Former Kwara State Commissioner for Finance, Usman Mustapha, who is now 83, reveals to Success Nwogu his worst and best moments in life

How would you describe your youthful days?

My youthful days were spent purposefully. I attended Arabic school early where I learnt how to read and understand the Quran. When I was nine years, I enrolled at the Kpakata Elementary School in 1939 and left in 1943. Then I went to Ilorin Middle School, which is now referred to as Government Secondary School, Ilorin.

At school, I was a very quiet boy. I hated trouble and kept out of it at all times. I had friends but I kept away from troublesome colleagues.

Did it mean that you were never punished as a pupil?

I remember that I was punished once in 1948. I was preparing to graduate from IMS when it happened. I was the head boy and one of the prefects was selling garri meant for the pupils to a contractor. I knew nothing about it but when the school authority heard about it, I was brought into the middle of the case because I was the head boy. The school thought that I knew about the deal with the contractor. The boy who committed the crime is late now. I was given six strokes of the cane for a crime I did not commit.

How did you feel after being flogged?

I felt very sad because I was flogged for something I did not do. I was wondering why being a head boy suddenly became a big burden, especially in this respect.

What was your experience with other pupils like?

Many of the pupils did not like me as the head boy.  They complained about my strict discipline and policy. School prefects were influential in those days because they represented the pupils during important meetings with the head of the school or teachers.

I did not spare erring pupils in the school. I reported anyone who committed an offence to the school authority immediately. That was why they did not like me.

What quality won you the position of the school’s head boy?

It was a difficult process and the teachers decided on who became the head boy. They voted among themselves for pupils that were nominated for the position. Nobody told me why I won it. It could be because I did not tolerate any act of indiscipline and I was serious in the class.

Did you study beyond the secondary school?

I obtained other academic qualifications beyond the secondary school leaving certificate. Between 1949 and 1950, I attended the Clerical Training College in Zaria. I also did a diploma course between 1956 and 1957 and proceeded to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, for my higher diploma certificate in accountancy between 1970 and 1971. I was one of the first set of students who read accountancy at that university and I am always proud that I graduated with flying colours.

What kind of relationship did you have with girls in the schools you attended?

We related as friends only, not as girlfriend and boyfriend.

Was there any move by the girls to befriend you or establish intimacy with you?

There was no such move. I concentrated on my study and what my parents wanted me to do.  I did not want anything that would distract me. Like I said, I did not have any girlfriend in the schools.

How did you meet your first wife since you kept a distance from girls in school?

I did not meet my wife the way most people meet their wives. My father and my father-in-law were friends. Her father approached my father one day and told him that he would like me to marry his daughter. My father agreed to the proposal without consulting me.

How did your father break the news to you?

One Saturday, when I came home from the boarding school, my brothers started making fun of me.  They called me ‘oko iyawo’ which is a term used to describe a man who just got  married or is about to get married. I asked them what it was all about.

I later met the young woman and realised that I liked her. I accepted my father’s wish and married her. I actually accepted it because I loved the woman.

How did you manage the early stage of your living together since you did not know her before?

In those days, you learnt to accept what your parents wanted, not like today when children reject their parents’ advice. Like I said, I loved the woman apart from what my father wanted. So it was not difficult living with her. We did not live together as strangers. The marriage was successful. We had children and built a united family. We never had any reason to regret our union.

Was there any time that you had misunderstanding?

There were times when we disagreed on issues. But we respected ourselves and settled our differences without a third party mediating between us.

What is your advice to young people on marriage?

I will implore them to consult their parents before taking a decision on whom to marry. Parents are the best persons to assess a woman that their son wants to marry. They will find out the type of family she comes from. Such investigation is very important before a marriage and parents do it better.

How did you marry your other wives?

I had four wives but one of them is dead.  I approached my other wives and proposed marriage to them. They accepted and we got married.

Did you consult your other wives before you married another one?

They never opposed my decision to bring in another wife. I did not treat them poorly so they supported my decisions. It is normal thing here in Kwara for a man to marry more than one wife.

What is it like being the head of a polygamous home?

There is no problem unless you are not a honest man. My wives have never fought themselves and their children are united. I married my first wife in 1950, the second wife in 1958 and the third one in 1965. My last wife, whom I married in 1981, was a manager at Radio Kwara.

How did you meet her?

During the month of Ramadan, there used to be midnight play.  She was one of the judges in the contest and I was also there. We argued over the judges’ decision but after I gave her a lift home around 1 am, we became friends and got married later.

How did you marry your second wife?

I met her when she came to my office at the treasury department. She was holding a newspaper and I asked if I could read it. I later told her that I would like to marry her. She initially hesitated but finally agreed. She is the mother of Moshood, who is a member of the House of Representatives.

What about your third wife?

My third wife is dead. She was a teacher when we met at treasury department. She actually came for her salary when I proposed marriage to her.

Would you promote polygamy or one-man-one-wife system?

It is a matter of choice.  As for me, I do not see anything wrong with marrying more than one wife.  Only one of my sons married two wives.  Others have one wife each.

How many children in all do you have?

They are many. I will not tell you the exact number but they are more than 20.

How were you able to train so many children?

I am a caring parent who took my children’s education seriously. They all have university education and doing well in their callings. I believe in God and what He says. In 1983, when political office holders were arrested by the military and put in detention, I told my people God made it so.

What was your prison experience like?

The military put us in Ilorin Prison and did not allow our family members to visit us. We were there for one year. We were well taken care of but we missed our families. The late Olusola Saraki was not with us because he was taken to Lagos.

At the peak of your career, you became Kwara State Commissioner for Finance. How did you reach the position?

If you do your work well, your boss will appreciate your effort. I worked hard with honesty. I joined the service on March 18, 1952, as a clerical officer in the works department. The department was called Any Works Department. From the Central Administration, where I was posted to in 1952, I attended a course on local government development.

In 1958, I became the chief accountant and later retired in 1976. After my retirement, I became a government contractor before I joined politics. The late Saraki chose me to be the Commissioner for Finance. He told me that he liked me because of my honesty and for being trust-worthy. He said that he liked the way I handled government projects as a contractor. I served the government for three years.

Apart from choosing a wife for you, which other role did your parents play in your life?

When I started working, my parents were old so they did not have the opportunity to influence my life again. I was on my own doing whatever I wanted. My mother died at the age of 75 years while my father died at the age of 105 years.

Do you still have childhood friends?

They are dead now. All my friends and school mates are dead.  I am the only one living now.  All my brothers have died too. They died of natural causes.

Did you believe that you would live beyond 80 years?

I did not believe it.  But God makes everything possible. I was born on April 30, 1930 and anybody who lives to reach my age should thank God. I have lost brothers, sisters and some of my children. But God keeps me alive.

What is your advice to elderly people?

They should put their hopes in God and continue to beg Him to spare their lives. I continue to beg God to spare my life because I want to live beyond 105 years.

How would you describe Saraki’s role in the politics of Kwara State in those days?

They called him Oloye and commander-in-chief.  We did whatever he told us to do because he was a great leader who we believed in. We never had any problem with him. He was interested in the development of Kwara State and because God blessed him with wealth, he spent his money executing developmental projects.

What kind of exercise do you do?

I walk a mile every morning. I also swim and play squash, but I am not doing much of these sports again. Walking is a good form of exercise.

What particular food do you eat now?

I do not make a choice of food at all. I eat any food my wife prepares for me. But I like pounded yam and vegetable soup.

What was your saddest day in life?

It was the day that I was detained because I was deprived of my fundamental human rights.

What about your happiest day?

I was happy when I was appointed treasurer, Ilorin Native Authority in 1964. I was also happy when I had my first child on January 20, 1951.