A former Managing Director of NITEL, Mr. Victor Haffner, who turned 94 on September 1, in this interview with YETUNDE BROWN speaks on his childhood experience, career and other issues
How old are you?
I was 94 on September 1, 2013.
Can you tell us a little about your background?
I was born in Lagos, I went to
elementary school at Christ Church School, Faji, Lagos Island. I was
told that I was a truant even though I can’t remember that. However, I
can recollect that when I was in standard one, I was doing very well, I
later went to a grammar school when I got to standard three. At that
time, there was a preparatory class in grammar school. They were very
strict at Christ School, Faji. There was a teacher in standard two then
called Mr. Sholanke. He was very rough; he used to whip the boys.
Perhaps, I would have been a truant again in standard two but I did so
well in standard one and got a double promotion to standard three. So, I
missed standard two. Ms. Jibowu of blessed memory, the sister to late
Chief Justice Jibowu was a teacher in our school, Mr. Oshibo was the
headmaster. From standard three, I went straight to the preparatory
class in grammar school. We left a record in the school which has not
been broken till today, about 12 of us. I, Akintola Williams and late
Rotimi Williams. After class six, I started working. I worked with
people that were more or less like my father. One had to work overtime
before one could earn £3 a month. I later resigned and went to the
United Kingdom.
Why did you choose to become an engineer?
When I got to the United Kingdom, I was
not sure what I wanted to do, I had learnt music, I could play the
piano, knew the theoretical aspect and was also a choirboy at the
cathedral. I had an option of becoming a professional musician or pursue
another profession which was very dear to my heart. The professions
dear to my heart then were in this order: medicine or engineering. If I
had had enough funds and was supported by my late uncle, I would have
been a doctor today. I decided to study engineering because it was much
cheaper than medicine. After qualifying, I started working with at least
two or three companies in London.
When did you return to Nigeria?
A friend of mine told me to apply for a
post in Nigeria. I hesitated but he begged me to come back home so I
agreed and applied. It was done by the colonial office and it was
dominated by West Indians who favoured those from the West Indies. By
the time I went for the interview, I had already passed class six with
exemption from London Matriculation. I had credits and distinctions in
all the subjects so I had no problem with that. I was already working as
an engineer in London before applying in Nigeria. However, I was not
employed. Since I was working in London, I was not bothered when my
application was not considered in Nigeria. After about six months, I got
a letter of employment from Nigeria. I was put on a salary scale of
£500. The day I got the employment letter was the day I was expected to
send my letter of acceptance if I was interested in the job. So, I
replied and said I had accepted the offer. I waited for another four
months. While waiting, I had to do post graduate training with the
British post office and other companies like Marconi Wireless Telegraph
Company. I did all these because it was part of the conditions given
before I could be employed in Nigeria. I came back to Nigeria in 1956
and was posted to Kano. As a young boy, I had never travelled beyond
Ibadan in the South-West. I was a bachelor so I said I was ready to go
to any part of the country. I went by rail and it took about three days
before I got to Kano. I was there for about 18 months and got
transferred to Lagos. After eight months in Lagos, I was moved to the
directorate headquarters.
What interesting experiences can you remember about your career?
I was at one conference in London when I
was instructed to leave and rush back to Lagos. I didn’t know what
happened and had to, leave London for Lagos. I went to the headquarters
and I was asked to take over Cable and Wireless. Cable and Wireless was
the company that was running external services in Nigeria. And on
January 1, 1963, a new company was incorporated which was Nigerian
Telecommunications Limited in which government had 51 per cent equity
while Cable and Wireless had 49 per cent. I was transferred to the
office in Marina.
I became the Managing Director in 1964
and was responsible for the development programmes. We were doing very
well until 1975 when the military invaded and ruined the system. It was
in Buhari’s regime that the harm was done and the company was joined
with P and T and was named NITEL.
In 1975, I was kicked out of the
company. That was the day the federal public service was dismantled and
many civil servants were dismissed. I became a consultant of a big
corporation called Marobeni which was a big company in Japan. That was
where I made my money from. My pension allowance at NITEL was N128 per
month and at the end, I was denied it completely. I spent 12 years
working as a managing director and yet I was denied my allowance. In
2003, I decided that I had done enough and retired from service. By the
time I was kicked out from the federal public service, I was just 55. As
at the time I left P and T, I was Assistant Engineer-in-Chief.
Thereafter, I became the Chief Executive Managing Director of External
Telecommunication (NITEL).
When did you start raising your family?
I started very late. I got married at
the age of 37 and I had a reason. It was one of two things then in
London: It was either you lived as a bachelor or you married an English
girl. If you didn’t want to marry a white girl, then you would have to
wait until you found a suitable girl from your race. Some people married
while they were studying while some were studying while their wives
were working and paying for everything. I chose to do everything on my
own. I did not get married until I got back to Nigeria and that was in
1957.
How did you meet your wife?
I met her when I was coming back to Nigeria. Coincidentally, we were on the same ship coming to Nigeria
Was she your first girlfriend?
No, she was not my first girlfriend. I used to have so many white girlfriends but I did not want to marry a white lady.
How long did you court before getting married?
We courted for about 15 to 18 months before we finally got married.
How many children do you have?
I have five children, four boys and a girl. They are all independent and are living abroad.
Since you had a passion for medicine, did you encourage any of your children to study it?
No, I did not. But I have other family members who are now doctors.
Is your wife still alive?
No. My wife and I were married for about 50 years before she died of dementia in 2007.
Why do you think marriages do not last nowadays?
There are so many reasons why marriages
crash today. One of the reasons is that if you are a man and you do not
have a girlfriend before, either white or black, you are not likely to
understand the tricks and behaviour of women. If you marry the first
girl you meet, you may be in trouble because you may not know her well
enough to go into marriage. Another reason is if there is no give and
take. You must be very flexible. The two of you cannot always have it
your own way. If you cannot accommodate the behaviour of another person,
there would be problem.
Did you have any challenge while you were in NITEL?
Yes, there were so many challenges while
I was in NITEL. One of problems I had was from the workers. There was a
time they wanted me to leave NITEL and they staged a coup, singing
‘Haffner must go.’ One must be very strict. One also needs to be
straightforward in whatever one does. That way, nobody can allege that
you have committed fraud because investigations will vindicate you.
There are times they can send people to watch what you do. You will not
know. In NITEL, they did that to me.
What was the attitude of workers to government job while you were in there?
They were very cooperative. But it was
important to treat them well. Everybody has a limit, if you underrate
the capability of a person, at the end of the day, there is a tendency
to write such a person off. But when there is limit to which a worker is
expected to perform, such cannot happen. That was what I used to tell
my subordinates especially my chief engineer. He was very brilliant and
couldn’t be faulted. He wanted everybody to be like him but it is not
possible.
What are you hobbies?
My hobbies are reading and music. I like
listening to music, every type of music. I have so many music CDs in my
house. Be it our local musicians like Sunny Ade or Ebenezer Obe. I also
like classical music. My mood determines the kind of music I listen to.
I also take part in the musical aspect of my church. For instance, when
we were to buy a new organ at the cathedral, I was made the chairman of
the fund raising committee. We have just bought a new organ and it is
about the best organ in West Africa. It costs us nearly £1m.
Do you have any favourite food?
I have travelled far and wide. I have
been to so many countries and I have tasted the food of all the
countries I visited. The countries I have not visited are mostly those
in Western Europe and this is because it was difficult to get to that
part of the world then. As somebody who was in the communication field,
we used to have conferences in various countries of the world. So,
because I have eaten food from different continents of the world, I
cannot say that I have a particular food as my favourite.
Do you like sports?
I love watching golf but I don’t play
because I have been involved in a lot of accidents. I watch athletics
and other games like football and crickets. I used to play tennis.
What is your daily routine like now?
I don’t push myself. I regiment myself,
before the end of a day, I decide what I am going to do the next day. I
write down things I want to do and appointments I have in a day. I may
not do it all but I just don’t do things impromptu.
How many siblings do you have?
My parents had four children; I am the third child and the only one still alive.
How was it like growing up in those days?
It was easier growing up then. There
wasn’t much traffic; there weren’t so many vehicles, so you could walk
by the roadside without having any fear that a motorist might knock you
down. Even though, there was public transport, we preferred to trek from
Lagos Island to Ebute Meta. The level of discipline was very high then.
But now, there are more distractions. This is why the youth are easily
distracted. You have television and all sort of games now. But in those
days, we had just gramophone not even stereo.
Where are you from?
I am a Lagosian.
Do you have regrets in life?
No, I don’t have any regrets.
Which day will you describe as your happiest moment?
It depends on the stage in life because
when you feel a particular day is your happiest, another thing may come
up later in life that will make you happier. I think the happiest moment
in one’s life should be when one is able to do what one set out to do.
What do you do to keep fit?
I used to swim because I have a pool in
my house but I can’t swim anymore. I now do more of walking. I walk
around the house and I have to keep my feet down because of arthritis.
Can you say you have lived a fulfilled life?
Of course, I am not sick, for instance, I
have never had malaria. Everybody’s metabolism is not the same and you
need to know your metabolism so that you will know what works for you.
Doctors are very important and we should consult them whenever the need
arises. You should know when something is wrong with you. There are
some sicknesses that can kill if you don’t attend to them immediately,
like prostrate cancer.
Do you still travel abroad?
I have travelled long enough. I do not travel anymore.
How many grandchildren do you have?
I have five grandchildren.
Do you have any painful moment?
Yes, I have, I would say it was when I had an ailment and was hospitalised for a long period.
The
evening was perfect. The planner had done everything to my
specifications. I had always wanted a wedding by the beach with a few
close friends and family in attendance. Country music played softly at
the background. The food and wine was exquisite. And my dress?! Oh my,
it was the most beautiful wedding dress exclusively ever made.