For Dame Chief Mrs. Lucy Omosefe Ajayi Christmas celebration should strictly revolve around sharing goodies to people, especially the indigents in order to put smiles on their faces in the spirit of the season. Dame Ajayi who was the former Executive Director and Chief Executive Offiicer of the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex Management Board (LITFCMB) reiterated this at her yearly Christmas Carol programme which she singlehandedly bankrolled since 2018 in Lagos, she also reaffirmed her stance on why appointive positions is rather better for women than elective. Lanre Adesanya brings excerpts:
What is the essence of this annual gathering given the fact that you are no longer holding any post but still each year you had to cater for quite more than what you had in the previous year as regards the turn out?
It is my joy having people around me to celebrate Jesus Christ because I have realised that on Christmas day many Christians hold it in their homes even my relatives. So I picked this day so that everybody will be around, I usually do it before Christmas so that those who will travel by the 20th or thereafter will attend.
My focus is on the children, the number kept on increasing ever since we started and as a grassroots politician if I were to invite everybody my house will not contain them, so it is an open thing for everybody not on invitation, in fact I rarely do invites for my parties, I invite everybody it is first come, first served but if you don’t have the food you will have the music and the environment around you.
This yuletide Christian’s should endeavour to love everyone Muslims inclusive, I have all religious sects in this place you won’t believe it.I have the traditional religious worshippers hoping this will convert them, I equally have the Muslim with the belief that this might convert them bringing them to Christ because I know Christ, I love Christ and Jesus loves me and I want people to partake from what I had gotten from Christ and I know I am gonna get more.
What difference can you pinpoint now that you are no more in service compared to when you still had an appointment ?
Like I told you while in the service I said I am now spending more on humanity than when I was in service, maybe God allowed this break for me to have time for him because I really have time for God. Often times when people want to see me because I am busy or out of the country or out on duty I don’t really have time to listen to people but right now I listen because I have the time to listen and I felt that is the purpose of the break in my life.
How have you being able to sustain this annual humane gesture till this day?
I urge all Christians if you have one kobo please give your fellow Christians half kobo. I used this as an opportunity of reaching out to people too. It might be small but it cost a lot, I don’t think I had solicited for whatever I do for Christmas. I do the bit I can do but each time I do the bit Christ keeps increasing it. It is not me. Yes for this I think my brother has gone to market for three, four times and we do this and say no this might not be enough compared to last year. Like last year I had 120 kids and I budgeted for 80, I had to convert the adults own to the children’s because I wanted the children to have it and this year we have almost 160 kids and I did for 150 so I still needed to convert repeatedly but I’m doing that I’m happy the kids are happy.
In the souvenirs shared to people, one could see virtually in all an ankara fabric that could cloth a family of three or four what prompted this idea?
Let me tell you what prompted this idea of actually putting ankara in the yearly souvenirs I distribute to people.The first year I had an event before the carol I shared ankara and the remaining one I say let me just share it for the carol right there one woman just saw the ankara because back then I don’t use to give it to the kids just for the adults, the woman just opened and said, ‘this is new cloth my children now has cloth to wear for the festive period and I looked up imagine this is the ankara she’s going to cut and share for the children. I didn’t know it was that impactful and I said God bless me because some of these kids have no Christmas clothes and I want them to have and to be happy so that is why when they come if you see them fighting for the souvenir, it is because of the ankara not because of any other thing inside and I keep on praying that God blesses me so that I can still do more.
So I urge all Christians never to be afraid of tomorrow God is the owner of tomorrow do what you can do today, I lost my brother in-law a week ago. So I just felt whatever he could have prepared or would have had, somebody would just take it because we are not the owner of tomorrow that is what I want to tell all Christians. As Christians don’t be afraid of tomorrow because God is the owner of tomorrow and he will take care of tomorrow.
Prior to now you have held on to a particular school of thought that appointive positions is better for women than elective in our clime, do you still hold on to this view or you have reconsidered your take having being politically active?
I said it is pretty difficult for women taking up elective positions but for appointment positions I think we are there for it. Yes till now I still hold the view. I rather spend my money on people than spending money on what I am not sure I am gonna get. I spend my money now I can see what I am spending it on but if I spent it on politics who am I spending it on? I am not even sure, but i am sure this people would eat my food, wear my clothes i am sure they would listen to the word of God, it is like bringing them to God, yes they might come because of what I am willing to share but they would listen to the word of God you don’t know whom God will touch here that is the purpose.
Your message to Christians as they celebrate yuletide?
Please if you have one Chicken give half to your neighbours to your friends share with them, if you have a drink share with your neighbours that have not, please let’s celebrate Christ, let everybody be happy that oh! because of Christ I am having this drink, because of Christ I am having this dress because of Christ I am happy. Let’s celebrate Jesus that is what I am celebrating.