Mary Slessor, the twins saviour lives on

Mary Slessor, the twins saviour who is today the life giver of twins and multiple birth children born in Nigeria is alive though dead. She lives on in the lives of twins she rescued and adopted as her children, their biological mothers who were treated as outcast because they gave birth to twins, as well as her converts, students, adherents, and lovers.

Slessor, the Scottish missionary defied the odds and lived for over 28 years among the Ibibio and Efik people in the then Calabar axis of the Southern Protectorate of Nigeria.

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Monuments erected as legacies in her memory dot the area where she worked, lived and died in  Use Ikot Oku village in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.

At the hilly area of Use Ikot Oku village where ‘Mma Slessor’ as she was called lived, a sign post bearing ‘Mary Slessor’s Memorial Cairn, died 1915’ welcomes visitors to the place where the missionary lived.

A set of steps is used to access the fenced off  area containing an anthill monument with the inscription, “This cairn marks the site of the house of Miss Mary Slessor, pioneer Scottish missionary, who died here on 13th January 1915”.

Beside it is a sitting statue possibly of Mma Slessor carrying two children on her right and left handside. The statue which was erected by the Twins Alive foundation has the written statement, “100 years, 1915 – 2015. Memorial for Mma Mary M Slessor (B. Dec. 2, 1848;  D. Jan. 13, 1915). A woman who changed the course of history for twins and people of triple birth. You are greatly treasured. Your life was melody to all you met” engraved on the base of the statue.

It was gathered that Mma Slessor left Calabar main town to Okoyong, both in Cross River State where she first resided but in the course of her missionary work, moved to Use Ikot Oku in Akwa Ibom State where she lived permanently till her death.

An Elder of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, the home Church of Slessor, Obong Okon Usungurua, an indigene of Use Ikot Oku village and 75-year-old Ambassador of Peace, who was opportuned to have met with some of the adopted children of Mma, told our correspondent that Slessor was more than just a missionary.

He said Mma was a mother, a teacher, a court president, and a Consul of the Southern Protectorate of Nigeria who traversed the area as far as Arochukwu in Abia State preaching the gospel.

“Mary Slessor came from Scotland to Calabar and then moved to Okoyong. She stayed at Calabar and even built a wooden storey building house there but now they are trying to renovate that place.

“After that, She left Okoyong to Use Ikot Oku. From Ikot Obong village where you have the district court sign board to Use Ikot Oku where you have the bridge, that bounds Ibiono Ibom and Itu local government areas, her tombstone is about half a kilometre from here. She lived there, though I didn’t see her physically.

“I have had her oral history from one of our longest Chief, Chief Etim Udoudo who reigned over 30 years. That man even sang the song the woman sang before she died. I have gotten the history from my grand father’s second wife, Adiaha Akpan Usung (nee Adiaha Akpan Ekarika). She told me stories about her. I have also gotten oral evidence from one of the twins that she nurtured, late Elder Mrs Ceecee Akpaninyang who happened to be my aunt.

“The woman stayed here and worked. She built her house on that hill, that was her base. According to Chief Udoudo, she used to move and she was carried on what was called ‘amake’, a sort of swing, where young men would put her on their shoulders and travel across this bridge through Arochukwu. The bridge links Atan, Onoyom to Arochukwu to Ikpe Ikot Nkon; that was the route she used to travel,” he stated.

According to Elder Usungurua, it was during one of such trips that Mma stumbled on the Long juju shrine where people were used for sacrifice. Mma Slessor was said to have informed the British government of the activity there which led to the destruction of the shrine.

Mma as Mother and Teacher

Mary Slessor did not marry and had no biological children of her own but she became a mother when she adopted twins children condemned to death. She not only stopped the practice of killing twins, she was said to have also adopted the mothers of twins who were often ostracized by the community because they gave birth to twins.

It was learnt that Mma gathered the children and their mothers and taught them arithmetic using the seeds of the rubber trees she had planted in the place where she lived. In fact, her love for education led her to establish the first primary school in Use Ikot Oku village in 1895.

Since then, some persons have immortalised her by establishing and naming schools after her. One of such schools is the Mary Slessor College in Ikot Obong in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area established by the Presbyterian Church.

According to Elder Usungurua, “the primary school here was established by her in 1895 and has produced professors from various tribes – Ibibio, Ijaw, Yoruba, Igbo, Efik etc who schooled there.

“She established the school, took care of twins and their mothers, fought against the killing of twins and their mothers. The culture of our people then was that when women gave birth to twins, she would be ostracized, and put in a different place.

“We were told that our people didn’t have the courage to slaughter the twins, rather, they would send them away to the forest. They would remain in the forest, cry and then die, while their mother would not be allowed to drink from the same water that other women drank.

“One of the first elders she ordained here was late Elder Ikot Udofia Ewe. I didn’t meet him alive but I have seen his eldest son who was also ordained an elder of the Presbyterian Church.

“She also gave arms to the mothers, and taught them how to read and write arithmetic. She planted the rubber you see at the place where she lived, to use the seeds to teach the people counting.

“She was instrumental to the establishment of Mary Slessor Hospital in Itu. Ikot Obong village established a school in her name. Her own daughter, Dr Mrs Noah established Mary Slessor Secondary School in her name in Okpoedi,” he revealed.

Mma as Court President

Mary Slessor was also the first Court President appointed by the British Government to adjudicate in disputes brought to the court then.

It was gathered that she presided over the court in Ikot Obong village and in dispute matters involving a man and a woman brought to her in court, she always favoured the woman. This led to the court being nicknamed the ‘court where no woman loses.”

“She combined religious activities with politics because government is political. Because of her good services, the British government made her a Consul of the Southern Protectorate of Nigeria. She was also made Court President. She became the first Court President of that Ikot Obong court.

“From the literature I have read about her, when she was the Court President, in any case of ill treatment against a woman that was brought to court, she would do everything to make sure the case favoured the woman. The court has now been crystallised as the court where no woman can lose a case.

“She had interest in this place. In fact, in one of her speeches, she said if we could have about 30 banes (women are called banes in Scotland), she would be very happy, and even if she dies with that, her heart will be gratified,” Elder Usungurua said.

Death and Burial

Mary Slessor was reportedly fascinated with an  anthill she saw during one of her missionary trips. It was learnt that her curiosity led to her being informed that the anthill contained bees that had a queen bee. She instructed that the queen bee be retrieved for her.

According to Usungurua, “We were told that one of the days when she traveled, she saw an anthill on one of the road. When she learnt that the anthill had a queen bee inside, she directed that the anthill be dug and the queen bee was removed.

“The queen bee has a cerated body, and the marks there indicate the number of years. We are told that she was very interested in the queen bee and from that day, all her dressing took the semblance of the queen bee.

“She also told the people that If she died here (Use Ikot Oku), they should raise her tombstone to resemble that of the anthill. That is why you see that tombstone resembling an anthill”.

Mma Slessor died in her house on January 13th, 1915 in Use Ikot Oku. Historically, it is said that she had instructed that she should be buried in the village when she died. However, the British government took her corpse to Calabar, Cross River state, which was then the headquarters of the Colonial government and buried her at the Hawkins Cemetery there.

Elder Usungurua indicates that the process of transporting her corpse to Calabar was not an easy one. According to him, “We were told that on a Sunday, after she had conducted service  and her adherents went home, she was with the twins and their mothers on the hill when a mad dog went up there and bite her.

“When she raised alarm, before people could rush to find out what happened, the dog vanished. We assume it was diabolical.

“We were also told that she had instructed that when she dies, she should be buried here (Use Ikot Oku) but when she died, the Briitsh government in power forcibly took her corpse to Calabar for burial.

“We have been authentically informed that when the corpse was put in the ship, the ship didn’t move even though the captain tried many times. It was not until the first Elder (Ikot Udofia Ewe) she ordained, and other people went into the ship and spoke to the corpse, saying: “Mma it is not our fault, your European brothers do not agree that you should be buried here as you instructed. Please don’t make any trouble again, we will follow you to see where you are buried”.

“Immediately, they said that, the captain of the ship started the ship and the ship moved smoothly and fast to Calabar and the corpse was taken to Hawkins Cemetery, where she was buried”.

Mary Slessor’s Legacies

Aside schools which have been used to immortalised Mary Slessor, the Akwa Ibom State Government also named the Mary Slessor General Hospital in Itu after her.

The people of Use Ikot Oku annually celebrate the birth and death of the ‘saviour of twins’. According to Usungurua, “She stayed here for over 28 years before she died. She died January 13 and we always celebrate that day. Twins Alive celebrate her birthday on 2nd December. Those two dates are very important to us here. Even if we don’t do anything, we will go there and pray”.

He further revealed that former Akwa Ibom State governors, notably, Obong Victor Attah had visited the place were Mma lived severally, with the intention of turning it to a tourists centre.

Also speaking on sustaining the legacies of Mma, Rt. Rev. Umoren Ekpenyong, Minister in charge of Presbyterian Church, Use Ikot Oku village said the Church was making efforts to build a Chapel on the place where Mma lived.

“As a church, we have approached the state government through three governors on several occasions to help turn the place where Mma lived to a tourist centre but they have not been able to do so till now.

“Last year, His Eminence, Rev. Nsie Nsie, the General Assembly Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Nigeria said he would use his office to build a Chapel in the place where Mma Slessor lived.

“When the plan filtered into the ears of Dr Glory Edet, the Commisioner of Agriculture, she opted to take over the building of the chapel on behalf of the Church. She said Mary Slessor became her aunt because she stayed in their house.

“We have started clearing the site and in no distance time, we expect a grader to come in to kick start the work,” he stated.

It is hoped that efforts to keep the memories of Mary Slessor alive will not only tell generations unborn of the story of a woman who abadoned her family, kindred and nation to a foreign land to save twins, but inculcate in people, the essence of selfless service to humanity.