Social/Kiddies
Procession Of Lawyers Attracted Me To Law Profession – First Class Graduate
This is the concluding part of the interview published last week.
What and who are your inspiration?
My main source of motivation is the woman I aspire to be. I have had a glimpse of her and I know she will be great. I have to keep doing all I can to actualise my purpose and potential, and in doing this, I am constantly encouraged and strengthened by my source, the Holy Spirit.
Closely related to this is my inclination for success, influence, and affluence. If I must make a change in my time, then, I have to find a spot at the top and spread the tentacles of my influence from there. Bearing this in mind, I am resolved never to settle for failure or mediocrity. I am always motivated to keep trying, working hard, and smashing my goals till I get there.
My parents (Ven. Dr. Ben Onu and Mrs Florence Onu) are another major source of inspiration. They have invested so much in me that I can’t afford to allow their labour go to waste. I am resolved to make them proud and keep the family legacy going.
Another key motivation I had in aiming for a first class is my desire to further my studies abroad. My sister, who is also one of my mentors, Dr. Adanma Chrys-Chikere, advised me early enough to aim for a grade that would position me for scholarship opportunities and give me a better chance of being admitted to further my education outside Nigeria. This stood as a motivation, and I’m grateful to God for the success so far, believing that in due time, this dream will materialise.
Did you have a mentor/role model?
Yes, I did. Napoleon Richman Thommanuel (Esq) has been my mentor from Year 2 till date. As a senior colleague, he made it a point of duty to prepare me for each new level, session, and even semester. He was available to allay all my fears. There were times he would insist I go off the media to focus on my books, and sometimes I had to spend my holiday studying. I also had some other senior colleagues along the line that were very helpful and supportive in boosting my morale and staying focused on the goal. One of them is Blessing Ohaka (Esq). She always and greatly fuelled my possibility mindset.
The earliest role model I have had is my aunt, Barr. (Mrs) Blessing Eddie-Amadi who is the first close image of a lawyer I conceived. Her drive and passion for success and humanity is highly admirable. She is one of the bravest and most daring women I know, as well as a goal-getter. She definitely fulfills the description of a woman of the people. Everything she does will always be for the greater good of those around her. She is the epitome of love, giving, and support. She is, without a doubt, a mother to me. I’m positive she’s on a road I’d like to pursue and even improve on.
For worldwide relevance, I also look up to Oby Ezekwesili, our Nigerian Idol. She exemplifies tenacity and virtue, and her quest for more inspires me every day. She is intelligent and ambitious. These are qualities I’m striving to emulate and instill. Her notion that there is more to being a woman inspires me, and I am determined to fully embrace my feminine power and potentials.
Ebizi Eradiri (Esq) is someone I also look up to, especially as a young lawyer. She changed a narrative and is now forging her own path through hard work and academic excellence. As a double first-class lawyer, she was one of my mentors while at the Nigerian Law School, and today, she is an evidence of every word of encouragement and possibility she instilled in me. As much as I celebrate her wins, I also aim to not just fly as she is but even higher. She has broken a number of biases, and she has inspired me to not limit myself by any self-inflicted or societal-based bias.
As someone who aspires to someday to be in the political sphere of influence, I admire people like Michelle Obama and Mrs Parker Odochi. I’ve seen ambition, support, and vigour for societal influence among these women. They exude an aura that I admire greatly.
What is your advice to anyone who wants to make it?
First and foremost, believe in yourself and your ability to accomplish everything you set your mind on. You are distinct, one-of-a-kind, and not empty, and it all begins with your mindset. You must cultivate a positive attitude toward yourself, your values, and your goals. I’ve always believed in myself as a trail blazer and this perspective will continue to drive me to never settle for less when I have everything it takes to be more. I remember back in secondary school when I was appointed the Head Girl. It remains one of my high moments in life because this was a position usually occupied by science students. But then, there was me, a student of the Arts Department, who changed the narrative. Even after being appointed, I had to remind myself that the legacy I owe those who come after me is to promote the notion that hard work and excellence pay. This is what I continue to do till this day.
Again, I’d say it all starts with how you think about yourself and your future. Failure will never be an option for you if you have a vision of who you want to be tomorrow. How far you can go or become is often determined by your mindset. Develop an attitude that corresponds to who you want to be and what you want to accomplish. Cultivate an attitude of possibility and reject any mindset that undermines your self-esteem. On the days when things don’t go as planned, you’ll need to rely on your burning passion to get you through.
It is not enough to simply believe or have the appropriate mindset. You must do the work and pay the price. Success does not always come cheap. You could lose friends, displease your pleasures, go MIA, leave your comfort zone, take on difficult tasks, abandon habits, and so on. Understand your timing too and quit unhealthy competitions. Find your niche and explore as much as you can, avoid procrastination and get to work right away.
Regardless of how depressing our country’s educational system appears to be, keep in mind that there are some doors that only academic excellence can open for you. Some people have made it because of their academic achievements. I’ve had a taste of it, and I’m currently working my way through it to the wider picture of my success. Never stop developing yourself. Grab the degree excellently, but you will also need the know-how to apply your degree to profitability. As an undergraduate, go for internships during your holidays to embrace the practical side of your course. If you can handle it, take up leadership positions to boost your CV. Thank God for the era of online courses. Take up as many relevant ones as you can enrol in during your spare time. In addition to capacity building, remember to make strategic networks. Attend conferences and connect with successful people in your field; learn from them.
What do you aspire to be now?
My aspirations have not exactly changed. They have only become bigger and clearer. I still look forward to building a career in the legal profession and maybe end up as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. This is not a static aspiration, though, as I am still at the early stage of my career and still exploring its nitty-gritties. might develop an interest in the Bench over time.
I am also enthusiastic about teaching. Despite the fact that the Nigerian educational system is rather disheartening, I still hope to maybe become an academic someday. Maybe if the Bench doesn’t have me, I can double as an academic and a practising lawyer. This is why I am currently looking to further my studies with a Master’s Degree and, afterwards, take up a PhD in Law.
Finally, as the woman of influence I aspire to be, I am also interested in my entrepreneurship goals. I am open to establishing an entrepreneurial source of income over the years. The goal is to amass enough wealth to sponsor personal and humanitarian dreams. It has always been my aspiration to live a life that has an impact on my generation and the generations to come.I’d like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to everyone who has supported me throughout the years. My family, both nuclear and , especially Ezirim Ucheoma and a long list of friends.
By: Ibinabo Ogolo
It is the idea of God that family should exit. Children form part of the family. God loves family so much that Jesus was born into the family of Joseph.
Everyone’s family is good and important. Children should not look down on their family whether they are rich or poor.
Children should respect and honour their family and foster love among their siblings. They should work together and make peace in the family. They should always stand in the gap. It is good for family members to carry all along since everyone may not be doing well.
The Christianity that children learn is practised in family. Faith-based organisations do a great job in moulding children’s character. Those are the behaviours that children exhibit towards siblings in family.
Every child born in a family is there for a purpose. A baby born into a family is supplying something. It may be joy, wealth and so on. Everyone is important in a family.
Adolescents who have graduated from school but may not be contributing financially can do one or two things at home. You can engage in preparing meals at home while parents are away for a job or business. Contributing in house chores will go a long way to relieve parents of stress after a day’s job.
What do you contribute to your family, especially during holidays both in nuclear and extended family?
The family you were born is constant but friends are temporary. You can decide not to continue in friendship but you cannot cut off your family. No matter how bad you think your family is and you decide to leave home, you must surely return. Your friends can harbour you for a while.
The child’s first identity comes from the family. What the child learns first comes from the family.
Family is the centre of love and care. People have started playing down on marriage because of neglect on basics of family. Marriage starts today and and the next few months, it is threatened. Respect for family plays a crucial role in marriage.
No child grows without parental control and influence. If a child refuses to grow without taking instructions from parents, he may grow up being wild. There are consequences when children do not obey their parents. There are those who want to be rebellious against their parents. They should know that their length of days are tied to their parents.
Your bioligical parents know you more than every other person. There is the wisdom and knowledge your parents have that you do not so it is proper to listen to them before choosing carriers both in academics and job. A young man or woman can choose who to get married to, but a greater role in the choice of who to marry and the marriage proper comes from the parents.
They know what is best for you. No matter how modern trends will influence you and prove it wrong, parent is the key. No one can love you more than your parents because they are your blood.
A lot of parents have been traumatised due to the fact that children they nurtured and trained turned their back on them at older age. Children should not abandon their parents for any reason.
As you grow up, situations may arise in marriage when you decide it is over with your spouse, but no matter the level of provocation with your parents, they will not despise you. Parents will also play a role in that regard. Problem arises in every family but how it is handled matters a lot.
Some children honour their mentors more than their parents. Although there are parents who shy away from their responsibilities. It is important that parents take full responsibility of their children. You cannot bring a child to the planet earth and refuse to perform roles as a parent. But parents may not quantify what they spent from childhood to adolescence. That is a blessing children cannot get from another person.
There are people who have attributed their failure in life to the fact that their parents, especially mothers are witchcraft. It is wrong to feel that your mother is instrumental to your failure in life. The only way to success is hardwork.
Let money not determine the level of love for your parents. Wherever a child goes, family is constant.
Eunice Choko-Kayode
Naturally, when a child is born, it is the role of the father and mother to decide a suitable name for the child. The husband and wife normally discuss and suggest the English or vernacular name of the baby.
But sometimes, when a baby comes into a family, grandparents hearts are usually filled with joy to the extent that they want to answer present, by giving their own names not minding the fact that the biological parents have given theirs.
This happens mostly when the marriage is an inter-tribal one. It also happens even in intra-tribal marriage. Grandparents want equal representation as far as naming a child is concerned. They also have special names as a result of circumstances surrounding the birth of the child.
This is still happening till date.
A lot of people have viewed this in different ways but there is nothing wrong about it. The most important thing is that the child bears as many names as he or she can. But one thing is certain, the child must bear one name in school.
Should circumstance determine a child’s name?
Women who are more emotional are always eager to name their children considering the circumstances surrounding the child’s conception and arrival.
The issue of grandparents naming a child comes up mostly when it is the first of the family.
In naming children by some parents in the olden days, they named their children according to the days in the week in which they were born, like Sunday, Monday, Friday and so on.
You may be shocked to hear that whether a child is given 10 names by parents or grandparents, when he or she grows up, will decide to change. There are several cases where some persons decided to change especially when they feel that the names given by their parents and grandparents do not give them joy. If they are not doing well in life, they may claim that their misfortune is caused by the name their parents.
Competition among children in schools be it primary, (kindergarten) and secondary come in different forms. It can be Mathematics , debate, quiz, spelling bee,competition, from organisations like Cowbell, multi-national companies, faith-based organisations among others.
They are organised mostly for selected intelligent ones, the best among their peers to represent a class, school or group. Prizes are normally set aside for the best as well as consolation prizes for runners-up at the end of each session.
The question is, are children willing to accept defeat when they fail? As parents, guardians, can you encourage your children or wards to accept defeat instead of shouting and comparing them with others who may be performing better either in schools or outside.
Some parents may be blaming their children for not doing well in competitions. They will like to tell their children if others who may perform better have ten heads. Those group of parents blame their children for every failure.
For your children to do better in competition, the parents too must have emotional intelligence. When you continue to blame your children for failure, how intelligent are you?
Some parents always want their children to be in the 1st position and unhappy whenever they secure 2nd position. There were instances where children smashed their trophies because they never got the position they wanted to get and their parents supported them.
Children should be able to accept it whether they win or not. They should be encouraged for every performance. Discourage the issue of “shame, shame, shame, shame”.
A parent says she always tells her children to win even if they will fail. Always give them the mentality that they can win. Children should be given the impression that they can win prizes and laurels in every competition.
Parents should not isolate their children from others in the neighbourhood. Allow them to play with others. Don’t threaten your children that you may not pay their schools fees if they fail. Comparing them with others may encourage or discourage them.
Coming first or getting award as a first class student from the university sometimes does not mean that the person is the best. And if the child does not merit any award in the lower classes, does not mean that he can not merit first class also.
It should be noted that coming first in academic competition may not really mean that the competitor will be the best at work place or business.
Accepting defeat is a way to move higher. Even if a child who competed with others did not come first, there are consolation prizes for runners-up. When you advise the child to accept defeat, you are encouraging her to win in next competition.
Remember all children cannot be on the same knowledge level Their learning abilities defer.
Eunice Choko-Kayode
