PERSONALITY
OF THE WEEK
HARD
WORK IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS-Evang. Gladys
Miti
By
Augustine Ekamagule and Beatrice
Evangelist Mrs. G. Miti,
a woman per excellence might not be very popular in Ika land but her humility,
honesty, hard work and desire to carve a niche for herself irrespective of the
fact that she is married to a well to do medical doctor who is based in the
United States of America, has singled
her out as one of the greatest women Ika land has ever produced. She is
not only a hard working woman but also lover of truth and a philanthropist.
In this interview with Ika Weekly at her family
palatial residence in Boji-Boji, Owa, Evangelist Mrs. Miti speaks on her life
as a business woman and also as an
evangelist. She pointed out that the
only key to success in life is hard work which must be combined with the word
of God.
Below are the excerpts:
May We Meet You Madam?
I am Evang. G. Miti, I
preach the word of God, telling people how God created the earth, why he
created us and what he wants us to do. Added to that,my I am a business woman, I do business to
support my ministry-myself and family. I import goods like shoes, books,
clothes, bags, electronics etc from the United States of America where I am
based. In fact let us call it merchandise.
Madam How Long Have You
Been In This Importation Business?
I have been in the
business for over twenty years now.
Where Are You Based, In
Nigeria or U.S.A?
I am based in the United
States of America, precisely Maryland close to Washington D.C. with my husband
and children. We have lived there for the past thirty-five years.
What Informed Your Stepping Out of Your Comfort
Zone In America To Start Importing Goods To Nigeria?
Well, when I first came back from the United States
to Nigeria some years ago, where I spent one year in the country doing nothing,
I said to myself there is something, I am supposed to accomplished so I went
back to the U.S and when I got there, I
decided to go into export and importation business. When I started, I
discovered that there were a lot of challenges in the business but people
encouraged me. At a time people started buying my goods. It was then I began to
enjoy my business.
Your Husband, Dr. Michael Miti, No Doubt Is
A Successful Medical Doctor Out There In The U.S, As His Wife, Why Did You Not
Just Relax And Enjoy Your Husband’s Labour?
Well, if you remember the book of Proverbs
31, which talked about the virtuous woman. For you to be virtuous, you must be
responsible and helpful. So I need to be doing the business I am doing right
now to support my ministry, myself and family. An idle mind they say is the
devil’s workshop, that is why I keep
myself busy so that I will be able to meet up with my family challenges
because one person cannot carry the
whole expenses. Although my husband is a well to do medical doctor in the U.S,
I still want to have my own private business.
Is Your Husband
Happy That You Are Into Business Like This?
Yes, my husband supports
me a lot. He encourages me. He is the type of husband that supports his wife.
Whatever I want to do, he gives me his approval. That is the reason why I am
doing well in this business, because he gave me the power to do it.
What About Other Challenges?
Oh, yes! Just like any
other business, importation and
exportation of goods is faced with a lot of challenges. I was among the first
set of people that started the business.
It was never rosy at the beginning but now, I am getting to know what
exactly I am doing and I thank God for
that. The major challenge we face is the custom people. They usually wage war
on us, sometimes I have to sleep in the wharf just to make sure my goods are
cleared. But I thank God recently, I found one good clearing agent who
have been very helpful. Before I found
him, there were serious challenges from
the wharf that almost made me to quit the business but with the help of the
clearing agent things are now working
out well.
How Are You Coping Combining Business And
Motherhood
I am coping very fine.
There is no problem about that. My business gives me ample opportunity to help
a lot of people including those who are destitute and jobless. I do not think
that when you are fully around your children or family everyday that is when
you will be rated a good mother. Any time I am in the U.S, I devote it to my family and any time I
am not around they understand that I am
not around. Besides, my children are all grown up. They are no longer with me
and I was not into business when they were with me.
You Appeared So Humble And Lively, To What
Reason Should We Adduce This To?
Christ changed me. About 35 years ago I
was not like this. Today as a born again Christian, I have discovered that
outside Christ, there is nothing in this world. All of us living in this world
were created by God for a purpose, so I
do not see any reason to be arrogant or proud because my husband is well to do. A child will still grow up one day to
become what God wants him or her to become.
When Did You Become Born Again?
I became a born again
Christian about twenty years ago and
since then I have been with Christ and Christ with me. There is no day I have
regretted meeting with Jesus Christ.
Where is Your Office And How Much Does It
Take for A Starter To
Buy Goods From You?
People who are interested in my business
should contact me at number 29 Owanta Street, Boji-Boji Owa. For the start up
capital N10,000 is enough. Gradually you grow because Rome was not build in a
day. I started very little, before
I started growing in it. For you to
succeed in the business you have to learn a lot about it.
The advise I have for anyone particularly youths who
are interested in going into business is that they should not expect to start a
business today and get to the top immediately. When you build your business
little by little, you will succeed in it. You can use ten, twenty or forty
years to build a business depending on the scope. If you are able to lay a good
business foundation, it will stand the test
of time. But when you build so fast, you will not make it. The secret of
the universe is patience, and consistently building little by little before
getting to your destination
Do People Come To You For Advice?
Most people do not like
hearing the truth, they prefer those who tell them lies. Because I am a born
again and always go for the truth people do not notice me whenever I am around.
So it is only those who love the truth, and understand that life is about hard
work that can come to me.
Who Is Your Mentor?
My mentor was one white lady I met in the U.S, when
my husband was in school. At that time things were not smooth for us. When I
started complaining she told me to stop complaining and advised me on what to
do. One of the things she told me that has kept me going in life was that for
you to be successful in life you have to
serve people because the way you serve people that is how God is going to serve
you. So we have to serve others. For life is all about rendering services to
humanity, immediately we start helping each other success became inevitable.
When Was Your Happiest And Saddest Moments
In Life
My happiest moment on earth in life was
the day I found Jesus Christ. Some years ago, it was a police officer who led
me to Christ. It happened at the Agbor Prison. I came in contact with the
police officer when I had an accident with my car.
My saddest moment was when I lost my daughter who
died fifteen years ago. Another saddest moment was when I lost all my money to
business. When these happened I locked myself up in the room for two weeks and
prayed seriously to God. At a time I
wanted to hang myself but God brought me out of these trials.
Do You Hope To
Go Into Politics?
No, I am not a
politician but a business woman. I am also an evangelist, these are the things I love to be doing.
How Do You Relax If You Are Not In The Office Or Church?
I read books on business,
Christian literatures and the Bible. I love reading because if you do not read you cannot know what someone
else is thinking. Books makes you to be intelligent.
What Is Your Advice To Up Coming Business
Women Particularly The Young Ones?
My advise to them is that God loves them
and so do I. They should stop
complaining of everything that they are passing through in life. We are
blessed. Nigerians are blessed. Whether you are a politician, business person
or farmer, you are blessed whatever we find ourselves doing, we should love it
and do it whole heartedly. We should not be running out of our country, because the place we are running to is not
better that Nigeria, you can make it
anywhere in the world. We should cool down in life and enjoy what God have
blessed us with. Nigeria is a rich country.
What Will You
Like toBe Remembered For?
I want to be remembered
for my hard work and truthfulness. I love getting busy. I love to work hard and
tell the truth. You have to do it the way God wants it done, so that you can be
happy. I love people and everyone is my friend regardless of race and culture .
When challenges come, if it requires tears, I shed it and move on. If it
requires me to pray harder I do so and move on again. In life, challenges must
come but we should learn how to overcome them
through prayers.
Watch out next week as we
feature Rtd major Effan as our personality of the week. If you are
interested in being our personality of the week, call Augustine 08069287815,
Mokobia 08037817278 or Ashien 08033417578.
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