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•Says, I’m still in awe I passed my law exams at over 50
By Christy Anyanwu
Patricia Osamor was a secretary working in a law firm in Abuja for years. Then she lost her job and couldn’t get any secretarial endeavour. Her friends thought she was joking when she spoke of her desire to pursue a law degree in the university, as she had neither a regular job nor any income to support the dream. More so, she was already in her 50s.
But determined to fulfil the dream, she took up some odd jobs such as cleaning, cooking and others just to stay afloat financially. Her joy was palpable recently, as she was among the lawyers called to the Nigerian Bar after passing out of the Nigeria Law School, Abuja.
Speaking with Saturday Sun, she spoke about her life, her challenges as well as her triumphs.
Could you tell us about your growing up?
I was born into a very dysfunctional home – the first of five children. I call it dysfunctional because most of the time we walked on egg shells. There was not much of moral support, in terms of educational or life guidelines. I started fending for myself at a very young age.
I was tossed from one family member to the other to serve as baby sitter when my aunts gave birth, and in the process was exposed to lot of maltreatment. I never thought I would have the opportunity to attend school, though I had an overwhelming hunger to be educated.
After my WASC attempt in 1984, I passed only two papers, which was the only two books I was able to borrow to read, because my guardian then was not interested in my education and would not waste resources on me. I was then tossed to another aunt who managed to enrol me at a secretarial institute where I commenced my secretarial training. However before I could conclude that course, I had a fall out with my guardian who tossed me back to my parents.
Somehow I had fallen in love with the typewriter, I enrolled in a typing school and concluded my Pitman training and was able to sit for another WAEC exams where I passed typing, shorthand and secretarial course. With this I enrolled in another school, where I passed my Secretarial Studies Grade II.
With this certificate I worked with some organisations, including Benbella Laundry as a laundry clerk; Harry Titi Durojaiye & Company, Legal Practitioners, as office assistant, typist; True Tales Publication, Publishers of Hints Magazine, as editorial typist and front office officer; Passions Magazine as editorial typist, and a few other companies. I also worked with NICON Insurance Corporation as Secretary to the Legal Adviser and Corporation Secretary.
Working with the legal team at NICON Insurance endeared me to the law profession more. Fraternising with the lawyers and understanding various legal terminologies, procedures and the exposure to the boardroom activities opened me up to more of corporate law.
However within this time I had obtained a BSc in Business Administration from the University of Abuja but was not satisfied.
What made you decide to go back to school to study law at this stage of your life, especially when there was no means of income after quitting your job?
One of the initial reasons I decided to read law was the fact that I had this exposure with two law firms and the legal department of NICON Insurance. The other law firm being PAC Solicitors where I was the practice manager for one year representing the Abuja office and in the cause of this engagement, I met and interacted with lawyers who were competent, compassionate, poised, respectful, prolific speakers. Generally they carry a mix of prestige, pressure and pride.
The other reason was an encounter I had with a female younger lawyer in the department, who had an air of arrogance, pride, very combative and would talk down on anyone who was not a lawyer. The confrontation led to an exchange which almost culminated in a query. What saved me was that there were witnesses around to corroborate my story against her accusations
Was reading law part of your childhood ambition?
From my experience as a young girl, I never thought I would have the opportunity to attend a higher institution owing to the level of poverty in the family, lack of proper guidance and the effect of the environment I found myself. Deep down I craved the hunger to study and be educated, but I did not have any guidance.
Working as a low level staff exposed me to lots of ridicule and for every ridicule I got from higher authorities, my desire to be better and achieve what they have pushed me to enrol and obtained a BSc in Business Administration, though not a preferred choice but was available.
With my association and personal experience with the various law firms, I developed a passion to read law and the fact that it was a profession where one can be your own boss, build a brand, serve the community and explore the flexibility to choose a niche, which leads one to develop business and legal skills together and makes one create a reputation and legacy.
Did people try to discourage you at any point in time? If yes, what did they say?
As part of the requirement for to read law, I was required to have passed English Literature. I approached a teacher who told me at my age I could never pass English Literature. I challenged her and another teacher, a guy from Benue State, I can’t remember how he crossed my path. He was patient with me and taught me some tricks to pass the exams, which I eventually did through the NECO exams.
The second was financial challenges that almost discouraged me. With my miserly salary I was fending for the family, fending for myself and paying for law school, private lectures and buying very expensive books and handouts.
Finally another discouraging factor was the work load at the office. Several times I almost gave up because it was difficult balancing work and studying where you are required to read and assimilate tones of legal principles, statutes and procedures, coupled with meeting targets and deadlines at work. I strived because I wanted a different life.
What was it like being in class with children who could be your children?
For my law university, I enrolled with the National Open University of Nigeria in 2010 and graduated in 2019. At NOUN, a greater percentage of the students were adults that were pursuing a passion and were matured enough to behave responsibly.
Where I face younger adolescent behaviour was at the Nigerian Law School where I was admitted in 2021 and called to Bar in 2026.
It happened that I became a group leader for one of the groups, I was responsible for about 120 students in my group. I thought of the responsibility and wrote to the HOD Academics declining the position based on age and health. The HOD declined the application, so I was saddled with leading the group.
It was a mixed aged group where we had a majority of young students with the mindset of not wanting to be disturbed and some avoided responsibility, some were outright rude and uncooperative. I must also confess that some took me like their mother and were very helpful when it came to delivery of task within our group. This led to my earning the award of the Best Group Leader by the Students’ Representative Council, Abuja Campus. It took lots of work, coordination and dedication by devoted group members to achieve this. One of the things I learnt in law school was that because of the rigorous work load, most students have come with a fighting spirit and strict time schedule and are heavily invested in putting their every effort to passing once and for all. The fear of coming back for a re-sit was a torment that every student dared.
Do you have any funny or memorable moments in class?
During the SRP sessions, in a bit to cover the field, I read to an extent that at a point I went blank. Then I remembered what the lecturers said in class, that law school was 70 per cent prayers and 30 per cent study. It’s true.
The other experience happened when my group was always reprimanded and the group leader was always called upon to bear the brunt. I remember one of the days, as the lecturer was calling “where is the group 5 leader”, on sighting me coming down, she just shouted… “haba you people should stop inconveniencing this mama”. It was so embarrassing to always have to work down the aisle to defend your group’s work.
Another memorable moment was when I encouraged my group to donate the balance of the money we raised (almost a million) as a group to visit two orphanages. It was an experience when the group visited the orphanage with special needs. Most of the students were very emotional and some cried at the sight of the children. For the project we visited Child Care Trust (a special needs orphanage) and Holy Sisters Orphanage, both in Bwari, Abuja.
Who has been your biggest support system throughout this journey?
I would want to first and foremost acknowledge God as the biggest support system for me, during the Special Remedial Programme (SRP) and Bar 2 session, He surprised me with provisions from home and abroad.
Three weeks to the commencement of the Bar 2, I was still struggling to raise the school fees but God made men rise up to the occasion. Prior to now I had been unemployed since 2016 and my income was based on small trade here and there and the benevolence of friends and well-wishers.
Did you at any point in time feel you might not pull through this journey? How did you feel the day you knew about your call to bar?
There was a time in life that I was tired of trying because I had either failed or was discouraged at starting a process and not completing them. But by the time I started my BSc programme and was almost rusticated, I had a rethink and pushed myself beyond limits. From then on I never allowed anything to discourage me, let alone ever nursing the idea of dropping out. Instead I was one to encourage my friends and pull us through the process.
What would you say to other women who feel too old to start something new, especially going back to school?
We have this adage “once there is life, there is hope”, it’s only the dead that cannot dream and aspire. With God nothing is impossible. It’s important to focus on what you want to achieve in life and set your mind to it. I am always inspired by an aspect of Job’s life where the Bible states that the latter years of Job was greater than his former. Therefore, time is not a hindrance if one sets one’s mind to achieving a thing. I also remember Fatai Rolling Dollar. He was presumed a reject but when luck shone on him, he achieved a feat that some ablebodied men may never achieve.
Preparation is important because opportunities could knock at any time and when both meet, it leads to achievement of lifelong expectations.
What’s next for you? Do you plan to practise, teach, or go into advocacy?
I am currently undergoing a Master’s programme for my LLM. I am through with the academic work. I am also in the process of upgrading my ADR skills as I am currently an associate with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb UK). Though I wish to intern at a law firm to gather experience in litigation for a short while, but I would like to concentrate on corporate law, governance and ADR.
In all this, what lessons have you learnt about life?
I am still in awe that I passed my Bar exams. I was so afraid during the programme, but I have learnt that hard work pays and one needs to believe in oneself and trust in God, who is the ultimate giver of life, knowledge and wisdom.
