By Ben Dunno
Chief Sunday W. Anaughe, the Usueche 4 (fourth-in-command) to the traditional ruler of Agbarho Kingdom in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta state, is indeed a rare breed. Pa Anaughe who celebrated his 90th birthday recently is still very strong and articulate. He also has near perfect vision as he is able to read without glasses and walks without the aid of a stick. He still has a retentive memory, and easily recalls facts and details of incidents that happened decades ago, when he was still a very young and committed civil servant, who served both within and outside the country. In this interview, he relives his experience in the civil service and the major national assignments he carried out.
Please give us a snapshot of yourself.
I am an example of what you can describe as a common man. I was born on December 29, 1927, in Ikweghwu town in Agbarho, Delta State and during the time I was born you had to grow to a certain level before being enrolled in school. At that time you would be asked to pass your right hand across your head to touch your left ear and if your hand touched the ear you were then qualified to go to school and if it did not, you would stay at home. I did this for some years and then I started school when I was ripe. It was not like what happens now when 18-month children start school in playgroup and at two years go into nursery class.
Precisely at what age did you start primary school?
I was already 12 years when I started primary school and got to standard 1 and then went to college. In college, we took entrance exams, which I passed and was sent to Government College, Warri. At that time it was known as Warri College. We were the third set of students at Government College Warri, which later became Government College, Ughelli, as soon as it was moved to Ughelli in 1951. At the end of 1951, we took the school certificate examination and I passed. We were the first set to take school certificate examination in class 5. So, when we left college in 1952, we went to sit for the Civil Service Examination, which I passed the same 1952. Someone took us to Lagos and I started work in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
I was appointed into the service as a Third Class Clerk, but later we took some other exams. I was taking private tutorial lessons, which helped me pass exam and gain admission into the London School of Journalism.
I was them moved to the Information Department. What happened was that I wrote articles that were published in a magazine and newspaper. When my name was seen in the publications, I was redeployed to the Information Department, which had a publications section. It was the Europeans in-charge who saw my name in the newspaper and transferred me to the Publication Section.
In 1956, when the Queen of England visited Nigeria, we organized Ikenike dance for her, under the auspices of the Urhobo Progressive Union, which was led by T.E. Salubi, who became Commissioner for Labour at that time. Again, in 1960 we staged the Ikenike dance and I was the one that took the dance from Urhobo kingdom to Lagos, by then Nigeria had gained her independence we were very happy.
From then on what happened to your career?
I was promoted to the position of Publication Officer and then sent to London for training. After the training, I returned to the Publication Section. I got my degree, though it was not called degree at the time. The certification showed that one was proficient in that area.
Please recall your experience outside the country.
Before I came back in 1963, from London, fortunately the then Midwest was fighting to become a region separate from Western Region, and the late Hon. Okotie-Eboh, who was a powerful chieftain of the NCNC and prominent figure in Nigeria, mobilized us as referendum officers, to conduct the referendum which was organized by the Federal Government in the Midwest and we had over 95 per cent yes votes. I was in-charge of the Urhobo and Isoko areas. After the exercise I was posted outside the country and I worked in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, when Gen Yakubu Gowon was Head of State. At that time, Emperor Haile Selassie was the Ethiopian leader and chairman of the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the present day African Union (AU). Campaigns were on to choose a new OAU chairman.
I was in-charge of the effort to produce publicity materials about our head of state, to push his campaign for the position. Because of our efforts which publicized the good work he did in Nigeria, he was elected the chairman of OAU. Thereafter I stayed in Addis Ababa for two years and later got transferred to Ghana. I was in Ghana when Gowon was toppled by General Murtala Muhammadu and when he was killed Obasanjo came in. Unfortunately, somebody who was related to the Head of State committed certain things in Ghana and I was directed to get him out. I got him out and brought him to Nigeria and handed him over to officials of the Ministry of External Affairs before going back to Ghana.
What happened after serving in Ghana?
I came back to Nigeria, after working in Ghana for four and half years. I was assigned to the Public Enlightenment Section in the Federal Ministry of Information. After the Civil War I was sent to Port-Harcourt to establish the Federal Ministry of Information there and stayed there for one and half years, before I was then posted to Ethiopia, Ghana and then back to Nigeria. I was in charge of Publicity work all through.
What was the key role you played during the Shagari tenure?
Alhaji Shehu Shagari was not popular when he became the president. As I was in-charge of public enlightenment, I posted capable staff to all the branches and gave publicity to Shagari. We projected some of his programmes and polices both in our internal memo and foreign journals. All these were what made Shagari to become popular and accepted by the people.
How would you compare your experience working as a civil servant then and those who are working in the federal ministries at present?
Today I am happy. When I was working sometimes I didn’t and would stay without food till evening. During our time we liked to work, unlike now when people are not serious. It was our diligence in work that gave us promotion. Before I retired I was the Acting Director External Publicity, Public Enlightenment and Information Division.
Looking back, would you say you are fulfilled as a man?
Of course, I am fulfilled as a man. I feel happy with myself whether I eat or not. I was trained to be like this from beginning, it was my late father who contributed to my being happy in any condition.
At age 90, you are still looking very strong and agile. To what would you attribute the secret of this youthful look?
Well there is no secret. It is God and like I said, if you feel happy with yourself and you don’t think evil of anybody, you will not know the time years will pass; that is what I think is more important.
What advice do you have for the young generations coming up now?
My advice to the younger generations is that they should do what is right, be good to people, be helpful and you will be number one in your age because at 90 I am being respected.
What advice do you have for the Nigerian government on how to improve the standards of living of the people this year?
At the moment we are crying in Nigeria, that there is no food, we cannot eat, we cannot buy clothes, we are trying as much as we can to do it ourselves. We want the government to be sympathetic with Nigerians and to do whatever will make Nigerians to be happy.