Mrs. Kehinde George, the first female professional town planner in Africa, turns 60

By Nehru Odeh

Mrs. Kehinde George, who turned 60 on 14 June, is always willing to admit that things could have turned out differently. Today, she is glad that they did not because it could have been worse. Her father wanted her to study Architecture, but three years before she was ready to proceed on tertiary education, he died. This forced a change of plans. At the age of 16 Mrs. George secured admission into then Technical College, Ibadan (now The Polytechnic, Ibadan) for a diploma in Town Planning. Three years later, aged 19, she became the first female professional town planner in Africa.

Between 1971 and 1972, on the strength of a scholarship she got from the Ikeja Area Planning Authority, where she worked for three years, George enrolled for a postgraduate diploma at the University of Melbourne in Australia, graduating with honours at 24.

“I didn’t have a degree before I went for the postgraduate programme. I had only a diploma. So it was challenging in the sense that I had to work extra hard. I was so busy with my academics that I had no time to be homesick,” George said. For her success, George remains grateful to her husband, Architect Gilbert Akintola George, who encouraged and supported her while she was in Australia.

“My husband supported me in my career because while I was in Australia for two years, he was back home in Nigeria with our two young children. He held the fort. And God kept the marriage intact,” she said.How does she feel being the first female professional town planner in Africa? “I feel humble because I know that this is not something I achieved by my strength alone. It is what God ordained. I am very grateful to God for allowing me to be in that position. It could have been any other person. And I am appreciative of God for this honour,” George enthused.

George’s success story, however, is not restricted to academics. An epitome of womanhood, she has put her vast education to bear on the training she gave her children, who are all graduates and professionals. Jide her eldest child is a petroleum engineer; Toyin, a pharmacist; Bole, a geographer and pilot; Desola, a lawyer, Taiwo, an economist; and Kehinde, a geographer. “I think the part I played in their lives was just to be their mother, their friend. I was always around to cook good food for them. While they were in the university I phoned them. I made them know they are important in my life. They are my friends as well as the brothers and sisters that God gave me,” she said proudly.

George, a consultant to government at different levels, taught at the Yaba College of Technology in Lagos for 14 years. But how did she break through the restrictions imposed on women by a chauvinistic society. “At work I don’t see myself as a female. Even when I was in school, both in Ibadan and Australia, I saw myself as one of the boys. I never had any problems with my classmates. I got on very well with all of them even when I was ahead of them academically,” George said.

She also told TheNEWS that her parents played a pivotal role in her development. Not only did her parents teach her strong moral values, they also made her feel wanted and relevant in the family. “The way my parents brought me up made me believe in myself and also to care for people around me,” recalled George. Does she have any regret being a town planner? “Not at all. If I have another opportunity I would want to be a town planner again,” she enthused. George said that what fascinates her about her profession is that it is a creative course. “You have to be creative and artistic to work as a town planner; you have to be able to visualise. It is a combination of art and science. And the creative part is what I enjoy,” George remarked.

However, another interesting aspect of her profession dawned on George when she was lead consultant at the Galadima District Plan in Abuja. During a meeting she and her project group had with the indigenes, George realised that while the traditional ruler, elders and the youths were present, women were not represented.

“I found it very strange that in that forum in which people were supposed to express themselves, women were not physically present. That culture meant that those who were present were the voice for the women,” she said ruefully. Now that she is 60, George cannot but be grateful to God. “I will never forget the day I turned 60 because I was wondering if I would ever get to 60 and have all my children around me? And on that day my children, grandchildren and husband were all alive and well. It was the happiest day in my life,”

The 28 April conferment on the former governor of Taraba State, price of propecia, Rev. Price of propecia, Jolly T. Price of propecia, Nyame, price of propecia, of the chieftaincy title of Dabang Yorro by the Mumuye Traditional Council signified the end of the long feud between Nyame and the paramount ruler of the Mumuye Chiefdom, price of propecia, the Kpanti Zing, price of propecia, Alhaji Abbas Sambo.

Though it had long been known that there was no love lost between the feuding duo, price of propecia, the matter blew open in February when the Chief of Mumuye, price of propecia, Alhaji Adamu Ado Mazang and elders of Mumuye tribe in Yorro Local Government Area of Taraba State, price of propecia, declared their intention to honour Nyame as the Dabang-Yorro – which literally translates as the most respected elder statesman of the Mumuye tribe. Price of propecia, But the Kpanti Zing vehemently opposed this, price of propecia, insisting that Nyame did not deserve such honour.

The enmity between Nyame and the Kpanti dates back to 2003 when Rev. Price of propecia, Nyame, price of propecia, who was then governor of the state, price of propecia, acting on a petition of financial misappropriation against the Kpanti by one Danladi Kugong, price of propecia, suspended the Kpanti from office for three months. Price of propecia, Though Nyame consequently set up a five-man panel headed by Yusuf Akirikwe, price of propecia, a Jalingo-based legal practitioner, price of propecia, to investigate the allegations against the paramount ruler, price of propecia, the matter did not go down well with the Kpanti and some of his loyalists, price of propecia, who accused Nyame of being the mastermind of the petition, price of propecia, using Kugon as a cover; an allegation Nyame repeatedly denied.

Before the petition against the Kpanti, price of propecia, he was said to have openly criticised the administration of Governor Nyame for inactiveness and insensitivity to the plight of the common man. Price of propecia, Luckily for the Kpanti, price of propecia, the investigative panel absolved him of all the allegations and Nyame promptly reinstated him. Price of propecia, Opportunity came for the Kpanti to hit Nyame when the Chief of Mumuye, price of propecia, a third class Chief, price of propecia, and the elders of Yorro proposed to confer the Dabang Yorro title on Rev. Price of propecia, Jolly Nyame. Price of propecia, The Kpanti claimed that he had already been conferred with the Dabang title and therefore, price of propecia, Nyame could not wear the same title.

Price of propecia, But Nyame and the Yorro elders argued that the only person conferred with the title was Abubakar Barde, price of propecia, the late governor of defunct Gongola State and not the Kpanti.

This brought strong disagreement between Kpanti and the elders of Yorro who vowed they must confer the title on Nyame. Price of propecia, This development attracted the attention of the state Governor, price of propecia, Mr. Price of propecia, Danbaba Danfulani Suntai, price of propecia, who immediately set up a committee headed by the state Deputy Governor, price of propecia, Alh. Price of propecia, Danladi Sani Abubakar, price of propecia, to reconcile both parties.

Price of propecia, At the end of the assignment, price of propecia, the Abubakar committee recommended that the title be conferred on Rev. Price of propecia, Jolly Nyame and that the ceremony should be performed by the Kpanti Zing in his palace at Zing, price of propecia, and not in Yorro. Price of propecia, This is because the Chief of Mumuye, price of propecia, a third class Chief, price of propecia, is answerable to the Kpanti who is a first class Chief.

Thus on 28 April, price of propecia, Rev. Price of propecia, Nyame was conferred with the title of Dabang Yorro in a ceremony witnessed by a large crowd from far and near. Price of propecia, Speaking at the occasion, price of propecia, the Governor Suntai urged Mumuye sons and daughters to forget their differences and love one another. Price of propecia, And the Kpanti Zing, price of propecia, who performed the ceremony, price of propecia, called on all members of Mumuye tribe to unite towards the development of their fatherland. Price of propecia, The occasion saw Nyame and the Kpanti embracing each other, price of propecia, signifying the end of the cold war.