I don’t allow Apapa gridlock ruin my happiness and inner peace - Ada Akpunonu

FUNSO OLOJO

She stands out in the male-dominated profession like a colossus. Her doggedness, determination, attention to details and welfarist tendencies enable her to keep her head above the waters of shark-infested association politics in the maritime industry.
Barrister Ada Akpunonu is a reputable Customs broker of more than 23 years practice and still counting.

Ironically, she left the glamorous world of law practice noted for its high level of finesse and sophistication to embrace the less-fancied world of freight forwarding known for its brutish, harsh and rash terrain dominated by mean men who would readily bully low esteemed and
less courageous women who are lily-livered to withstand the high level of treachery, con and manipulative trade practices being perpetrated by few practitioners who lack high moral rectitude.

But Akpunonu is neither lily-livered nor less courageous to be easily shoved off the scene by her mean men counterparts. Her sheer force of character, high moral standing and ingenuity
combined with graceful personality, elegant carriage and sophisticated mien have helped the freight forwarding Amazon to become a force to be reckoned with in her adopted profession.
She brought her charm, charisma and glamour to the otherwise stale atmosphere of freight forwarding practice and her grace has helped to redefine the profession which many have identified with high level of thuggery and touting.

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Her high fashion sense is legendary which makes her stand out in an industry that has the tendency to stress its operators due to the unfriendly terrain. Ada, as fondly called by her colleagues, looks calm, cool, graceful and benign. Her cherubic face, often lit with intermittent toothy smiles, belies her golden age of over 50 years which doesn’t give any hint of the tedious and demanding nature of her job.

‘’I don’t allow the madness playing out on the Apapa port access road get at me’’, she declared when asked how she manage not to look harassed by the daily road gridlock she has to pass through every day to her place of work.

As a fashion freak, Ada always looks her best anywhere you meet her. Whether at work where she is chasing containers, at home when she is relaxing or at parties where she glows like a Northern star. Intrigued by how she maintains her graceful carriage and sophisticated visage amidst the tortuous terrain of the maritime industry, The crew of nigeriamaritime 360.com caught up with Ada at Tin Can Island Port where she chases after her clients’ containers.

How I relax outside the rowdy port environment I work
Once am through with the madness playing out on the Lagos port access road, I completely erase the sickening scene from my mind. When I get to the house, I shower and settle down to read which usually calm all the tension I have previously gone through at the port.

I also relax my nerves by going to the gym to engage in exercise. I listen to news because of my interest in current affairs. I also chat with people as I have many people around me, there is no dull moment.

I even cook even though I don’t eat much, but I get a big kick out of cooking for the whole house. This for me is a form of taking the tension of Apapa port out of my blood stream.

How does the Apapa road bottlenecks affect my job
It goes without saying that the bottleneck affects my job. The psychological trauma which the traffic gridlock engenders is enough to give one high blood pressure.

Every morning, when I wake up and I remember the road and the numbers of trailers and other articulated vehicles I have to struggle with before I get to my office, I usually grow the goose pimples. It’s traumatic. But what keeps me on is the need to keep body and soul together which is a matter of necessity.

The traumatic experience is enough to kill one’s spirit but as I said earlier, life must go on.

How does she manage to still look radiant and fit despite the traumatic experience she goes through everyday on Apapa road.
It is a thing of the mind. It depends on your mindset. Perception is also key to how I keep going despite the intimidating port environment.
What I do is that I refuse to see the problem posed daily by the Apapa road. I completely ignore it as if it does not exist. By this, I don’t allow it to weigh me down or spoil my mood. I carry with my job as if nothing is amiss.

I always carry the image that I am happy and relaxed despite the challenges. Basically, it is my perception which has helped me to keep my mind in the face of the terrible experience one goes through daily on the Apapa port road.

I do comfort myself with the thought that there is no gain without pain and after the excruciating experience, am going to relax and enjoy the fruit of my labour.

Being a good cook, what is her special delicacies
I like native food. I like vegetable soup, Afan soup, Edikaekan, bitter leave soup and so on. Because I schooled in Calabar, I learnt to cook and eat their local delicacies and I like their aroma.
I also eat amala. I learnt how to prepare amala as well.

When she is not in Tin Can and Apapa ports, running after containers,
where can we find her
Basically, I am an indoor person. I stay and relax more at home. Even though I attend parties, but I do that sparingly now since I am not getting any younger and the terrible traffic on the road all over Lagos has in recent times discouraged me from going out as often as I used to do. The Apapa road trauma has really affected my appetite for outdoor events. Having gone through the stress of Apapa ports from Monday to Friday, I can’t afford to engage in another round of stress which the Lagos roads offer on weekend.

So I use my weekend to relax at home, I only go to very important social outings these days, especially with people who are close to me.

Her relationship with other members of her family
I have a wonderful relationship with members of my family, especially, my children who normally wanted me to take them to interesting places they must have found out on the social media for holiday.
It may be within the country or outside the country. At times, we go together while some other times, they go on their own.

Her favourite colours
I love white, brown, purple and blue. Basically, I love not too bright and too dull colours, something subtle to the eyes.
I love fashion and am a lover of jewelries and a perfume freak. I have a large collection of them. I take particular details on how I look. I like to look clean in and out.

I detoxify my body system, I do lot of exercise to keep my shape. That is why I take a lot of vegetable and some of these native soups which are very good for the body.

You need to mind what you eat as you are ageing. There must be a change in your lifestyle to keep you fit at all times. I don’t indulge in sugary things like cake as I used to do before.
Now I carefully chose what I put into my system. Also I chose what I drink. I don’t take carbonated drinks like before. I take bitter stuff to detoxify my body system.

How does she maintain her youthful looks despite her age
I am positive –minded person. I purge my mind of any negative thinking. Nothing bothers me. I am a practical person and as free as a bird.
As an ardent believer in God, I don’t allow challenges to weigh me down. I believe whatever comes my way is the will of God because I worship Him in truth and spirit.

I don’t allow myself to be under undue pressure. I take things as they come. That keeps me going and makes me young at heart.

What turns her on
I like responsible people, who are God-fearing, humble and truthful. I love to see people happy. I can’t afford to stay in a miserable environment. I love charity. Its gives me joy to put smiles on people’s face as much as my little resources can allow me.

I am a philanthropist even though you will not see me on the pages of newspapers, on Television or on social media to display this. I wish I could get more to touch the lives of people around me. All these give me a delightful kick.

What turns her off
Lies, deceit. I detest people who tell lies with a passion. No matter how close you are to me, even if I call you my sister or brother, the moment I discover that you live a fake life, full of lies, I will run and never look back.
A woman who does not have integrity and lacks self -control puts me off.

Is it not an ironic situation that given those attributes which put you on and off, you find yourself in a profession which people believed are populated by those who lack integrity and whose stock in trade is lies and deceit, the very character you detests

(Nods her agreement)Now you are coming back to an area where you don’t want us to discuss. If I delve into this discussion, that means nobody will be a politician in Nigeria.

Some schools even go to the extent of organizing cheating for their students in order to pass and if you look at that, nobody will want to go to school.

We are discussing my life outside the port environment so let us restrict our discussion to that.
If we go into that topic you raised, everybody is guilty. The day we chose to discuss the topic, I will tell you the circumstances surrounding some of the conduct of an average Customs broker and why he does some of the things he does which ordinarily he may not want to do but because of the circumstance he finds himself.

How many of her children follow her glamorous world
Fortunately or unfortunately, none. They are all very conservative especially my first daughter who is influenced by the place she schooled. Their upbringing in the way of God probably contributed to their conservative approach to fashion.

My own sense of fashion too is different from what some people call fashion. I dress responsibly and reasonably, which is moderate and appropriate to my age and belief.
If viewed in that regards, I can say my children are conservatively fashionable.

What influences her sense of dressing
It depends on combination of factors. I put on what my mood dictates at times. At another times, what I put on depends on where I am going, the social functions I want to attend.

What i will put on when I am going to church will be different from what I put on when I am going to parties, which also will varies according to the type of social gatherings.
I don’t allow the trend in fashion to influence me. I don’t go with the crowd, I like to stand out of the crowd, distinct, unique.

I don’t dress to impress or please anybody but put on what makes me happy and what I am comfortable in.