MY ACADEMIC PURSUIT...The Tears and The Joy - Final Episode

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The secretary bowed his head in disapproval of the proprietor's action; and turning to him my mother said “I can’t believe your boss just walked out on me, slamming his door in addition. More so, I am quite sure I haven’t done anything wrong, and even if I have, there are more polite ways of expressing it.”

#1 MY ACADEMIC PURSUIT...The Tears and The Joy
#2 MY ACADEMIC PURSUIT...The Tears and The Joy

My mother stood still for a while, hoping to get a response from the secretary, but got none; them with a gentle and consoling touch on my shoulder she said “let’s go my son, may the will of Allah prevail”.

The proprietor's conduct no doubt hurt my mother more than a knife cut, and as it seems, all our efforts were now in vain. Lamenting, my mother said “this educational pursuit has cost us so much and I just can’t accept that this is where it all ends.”

Taking a deep breath, she exhales; it was more like she was flushing the thought and its burden off her heart, and them she adds “may Allah still be praised”.

As we walked towards the exit gate, I suggested that we pay prof. a visit and share our predicament with him. “Maybe he can be of help mama” I added.

My mother initially disagreed, saying that we have bothered him enough with our problems but on a second thought, she said lets give it a try for your sake. Thank you so much mama I responded and the next minute we were in a taxi to Federal University, Lokoja.

On arrival, we met a deserted institution with a couple of student wandering, and virtually all the offices locked, except for that of the student affairs officer and one that seemed more like a First Aid Centre.

“Good afternoon Sir” my mother greeted, “greetings madam” the officer responded. “Please I will like to see Professor Oyibo”, she added.

“I am sorry madam, I am pretty new here, more so, I am not familiar with the name you mentioned, but all the offices are closed as the lecturers are on strike over the non-payment of salaries.” The officer responded.

“I will be on my way then, thank you so much for the information and for your time”. My mother replied, and he responded by waving his left hand, while he punched some keys on his computer keyboard with the other.

I sobbed and cried as we journeyed back but my mother kept consoling me, telling me that I will have to seek admission in the community secondary school in our local government.

I have always hated that school. No city parent would accept it as a last resort. Its buildings are totally dilapidated, the teachers are never present and the students are more of errand farmers as they were often engaged in teachers’ private farms or one domestic duty or another in teachers’ homes. Academic activities truly do not exist in the school.

Four days later, I was a student in our community school and a victim of the same abuses I worried about.

At about my 3rd week in school, as usual, our Agricultural Science teacher called on three of us, to go and fetch water from a pond located at the tail end of the town, an errand we ran at least two times a week as the water was used to flush and maintain the two staff toilets in the school.

We were on our way back when a vehicle drove past us and then made a U-turn in front, back to the same direction; and the next voice I heard was that of prof. “Abdullahi Jnr; what are you doing here?” He questioned with great disbelieve on his face. “Good afternoon Sir” we chorused after which I responded to his question.

“Wait a minute, you mean you weren’t offered admission into your school of choice?” He questioned again with a stressed tone. Yes Sir, I quickly responded; and then in just one word he exclaimed “unbelievable.”

He then thought for a while and said, “take me to your school and then” to your mother.

On arrival at the school, the principal, teachers and students stared at our accompanied guests in surprise. Prof. introduced himself and his colleagues; they were all hydrologist and they were visiting the pond to collect water and mud samples for scientific studies so as to ascertain the true properties of the pond’s water and also pressure the government with their findings to make pipe borne water available in the community.

He further advised the principal and teachers to desist from using students for errands, especially during school hours.

At home, my mother was so surprised to see prof. and when she narrated all that transpired, prof. felt so pained. He said I couldn’t have missed the slot when we still had two days before closure. “This is a clear case of corruption; your son’s slot was sold to the highest bidding parent desperate to put his child in a unity school”. Prof. said with an angry tone.

Further condemning the act of the proprietor he laments with a question;

”How can the overall best pupil in a state not get admitted into his school of choice simply because of corruption?”

With a reassuring voice he said “you will hear from me. I will not give up on you and not on this case either. I am pained most especially because I am a lecturer and my wife a teacher; but our son did not get the desired score; and here is the son of a struggling farmer who out performed all the students in the state, and here comes the rottenness in the system trying to kill the dreams of such a brilliant child and shatter the hopes of his guardians; no, not while I am still alive, I will not let this happen".

Professor Oyibo wrote a petition to the Ministry of Education and the matter was investigated.

The proprietor and two other admission officers were summarily dismissed from the employment of the Federal government and I was given an honorary and a celebrated admission during the same session.

Professor Oyibo became part and parcel of our family. He became my earthly father and he played the role of a father all through my secondary and university education.

Since then and forever, the entire Abdullahi family has remained grateful to him and his family.

The will of Allah can never be undone.

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The End

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