By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.
Accept
Okay.ngOkay.ng
  • News
    • Politics
    NewsShow More
    FG, Niger Republic sign MOU on Kano-Maradi road
    January 27, 2023
    JAMB Registrar, Is-haq Oloyede
    JAMB registrar, Oloyede denies operating any social media account
    January 27, 2023
    Ademola Adeleke
    Adeleke Rejects Osun Governorship Election Tribunal Verdict, Plans Appeal
    January 27, 2023
    Oyetola and Adeleke
    Osun Governorship Election: Tribunal Annuls PDP’s Adeleke’s Victory, APC’s Oyetola Declared Winner
    January 27, 2023
    House of Representative
    Student voter participation: Reps calls for suspension of tertiary institution’s academic activities
    January 27, 2023
  • Entertainment
    EntertainmentShow More
    Ex-boxer Mike Tyson slapped with a fresh rape suit
    January 25, 2023
    Anita
    Paul Okoye’s Ex-Wife Anita Opens Up About Her Struggles with Miscarriage
    January 19, 2023
    Martica "Fat" Nwigwe, Grammy awards 2023 best new artist award nominee Tobe Nwigwe, Brand Manager, Heineken, Azuka Ijenebe, Grammy awards best global music performance award nominee Rocky Dawuni; Founder of Afrozons, Dr. Sheila O; Senior Media, Brand PR & Sponsorships Manager, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Sandra Amachree; Portfolio Manager, International Premium Brands, Nigerian Breweries Plc; Sampson Oloche; at the Afrozons pre-Grammy nomination celebration courtesy of Heineken.
    Sheila O Brings Together African Artists Tobe Nwigwe and Rocky Dawuni to Discuss Grammy Nominations
    January 19, 2023
    ‘Davido and I going on tour’ – Wizkid
    January 18, 2023
    Nigerian skitmaker, Kamal Aboki dies in auto accident
    January 17, 2023
  • Business & Economy
    Business & EconomyShow More
    Godwin Emefiele
    CBN Introduces Domestic Card to Combat Foreign Exchange Challenges
    January 26, 2023
    Godwin Emefiele
    CBN stands firm on January 31st deadline, says no extension for deposit of old naira notes
    January 24, 2023
    CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele
    Central Bank of Nigeria Raises Monetary Policy Rate to 17.5% to Combat Inflation
    January 24, 2023
    Mr. Muhammad Nami, Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) addressing members of the press at the FIRS HQ, Abuja. January 23, 2023
    Muhammad Nami-led FIRS breaks record with N10.1 trillion tax collection in 2022
    January 24, 2023
    First Oil Well Spud-In in Nasarawa to Commence in March 2023 – Kyari
    January 13, 2023
  • Sport
    SportShow More
    Kolo Toure
    Kolo Toure sacked by Wigan Athletic after winless reign
    January 27, 2023
    Ex-Madrid star, Gareth Bale to make professional golf debut
    January 24, 2023
    Just in: Everton sack Manager, Frank Lampard
    January 23, 2023
    Eddie Nketiah (L) and Bukayo Saka (R) of Arsenal celebrate Nketiah's game-winning goal during the Premier League match against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on January 22, 2023. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
    Arsenal Secures Hard-Fought 3-2 Victory Over Manchester United
    January 22, 2023
    Chelsea draw Liverpool at Anfield
    January 21, 2023
  • Tech
    TechShow More
    Kashifu Inuwa
    Forbes Recognizes NITDA’s Kashifu Inuwa with Best of Africa Corporate Governance Award
    January 16, 2023
    NCC
    NCC Returns to Television with Telecom Weekly Program
    January 10, 2023
    MTN Nigeria Launches Thryve Ads to Support SMEs in Social Media Marketing
    January 6, 2023
    WhatsApp
    WhatsApp to End Support for Dozens of Devices on Dec 31st, 2022 – See List
    December 29, 2022
    The Redmi K60 Pro: Xiaomi’s Latest 5G Smartphone with a High-Refresh-Rate Display and HDR10+ Support
    December 29, 2022
Reading: What Naming Our Son ‘Goodluck’ Has Done To Us – Parents Speaks Out
Share
Aa
Okay.ngOkay.ng
Aa
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Business & Economy
  • Sport
  • Tech
Search
  • News
    • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Business & Economy
  • Sport
  • Tech
Follow US
  • About Okay.ng
  • Advertising on Okay.ng
  • Contact Okay.ng
  • Okay.ng on WhatsApp
  • Careers
  • Submit News to Okay.ng
© OKN MEDIA PUBLISHING 2022 - All rights reserved
News

What Naming Our Son ‘Goodluck’ Has Done To Us – Parents Speaks Out

Farouk Mohammed By Farouk Mohammed Published December 8, 2014
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

named-300x225

A lot of people say there’s a story behind every name. Perhaps they’re right. A couple of years ago, many Nigerian parents named their sons Goodluck while things dramatically shaped up nicely for Goodluck Jonathan. Philomena and Bimpe are two mothers who did this too. Now they tell their story.
“I had my son in 2009,” says Philomena. “My husband was very sick at the time I was pregnant and our son’s birth coincided with his recovery. So he named him Goodluck and I supported the decision.”
“When Goodluck Jonathan became the president the following year, it was a pleasant coincidence. I thought it was a good omen, that my son too was going to have good fortune in future and that things will turn out well for him. I thought he too will rise high in life even if he doesn’t become the president.”Bimpe says, “I had my son in 2010, the year Goodluck became president. It wasn’t originally my idea nor my husband’s. My father gave him the name. He said to me and my husband, ‘You can see what’s happening in the country. You can see how Goodluck has risen to the top and how things have turned out in his favour. My grandson will be like that. My grandson will be Goodluck.’ So we stuck with the name.”
President Goodluck’s rise to the presidency was inspiring — and cinematic. He started from an obscure background and became the deputy governor of his state, Bayelsa. Then Governor Alameseigha was removed and he got bumped up to be governor. Soon, while he was about his business quietly in Yenagoa, he got picked to be Umar Yaradua’s running mate at the 2007 presidential elections. Then they won that election and he became the vice president.
Yaradua became terminally ill along the line and eventually passed on. So Jonathan got bumped up again to succeed the late president. That was how he became the president without a single vote in his name. No one saw that coming.
Quickly, he earned the Nigerian people’s respect. His popularity shot up. From the east to the west, people just loved this new president who wears a hat and seems to have a history of good fortune. It soon became fascinating to have a child named Goodluck.
“You know that moment when you meet someone at an event and they’re like, ‘Is that your son, oh beautiful. What’s his name?’ Then you say, ‘Goodluck’, and they’re like “Aha! You named him after our president.’ It was really amusing.”
Philomena says there were several mothers carrying their own Goodluck at the polling booth she went to vote during the 2011 presidential election. Needless to say, Goodluck won the election.
Goodluck had made a good first impression and now had the people’s mandate. But as the insurgency raged on and the bloodshed persisted, it soon eclipsed his good side and his rating began to drop. Plus the masses didn’t feel their life was getting better, and they soon became disillusioned about the president’s good luck.
“People began to react cynically to my son’s name,” Bimpe says. “They’ll say, ‘Oh, is it because of the president that you named your son Goodluck? Alright look at what’s happening in the country during his government and see what he’s doing about it. That’s whom you’ve named your son after?
“I try to explain to people that we named our son Goodluck before Goodluck Jonathan even became president, but they won’t listen. It got to a point that when I enrolled the boy in school, I wanted to change his name so it won’t attract unwanted attention. But my older children said I should leave it like that.”
Philomena says, “People think Goodluck is a bad leader. But I think he’s not. I feel there are many enemies around him who don’t want him to be there. They want to ruin his tenure. That’s why they’re causing all these things to happen to tarnish his government.
“I also feel he has bad advisers. He surrounds himself with the wrong people who don’t advise him rightly. But to me he’s a good man who wants good things for Nigeria. I still support him.”
So when this generation of little Goodlucks grow up and learn the story behind their name, will they thank their parents?
Anyhow, let’s find out if Philomena or Bimpe has had some special luck in their family since their son Goodluck was born.
Nancy says, “Well it’s not like there’s been some special luck yet. However, there’s been some progress in the family — and I guess that’s okay for now.”

Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp Telegram Email Copy Link Print
What do you think?
Happy0
Love0
Sad0
Angry0
Joy0
Surprise0

Connect with Okay on Social

Facebook Like
Twitter Follow
Instagram Follow
Telegram Follow
- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image
- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image
- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image

Recent Posts

FG, Niger Republic sign MOU on Kano-Maradi road
News
JAMB Registrar, Is-haq Oloyede
JAMB registrar, Oloyede denies operating any social media account
News
Ademola Adeleke
Adeleke Rejects Osun Governorship Election Tribunal Verdict, Plans Appeal
News Politics
Oyetola and Adeleke
Osun Governorship Election: Tribunal Annuls PDP’s Adeleke’s Victory, APC’s Oyetola Declared Winner
News
Dupe Olusola
Dupe Olusola: The Revolutionary Transcorp Hotels CEO Transforming the Hospitality Industry in Africa
Featured Top stories
- Advertisement -

You Might Also Like

News

FG, Niger Republic sign MOU on Kano-Maradi road

January 27, 2023
JAMB Registrar, Is-haq Oloyede
News

JAMB registrar, Oloyede denies operating any social media account

January 27, 2023
Ademola Adeleke
NewsPolitics

Adeleke Rejects Osun Governorship Election Tribunal Verdict, Plans Appeal

January 27, 2023
Oyetola and Adeleke
News

Osun Governorship Election: Tribunal Annuls PDP’s Adeleke’s Victory, APC’s Oyetola Declared Winner

January 27, 2023
Previous Next
Okay.ngOkay.ng
Follow US

© OKN MEDIA PUBLISHING 2022 - All rights reserved

  • About Okay.ng
  • Advertising on Okay.ng
  • Contact Okay.ng
  • Okay.ng on WhatsApp
  • Careers
  • Submit News to Okay.ng
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?