alatise is the first African woman president of International Inner Wheel Club. She talks about how she got elected into the exalted position, plans for her tenure and life as a disciplinarian

The image of Nigeria was again boosted in the international community when its citizen, Mrs. Oluyemisi Alatise in Manchester, United Kingdom, became the first African woman to be installed the International President of International Inner Wheel Club for the year 2016/2017. Oluyemisi, who was elected unopposed, joined the Inner Wheel Club in 1978.

Inner Wheel Club, which has been in existence for over 94 years, is one of the largest women’s service voluntary organisations in the world. It is active in over 103 countries with more than 103 members having over 4,640 clubs worldwide. The Club was formed in Nigeria over 50 years ago.

Alatise, who took over from Mrs. Charlotte de Vos of Belgium, has served in practically all national positions and the position of International President is the highest pinnacle attainable in the club.

Number three in a large family of 10, Alatise was born on Christmas Day. She joined the Inner Wheel in 1978 and became the President of the Club later in 1988.

She became the District Chairman of Inner Wheel in 1995/1996 when the foundation of the Vocational Training Centre for District 911 was laid, which was commissioned by the Inner Wheel International President.

She was later elected the National Representative/President for National Governing Board of Inner Wheel Clubs in Nigeria in 2008/2009 after she had served in various executive positions.

Alatise was elected a Board Director in 2010/2011 and was elevated to the position of Vice President in 2014/15.

For the next one year, she would be affecting the world of women and children in particular with her theme for her service year entitled: “Touch a Heart,” as she tells The Guardian in this interview.

How Do You Feel Being The First Black International President of Inner Wheel?
I feel delighted. I feel humbled. I was only being active in the Inner Wheel. I was not working because I wanted to be International President. I was just enjoying what I was doing. I have always enjoyed serving humanity.

Expatiate on your theme: “Touch a Heart”
We have an objective, which is to promote good friendship, to encourage the ideal of personal service and foster national understanding. First we meet as friends. To encourage the ideal of personal service, touch a heart, to me, gives birth to kindness: being generous with your time, money and willingness to help others. You have to be kind and be each other’s keeper, encourage safety and be kind with your words. Make sure your words do not hurt others.
It is more than the philosophy of the mind.

What has life taught you as you suddenly found yourself in such an exalted office?
It taught me a lot of humility. When I arrived Nigeria after my investiture, seeing my fellow Inner Wheel members at the Airport, I was very humbled. Tears dropped from my eyes. I was overwhelmed. From that moment on, if any member said, Yemisi, you did this? I would quickly reply, “I am sorry”. So, it has added a lot of humility to my life.

You were known to be a disciplined, no- nonsense leader, has your humility also affected this aspect of your life?
No, not at all. I would not still succumb to any kind of indiscipline. I would not suffer fools. If anyone steps on the wrong side, I would stop him or her immediately. I am still humble but I do not subscribe to what is not right. I believe no one can be 100 per cent right, but I am very intuitive. At times, I perceive myself acting rashly, but, at the end, I would discover that my rash decision was the right one.

Did your children, too, see you as a disciplinarian?
I wish you had the opportunity of asking them directly. Some years, back they perceived me as a witch, which I am not, but due to the way I handled them. I would not tolerate any nonsense. I also impacted on the lives of their friends. A lot of them followed them home during holidays and ended up living in my house and I gave them the same training I gave to my children. The few of them that were able to comply and stayed with me had something to show for it later in life.

How were you able to marry love with discipline while training the children?
I started disciplining my children at young age and when it was time to show love to them, I showed it. I have never believed in pampering children. I was brought up by a disciplinarian father. The type of training I got was what I impacted on my children. If you show love to a child when he would not appreciate it, you will spoil the child. I believe that a child must be disciplined early in life. They should be well fed and cared for but not to compromise on discipline. Between the age of three or four, the character or behaviour of a child is formed and care must be taken not to feed him or her with wrong training or notion that may be part of him or her for life. Before the age of five, everything that is needed to equip a child with including discipline, respect, honesty, speaking the truth and not telling lies, knowing how to do things right, must be accomplished My father was a distributor of drinks, and we were not entitled to a bottle of coke unless we did well in school.

The same way I treated my children that no one had the right to go to take soft drink from the fridge without my permission. When they grew up, they appreciated the training. My last child became a Professor at the age of 28. When he got his PHD, on coming home, he prostrated on the floor saying: “Mummy I thank you because you never accepted failure or half measure. You remember you changed my school at a time because you felt I was not competing very well. You said that was not the right school I belonged to.’ I give the credit to my father for the kind of training he gave me which I gave to all my six children.

How did you bring up your female children?
I ensured they got their training at the age of five and, at the age of nine, they were fully prepared to go to boarding school. Two went to Ikot-Ekpene. One went to Gboko. My first child went out at the age of 10, the second at the age of nine. There was no private school at that time. I prepared them to face the world at the age of 10. I had not a single problem whether on moral or academics with any of my children, including the boys. I was a stay-at-home mother. I got married in 1972 and resigned my job immediately. I had all my children within eight years.

What stood you out among other candidates?
Since 1984, I have been attending International conferences. About 12 years ago, I was spotted by the then International President. She gave me an assignment to find out about cervical cancer in Nigeria and how Inner Wheel could help the victims and to handle a workshop during a convention of about 2,000 participants on a topic, Micro Credit, which with God’s grace, were perfectly executed. I am a vocal person. I do not feel shy to express my opinion in the midst of one million people but would ensure I say something very reasonable, which earned me invitation from virtually everybody all over the world to attend conferences, present papers. I learnt French for the purpose of presentation at a conference and delivered my speech in French. Everybody was waiting for me and that was why I was elected unopposed. A total of 2,300 votes were cast for three candidates, and I had 1,075 votes. The next person to me had 700. Above all, I just want to recognize the fingers of God in everything.

What type of legacy are you leaving behind after your tenure?
I will make sure I leave a good legacy. I would not disgrace myself or the country. Three years ago, the first Italian became the President. I am the first black to be the President. I would continue to push younger generations to be recognized internationally. I do not want the level of presidency to stop with me. I have opened up the way for six younger ones in United Nations on the status of women. We have given the younger generation in Nigeria two slots.

How many districts and clubs do you have in Nigeria?
Presently, we have three but we are going to make it four so that we can have the minimum required to present candidates for Board Directors. We have 98 clubs.

How were you able to discipline yourself as a young lady?
When I finished secondary school, my father did not have money to send me to the University and I got married straight. Even before then, I had a lot of respect for myself and would not allow men to touch me.

What would you like to be remembered for after your tenure?
My passion for women and girls; my passion for women has culminated into publishing a book, which is made up of 42 different articles from 32 countries of different abuses from different cultures.

The book has to do with female privileges and challenges, which highlight the abuse of girls and women.

We are not a political group and we cannot force an enactment but we can create awareness. There are some countries that do not allow the girl child to live at all or get mutilated as an infant or forced into child marriage.

All these ills are in the book that I published which would be taken to United Nations, which would also spread to the whole world in the form of awareness and education.