A woman of integrity, she believes you make a statement with what you do; the way you dress, speak, walk and so on. Her integrity means so much to her that she does not tolerate anything that

will bring it to question. Her medical doctor father, Dr. Russell A. Barau Dikko and her nurse mother, Mrs. Comfort Grace Dikko-Barau lived by their faith, Christianity. Apart from integrity, they also taught their children lessons in truthfulness, trustworthiness and contentment.

These virtues have helped her to reach the top of the ladder career wise. Now a Member, Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria (ICCON ) and Patron, Chemical Society of Nigeria (CSN), she was  a member of the Governing Council and Vice Chancellor Selection Committee,  University of Calabar, Nigeria, that of the University of Benin, Benin City, and member, Governing Council, University of Port Harcourt. She was also the Chairman, Students’ Welfare Committee, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Chairman, Educational Trust Fund, Anglican Diocese of Kaduna. A member of the Kaduna State Christian Pilgrims’ Welfare Board, she is the Vice President, Northern States Christian Elders’ Forum and the Chairman, Diocesan Education Board, Anglican Diocese of Kaduna. The Chief Executive, Sami – Girl Enterprises, an educational and recreational facility consultants, who is also the Acting Director, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Kaduna Campus and a member of NOUN University Council, Dr. (Mrs.) Saratu Binta Dikko-Audu relives her growing up years.

Integrity is the watchword
Three of the main lessons I learnt from my parents are, truthfulness, integrity and contentment. Integrity meant so much to father and he would not compromise it for anything. My parents lived by the tenets of their faith and I learnt from them that the Bible should dictate what I do. Father did not like to beat; the most he did was to give one a big slap at the back of the head. Whenever we did anything wrong, he talked to us and made us realise how and where we went wrong. Mum was the disciplinarian and she obeyed father’s wish that she stayed at home to take care of us. Despite the fact that she had a career, she was at home throughout, till we all left home, and by the time we all went our ways, she could not go back to work again. Mother was the disciplinarian in the home and because she did not engage in any work while raising us, she had enough time to love and care for us. I quarrelled a lot with my immediate younger sister, Rehe Jemimah, and mum used to beat me because, according to her, I was older and should be able to manage the situation without allowing it to degenerate into rancour.

The wrapper and the short tight skirt
I was quite fashionable as a youngster so, when I see children dress anyhow nowadays, I think of how I can change them. I had one experience with my mother that inculcated in me, the sense of decent dressing. Mum made a wrapper and Okotieh Ebo (blouse with long sleeve) for me and one day, I took the wrapper and gave to the tailor to cut into skirt and blouse. The skirt was short and tight and the day I wore it, as I was coming down the stairs, mum saw me and just said: “What is this? Who gave you permission to change the wrapper to blouse?” She was very furious and I got punished for it. After that, I never went out in skimpy dresses and the youths of today should know that they are making a statement with their dressing, telling the world whether they are responsible or not.

The teacher and her big cane
My parents did a lot more of talking to us than beating and this I imbibed. When I was a primary school teacher, I had a huge cane which I carried around but it never came down on anybody. The Bible says we should not spare the rod so that we don’t spoil the child and I believe that was what my mum applied to support the counselling they gave us.

Pranks
The rule in our home was that when you went out, you must be back by 6p.m. There was a time I went to a friend’s party and I did not leave there before six. In order to avoid punishment for coming late at home, I set my wristwatch backwards to 5.55p.m. and when father accosted me I ‘innocently’ told him I was early because it was not yet six. He did not believe me but he only chided me and even at that, I never came back home late again. There was also a time mum allowed me to follow my brothers to the Girl Guide Show and after the show, instead of going home, my brothers said they wanted to watch Indian film. We got home so late that day, around 11p.m., but I could not tell mum where we went because my brothers had drilled me to say the Girl Guide Show was mostly traditional dancing and therefore, took a long time. We were punished.

The bullies
I started my education at St. George’s Primary School, Zaria, where I read the ABC Class, and I was very excited about going to school – The fact that I would dress in the uniform, pick up my box and go with the others. Later, I joined the Holy Trinity School at Kano and had my nursery education there, which were Classes 1 and 2, the one before Standard 1. In the school, I just woke up one morning and said I did not want to go to school again. There were some bullies in the school who harassed me, they stole my shoes, books and so on and I just didn’t want to go again. That was after two years in the school and my mum told me, “you don’t quit school when you are young, not for any bully, nor for any other thing.” I stayed and surprisingly, the bullies and I ended up being great friends. From Holy Trinity, I moved to St. Michael’s School, Kaduna, in 1958, because father was transferred a lot. The Anglican Communion later established a girls’ school and I went to the Anglican Girls’ School, near the stadium, to read Standard 6.

We thought Denise Robins was a woman
I was among the first set at Anglican Girls’ Secondary School (January 1961 to December 1965) and strike was not known then; my father would not believe that it was possible, but the Nigerian mentality has changed and everybody puts personal interest above every other thing. The school later became St. Faith’s College before the government took over and it became Government Girls’ Secondary School, Kawo, Kaduna. Thirty students were admitted into the college but 23 of us finished. Our principal, Miss Harvey, treated us like her children. We went to St. Peter’s College one day to watch a film and by the time we came back, we were hungry; it was late and the cooks had left so, the principal gave us garri and sugar from her house.

I was the prefect in charge of the principal’s office and the television room. Sonny Okogwu used to anchor a show called ‘In the Mood,’ on the Broadcasting Corporation of Northern Nigeria (BCNN) and we loved to watch it. Lights out was by 9 o’clock so, we secretly moved the TV into our room and covered it with wrapper so that the authorities would not know we were watching TV after lights out. I read a lot of novels in school because we had groups and you passed a novel to another person after reading. We loved reading romantic novels, which were forbidden, and Denise Robins was a popular author. As the prefect, I cleaned the principal’s office and anytime a book was seized, the principal kept it inside a box in her office. However, I colluded with my friends and gave them the seized books to finish reading before returning them into the box again. We did this throughout and we were never caught.

The cadaver and the student doctor
When I got admission into the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, there were few female students and we were two in a room while the seniors had a room to one person. I was admitted to read Medicine; I wanted to be a doctor, but I could not face the cadaver. I don’t like looking at dead bodies and after working on the cadaver, I would not be able to eat. After two weeks, I ran away from the course. After that incident, I had the option of reading Zoology, Botany or Chemistry; I picked Chemistry because of the challenge and I am more mathematically inclined; I could have read Architecture or Engineering, because I love solving problems – I love working on things. Eventually, I was the one who handled electrical appliances in the house because my husband, James Audu (now late), who was with the NTA and a literary person, wouldn’t touch them.

Favourite Bible story
Samson and Delilah. I was fascinated by how Samson prayed that last time and his power returned. God is merciful, but it teaches us that you have to bear the consequences of your actions. If you are going to disobey any law, be prepared for the consequences; before you take any action, weigh the consequences. That story helped me to be on the right side of the law.

Hobby
I bake a lot and I have a bakery book; I also love travelling, meeting people and cookery.

Philosophy
Human beings are made in the image of God so, treat people the way you would want them to treat you; do unto others as you would want them do unto you.