Asandia Hogan is a fashion entrepreneur
who has worked with the London Metropolitan Police Department among
several other places. She tells Ademola Olonilua about some of her life
stories.
who has worked with the London Metropolitan Police Department among
several other places. She tells Ademola Olonilua about some of her life
stories.
You studied marketing and
public relations at the London Metropolitan University, Holloway. How
did you find yourself in the fashion industry?
public relations at the London Metropolitan University, Holloway. How
did you find yourself in the fashion industry?
There are talents that you can possibly
harness and grow. That is what I have, also, there are some people that
are self-taught and that is the category that my husband falls under
because he studied engineering but he is also a movie producer. He did
not necessarily study filming but it is not as if he has not done some
courses in that area. We also have someone like Donald Trump, who is a
hardcore businessman but today he is the president of America. Marketing
and public relations are not so far off from fashion as Donald Trump is
not far off from politics.
harness and grow. That is what I have, also, there are some people that
are self-taught and that is the category that my husband falls under
because he studied engineering but he is also a movie producer. He did
not necessarily study filming but it is not as if he has not done some
courses in that area. We also have someone like Donald Trump, who is a
hardcore businessman but today he is the president of America. Marketing
and public relations are not so far off from fashion as Donald Trump is
not far off from politics.
Would it be right to say
that you were born with a silver spoon noting the fact that you
travelled to London to further your studies immediately after you
graduated from Federal Girls College, Calabar?
that you were born with a silver spoon noting the fact that you
travelled to London to further your studies immediately after you
graduated from Federal Girls College, Calabar?
I am not sure that it would be
appropriate to say I was born with a silver spoon but I was born to
parents that could afford to give me a good life. It would be a
disservice to my parents for me to deny that I was born with a certain
type of privilege because that would be denying their hardwork towards
giving me a better life and I am eternally grateful to them for that. I
think you can give your children the best things of life yet keep them
very grounded. I don’t want to call it being spoilt, I am a parent
myself and I don’t think any sane parent goes all out and plans to spoil
their children and make them spoilt brats. I don’t think that being
born with a silver spoon is a bad thing and if anything, I think it had
given me a platform in terms of getting the best education. I have got a
good lifestyle and I am not ashamed of that.
appropriate to say I was born with a silver spoon but I was born to
parents that could afford to give me a good life. It would be a
disservice to my parents for me to deny that I was born with a certain
type of privilege because that would be denying their hardwork towards
giving me a better life and I am eternally grateful to them for that. I
think you can give your children the best things of life yet keep them
very grounded. I don’t want to call it being spoilt, I am a parent
myself and I don’t think any sane parent goes all out and plans to spoil
their children and make them spoilt brats. I don’t think that being
born with a silver spoon is a bad thing and if anything, I think it had
given me a platform in terms of getting the best education. I have got a
good lifestyle and I am not ashamed of that.
However, that does not mean that I have
not struggled in life or done things by myself. I was born in England
and came back to Nigeria for a while till I finished secondary school;
then I went back to England. I went to college for two years and by the
time I finished college, my mother died. I did not go back to university
till after three years and I sponsored myself through the university. I
paid my student loans myself. I think the notion that you are
privileged means that you had everything you wanted and it was on a
platter of gold. I put myself through school by working odd jobs; I have
been a waitress, I did door-to-door jobs, I have worked the graveyard
shift, I have woken up at 5 o’clock to get to work by 6 o’clock. From 6
o’clock, I would work till 12noon then leave my work place to get to the
university at 1:30pm. I finished classes by 5pm; do my assignments,
then head back home by 7pm to report to work by 8pm and I had to
continue that routine.
not struggled in life or done things by myself. I was born in England
and came back to Nigeria for a while till I finished secondary school;
then I went back to England. I went to college for two years and by the
time I finished college, my mother died. I did not go back to university
till after three years and I sponsored myself through the university. I
paid my student loans myself. I think the notion that you are
privileged means that you had everything you wanted and it was on a
platter of gold. I put myself through school by working odd jobs; I have
been a waitress, I did door-to-door jobs, I have worked the graveyard
shift, I have woken up at 5 o’clock to get to work by 6 o’clock. From 6
o’clock, I would work till 12noon then leave my work place to get to the
university at 1:30pm. I finished classes by 5pm; do my assignments,
then head back home by 7pm to report to work by 8pm and I had to
continue that routine.
How about your father, did he not support you after the death of your mother?
My father died when I was eight years old while my mother died when I was 19.
You were raised without really knowing your father, did that affect your life in anyway?
I would not say that I was raised
without knowing my father because I remember him very well all through
my eight years of being with him. My elder brother says that I have
taken after my father more even though he was about 30 years old when
our father died. My elder brother is about 22 years older than I am. My
elder brother often says that I have more characteristics of my father
than he does. I don’t think I missed out on knowing my father. Besides
my mother did her best and made the most out of the situation. I was
known as my mother’s handbag and she veered into politics which is
probably why I am toeing her path. No doubt, there was a void when my
father died but my mother did her best to make sure that the void was
very minimal and she did a really good job. I grew up missing my father
but life deals you certain blows but you deal with it.
without knowing my father because I remember him very well all through
my eight years of being with him. My elder brother says that I have
taken after my father more even though he was about 30 years old when
our father died. My elder brother is about 22 years older than I am. My
elder brother often says that I have more characteristics of my father
than he does. I don’t think I missed out on knowing my father. Besides
my mother did her best and made the most out of the situation. I was
known as my mother’s handbag and she veered into politics which is
probably why I am toeing her path. No doubt, there was a void when my
father died but my mother did her best to make sure that the void was
very minimal and she did a really good job. I grew up missing my father
but life deals you certain blows but you deal with it.
Did your mother’s death have anything to do with politics?
No it did not. She had diabetes type 2
and high blood pressure. She also had arthritis and it made her die
quite early at the age of 59. It did not deter me from politics but to
be honest, I never knew that I would venture into politics and I never
knew I would walk in her footsteps.
and high blood pressure. She also had arthritis and it made her die
quite early at the age of 59. It did not deter me from politics but to
be honest, I never knew that I would venture into politics and I never
knew I would walk in her footsteps.
As a young person when I started to
discover that there were some certain things that I could never get used
to no matter how long, for example, the outage and injustice in
Nigeria, I knew I would never be used to injustice. The local government
is the third tier of government and it is very basic, yet they still
get it wrong. I ran for councillor because of this but that did not
work. I was disqualified on the morning of the primary election on the
basis that I was too young. The local government law in Cross River
states that you must be above 30 years old to contest for the office but
I was just 28 years old and I did not lie about my age. In the morning
of the primaries, I was told that I was disqualified because the
governor said he could not take a risk with me even though I was what
the system needed.
discover that there were some certain things that I could never get used
to no matter how long, for example, the outage and injustice in
Nigeria, I knew I would never be used to injustice. The local government
is the third tier of government and it is very basic, yet they still
get it wrong. I ran for councillor because of this but that did not
work. I was disqualified on the morning of the primary election on the
basis that I was too young. The local government law in Cross River
states that you must be above 30 years old to contest for the office but
I was just 28 years old and I did not lie about my age. In the morning
of the primaries, I was told that I was disqualified because the
governor said he could not take a risk with me even though I was what
the system needed.
We learnt that at a point in your life, you worked with the London Metropolitan Police.
Yes.
How was the experience?
I was not a police officer but it was
like every other job even though it was different at the same time. It
was a very sensitive job because you had to deal with very sensitive
files. There were some names that you see and recognise. There were some
people’s mug shots you see and then you recongise them on the street
and want to run. I had to know some things about some people. It was a
delicate job that had to be done with the utmost discreetness. I was
also very careful so that I did not present myself in a way that I would
be a security risk to myself. I enjoyed the job and I had different
roles. I worked in the human resource department, criminal justice
department and as a call responder. With this job, a person had to be
extremely accurate.
like every other job even though it was different at the same time. It
was a very sensitive job because you had to deal with very sensitive
files. There were some names that you see and recognise. There were some
people’s mug shots you see and then you recongise them on the street
and want to run. I had to know some things about some people. It was a
delicate job that had to be done with the utmost discreetness. I was
also very careful so that I did not present myself in a way that I would
be a security risk to myself. I enjoyed the job and I had different
roles. I worked in the human resource department, criminal justice
department and as a call responder. With this job, a person had to be
extremely accurate.
You worked a lot as a youth, did you ever have time for social life?
Yes, I had a lot of time for my social
life. I worked very hard and I partied hard like most youngsters did. I
had a very active social life. I had a fun life and I have no regrets
now that I am at home most of the time. I think I probably had enough to
last me a lifetime.
life. I worked very hard and I partied hard like most youngsters did. I
had a very active social life. I had a fun life and I have no regrets
now that I am at home most of the time. I think I probably had enough to
last me a lifetime.
Does it mean that you do not attend parties anymore?
My life has changed and even though I
would love to remain young forever, you cannot cheat nature. Besides I
don’t have the same priorities because I may want to go out and my nanny
may need to be away for that weekend. I can’t make impulsive plans
anymore. My priorities have changed.
would love to remain young forever, you cannot cheat nature. Besides I
don’t have the same priorities because I may want to go out and my nanny
may need to be away for that weekend. I can’t make impulsive plans
anymore. My priorities have changed.
What other ways do you relax after a long day?
I don’t have the luxury of that. I have a
lot to do these days. I barely sleep for four hours. I think one way I
relax is by listening to 90s hip-hop because I am a 90s music freak. My
husband is a movie director but I am not a fan of movies. I am mostly on
social media. Also, I sketch a lot and from doing that, I get relaxed.
lot to do these days. I barely sleep for four hours. I think one way I
relax is by listening to 90s hip-hop because I am a 90s music freak. My
husband is a movie director but I am not a fan of movies. I am mostly on
social media. Also, I sketch a lot and from doing that, I get relaxed.
Being a politician, do you have time to probably treat your family to a special meal?
If my husband were the politician, would
he be asked if he finds out time to cook for his family? To answer the
question, I still cook for my family during the week. I am not denying
the fact that things are hard for women but I think it is patronising
that people ask how often we cook for our families. I still make out
time to make breakfast for my child. As a politician, I still work
around these things. My husband is away working but when he is home, I
find time for him. Besides I could not have married someone with a
stereotype mentality.
he be asked if he finds out time to cook for his family? To answer the
question, I still cook for my family during the week. I am not denying
the fact that things are hard for women but I think it is patronising
that people ask how often we cook for our families. I still make out
time to make breakfast for my child. As a politician, I still work
around these things. My husband is away working but when he is home, I
find time for him. Besides I could not have married someone with a
stereotype mentality.
If you go through the history of Calabar
people, you would know that we are a matrilineal people. Our men do not
feel the need to be domineering towards us. The men do not feel like
the women belong in the kitchen. I was not brought up like that with my
father. When I was living with him from when I was about five till seven
years old in England without my mother, my father cooked, bathed and
braided my hair to the best of his knowledge. I know that as women, we
need to take care of our family because naturally we are nurturing. But
that does not mean that the next woman who is in politics but doesn’t
have the time to cook for her husband and child is a bad person.
Personally, I am thankful that my husband is not the type that believes
that because you are a woman, your dreams should die or stop. My husband
actually told me that one of his worst nightmares is for us to be in
our 70s and he realises that I did not live a fulfilled life because he
put away my dreams so that he could pursue his own dreams or because I
am a mother. We understood that about each other all through our
courtship period. Once I am fulfilled as a person, I would be a better
mother and a better wife.
people, you would know that we are a matrilineal people. Our men do not
feel the need to be domineering towards us. The men do not feel like
the women belong in the kitchen. I was not brought up like that with my
father. When I was living with him from when I was about five till seven
years old in England without my mother, my father cooked, bathed and
braided my hair to the best of his knowledge. I know that as women, we
need to take care of our family because naturally we are nurturing. But
that does not mean that the next woman who is in politics but doesn’t
have the time to cook for her husband and child is a bad person.
Personally, I am thankful that my husband is not the type that believes
that because you are a woman, your dreams should die or stop. My husband
actually told me that one of his worst nightmares is for us to be in
our 70s and he realises that I did not live a fulfilled life because he
put away my dreams so that he could pursue his own dreams or because I
am a mother. We understood that about each other all through our
courtship period. Once I am fulfilled as a person, I would be a better
mother and a better wife.
How did you meet your husband?
We actually met on social media. There
are some good that actually come out of the social media but it is not
like we were two strangers because we had mutual friends. In fact, we
had so many mutual friends that we were sure we had met in reality but
for some weird reason, we did not talk or become friends.
are some good that actually come out of the social media but it is not
like we were two strangers because we had mutual friends. In fact, we
had so many mutual friends that we were sure we had met in reality but
for some weird reason, we did not talk or become friends.
I got attracted to my husband based on
his intellect. I love the way he thinks and he inspires me a lot. I
learn a lot from him. We were friends before we got married and we talk a
lot.
his intellect. I love the way he thinks and he inspires me a lot. I
learn a lot from him. We were friends before we got married and we talk a
lot.
So who made the first move?
My husband actually chased me for a long time, I don’t think I am allowed to say how long but it was over five years.
Why did you make him chase you around for over five years?
I used to think he is very full of
himself. I just felt he should keep his attitude to himself. We have
similar characters; we are both very witty and sarcastic. He always had a
witty comment and that attracted me to him because I like the fact that
you have to be intelligent to understand what he says. So I kept him
waiting for that long because he probably thought he had it all figured
out.
himself. I just felt he should keep his attitude to himself. We have
similar characters; we are both very witty and sarcastic. He always had a
witty comment and that attracted me to him because I like the fact that
you have to be intelligent to understand what he says. So I kept him
waiting for that long because he probably thought he had it all figured
out.