Bene Madunagu: No ifs, no buts… a true feminist

It is not always common to find a person who lives a selfless life in a community as a citizen without holding any high public or spiritual office, yet at the end of the person’s span it is as though a part of the sky above the community has collapsed; and everyone who knew or has crossed the individual’s path feels somewhat diminished or orphaned even. Likewise, a shadow of grief is cast on the entire women folk and the academia globally because they lost one of its own, and particularly so is the feminist revolutionary comrades and the Nigerian Left are in soberly manner over the passing of an Amazon.

This trailblazer, a peculiar and unique individual is no other than Professor Bene Madunagu, a revolutionary activist, Marxist, scholar with a distinction and a feminist champion like no other, a revolutionary internationalism, a patriot and more who passed on Tuesday, November 26, 2024. 

She was fondly called Mumsy B and her journey was one of a profound courage, intellect and compassion. She dedicated her life to encourage and hold the hands of younger girls and women to succeed in their endeavours. Hence, her death affected people in different ways and forms depending on how her passion and commitment for gender equality interrogated with you.

She was deliberate and intentional in her struggle to liberate girls through sexualities education and advocate for women rights on feminist platforms globally. Despite your age difference, she gave attention to everyone and she is a genuine humour merchant whose laughter evokes joy around the vicinity.

There is no dull moment hanging around her. She is not only kind but generously benevolent to everyone that crossed her path. She was a veritable mentor and lots of women owe a significant portion of their trajectory into becoming conscious of themselves through her guidance. 

Indeed, it was fireworks of eulogies in Calabar on January 16 and 17, 2025 on the life and times of Professor Bene at the three part funeral rites organised in her honour. Part (a) Feminist convening: The life and times of an icon feminist, Prof Bene Madunagu, held at the Metropolitan hotel, Calabar. (b) Funeral Conference at ASUU Secretariat, UNICAL. (c) Social/Funeral Wake and Lying-in-State/interment at GPI.

The eulogies displayed Mumsy B as the falconer who inspired generations of young girls and supported the female gender movements wholly with her heart and not lips. Women from different generations around the country and world spoke about Mumsy B mentorship and support, particularly how she made them to understand that as girls/women you are not limited and can achieve whatever goal you set for yourself in life.  

Just like Omar Mukhtar who led the Libyan resistance movement against the Italian colonial empire said in 1938 that “I will live longer than my hangman.” The eulogies at the funeral clearly reveal that Mumsy B will live longer than those who humiliated and truncated her PhD fellowship programme in the University of Exeter and repatriated her to Nigeria. I shall return to this. No doubt, Prof Bene legacies will not only live longer in the memory of those that believed in her goals, even generations yet unborn, this is because she lived a life that mutated into the life of others and never expecting anything in return. Indeed the Girls’ Power Initiative (GPI) organisation that was co-founded in 1993 with Grace Osakwe help to mentor and expose girls to stand up for their rights.

At intervals a cold silence grips the arena as many people struggle to hold back tears. The funeral ceremony was not to mourn but to celebrate Prof Bene for her courage to challenge the status quo
in the society regarding how women are treated as second class citizen. Above all, the lives she touched indicates that her feminist stance is not an abstract construct but very real and obvious.

She spoke truth to power, challenged oppressions and created possibilities among women to liberate themselves. With the GPI and other platforms, Professor Bene was committed to the education of the girl-child as a means of empowering females in the society where prejudices and discriminatory social convictions had tended to treat women/girls differently from men/boys. She believed that women need not be treated as second-class citizens because every individual in society can make a difference if given opportunity.

Prof Bene had no reservations about her position as a revolutionary feminist. For this she wrote, “I am an absolutely confirmed feminist, with no ifs’ or buts, I am a feminist by choice and conviction, passionate about total enjoyment of sexual and reproductive health and rights, human freedoms and expression of one’s sexual identity without restriction but with information and services to do so in healthy way. I am passionate about combating gender discrimination and insensitivity in whatever forms. I am committed to human rights defender and work in defence of victims of sexual abuse and all other forms of violence against women and girls”.

Mumsy B and her feminist family believe that, there is need to put hopes and have passionate interest in girls before they become women. Again, she defines her/other feminists obligation thus, “In our daily work as feminists, we face male chauvinism arising from a fear of women sharing the same decision-making seats as men. We are bombarded by this excuse of ‘culture’ which is rarely called upon except when it is used to enforce sexism, the suppression of female sexuality and the oppression of women. As feminists, we are working collectively to ensure that all African women and girls are able to live safe, healthy lives and to make informed and empowered choices about their own bodies.”

It is difficult or unavoidably impossible to talk or write about Prof Bene Madunagu without mentioning the attributes of Comrade Edwin Madunagu, this is applicable vis-versa. Nevertheless, one cannot dismiss the unflagging commitment of the comrade couple in their strong relationship and revolutionary struggle for the emancipation of the oppressed in the society. Over the years, it will surprise you that, comrade Madunagu never called Prof Bene by her name or any other names at all, he just makes sound and she responds.

Bene and Eddie have long moved into explicitly revolutionary consciousness away from radical consciousness of the university. In this revolutionary journey they moved through the instrumentality of the same set of critical events and experiences both in the university and the nation. Talking about Mumsy B steadfastness, comrade Edwin Madunagu said in his eulogy, “If there is any one person who since 1977 that has kept me on my feet, stood by me as equal, pointing out what can be done today in anticipation of tomorrow and correcting my frequent tactical and strategic errors, that person is comrade Prof. Bene Madunagu.”

For several decades, comrades Bene and Eddie have committed themselves to the revolutionary principles and dictum, “march separately but strike together, agree on when to strike and where to strike”. In 2017 when Bene attained 70, comrade Eddie underlined three integral attributes of their relationship as compatibility, complementary and love.

As a revolutionary activist who walk-her-talk, Prof Bene fought in many fronts one of which was her resolve to challenge her dismissal from the University of Calabar in court. She won the case and it triggered  the consciousness of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to sandwiched the government to recall all dismissed staff over the “Ali must go” students’ protests in 1978. Bene was active in a number of women organisations, academic and professional bodies including women in Nigeria (WIN), Science Association of Nigeria, Botanical Association of Nigeria, International Epidemiological Association, British Mycological Association among others.

Indeed, Prof Bene Madunagu’s legacy is not in what she did but in the countless lives she has transformed through her fearless vision. She was a role model and mother figure to generations of younger women who drew inspiration from her activism and dedication to the feminist struggle. She was committed to the good of the masses and personal distinction in whatever task to which she devoted her time and energy.

I will end this tribute with a personal conversation with comrade Edwin Madunagu at his home in Calabar. “Nothing has shaken me like the death of Bene. Even the death of my mother and Ingrid did not. Without asking him why, he provided an answer, “This is because I was still very active and had what to do to absolve the shock then. But this is very different, I still feel she travelled and may one day come back, but no one comes back from the dead. Comrades have been keeping me busy but until after the funeral I will know how to focus.”

Indeed, the death of Mumsy B hits differently, you may not know this if your paths never crossed. May Prof Bene Madunagu rest in power.
Ozah wrote from Lagos.