‘Beauty and brain’ is an understatement if she must to be described. A Mass
Communication undergraduate, multi-talented Miss Pamela Ebo has a distinct drive for vocational skills. The C.E.O. of Glitz Events, a fully registered event company, Pamela is an event planner, event decorator, caterer, singer and a professional dancer.
That’s not all of course. She also has a heart of gold. Little wonder when the International Inner-Wheel recently established new generation clubs for younger ladies she was sworn-in as the Charter President of the Inner Wheel Club of Eko in Lagos. Here she unveils her plans for her tenure as President of the Inner Wheel Club of Eko and also shares her love for her various talents.
I’m presently a part-time 400 level Mass Communications student at the Lagos State University. I am also into event planning, event decoration, catering and small chops. Again, I’m into music; I’m in a female group of three called Iban,
and we’re under List Entertainment which is managed by Sunday Ary.
Why I joined Inner-Wheel
I joined Inner Wheel because I was born into it. My mum was a past president of her club, a charter secretary and now the District Editor of Inner Wheel District 911. My dad too is a Rotarian. Also, I used to attend induction ceremonies with my mum. Inner Wheel is a non-governmental, non-political and non-religious international organization which caters for the less privileged, the aged and all who I would say, are not as privileged as you and I.
It’s a club that promotes true friendship; it has its members all over the world and they recognize one another as sisters whenever and wherever they meet. Inner Wheel helps connect people together. We are also on Facebook.
Agenda for tenure
As part of my project for my tenure as the President of the Inner-Wheel Club of Eko, I plan to boost awareness on cervical cancer and kidney diseases. My executives and I plan to invite a doctor who will come give a talk on the diseases and we shall also give out flyers. We shall conduct free cervical screening. For kidney also, we shall invite a doctor to come give a lecture on kidney diseases so that people would know the causes of kidney problems, the symptoms and how to prevent them.
It grieves me when women suffer from cervical cancer because my grand mum actually died of the disease three years ago at the age of seventy-five. We saw her bleeding and we just couldn’t understand what was wrong. We all thought it was ovarian cancer.
It was quite late when we found out that it was cervical cancer. She was having backache, unusual bleeding and all the other symptoms of cervical cancer. The most terrible fact about the disease is that it is no respecter of age; it shortens one’s life-span and could happen to a fifteen year old girl, twenty year old, just name it. Normally people think it only infects older women but in recent times we’ve all seen that claim debunked with young people dying of cervical cancer all around the world.
My schedule is always very tight because on a normal day, I go to work in the morning and then to school in the evening. Nevertheless, I am determined to make my tenure a success and always make out time for our club meetings.
My various skills
I used to work in an event planning company as an usher and later, a protocol officer. Suddenly, I found that I possess a flair for creative designs and decoration. Afterwards when I had left the company, I went for training in event decoration. Subsequently, I also went for training in catering, small chops and event planning. Now I’m happy to say that I can put up a total wedding.
For music, I would say I went into music because it’s my hobby. I have been composing and writing songs since I was a small child. I’ve also been attending dance classes.
Lapses in the Nigerian system
I know how tough the society is; it scarcely gives young ones the opportunity to showcase themselves. In America, even while in college, you can work. The classes are structured in a way that you are able to earn some money for yourself. But here, there’s nothing like a worthwhile six hours job; all jobs are above eight hours. Even the university fees are extremely high; except for a few federal schools.
Some claim that it is normal for fees to be extremely high in state universities but I see no sense in that! Like myself, I’m a part-time student of the Lagos State University and like have stated earlier, I’m also an entrepreneur. Because I run a fully registered company, I pay my tax. Yet, I still pay such an incredible amount of school fees! That’s ridiculous! I agree that it is our civic responsibility to pay taxes, but what is the essence if it cannot be used to reduce our educational burden as it is done in other countries?
The fees in state schools are too expensive and I think we need to start thinking about young people who are willing to be educated but are maybe indigent. Some students don’t have parents to take care of them, not to even talk about paying their school fees. If we continue to be inconsiderate, crime will remain on the increase.
However, I must admit that foryoung people who are ready to strive honestly, the sky is the limit. I have a father and a mother who are comfortable, but I prefer to be an independent person. There are times I wouldn’t even have money to go out, but you know, determination has always helped me. Meanwhile, some people will have maybe ten thousand naira and will quickly go spend it on worthless things, instead of investing it somewhere.
I remember when I was saving five hundred naira, one-thousand naira and infact everything I could save until I was able to register my own company, Glitz Event, last year. I could have as well spent all those money on frivolities!
Advice for young people
For my fellow young people who are willing to strive, I want to say it is a gradual process. You mustn’t start big; I started small. If it’s event decoration, you don’t have to charge your client ridiculously high, when you know you’re starting and would really desire to grow. The first job I did was for fifty thousand naira(N50,000)! You could start even smaller than that.
Then if you’re actually good, more people will come and then you can begin to raise up your fee. Now I get called to say, Calabar, Port-Harcourt, etc. to come organize weddings. Young people don’t have to stand in one place and keep crying that there’s no help. Move, and then help will come.’