She is blunt, strong willed, dedicated and a loving mother of two adorable children. Agatha Amata is the presenter and producer of the popular television talk show ‘Inside Out with Agatha’. She spoke with us recently on her childhood days, her programme and why she is stingy to herself.
Let’s meet you?
My name is Agatha Amata, I am 42 years old and a mother of two children. I present and produce television talk show “Inside Out with Agatha” which I have been doing this for 14 years.
How far has this programme touched the life’s of people or helped solve basic issues been discussed on the programme?
Here is what I will say to that. I think Inside Out is a school. It gives you an education that no school can give you. Even I learn everyday and I hear incredible things everyday. So if for me who is out there in the public, if I can still learn things from the programme, then, I would have to believe that other people will do the same. And the response we get when we do certain issues, topical issues, we hear incredible things and we get commendations through the social networks. So I would like to think that the purpose for which the programme is somehow been fulfilled.
How was your transition period from girlhood to womanhood?
This was what I realized when I turned 40. I suddenly realized that I have really changed. When I was younger, I use to be very crazy about designer, make up, fashion and all that. Now I see my son everything he wants to wear must have a name. I can wear a N50 top and I am happy. I realize that my sense of what is important has changed, my sense of the need to impress other people is gone, I think when you leave girlhood to womanhood and you come to a realization of who you are, you are a lot more at peace. You don’t feel the need to impress anybody; you don’t feel the need to make anybody like you. I think that is the most important thing that has happened for me. I can be myself a 100% anywhere. If you are angry, you are on your own. I am comfortable in my own skin that is what my transition has done for me.
What advice would you give to women politicians in office?
It is not even just women but human beings; there is a purpose for which everybody was created. And that when you get there, you should realise that it is service above self. The politicians, let me not even lay emphasis on women, have forgotten that at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how rich you are. You can’t be so rich that you can drive two cars at once, you cannot be so rich that you cannot die one day, you cannot be so rich that you buy 15 mansions and sleep in all at the same time. You can only sleep in one room and one bed. And what posterity will remember you for is what you have done for the society, what you have done with the opportunity you have been given.
As a mother, as a woman, you are suppose to be a nurturer and a giver of life that is what God has ordained women to do. And so if you are not able to use a position that you have been given to achieve that, I believe you have failed as a human being. That is what they should always keep in mind. It does not matter where you are, the higher you are, the higher the responsibility on you is. It is not an opportunity to grab because at the end of the day, where are the Abacha’s of this world? Where are all their millions? What can you possibly do with it? Six feet under is where you are going. Where is Ibori today? Where is his wife? You have so much money that you become a fugitive in your own country. Then, what is the essence of the money? What have you gained really? You have all that million, you cant’t even come back home. It doesn’t make sense.
What are those fun childhood memories you had that once you remember them you just smile to yourself?
Oh, I remember I use to be a very serious tomboy. I use to be a goal keeper for my brothers and their friends. I remember playing football, roller skating, skate boarding and all those things that boys do, I use to do them. We had play time.
I remember following my mother to Ikoyi hotel when she was the head of the catering section and just eating plenty of junk food. I remember when 1004 was just sand, that was where we used to carry our skate board to because there was white sand everywhere and just skate boarding. Those were really nice memories.
Everybody has one fear or the other. What is your greatest fear in life?
My greatest fear is not being useful to myself and my society, not being able to use my life meaningfully. My prayer everyday when I wake up is Lord use me to achieve whatever it is you want me to achieve today. Because I believe that a life that doesn’t have any impact is a useless life. It does not have to be on a wide scale, even if it is just to the person next to you, that is the purpose for living. We are supposed to represent God on earth. I am not a very religious person but that is my honest belief that every one of us is supposed to be representing God, He can’t come down but He would use men. I am able to be used as a tool to be able to make a difference wherever I find myself.
What do you think is the misconception people have about you?
I absolutely have no idea. I think one, people believe that I am into fashion that is the greatest joke of the century because I really am not, I am very anti social. I get home for 6pm and I sleep at 9pm. I don’t do parties, I don’t go clubbing. I am trying to change though because my children are adults now. But, I don’t know how to change. I don’t know why people see me as some fashion person. I like to be comfortable. Maybe because I am on television and they see all that make up that other people have done for me and clothes that people have given me, so people are under the impression that I am very fashionable or fashion conscious. Anything that I have that is a designer, somebody gave it to me. I am too stingy to use my money to buy it, except it has to do with my children.
Why are you stingy to yourself?
I think that is because of the kind of things I have seen and heard in my life time which I give to God for. You would not spend money on irrelevant things. I have seen a mother and a daughter come into my office and said they slept outside over night on the bridge for N15, 000 house rent, N15, 000 one room for one year and I ask myself, every time I want to buy something now or do something that I consider frivolous, I say do you know how many people are looking for this money Agatha? Forget that thing. But you see, there is also something I have realized, the more I don’t spend on those things, the more I get them. People give me, I have more than I need and I don’t buy them. I’d rather pay a child’s school fee that is N20, 000 than buy a bag that is N20, 000. That is why I said I have reached the age now where I think I know who I am; I don’t feel the need to impress anybody. I am happy with the simple things now and that is how I live my life now.
How is your normal like?
Because my mother trained me to wake up early, I wake up between 4 and 5 am every morning, work out, get ready, get to the office, finish at the office and 6pm am home. When I get home, if I like I eat or I don’t eat, watch television and by 9pm, I shut down and sleep till the next morning.
How do you relax?
I sleep, I sleep, my son will say, mummy you can sleep for Jesus. I can sleep because I am always on my feet when am working and sometimes a lot of mental things go on. And I hear so many things; you try to do the bit you can. If I have my way, I won’t attend anything on weekends or go anywhere outside working hours. So once I get home and close my gate, hmmm, bomb blast that is what it will take to bring me out of my house because am happy being at home. I watch movies a lot; once in a while the way I relax is to also go to the cinema because I am also into movies. So, it is movies, home, watch television, sleep, read, games, anything that would keep me on my bed. My bed is my best friend.
What is it about womanhood that makes you happy?
I believe that being a woman is a privilege because like I said, we are the giver of life. God has placed in us something that makes you a nurturer. We are the continuation of existence that is the best way to put it. Without women, there would be no men, there will be no future, there will be no tomorrow because God has placed in us the ability to bring out the ones that will serve for tomorrow which makes us extra special and a lot of the time as women, I think we forget that that is the primary purpose. It is not the only purpose, it is the primary purpose.
So if you decide that you are going to have children, you have a responsibility. I tell my children, I owe you, you don’t owe me but you owe your children. So, whatever I am doing for you, my aim is that you will do better for your own children. I can forfeit anything for my children, I can let go of anything to make sure they have the best because I believe that they would be able to do better than me for their own children. That is what life is about and I think it is a privileged. When I see my son or my daughter, I say to myself, so I gave birth to this man because he is much taller than me, the same thing goes for my daughter who just finished JSS, It is a thing of joy. It is only a woman who can say to you I carried this child for nine months, gave birth to this child who is now an adult.
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