By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
For anyone who is from an all-female background, where the family has no male child, it is not likely the parents would approve of any of the daughters to follow a career in the military or any of the services. But for young and ambitious Abimbola Amusu, her parents were the support system that helped to shape her career choice in the Nigerian Army.
In this interview, Major General Abimbola Amusu (rtd) told Daily Sun that she had no regrets joining the army “they never made us feel we were just girls. We had all the opportunities to do whatever we wanted. We were allowed to express ourselves and it helped a great deal in shaping us”.
Major General Amusu (rtd) was the second female officer in the history of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps Command to have commanded the corps and was the only female corps commander. She was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1982. She earned several academic qualifications, including Master of Business Administration (Health Management) from Lagos State University, (LASU). She is also an examiner with the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and a member of Faculty Board, Faculty of Pathology, at the same college.
She rose to become the director and chief consultant haematogist, 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, in 2014 and retired after 35 years of service.
Could you take us down memory lane and your journey into the army?
After I graduated from the university where I studied medicine, I had a career choice of becoming a lecturer or a soldier but because I needed another academic qualification before I could lecture, I decided to become a soldier since I had the qualification.
My application was not just for the army, I equally took forms for the navy and the police but, among these applications, the army invited me for interview. I was enlisted before my name was enlisted in other military agencies. I was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a 2nd Lieutenant in June 1982 and served for 35 years. I retired as a Major General and commander of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps in 2017. I am the second female to attain the rank of Major General in the Nigerian Army.
I am a fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College, Faculty of Pathology, fellow of the Society for Quality in Healthcare, a foundation fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Medicine and fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.
Where did your decision to enlist in the army come from?
I attended a military primary school and Army Children School. My mother was one of the founding head teachers of the school while I was also one of the founding pupils. I had been exposed to meeting people in the military at that time.
After my first degree, we had a choice to decide our career path. I had two options: one was to become a lecturer and the other was to join any of the military forces. After I considering the options, I decided to join the Nigerian Army but, on the other hand, if I decided to become a lecturer, my academic qualification needed the upgrade before I could lecture so I decided to join the army. Then I took the application forms of the Nigerian Army, Navy and Police. Fortunately, the army process came in faster than the others. They invited me for the interview and it was after the army process was done that others shortlisted my name. I don’t regret joining the army. I am a medical doctor.
What was your first impression when you joined the military, a male-dominated profession?
When I enrolled in the university as a medical student, I still recall that in a class of about 112 or 120, only18 persons were female. It was already male-dominated and I understand that the military is a male-dominated profession but I was ready to do the task given to us without minding my gender. As long as it was work-related, I was ready to put in my best. I was also ready to follow a path that other people could come in after me.
In my family, we are all females. My parents had only female children for clarity. They never made us feel we were just girls. We had all the opportunities to do whatever we wanted. We were allowed to express ourselves and it helped a great deal in shaping us.
How did male colleagues perceive the female presence, especially when it came to tasks?
It was not usual. I was able to put in my best and, thank God, it came out successful. It is a place to succeed, and you have opportunities to excel. In the army, we work as a team and I am always there to recollect. I have a lot of my course-mates as good friends. They are there to support. So, when we were doing exercises and tasks, they always looked out for you. It’s a lot of team work. I have kept some of those relationships till now. They have been there for me, sometimes as we moved and you were tired, someone would offer to help carry your bag to reduce fatigue on you. The beauty of the army is that we look out for one another.
What was your most significant experience?
In 1994, I went to Somalia and it was a major breakthrough for me. I was the only female among the contingent that went to Somalia. We had not had women going for peacekeeping like we have now. We were given the task and I needed to be able to show that women could also do it. Unfortunately, when we got to Mogadishu, the Nigerian contingent, even though the US, Australia, Switzerland had females in their contingent and because Nigeria never had a female, there was no provision for female accommodation for Nigerians.
As the flight arrived at night and we were taken to the base where we were going to stay, and they didn’t expect a female in the contingent. They had this dormitory, accommodations known as Nigerian House, where the officers from Nigeria were staying. Absolutely, there was no provision for females and nothing could be done. They gave me my bed at the end of the dormitory and for the two weeks or more, that we were on base, they were indeed gentlemen. In the morning, when I woke up, they either allowed me take my bath early and they would leave the room or I would allow them while I left the room for them. That was a turning point for me. And, contrary to people’s opinion, I saw real gentlemen of the Army. I was just about 10-12 years old in the Army. I still share memories with them.
Was there any foreign collaboration?
Definitely, there was. We had to work with medical practitioners from Canadian army and others. Though there were fewer women but the number has increased now because the UN made it compulsory for any nation going for peacekeeping assignment to involve a percentage of females. There were some sorts of collaboration. We worked together and the experience still lingers for me.
As a woman who led a command strongly dominated by males, how were you able to handle the administrative aspect without resistance from men who, ordinarily, find it difficult coping with female leadership?
When you are on a mission like that, you make friends. We had to work together because most of them were medical practitioners and had to evacuate wounded soldiers and a lot more. Many roles have been set out for females to be part of peacekeeping. For instance, if you have a unit of about 800 persons going, a good number of women would be involved because the UN mandated women to go for peacekeeping.
Let’s examine cultural bias and stereotype in the military. Considering the certain roles reserved for the men, what’s your take?
I won’t call it discrimination but biases because you have more men in the military. You need to have enough female in a position to actually compete and be chosen alongside the males. Now, there are more women and opportunities to choose from. Maybe the Biases are not as much as it used to be. One thing that happened was when we had fewer women was that decisions could be taken for the woman without understanding her needs or being there. And that is a disadvantage for the women. I remembered when a decision was taken on dressing code for females and it was done without a woman on that board so, decisions were made on our behalf. When I heard about it, I quickly informed a colleague of mine about what was going on. She taught it was true. We completely forgot and made an omission. The beauty of it was that they went back and we were invited. It was corrected. It’s a male dominated thing and they are used to the way things are done in a particular way.
It’s different now because we have women in all the corps units. It’s easier. But some would be less than others due to the traditional courses women naturally would intend to do. I was actually the 5th female medical doctor to be commissioned in the Army.
At the moment, we have so many. People who have gone ahead, even during my generation, we were able to break the bias but I always tell women that we need to work hard. They don’t need to consider the gender if we have females who are not doing well. It is enough reasons to say don’t put the women there again. If a woman is there and is competent, she opens the door for others. The cry for gender inequality, I don’t like it when we say inequality. Let’s advocate for gender equity because there are some things men cannot wear. I can wear trousers but the male can’t wear skit. What is due to the female, let them have it
Can you clarify the notion that leadership opportunities and deployment are for males while females are relegated?
In the military, we look at competence and not gender. I never felt that way. We have had female commander in charge of a battalion. Also, the numbers count. If there are few females, it would reflect in the deployment figure. At the moment in the Army, there are courses everyone is expected to take, irrespective of gender.
Unfortunately, for some females in the military when they are given a task, they become afraid. They feel that it might be stressful and all that. They quickly look for ways to prevent them from attending the course. I know there might be some inconveniences for females. As a woman with a young family, it’s not easy to leave them behind. When I went to Somalia, my children were very small. I got support from family, considering my family I had a second thought and had to go because at that time there was a lot of peace keeping going on, Liberia, Somalia, Chekoslavia. Nigeria has sent many soldiers for peace keeping mission and those who were there needed to be relieved. I was lucky that my family was there to support me.
What reforms do you think can be implemented that would attract more women into the Army?
Females don’t have information about the opportunities that are available for women in the military. This has made them to opt for other jobs and career available. I know because I have been to some secondary schools to give talk about career opportunities in the military. The military takes practically every profession. Most people believe that the Army is for the men and women who are going to fight. People are afraid of war zones, or going to fight. They are afraid to hold the weapon. It is part of the military. When people don’t know that these opportunities arise, you can’t blame them. We do a lot of enlightenment. When I was in the university, the military use to go round to sensitize people on the different career choices available. For those studying medicine, they are allowed to join before leaving school. Most people think that it’s only those who fight that become soldiers. With more visibility and internet, people have become more aware of the occupations in the Army. There are teachers, engineers, various vocations.
What lessons have life taught you?
Life has taught me the importance of appreciating family, friends. A lot of people contributed to who I am today. I will show no bias. My parents were the instrument to my success today.
Sometimes my friend and even people tell me that you keep relationship. I still have some of my close friends from nursery school who are still my friends. I have made a lot of friends and kept them over the years. I came from a family of all girls. Don’t think any relationship is small. There is always something to learn from every relationship.
What is your advice for women especially, now that suicide seems to have become options for people in adversity?
Everybody is stressed but we need to take it easy. People need encouragement and each of you should support ourselves. We just have to hold hands and show a little kindness. People should have friends that are able to support them. Look for resources and help yourselves. Learn to share your burden with family. Nobody is infallible. It is good to speak to someone, so you don’t get depressed. If you are a true friend get them to confide in you. People are finding things very hard. They don’t know where the next meal will come out.
Also, our social system needs to improve our safety measures. People are becoming increasingly indebted to take care of their families. Some young persons don’t want to get married because of the burden. For older people, we need to support them.