Christy Anyanwu
Empress Pat Dewuibe is the Deputy Managing Director of Baywood Continental Limited, an oil and gas company based in Lagos. She had previously worked with the Nigeria Labour Congress years before leaving the labour movement to help her husband run his business.
In addition to assisting the husband, she is also managing her own business, a Spa Lavender, through which she gives expression to her passion for enhancing women’s beauty. In this interview, Mrs Ibe shares her insights on the secrets for successful marriage.
What is it like working with your husband?
It’s not an easy thing. But the thing is that once we get to the office, we know we are in a work environment. In the office environment there’s nothing like husband and wife till we get home. That means everybody is in his or her own place doing what is necessary to make the company grow. He has his office and I have my own. By the way, I work as the Deputy Managing Director in charge of Human Resources and Finance of the company.
Did you start working with your husband from inception?
No. I joined his business in 2003. It happened that he had a major project that took him outside the country to Canada. He knew that it would entail a long stay. As he was planning the trip he suggested that the best bet was for me to join the company. That was how I piloted the company till he came back.
How was life growing up?
I grew up partly in Enugu and Lagos as a young girl. I am the last born in the family. Everybody in the family was fond of me and they took care of me as the baby of the house. They provided all my needs in their own little way at that time. My growing up was quite interesting. While I was in school, I was an active member of the kegites (Palm Wine Drinking Club). I love it till tomorrow. If I run into members of the club in any occasion I like associating with them. After I left school and settled down, I joined the Nigeria Labour Congress, where I worked all through the tenure of Ali Ciroma, Paschal Bafyau and Adams Oshiomhole. Within the first two years of working there, I met my husband. He said he did not want to be married to a labour unionist, neither did he want me to be so active in the course of my career. I thought about it and considered my marriage more important and so I resigned.
But you look so calm, you just don’t cut the image of an activist?
With time, a lot of things have changed. My involvement with the labour movement was years ago -1987/91 – a long time ago. Also, being a wife there are several reasons for me to cool down. I have had to take care of the kids and engage in other activities. Back then I had so much to do on the home front. So I needed to calm down to achieve everything good as a wife and mother.
Do you have any memorable moment as an activist?
Yes. When I worked with Ali Ciroma, there was one strike held at the time that made the military government to suspend the labour movement. All of us who were in labour unionism, especially those of us who were working directly with NLC were suspended indefinitely. An administrator was appointed to take care of the affairs of the Nigeria Labour Congress. The interesting part of it was that we were hiding and moving from one place to the other and not using phones to communicate. It took about three months for us to be recalled. But then, when we were called back, Ali Ciroma at that point retired from active trade unionism. Another memorable one were the opportunities I got to attend trade union courses outside the country.
Of all businesses, why did you choose to invest in a spa?
I love being pampered. Each time I go outside the country, the first thing I do when checking into a hotel is to ask if there is a spa. As time passed, the desire to provide the same service that I have been exposed to abroad began to grow in me and get very strong. Again, I realized that Spa has gone further than having a massage and facials. It is now more about beauty and health. Also, the increasing risk of heart attack at this point owning a Spa provides you with opportunity to be pampered and to pamper other people. Some people are beautiful but they have not discovered their real beauty. By the time they are exposed to spa services they now discover their hidden beauty. I ensure that we make provision for couples to use the same room in the spa because as a married woman if my husband tells me he’s going to a spa my mind goes somewhere else and I won’t have peace of mind. But with the new innovation of accommodating the woman’s spouse, whatever is happening to your husband is also happening to you in the spa room. I must say that there should be an awareness of spa because it has gone further than massage and facials. I’m opening the third spa soon. I have in Lagos, Abuja, and Enugu.
What would you say are the secret for a successful marriage?
The keys to a successful marriage are patience, tolerance, submissiveness and love. Putting God first in everything you do is very crucial. Once you have all these in place, then nothing will go wrong with your marriage. Above all, I do my cooking. I cook for my husband if I’m in the country. Suppose I would be out of the country, I make enough food and keep in the fridge for him. I don’t joke with my husband’s food. Because of this, it’s difficult for him to eat out. If you don’t take care of your husband’s stomach, you are pushing him out to the restaurants to eat. Eating out will then lead to so many other things out there. Once you are able to cook for your husband, clean your house, tidy up the bedroom, have healthy environment, then every other thing will always fall into place.
What is your kind of style?
I like to stand out wherever I go. I go for the best designer in town. You have to spend money to get the best. If you are able to do that, then you will look elegant. If you keep going to all the tailors in Lagos then you would be wearing Lagos uniform because anywhere you go, you see the same style and design on other people. Once you are able to spend money and go to the best designer that you can afford, it may not be the best but the one that meets your need, you are good to go.