Gozie Udemezue is an attorney who special interest in matters relating to violation of the human rights of individuals. She is also a sought-after public speaker, writer and author. Interestingly, she loves to describe herself as a human version of the long distance bus, Marco Polo, which is popular with interstate bus companies. And when you ask the reason for the allusion, she gushes: “I am depicting the luxury bus bearing that name. It travels long distances, carries many passengers including attachment seats, carries heavy loads in the commodious luggage hold and a drum of extra diesel in case it does not find a filling station along the way. When you meet them on the highway, you don’t obstruct them. The buses are rugged, beautiful and expensive; all of these describe me too.”
Is your love for humanity a result of early widowhood, because you have been doing a lot to cushion the plight of widows, their children and the less privileged?
No, not because I was widowed early. I have been like this even from childhood. I grew up being conscious of how others faced challenges and how they tackled it. As a child, I was part of an intervention to help an old, childless and blind widow, who was abandoned to her fate in a dark room. That was in the 80s and each time we visited to bathe and feed her, I left broken and traumatized. So it wasn’t widowhood. I only became a widow in 2013 and prior to that I had been deeply involved in showing love, especially to those who could be termed unloved.
What area of law did you major in?
I took a first degree in Law from Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT). I got my Masters in Law (LLM) from Queen Mary College, University of London. All my years as always, I have focused more on cases and matters of violation of human rights.
What was the attraction, why did you study Law?
Before I went into Law, I was a political science student of University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). I went over to study Law, which was my main interest. As a child, I witnessed strange activities termed widowhood rights and I desired to study a course that would enable me in help those being violated. A family friend told me to study Law. Even as a child, during those moonlight play nights in my village, Nkwelle Ogidi in Anambra State, I chose the play name ‘Illegal’ in my own thinking, believing that it is closest to being a lawyer. Law provided me with a platform and gave me a leverage to provide interventions legally for the indigent and downtrodden. There was no role model lawyer I looked up to, but I remember admiring Ms. Chinyere Onyenucheya, the first female Nigerian pilot. Every plane that flew past the sky then I waved at, excitedly believing she was the pilot in command.
You are a different widow in reasoning, behaviour and social activities. What is the secret?
It’s nothing about being a widow. This is simply the way I am as a person. Nothing stops me and once I set my mind to achieve something, I go for it. Widowhood is often seen as a limiting factor but I have not allowed it to limit me. Before ever it happened, I was already running programmes for widows. I was hit by it but I haven’t allowed it to keep me down. That has been my lifestyle, not because of being widowed. There are laws in existence at state level to protect rights of widows and widowers. At the regional level, the Maputo Protocol provides articles on rights of widows in Africa and there are international conventions protecting rights of persons. In Nigeria, the 1999 Constitution in Chapter 4 provides for the protection of rights of every person and widows are part and parcel of every person. The question is: how effective is the implementation of these laws, regional and international instruments? How are they implemented? Are the widows aware of their existence and provisions?
How did you receive the news of your husband’s death?
Between 2am and 2.30am in the morning of that day, I received a call and learnt that a drunk Navy officer in Abuja had killed my husband. The rest is
history.
Were you into these projects before your husband passed on?
Yes, I was already fully involved with projects on widows and their children. My husband also was part of the projects. He sat on the Board of Trustees of the foundation we both set up in 2008, to provide for widows and their children. Healing Hearts Widows Support Foundation was five years old when he died. It was out of passion and a kind of calling to do this.
How was your growing up?
I lost my mother when I was eight years. My father is alive. My mother’s death was the reason I was relocated from Enugu to Ogidi so I could be under a female adult supervision and so I completed my primary education at Akpakogwe Central School, Ogidi and then went on to Ogidi Girls Secondary School for my secondary school education and thereafter to UNN and later ESUT. Growing up was with mixed feelings. Not having a mother at that young age had its own disadvantages. I remember one dream I had of her – she was dressed in plain George and lace and had the big head tie and came visiting. I saw her off and then took a quick decision to follow her to wherever she was headed to. On the Enugu Onitsha old road, just about four houses from our family compound then, she stopped and asked me to return home. I refused to obey her, I pleaded with her to allow me follow her. She told me she only came to see how I was and that I should go back. She was firm and in tears I woke up. The dream is still vivid till date. I missed and still miss her a lot.
How was the first day you appeared in Court?
The first day I appeared in court was with my then principal but the day I appeared all by myself was at the Enugu South Magistrate court in 2001. I went to move a motion on notice and I was excited and apprehensive. I conquered the fear that first day. The magistrate knew I was a new wig as this was about two months after my call to bar. He was calm and allowed me move the motion. I became jittery as my matter was called up but as soon as I started making my submission, I became more relaxed.
Were you in Law practice while running your NGO?
I wasn’t in law practice for long before I was called up for the national youth service and deployed to a non-governmental organization. There, I was not going to court as the organization had external solicitors handling that aspect. I was more involved in interviewing victims, documenting the reports, providing counselling services, reporting and following up at the police station and on probate-related matters.
You are also the author of many books. What inspires you to write books?
From childhood, I have always loved to write. In elementary school, I would read novels and summarize each of them in a notebook. I wrote short stories in my old notes. I naturally like to read and write. My first book was inspired by my experience in 2013 and the lessons out of it. Apart from that I write contributions for academic publications and also write articles for commercial purposes.
Who gave you the name ‘Marco Polo’
The name Marco Polo was a name I gave myself, to depicting the luxury bus bearing that name. It travels long distances, carries many passengers including those on attachments seat, carries loads under and inside and even carries extra drum of diesel just in case. When you meet them on the highway, you don’t obstruct them. The buses are rugged, beautiful and expensive. And all of these describe me too.
Did you experience the sharp widowhood practices, which still reign in the South East in particular?
No I did not.