Mrs. Yemisi Smart Adeyemi was a newscaster with the Nigerian Television   Authority, Ilorin where she met her husband, Senator Smart  Adeyemi, who was equally working at the NTA.  She left after 10  years of service and now pre – occupies herself with her NGO – Mannah Dew Charity Foundation. In this interview, after donating home equipment to some women in Iyara, Kogi State, she revealed  how she copes as a senator’s’ wife and her passion for giving.

How do you cope as the wife of a politician, a senator with his crowded schedule?.
I have learnt to cope with his activities and, along the line, even adjusted my own programmes to be in tune with his own in order to avoid friction. I feel happy seeing people around him even in the house because I am a very accommodating person. Personally l love cooking; so in entertaining the people, I am never tired. Most of the time because of his tight schedule, attending meetings, campaign during elections, among other things, I ensure that I prepare his food on time so that he can eat before leaving the house because there might not be chance for him to eat again. I believe it is better for the wife of a politician to blend and adjust for the good of both of them.

When you got married to your husband, did you ever thought that he would be in public glare like this?
Honestly I never thought so. But both of us were working with Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Ilorin, Kwara State and we were then popular. I was a newscaster, he was reporting sports. Then we were in public glare by virtue of our profession, even our wedding, to the glory of God, was grand. But I never knew we would go this far, we were  very good Christians, praying and fasting. We were living based on the teaching of Jesus Christ. Even our children, we taught them in the way of the Lord. Therefore, it is not surprising to see us where we are today because I know that God is a faithful God and if you do God’s bidding and please Him, you would surely receives His blessings.

Your husband is a man of the people, especially ladies. Are you not afraid that he might get involved with some of the ladies some day?
People call my husband  ‘the senator of the masses’. l think that is why he’s always in their midst but I am not the jealous type that would say no girls should come around him or that he is getting too close to the people. I know that he is a very disciplined person with the fear of God. My husband knows the boundary and the limit where he should interact with people; both male and female. I have the confidence and belief that anywhere he goes, he knows what he is doing and knows the point to stop.

Besides, with his bold and fearless attitude and how he makes his own contributions, l have equally put that in the hands of God. However, once in a while, I check him, his mother does so also. I know he does not look at the eyes of anybody or has fear of anything when he is talking or making contributions as he expresses his mind with passion . The most important thing I do for him is regular prayer because this is what I don’t have control over.

His mother is his greatest critic; though not very learned but anytime she sees him talking on television she would call me and ask, “What is your husband saying again?”. I am always on my knees praying for him because it is only God that can protect and direct and once you put anything in care of God and such is established, nothing would happen again because he is protected.

Your husband is a cheerful giver, and when it comes to that there is no boundary. Are you not afraid that he is giving out too much?
I am also like that as there is nothing l cannot give out. I am not always fulfilled if l don’t give to people part of what I have. In that area we are birds of  a feather, sometimes we vet the lists of people we are giving succor to. Most of the time we abandon  what we should do at home to give to others. We have learnt that the more you give the more God blesses you because the Bible says givers never lack. To the glory of God we give a lot but God is returning in multiple fold. Honestly I did not see that aspect in him when we married; even then we had nothing but l give glory to God.

How was the marriage in the beginning?
It was rough and tough but with perseverance, prayers and faith in God things became better. We were both working at NTA Ilorin but imagine two reporters getting married, but it was fun. However some people would say they can’t work with their husband’s in the same place, but we did it successfully. Most of the time I would be the newscaster; my husband would be the news director.

When we were at work we forget that we were husband and wife, anytime we were under pressure, we  would shout at each other, but when we get  home, we become husband and wife. My husband from the beginning was very hard working doing one or two things. We never really relied on  salary as after work he  would drive round looking for jingles among other things  to support the family.

People were talking about  his condition before I married him to the extent that some went to my mother to say ‘this the man you are giving your daughters. But my mother did not listen to them, she would tell them that we should be left alone, that we were in love. Honestly we were in love before I agreed to marry him. Even at the place of work people were gossiping to my face but we did not allow that to affect us because we were  focused.

How did you meet Smart Adeyemi?
We met in NTA llorin. NTA then would  not employ you directly but employ you as an  artist, like a casual hand  on  weekly pay. I was employed as a reporter untrained but later went to Television College, Jos, Plateau State for  training. I was an  artist for like one year before I was absorbed. I was however on this level when he was transferred from NTA Minna in Niger State to Ilorin, that was when we met. We actually met in the newsroom.

Were you very difficult to bend to his proposal?
Yes, because  I wanted to face my job. Before I got the NTA job, I had heard that their men like women. So when he came and was toasting me, I told him I  was not there for that; I was adamant, I never thought we could become husband and wife but for his perseverance. The resistance against his toasting was for like four years before I agreed but we did not court for long as we knew each other very well.

We were very close in the newsroom but not as boyfriend and girlfriend. The toasting was so long, sometimes he would come back again after  being silent for six months and say,  ‘Are you ready to marry me now?’. But we had known each other very well. We started courting in October 1991 and did  introduction in December of same year and got married in April, 1992. The long toasting period gave me the opportunity to understudy him.

What was the attraction?
I knew him as a very strong and prayerful person. From the beginning, I had made up my mind not to marry somebody who is not strong physically, emotionally and asserting himself as a man. I think some women like some men they can control but me I don’t like it. I could never get attracted to a man who could not control me, so l saw him as a man who would say this is what he wants and it could be done. That was the strong reason that made me to fall in love with him after a long time.

How do you resolve your differences?
We decided from day one that nobody would settle quarrels for us. In the Bible, it was said that when you are angry don’t allow sun to set on it before you settle. So when we offend each other we call ourselves to order because I don’t like trouble; if I offend  him I quickly apologize. Now our marriage is close to twenty two years, we have come a very long way, we have understood each other, I know what he likes and equally knows what he doesn’t and we are blending to the glory of God.