By Kate Obodo
FORMER President of the Nigeria Cycling Federation  and Secretary General of the  Christian Association (CAN), Rev. Moses Iloh is a show man when it comes to dressing.  At 82, Iloh still believes in looking good but is quick to add that he’s no longer thrilled by what he wears.

In this interview, with Hi Groove, Reverend Iloh shares his  experiences as a former  footballer, boxer and  how he was lured  to head cycling. He is  the long serving Cycling Federation President. Excerpts:

In the beginning

I started off as a footballer, I played for a British company called Amaltinco. Our team was the first team in Nigeria to play in football boots. I played top flight football. The late Teslim Balogun was my team mate in the north.

As a footballer, my team  won many medals. I’d have been a boxer but I was banned by my father after his friend’s son had his ear drum blown during a boxing match.  And when I quit football and boxing, I ventured into cycling.

*Rev Iloh

Venturing into Cycling

I joined the cycling federation at the beginning of the of the All Africa Games hosted by Nigeria. When committees were being set up for the different games people scrambled to join the different organising committees.

I watched on the sideline without joning the rush, until it was time to set up the cycling committee. When it got to cycling, nobody wanted to go for it, because  nobody knew what cycling was all about. Besides there was no Cycling Federation then. We had a cycling association or at best  club.

One of then Assistant  Director of sports, John Elueze persuaded me to  organize the game even when I was not a  cyclist. He convinced me and I saw sense in it, that was how I started the cycling association with four other persons. The association went on to become the bedrock of forming the Cycling Federation, which I became the longest serving president of the federation.

Growing up: As a young man, I was very fashionable and this was courtesy of my parents. My father’s policy was to ensure that I and my elder brother never lacked for anything. We never wore clothes made in Nigeria. Of course they had only the two us as children.

Most children looked up to us. And some parents even brought their children to our home for us to teach them how to walk with shoes at Christmas.  Our parents gave us the best of everything and we loved them dearly.

Best meals in the world

We had a mother who was very neat and made the best meals in the world. We had a good upbringing, that is why it took me a long time to get married. My  father  made  us understand that women are to be respected and pampered. And if my father is with you and a young girl comes visiting he’d expects you to stand up for her.

That act has remained my habit ever since. If you have been watching  me whenever anybody comes visiting be it  my senior or not I would  stand up for the person. My children used to asked me why I do that; I tell them, it is my life style, I can never sit  down and shake hand with you; It is rude.

Dress sense

I don’t like loud dressing. But the fact is that I have a good taste when it comes to dressing. I dress very well but not to impressed people. Up till now, I dress with good combination of colours especially on suits because I’ve been wearing suits all my life. You’ll never see me put on native dresses. I don’t wear them but I have them at home.

Right now, I’m trying to wear other clothes. My wife has been encouraging me to do so.

Label and dressing

Of course,  when I want to buy my clothes I am particular about the label. I was a successful business man before I became pastor. And as a business man I bought the best clothes for myself.

Women and I

As a young  man then, I  had several female admirers, but what I didn’t do then was cheat on  them.

This was because of how I was brought-up by my father. Initially I was very scared of getting married. On three or four occasions I tried to get married but walked out on the ladies. I was scared because I thought if I marry a bad wife, she will enslave me because I cannot shout or do anything that may hurt her. But then, I had a girl  friend, whom I thought I’d marry. She inspired me in my football playing days.

Whenever, I’m playing and she’s at the touch line I’d play my heart out. We dated for more than five years but because I was foot dragging with the relationship, she decided to get married to somebody else. Who knows, she would have been a  very good wife  but I thank God for whom I married.

Meeting your wife

I met my wife through the Red Cross. I spent the good part of my life helping people in Lagos. In my Red cross work, I visited schools to teach health rules  and raise the young ones into Red Cross. On one of my trips, I met this young lady who was a teacher and leader of Red Cross in her school.

We became friends and she was like a mother to me. But the father gave me hell. Eventually I was able to surmount the problems with him and went on to marry her. Since then, it’s  been a fantastic affair and today we are blessed five children; Two boys and three girls all married with beautiful grand children.

Smoking and Drinking

Ooh, I had my fair share of smoking. As a successful businessman, I bought my first car 1954. It was fun living it up then as a young man.

Oh. I drank too, especially, when I was in the midst of my white friends. We would drink brandy for our  nerves, Whiskey for our lungs, Gin and tonic for the heck of it.

And I would smoke several expensive packets of cigarettes to top it up. Life was good and rocking. My special brand was the Peter Stevenson, strip- express. We would move from one club to the other and carrying women of different shades. For every occasion we had designers suits.

But at a stage, the Lord said to spoke to me. Although I was born again when I was at 10years,  I lived life to the full.

The Lord allowed me to see the best of all these things; because it was all vanity.  Today, I don’t drink anymore. I drink water regularly with an occasional bottle of a malt drink. .

My kind of Shoes and Wristwatches

I  don’t wear shoes based on the label. Instead, I buy my shoes if I like the design and it feels comfortable. And for wristwatches, my taste varies. I have some that are expensive and those not expensive. But most of them are gifts. I also love good perfumes.