Miss Duruigbo: An interview that never was.
2 min read
About four months ago, Umuaka Times was planning a story and an interview with Lady Josephine Nwaulari Duruigbo, a.k.a. Miss Duruigbo. It was someone who made the suggestion and work immediately began on the suggestion. The Umuaka Times team embarked on a trip to fashion out a program to reach across to the exemplary teacher, devote Christian and quintessential educationist. In order to engage the legendary teacher Lady Josephine Nwaulari Duruigbo, few days after, an editorial agreement was reached over this noble suggestion. The editors of the newspaper started to conduct some research findings about the amazing Amazon; her personal and Christian life, what inspired her love for academic education, the behaviour of girls of their time when compared to those of today. Her views about life. Her reservations concerning the quality of education as it stands today and finally, why she decided to give Umuaka three lawyers in quick succession. These and more were the questions Umuaka Times had prepared to engage Miss Duruigbo with.
Lagos lawyer, Barrister Emma Duruigbo and one of the children of the late Lady Josephine Nwaulari Duruigbo who is the principal partner Ducex Solicitors Lagos, was the one who broke the bad news of the death of the amiable woman, to Umuaka Times. Till date, Umuaka Times editors still ask why the suddenness of the death of Miss Duruigbo never allowed the interview to hold.
For those who never knew the Miss in question, Lady Josephine Nwaulari Duruigbo was a retired teacher and an educationist. She was one of those who harvested the undiluted academic benefits from the early British teachers when schooling was highly rated in top standards. Duruigbo was one of the few girls whose parents sent to school in those days when it was almost a taboo to train a woman in school.
Because of her achievements as a builder and social engineer, Umuaka Times will cover extensively all the activities and programs that will mark her burial ceremony. A woman who spent a total number of 101 years on earth indeed saw a lot of things such as “stability and chaos, political triumphs and fiascos, rebellions, celebrations and more.”
When a man does something heroic he is called a hero. Perhaps, because of the “he“ pronoun. When a woman does a similar thing, the English language says she will be called a heroine. Umuaka Times says no to this word “heroine.” If “he” for the men folk can give us a “ro” making “hero”, the word “she” can equally give us a “ro” for the womenfolk making “shero”. Miss Duruigbo, the famous teacher, society builder, educationist and more, is a “shero” and one of the female “sheros” of this century, at least from the Umuaka locality because she came, she saw and she conquered. May her soul rest in peace.
Umuaka Times has been picked to be the official newspaper of the burial ceremony.
