The saying that what an elder sees while sitting on a chair, a child, even if they climb to the tallest mountain, would never see it, aptly sums up Ejirooghene Obareki, the mother of Branama Queen, Kefee Don Momoh’s non-support for her daughter’s first marriage to producer, Alec Godwin.
Speaking in the episode of the Supermom Celebrity edition which would be aired this weekend, Kefee recalls that contrary to her expectations, her mum, whom she had enjoyed a robust relationship with from infancy, demurred when she informed her about her choice of husband.
“She was not in support of the marriage from the outset but because she wanted me to be happy, she consented grudgingly,” Kefee says. As time went by, Kefee’s mum’s fears came to pass as the marriage broke down irretrievably. On her return home, and much to her consternation, “My mum welcomed me with open arms and encouraged me to see what happened as a part of life.
She also urged me to go back to Lagos and focus on my career so that I could be a bigger and more respected star. If not for her encouragement and support, I can’t say what would have become of my career,” Kefee says. In her recollection of the trials and tribulations of the past, which have combined to make Kefee a strong personality and a musical force, the older Obareki recalls that she went through a lot raising the singer and her other kids.
According to the matriarch, Kefee almost lost her life years back while growing up.
As a devoted Christian, the family was to fast every Friday. Then, one day, Kefee slumped and was unconscious for six days. Considering that she had lost a child before, Obareki couldn’t bear the pain of losing another one, and not Kefee. “I would roll on the ground, crying and praying that God should restore my child to good health,” she recalls.
Obareki’s story is touching, and she did not mince words telling it all on the Supermom Celebrity show. Paired with Kefee’s mom in this week’s episode is Cecilia Awotoye, the mother of one of Nigeria’s hip hop pioneers, Tony Tetuila, who tells the heart-rending story of how she succeeded in raising her children, especially Tetuila, against all odds.
According to her, although things had been tough generally for the family, the worst of her ordeals started when she noticed a lump growing on Tetuila’s chest.
“I cried every time I looked at him. I prayed endlessly to God to spare his life and I didn’t give up hope.” As any caring mother would, she took him to the places she could afford but no remedy came through until she visited the General Hospital in Ojuelegba, Lagos.
There, he was operated on. But her ordeal was not over. Months later, just when she was beginning to rejoice at his recovery, she realised the kid who would later become Africa’s music golden son couldn’t walk. “We started visiting hospitals again and every time a doctor said my son would never walk, I prayed and cried to God.
I never stopped telling them that my son would walk again! There was one day I was returning to the hospital and I had to trek all the way with him on my back because there was no means of transportation; former Head of State, Mohammed Murtala had just died and there was a bit of unrest in the country then.”
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