Mrs Joy Ifijeh is now a popular
woman in Edo State, as a result
of her encounter with
Oshiomhole. Here is what she
told Punch's James Azania
about the sad episode that has
become a big blessing for her...
You look young, but you have a
grandchild. How old are you?
I was born in 1973.
What do you do for a living?
I am a trader.
What was the total worth of
your business?
I can’t say, because I buy
goods from different markets
and sell them to make money.
How did you feel the day the
governor seized your wares:
Did you curse him as you went
home empty-handed?
No, I did not curse any one, but
I was sad just like the day I lost
my husband. That day, I cried
to God, and wondered, where
do I start from, where am I
going to? I told my God to send
my helper to me. I can’t keep
on suffering till I die.
Did you feel bitter when the
governor seized your wares?
Yes. I cried till daybreak.
Marvellous put his hand on my
head and said, “Mummy, it’s
okay.” Then I replied him,
saying, “Marvellous, let’s eat.”
But he refused. “No, mummy,
let us go to sleep,” he told me. I
did not eat anything that day
until daybreak.
How did you feel when the
governor called you?
I lost strength that day, I won’t
lie. I did not even get myself. I
was surprised when
government called me back.
Now, I thank my God. I thank
everyone in Government House,
I thank Adams Oshiomhole, and
I thank my God who used him
to help me in this condition. I
thank my brothers and sisters,
and my cousins that helped me
when my husband died.
When did you lose your
husband?
I lost my husband in January
2010. He slumped in the office
and died.
When did you get married?
We got married in 1990.
What was life like when your
husband was alive?
Life was better then. From the
time we married to 2005 when I
gave birth to my last boy
(Marvellous), things were
better. But after then, I began
to suffer; that was when he
(husband) got married to
another woman, a Yoruba
woman, and things became
difficult for me. My husband
was from Iloje, in Owan West in
Edo State. They had met in
Ibadan when my husband was
on transfer. My husband died
in Lagos.
How many children did the
other woman have for your
husband?
She had five girls for him.
How many children did your
marriage produce?
The marriage produced four
children. My first daughter,
Gloria, is 22 years old. The first
boy, Bright, is 18 years old
now. My second daughter,
Elizabeth was born in 2002. My
last boy, Marvellous is nine
years old now.
Are your children currently
schooling?
Yes. Bright has finished
secondary school and is
waiting to enter the university.
My first daughter, Gloria, is
married. Marvellous is now in
primary three; Light of Life
Primary School, in Ogida. My
second daughter, Elizabeth, is
in Favour Group of Schools;
she’s in primary five. She stays
with my sister.
How have you been coping
with the upkeep of your
children since your husband
died?
We have been managing. I am
the only one taking care of my
children and paying house rent.
Has your husband’s family
been of any assistance?
Yes, they have helped a little,
but they are doing their best.
On November 15, when I went
to the village, one gave me
plantain; another one gave me
oranges and plantain also.
What happened to your
husband’s gratuity?
They (Nigerian Police) has not
given it to me. In fact, I went to
Lagos twice, with my two sons.
We went to the Ikeja office
where we were asked to fill in
some details about the date of
employment and some other
things. But till now, we have
not heard anything from them.
Tell us about the experience
you had with that truck pusher
you said absconded with your
goods?
This happened when I went to
buy goods from the market in
the village. I bought a full bag
of pepper, a full bag of santana
(starch), garri and yam. It cost
me N25,000 in total. I gave it
to a wheelbarrow man on
Mission Road and I did not see
him again. He just
disappeared. I cried that day
until the next day when I went
to the market again to buy
goods, before Oshiomhole saw
me.
You were offered employment
by the government. Have you
taken it up and where is your
office?
I was offered employment to
work with the War Against
Indiscipline office.
Now that you have received
various sums of money, what
do you intend to do with them?
I don’t know yet, because I am
still surprised and shocked. I
feel so much joy. Now, I have
to sit down and think about
what I want to do with the
money.
How did you feel when you
heard you were all over the
Internet and in the news media
nationwide?
I was surprised, they even said
the Peoples Democratic Party
sent me N250,000, but I didn’t
take the money from them.
Have you forgiven the
governor?
Yes, a long time ago. I forgave
him on that day he seized my
wares. But I wondered where I
would start from again, and I
called unto God to help me.
Some people are still not happy
with the governor, what will you
tell them?
It is not his fault, because he
used money to build that slab,
but I didn’t put my goods on
the slab.
What will you tell your friends
who still trade on the street?
I told all of them to stop putting
their goods on the road and on
slabs.
Since the incident, you have
become a popular person. How
do you feel about it?
It is God’s wish; it is God’s
work.
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