Pat Adakpor’s mum taught us as kids in the Iconic missionary catholic school on Airport Road, Benin city, called Emotan Primary School. Kate Adakpor was one of the eloquent Nigerian teachers who worked in a predominantly white English run school. She was beautiful, posh, and caring. She is etched in our mind of her students as the loveliest teacher we could remember from 1985. Incidentally her daughter, Pat Adakpor, was also one of her students in 1985.
39 years on and her daughter, Pat Adakpor, is doing the same as her mum. Patience Adakpor has remained in Edo State with her family as she did not travel to the diaspora like most of her classmates. She has organised former Emotan classmates in Diaspora to do much for the Emotan Primary School, Benin city. From books, new toilets, meals for the students, fencing, etc Pat Adakpor has organised these for Emotan primary school through rallying the Emotan diaspora students who were taught by her mum.
Pat has also been the head of our Emotan 85 Whatsapp group which consist of students taught by her mum 39 years ago living in the diaspora and at home, Edo State. She is our organiser and mother of the group caring for each one of us in diaspora and at home with equal measure.
The re-union evening on 15th September 2024 at Mez Lounge, London was organised by Mr Uyi Okundaye. Pat Adakpor was the surprise of the night as many in the diaspora Emotan group did not know she was attending. On the night Pat was interviewed by Josephine Woghiren Ejele from the Right Direction show as part of the occasion. They talked about the state of things in Edo State and Pat’s life at home with almost all her childhood friend’s resident in the diaspora.
There were emotional speeches from classmates who attended and have not seen Pat for over 25 years since they were kids in Benin city. There were lovely performances for the “Hunger in the Land” charity drive organised by Edo Connect. All in all, it was a fantastic night with food, cocktails, Karaoke and old school music, DJ provided by Mez Lounge.
Emotan Primary school has produced a lot of great people for Edo State, Nigeria and around the world. The school is still in its original premises in Airport Road and original friendships formed then are mainly still alive and intact all over the world.
The video of the welcoming Pat Adakpor in London by Emotan 85 will be out this weekend on youtube/edoconnect.
- Special thanks to our patron of the day Mr Uyi Okundaye for a wonderful organisation.
The Editor