Pa John Ejime Meme, one of the first generation accountants that managed the affairs of Peugeot Motors Company in Nigeria, is still hardworking, bright and youthful in appearance.
Despite having experienced a lot in life, one would hardly predict his age, because of his unusual strength. His opinion about how the country is being run generally today reveals his knowledge and ability to recall history.
Sharing with The Point his youthful days’ experience, Pa Meme explained that marriage in the 1970s was less expensive, but with a lot of honour, dignity and respect.
“There was respect and honour in any marriage then. It’s not like the boring marriage of today, where respect is nothing and honour had totally gone. Then, both families would come together to honour and respect each other. Those to be engaged would be called to sit for introduction and connection. This was where questions were asked on how they met and backgrounds. But couples of today now meet on streets, joints, clubs, among others, unlike in those days. Then, the backgrounds of both the bride and the groom must be known, before the commencement of the introduction ceremony,” he told The Point.
He said that “it was less expensive to get married then,” adding that he paid little sum for his own wedding, but bought all the items for the ceremony.” “Those who live together then, without being properly married, were not always recognised, as value and respect was not the genesis of their union,” he said.
According to him, such unions always broke up, because they couldn’t last long. He said he couldn’t explain where things went wrong with us as a people and a country, wondering why a woman would want to live with a man she was not legally married to.
Reflecting on the entertainment industry of his days, Pa Meme recalled that music was one of the avenues where Nigerian culture was regularly showcased and respected in Africa.
He said, “Music in those days in this country was a medium through which our culture was ventilated to the world.
Unlike nowadays, that music no longer preaches anything, music then was used to pass several messages across in the society, and also used to preach societal values, norms and culture.
“Among the popular musicians that made those days were the late Haruna Ishola, Ebenezer Obey, late I.K. Dairo, late Orlando Owoh, King Sunny Ade, among others. The pop or what do they call it now, h a v e nothing meaningful to teach , instead people dance and waste their energy on the long run. We should go back to those songs that we could dance to and learn from as well. Pop songs have no meaning.”
Recalling the independence, he said, “I was part of those who carried the Nigerian green and white flag at independence. The white is for peace and the green represened agriculture, which promoted the cocoa industry in the Western region. Before then, people used to enjoy free education from the government.
The late Obafemi Awolowo was the man then, because he so much supported the education sector. We enjoyed so many things then, but now, Nigeria has been polluted in the name of civilisation. The independence was a great event, but after independence what next?”
In those days, if you dress anyhow, you would be ar- rested, because nudity in public then was just like a crime. Now, nobody looks at that
Highlighting Nigeria’s cultural heritage, Pa Meme explained that “our culture too has been polluted in the name of civilisation, our traditional clothes, which we used to be proud of, are now seen as out-dated.
In those days, we do tie wrappers; wear our ‘dansikis’ and other traditional attires, which depicted our culture. In those days, if you dress anyhow, you would be arrested, because nudity in public was just like a crime. Now, nobody looks at that. There were also so many festivals in those days.”
Going patriotic about Nigeria, Pa Meme lamented the underdevelopment of the Nigerian nation and its attendant infrastructural deficit. “President Muhammadu Buhari, during his tenure as military Head of State in the 1980s, did a very good job.
He is no longer who he used to be. Then, the economy was not recessing; things were cheap, since people were more into agriculture. We were producing quality things; our security was good, unlike what we now have, with atrocities here and there,” he added.
He, however, advised the government to retrace its steps and return to the philosophy of the founding fathers of the Nigerian nation, in order to get out of the many problems the country found itself over time.
“Our leaders need to go back and trace what was the philosophy of the founding fathers of the country. We need to look back at what late Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Tafawa Balewa did in those days, when things were alright with Nigeria.
These were leaders, who despite their tribal differences, took themselves as one. They led the country well at all levels. But when you look at our leaders today, you would wonder if they are truly Nigerians.
But I believe that God still loves this nation. One day, the youth will have the taste of the real Nigeria that we had when we were young and the glory of this nation will return,” he said.
