Erudite, forthright, pungent, and considerate, this amazon of the Ibani nation, who has been instrumental to the academic progress of many an Ibani girl, Lucy Jamaica is one name that rings a bell in many homes both within and outside Rivers State, nay Nigeria and even abroad. This is because many of the girls who passed under her tutelage are scattered across the globe in the quest for excellence she has imbued in them.

In the course of her eventful career as an accomplished educationist of no mean standing, Jamaica was a teacher, principal and education supervisor in the Rivers State Ministry of Education, where she ended her career in a blaze of excellence. She was later to serve as the President of the National Council for Women Societies (NCWS), Bonny Chapter.

In recognition of her studied diligence, selfless commitment and philanthropy, she was conferred with the Ibani national title of Amaopu-Orubo by the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom, His Majesty, King Edward William Dappa Pepple III, CON, Perekule XI. She would later establish and run, by herself, the Lucille Education Centre, a world class co-educational institution, which has continued to set the pace in academic excellence and wholesome upbringing of children in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State.

In this interview with Kristina Reports Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Godswill Jumbo, the doyen of intellectualism and erudition clarifies her standpoint with the Malaysia debacle that has continued to cause some furore in the Bonny polity, offers her thoughts on issues related with the industrialisation phenomena being witnessed by Bonny LGA, among other issues. Lucy Jamaica makes a thrilling read any day. Excerpts:

Kristina Reports: We have come across insinuations linking you to this Malaysia issue. We understand that some people were sent, on behalf of Bonny Kingdom, to go and understudy communities in Malaysia where LNG projects are taking place like we have here. Some people think that you were part of that team. What actually is the true position?

Lucy Jamaica: I have to thank you for coming to ask this question. Actually, when they went to Malaysia, in fact, some eminent Bonny citizens went to Malaysia, like you said, to understudy the communities where LNG projects were hosted, precisely, Malaysia. But, the fact is that I was in service then. I have not yet retired, I was still working then. So, I could not have left my job to go to Malaysia. So, I did not go to Malaysia. I was not part of the delegation that went. I was not nominated or selected or appointed by anyone to be part of the delegation. Even though they were insinuating that I went, I have made it clear that I did not go to Malaysia and I am repeating it here and now.

When you say service, what do you actually mean?

At the time the supposed Malaysia trip happened, I was the principal of a school, Government Girls’ Secondary School, Finima. I was still in government and so I could not have taken permission to go to Malaysia.

Did His Majesty, the King (of Bonny), by chance, like maybe, moot the idea to you that he wanted you on that delegation?

Never, never, I did not even know until they went and came back. He never did and thank God he is alive today. Anyone can go and ask him if he ever mentioned it to me let alone appointing me to go to Malaysia.

Given the exponential progress Lucille Education Centre has made and how it has turned out to be one of the most successful schools in Bonny Local Government Area, as a whole, with very high standards and top-class facilities, and the fact that all of this boils down to a lot of money, there have been insinuations that there is a connection between this and the Malaysia trip. Could this be true?

This is actually laughable. How I got the money to do that, in fact, is a gradual process because nobody ever has much money to do all that. When I started the school, I was always biting the much I can chew. I planned, tried out my plans, saw those that worked and those that failed, persevered in the face of obstacles and challenges, and that is the result of that challenging struggle to succeed. It has nothing to do with Malaysia journey. You have to make a plan and follow up with that plan by the grace of God. You put God first. Whatever you are doing you have to put God first. And then you have to let Him help you to succeed. And that was how I have being going on. So forget those false and misleading insinuations.

Now, looking at your antecedents; you have lived a life of principle, a life of integrity over the years, how were you able to achieve that in the midst of a lot of opportunities whether straightforward or crooked around your community. How have you being able to manage through?

It depends on your background, the family you are coming from. If they are the type that are disciplined, you would naturally have to be disciplined. My father was a disciplined man, he was a Christian. You know, if you are a Christian, you won’t deviate from the word of God. You won’t deviate from your constitution. The Bible is our constitution, you cannot deviate from it. You have to follow it and if you follow it, you will succeed. That is the simple explanation of how I have been able to hold my head high and remain unstained in the midst of all that has been happening.

How do you feel when people confront you with the allegation that you were part of this Malaysia?

Well, I don’t feel okay, I feel insecure because anything could happen. They don’t know, so, I have to tell them that, ‘look, I did not go’. Though they still insist that I went, I usually say ‘okay, go and ask somebody you know that went. Then they will let you know that I was not part of them’. And that was what they did. Some of them did it and came back to tell me that it is true that I was not part of them. So, it is actually scary when even notable personalities who should know are saying this same thing. A Chief once confronted me with it, even with all my denials, he still insisted that I went. This is someone who has or could reference the necessary documents about that visit. You journalists should investigate and possibly publish the list of those who were part of that delegation to Malaysia so that everyone can know the real truth.

For the general public who may not have this information and especially for the young people of Bonny, what are you telling them in the midst of all this. What advice do you want them to take home?

Well, my advice is that when they hear anything, they should verify before they starting crying wolf. They have to really verify to make sure that what they are saying is right. You can’t hear anything from somebody and take it up immediately that it is the right thing or information. And if you know the type of person you are talking about, you will know whether the person can do such a thing or not also be able to know what the outcome would be for such a thing he or she was sent to do. So, they should always make sure of what they are saying before they say it out or before they take action because the way things are going, they might be tempted to take action one day against me. That is why I’m happy you are here today to hear from me directly. The truth of the matter is that I never went to Malaysia and was not even aware of it until well after those that went had come back.

We are at a threshold in our history as a people, the coming of the train 7 and then the coming of the Bonny-Bodo road, and now some people think that because those who went to Malaysia and came back and didn’t furnish the community, that is Bonny Kingdom with whatever they saw or witnessed there or learnt there, that this is why from the base project up till train 6, Bonny Kingdom, as a whole, was not able to maximize the opportunities. What do you advise as a way forward for Bonny Kingdom to take advantage of the train 7 and to benefit maximally?

You know, I remember there was a time when they called us to the palace – women – and I was there and when called to speak, I said that, at least, that the CLOs or whoever is sent to the companies should understand that this is Bonny. And they should help the Bonny indigenes first before others. The percentage that they normally give us 60, 30, 10 or something like that should be adhered to. They should keep to it because the other people come in here and after making the money, they go with the money. But we are here and we are the ones suffering the consequences of this project even though we don’t see it. This is not good enough. So, those that are sent there should always remember their brothers and sisters. They should, at least, know that they are going there to defend the kingdom. That should be the only thing. Even employment bureau chairmen, should ensure that Bonny people are employed. They need to make sure that people are not selling the (job) chances. In fact, it is the leaders that are sent to the companies that are the cause of all these troubles because they don’t do what they are told to do, which is not good enough.

You just showed me some pictures that were taken at NLNG and Tug Boat, where were these pictures taken?

When I retired and became the President of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS). Then the NLNG used to have meetings with the women and I was the woman leader by virtue of my position as the President of NCWS, in fact, the overall because all other women groups were under the NCWS. It was for the government and all other women groups were under it. Finima Women Association (FIWA) and the Bonny Patriotic Women Movement was also under it. They were all members until some few years ago when the Patriotic Women felt they did not want to continue as members. But FIWA is still a member. So, when they (NLNG) started in the base project in the 90s, they always invited us to come and welcome whoever was coming from Lagos, Abuja or wherever. They will inform me and I will be at the helipad with them. Then, I used to have meetings with (Belejit) Ikuru, Fufeyin, and even Kudo Eresia Eke.

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Whenever there was any problem in Bonny, I’ll go to meet with them at NLNG and advise them on how to resolve the issue and Ikuru will come to Bonny, and hold meetings with the relevant stakeholders and everything will be resolved. In was in the course of that that when they wanted to commission the tug boats in Holland, they invited us to be part of the event in Holland, the commissioning of SMIT Ahoada and SMIT Ile-Ife. This is to show that I did not go to Malaysia, I went to Holland to commission these tug boats. You can see in the pictures the Bonny boys that were there at that time. Maybe because they saw me go for this trip they thought that I was part of the other one. The two – Holland and Malaysia – are not connected in any way at all. That one was then when they started the NLNG, this one was when they were about lifting the first consignment of gas in 1999. That was when we went to Holland.

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If we are to clarify further, the people who went to Malaysia were commissioned by Bonny Kingdom but yours was under the National Council of Women Society?

No, no, no, NLNG sent us. NLNG just picked the two of us: the President of Finima Women Association (FIWA) and myself, President of NCWS in Bonny, along with Andrew Odeh.