39 Years Ago On May The 5th

On the 1st day of May, 2010, I called my Mum in Ghana and asked her where she was on May 1st 1971? I went further to asked her where she was and how she felt that day.

She fired back a question “what questions have you packaged for me like that.” I must say she honestly did not know I wanted to know about her state of mind, her general mood, and how big her stomach was as she was later to give birth to a bouncing and lovely baby boy later on Wednesday 5th May 1971!

What I did was to reword my question. So I asked her “Hajia how was it in the days that preceded my birth and even on May 5th”? I went ahead to tell her it was nearing my birthday and I wanted to have an idea about how her general wellbeing was before I arrived on this earth!

Let me explain that, my parents are not educated and were also unaware whether my mum was to have a baby boy or girl! Scanning to find out the sex of the child before birth was not very popular then. Antenatal attendance was also not a much option to them. Their antenatal attendance was “praying to God for safe delivery”. I also learnt from my pre-birthday chat with mum that, those days “safe delivery” was synonymous to giving birth at home! That was the local view in the community and it is still the view in some communities even till date.

Their perception those days and even these days in some communities was and still that, only weak women gave birth at the Hospital and also children born in hospitals were not strong! Anyway these were and are still what I would call laughable myths!

I was born in Tamale, an area called Ward K. and house number K544A. I was to be child number three on my birth as my parents already had two children before my birth. What it meant was that, I had other siblings to play with. They had “more” children after Akilu Sayibu.

Those days my Dad had a very good friend at the Ghana National Trading Corporation (GNTC) who was a typist. So any time a new child was born Dad went to him to type the date, month, and day of birth on paper for him to keep. So that was what I later termed “transitional birth certificate”

It was when I was to start primary education at the Tishigu Anglican Primary School in 1977 and my birth certificate was requested for that, my Dad pulled out one of his treasured bags and pulled out the “transitional birth certificate” I was number three in 1971, but by 1977; the year I was to start school, the number on the list went up to five! My two little siblings had joined the list!

That was how my date of birth and that of my other siblings was “archived” until I had a proper officialize birth certificate from the Births and Deaths registry. I must say that, inspite of the fact that, my parents were not educated they made sure all of us went to school! It was not easy I must confess! I will tell the full story else where.

At 39 years I think I can be a “consultant” about the intricacies of life and its challenges. I have failed a lot in life and what I always did was to say to myself “Don’t quit” I took consolidation in the saying that, “He who has NEVER failed, NEVER lived” It has been joyous at time and I must confessed it has been difficult too!

All what has happened in my little life so far to me have been life’s own lessons to the living. I have made intentional mistakes and I have as well made unintentional mistakes. There are things if I could turn back the clock that I will not dare do again. But there are other things I did in the past that if given the chance I will only repeat same without regret!

In life we must learn to accept our faults and mistakes and take responsibilities so that we can spare the devil at least! There are times I feel mankind slanders the devil a lot for failures and mistakes which are definitely ours! My Dad always use to say to us “be consistent in all you do” “ It is not easy now and it will not be easy any day but be consistent” I didn’t like going to school as a child and I still can remember some days that Dad will chase me with a whip to school on his bicycle! I still remember my teachers saying “You are a bright student why don’t you want to come to school?” I honestly could not tell if they were telling the truth or just wanted to motivate me to come to school. I have not achieved most of my goals in life yet but all I can say to friends is that “Don’t mind failure” don’t let anything stand on your way to success it is not easy and it will not be easy.

Life is not a motorway without bumps and curves. There will be days you will even be tempted to say “Why me” “God hate me” statements like these are just part of the frustrations in life. God doesn’t hate his children.

On the occasion of my birthday I thank my Mum Hajia Rahinatu and Dad Alhaji Issahaku Sayibu my other siblings and all of my friends and love ones. I honestly want to live a little much longer so that, I can take good care of my children. So that, they will not go through some of the things I went through. But dear friends should I die “quickly” do not abandon my children. Add them to yours and treat them the way you will to your children! Happy birthday to me!