MERIT GORDON-OBUA: “MY LIFE AS PRESIDENT JONATHAN’S CSO’S WIFE”!

- Talks About Her Love For Fashion

Dr Mrs Merit Gordon Obua, FBSE, is the wife of President Jonathan’s Chief Security Officer(CSO), Mr Gordon Obua. She is also the African Patron of the World Fashion Organisation. Born in the very challenging yet oil rich terrain of the Niger Delta, she had always prayed to touch the lives of the less privileged, granted the opportunity. With her time and resources, she founded the Branzuk Ikuli Centre for Social Rehabilitation and her philanthropic activities through the rehabilitation centre, caught the eye of the World Fashion Organisation where she was appointed as a Patron in 2013.

A graduate of Business Management from the University of Port Harcourt and an honorary Doctor of Humanities, Commonwealth University, Balize, she holds several awards amongst which are Fellow of the Association of Business Specialists and Entrepreneurs and Life Patron of African Women in Leadership and Organisation. An Online Magazine caught up with this amiable woman who’s fondly called Princess of Hope, during the Africa Fashion Reception which held in Yenagoa and in this interview, she speaks on her life as a fashion lover, a philanthropist and wife of the President’s CSO.

How did you get into fashion?
 

I will say fashion is inborn for me. I used to hear my father say that when I was a child, even without shoes, that whenever I went out, after a little while, they’ll see me washing my legs because I didn’t want them to look dirty. Meanwhile, I wasn’t wearing slippers or shoes. While growing up also, I saw my mum sewing at the local level. When I was in secondary school, my elder sister was a seamstress too. The interesting thing is that they both never went to any school to learn how to sew.

As for me, there’s no way a designer would make my clothes that I won’t find faults, yet I’ve never had a formal training in sewing. I can make my clothes comfortably well though I’m not good at taking measurement. I also can’t make clothes for people who are bigger or smaller than me. I can use needle and thread to make buba for myself, so that’s how I started out in fashion. These days however, I don’t have time to make my own clothes because since my husband became the CSO, I have been equally busy but I still reshape my designed clothes if I find them too big or too small. To this level of organising shows however, I was introduced into it as a Patron. I never knew I would grow so much within one year so I would say that my being in the fashion industry is all by divine will.

Before you became the CSO’s wife, what else were you doing?
I was into farming. I am also a good painter. I painted buildings to pay my fees. I was determined not to stand on the road to use my body to make money. I am glad I never messed myself up. I used my hands to create things.

You talked about becoming a patron of the World Fashion Organisation. How did it happen and how does it make you feel?
 

This project came to be as a result of my philanthropic way of life which was not even fashion-related. I lived in the village with my grandmother till the age of 9 when she died. I went through some difficulties after that point till I finished secondary school. After secondary school, I went to the city but I had learnt how to deal with people in a sympathetic way. When my husband became CSO, I flashed back to how I was suffering, so whenever I find people in such shoes, I assist them without looking back. A greater part of my income was into philanthropy and I was doing it quietly without letting people know.

Though I registered an NGO which I had not launched. I never knew people were watching me do what I was doing and my name was mentioned somewhere amongst other notable names in Nigeria. Someone who has benefited from me, recommended my name as a fashion patron, saying that I had handled all my projects successfully. In view of that, I met the World Fashion Organization team in Paris last year through Lexy Mojo Eyes the CEO of Legendary Gold. The day after my appointment as Patron, I was in a meeting with the President of the World Fashion Week. I asked what Nigeria stood to gain from my being a patron. In the course of the discussion, he mentioned that 20 years ago, Nigeria was the highest exporter of fabrics. I replied that Nigeria’s government has been transiting over the last 20 years and a lot of things were affected. I however assured them that this present administration is focused on transforming the moribund textile industry. I also mentioned that Mr President in his own capacity and the love he has for Nigerian fabrics, has made huge contributions to revive that sector.

Mr Paco and his team replied that they have a desire to build six world fashion universities across the world for a start; one university to serve each continent. I then told them I was interested in the World Fashion University for Africa and would like to take it to Nigeria. They replied that there are other African countries that have been in the World Fashion body longer than Nigeria- Nigeria was five years old as a member of the organisation and there were 40 African member nations. There were 6 other strong African countries like Senegal and Morocco ready to embrace this project of building the World Fashion University. They initially doubted that Nigeria could pull it through since six was just a day old as the African Patron. After a lot of convincing, the team concluded on one option- that I should host Africa in Nigeria so the whole world would see how much Nigeria has embraced fashion before they would pass their judgement.

On the other hand, remember that the WFO is not political; it’s an NGO that focuses on using fashion to fight poverty. The event was supposed to hold in Abuja but I suggested that it be moved it to Bayelsa, there was a lot of argument and they asked why and I reminded them that they want to use fashion to fight poverty and that in Bayelsa, they would see poverty face-to-face. The government alone cannot do all these things, so as a daughter of the soil, I am contributing my own quota by bringing in investors; the Governor was so happy when we came and he immediately gave us a place to build the fashion school while finalizing the papers after which construction will start immediately. This university is the first of the World Fashion Universities. It will serve the whole of Africa and the entire world who desire fashion training.

Have you been scored yet?
 

Oh yes, they have scored me! They have seen the hospitality of Bayelsa people and it’ a place that tourists would like to remain. After the cultural displays and the fashion shows, I asked if they liked the place and their reply was positive. I gave them a break and after the commissioning of the Institute of Hospitality and Tourism, in the night there was a party and then I called the consultant Mrs Margaret, if she liked Bayelsa and she said “wow, I just feel like settling down in Bayelsa”. I also asked the President, Mr Paco he also said “I don’t feel like going home again”.

I then asked about my score and whether we can still continue with the project and he said “yes, you have it all, in fact, start arranging models that we are going to train in Paris to be front page models.” So by September, I’ll present the talented girls we have already seen within this short time. The World Fashion Organisation is like FIFA and the World Fashion Week is like the World Cup; all the activities that go on in the organisation are driven by the World Fashion Week. As we are hosting the Africa Fashion Reception, all other continents are also having their own version and the world will gather at Paris for the World Fashion Week.

Why are there not many designers from Bayelsa?
Though this project is not a Nigerian or Bayelsan project alone, but part of our plan is to create a situation where Bayelsa will have their own fashion week and showcase their designs. Besides, we have an award winning Bayelsan, Patience Torlowei who makes luxury underwear. We would work with Bayelsan designer on our platform in the near future to become world-class designers. After this event, I will meet with FADAN to fine tune these ideas and in the government circles, we can make a strong case for them because Nigerian designers are wonderful. Nigerians as a whole are fashionable people and you would notice them all over the world.

How did you meet your husband?
My husband and I are from the same local government. My community and my husband’s are less than a mile from each other. I met my husband in the course of his job though he is a well-travelled man. When we met, he came home and at that time I was living in Port Harcourt and working in the State University. We met at home. He didn’t see me on the street or in a wedding environment well dressed with makeup. He met me as a natural person without make up and with time, we fell in love.

What attracted you to him?
 

It is the godly nature he has. My husband is a humble and God-fearing person. If re-incarnation is real and I’m asked to choose a husband again, I’ll like to marry my husband again. He is a wonderful person to the core. We got married traditionally on the 26th of November 2005 and our white wedding on the 6th of December that same year.

How do you balance motherhood and being a wife with all these projects you handle?
I have a great team in my office that even if I’m not there, they carry on with things. As for my kids, they are too wonderful and I can’t stop talking about them wherever I go. Even at such a tender age, they understand my work and at times I believe they are old people in children’s body. They reason and behave like adults. Now that I’m away, they know mummy is away and they’ll keep calm. When I get back, they’ll give me my hot bath and I’ll accept because I’ve been away for over 4 days. If there is anybody that should praise God, it is me because God has given me everything.

In all of these, what role does the Bayelsan First Lady play?
We have two first ladies from Bayelsa. Presently, the President of Nigeria is Bayelsan and his wife is a first lady and our governor’s wife is also a first lady. Depending on which of them you’re talking about, both are involved in this project that uses fashion to fight poverty and elevate the lives of women and youth. What is the pet project of the First Lady? It is a Women’s Change Initiative. She initiated the 35% increase of women in government.

When it comes to state First Lady, she has a foundation for the girl-child to be in school. Right now, the atmosphere has changed from spending years in school. What people do now is short vocational courses. The government doesn’t have enough for graduates and what we need is immediate entrepreneurs. Take make up art for instance, the training doesn’t take so long yet you and I know how much we pay to get our faces done by a makeup artist when we have an event. So they are both part of this in their own way.

Share on Google Plus

About Unknown

Deji Sadiq, a.k.a DEJI OF LAGOS is a LASU trained Economist turned freelance journalist, a Blogger, an information strategist, a public affairs analyst and a committed activist with a passion for equal opportunities.