Good Night General Aderonke Kale: The Amazon Who Soldiered On A Career Path Been Treaded By Other Amazons

Her grace was talked about in social circles. We often wondered how she always managed to look so elegant, so properly attired for every occasion. To many women that are presently soldiering on in the Army, Air force, Navy, and even in the Police and other paramilitary formations, she was an inspiration, a mentor who personified the standardsand customs of a Nigerian woman, and at the same time was so modern, progressive and forward-looking.

General Aderonke Kale, lovingly known as Nigeria’s first female major-general, passed away at the age of 84, on Wednesday 8 November 2023, and therebyleft so many young girls who want to follow her chosen career path shocked and dismayed. To not a few of her vicarious mentees, it will take a long time to really fathom the loss and void created by her demise in this part of the world where women constitute a small minority in most security institutions, ostensibly due to the unfriendly working environments, skewed recruitment process and retention to the advantage of the menfolk, it is unarguably inspirational to recall in this context that Kale was a trailblazer in the medical and military history of the country.

As a beacon of inspiration, Kale was trained as a medical doctor at University College, which later became the University of Ibadan, and specialized in psychiatry at the University of London, and was inspired to pursue psychiatry by Thomas Adeoye Lambo, Africa’s first professor of psychiatry, and was born on 31 July 1939, worked briefly in Britain and returned to Nigeria in 1971.

However, what made her stand out in the Nigerian Army as an Amazon was her contributions that went beyond her activities in the army. She was involved in many organizations that are relevant to the practice of her profession, such as in the Nigerian Medical Council, the West African College of Physicians, the Institute of Management Consultants, the Nigerian Medical Association, the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, and the World Psychiatrists Association. She also contributed to the development of medicine, the field of Psychiatry in particular, through participation at seminars; nationally and internationally at which fora she highlighted, through her contributions, the peculiar circumstances of psychiatric and general medical practice, particularly in Nigeria. She was honored in 2012 with the THISDAY award for her various contributions to the development of the country.

Major General Kale had been a trailblazer and an achiever. She took up the challenge of aspiring to the top and succeeded in exercising leadership in a world still dominated by men. It is important to note that all her achievements notwithstanding, Major General Kale had a home: she was married to Professor Oladele Kale, a distinguished Professor of Preventive and Social Medicine, and she was a mother of five sons. She lived in the world of men; bothat her place of work and at home, and she made a success of it all. In one of her contributions on how to succeed at such a high place with such responsibilities, she stated thus: “Be conscious of the fact that you have responsibilities to your career, to your husband and your children, and must strive to discharge them to the best of your ability.”

With her demise, Nigeria has lost one of its leading Amazons who not only proved that the Army is not a man’s world, but worked relentlessly to make others, especially women, to see the army as a profession to enlist in. In fact, she did not get laid back as a result of her gender which not a few misogynist consider to be feeble and inconsequential. Rather, she throughout her earthly cut the picture of biblical Deborah who held sway as an exceptional military leader; fearless and obedient to God, even as she led the Israelites to victory and out of bondage.

In his tribute after her death was announced, President Bola Tinubu described her as a pace-setter and a role model who flourished in a profession where many failed.

“Major-General Aderonke Kale was a pioneer in her field. She embodied the courage, professionalism, capacity, and resilience of the Nigerian woman,” the president said. “She thrived and conquered where many feared to tread. She was a towering figure; an inimitable role model.”

It will be recalled in this context that when Bolanle Awe, a professor of oral history, launched a book comprising an anthology of tributes for Ronke Kale in 2021 that the former President OlusegunObasanjo, who was the chairman of the occasion, which was held at theMuson Centre in Lagos, praised herstrength to stand the “test of time, competed, fought and remained resolute until she got to the top” in a male-dominated profession.

“Today, we are celebrating somebody who is worthy of being celebrated. I must say that our society, especially the institution called the Nigeria Army, is a male-dominated and chauvinistic environment,” Obasanjo said.

No doubt, with her demise, Nigeria has lost one of its leading Amazons who not only resiliently carved her career path in a man’s world, but relentlessly soldiered to make others, especially militarily-mindedwomen to toe the same career; either directly involved as a mentor or vicariously.

Given her career trajectory in the Nigerian Army, it is expedient to conjecture that she no doubt dreamt of a Nigeria Army that is devoid of gender imbalance, where everyone would serve the nation with dignity. In fact, the foregoing attributes she demonstrated on her earthly journey were graphically illustrated in President Tinubu’s tribute to her as he stated that “Major-General Aderonke Kale was a pioneer in her field. She embodied the courage, professionalism, capacity, and resilience of the Nigerian woman. She thrived and conquered where many feared to tread. She was a towering figure; an inimitable role model,”

The general herself, you will be missed, but the legacy you exhibited throughout the days of your soldiering no doubt demonstrated the fact that the Nigerian Army nay other military and paramilitary formations were not exclusive preserve of muscular men will live on. In fact, you aptly brought Audrey Hepburn’s quote that says “I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles” to bear throughout your service to the nation on the platform of the Nigerian Army, and if not for anything, for the benefit of young girls who aspire to follow military career path.

Mummy, as I choose to call you in this context, and wish you good night, there is no doubt that as an Amazon who soldiered on for other Amazons to emulate that you have left behind institutions that will carry forward your unshaken confidence and work.

Rest in peace, the general. You lived a life of principle for being resolute and forthright in choosing the career path you treaded during your earthly journey.