A THROWBACK
I remember once when I was in secondary school_ I.C.E Auchi something happened. We (the then SSSII Students) were in the lab because of the SSCE examination that was going on in the rest classes. A teacher claimed his Nokia flip phone had been stolen. And decided that every student in the classes he has been to will pay about #500 or so (can't really remember how much as this was in 2006/2007 academic year).
Then I began to think of the last time he entered the lab. The phone was in his pocket. Not that I saw the phone but the impression of a phone was visibly shown because of the tight nature of his trousers and for the fact that he was well built. I summoned up courage to protest the fact that the phone was with him the last time he came to the lab and as such we cannot be asked to pay. This single act brought an additional punishment of 3to5 lashes from the back of a bike's brake wire on me and the entire class (as they too supported my guts).
As this went on, I retorted, 'this is not fair!' I felt so small but then I realised I had the class with me and decided to test their loyalty once more. I raised a motion for an organized protest to commence immediately we were driven out of the school environment to go get our individual fine for the payment of the said missing phone.
We got outside the gate and I started chanting, "we no go pay!". Others joined in the chorus and before I knew it, we had begun a protest. I was (and still is) a good graphic artist and so we bought cardboards and markers to inscribe our grief. I personally made all the inscriptions and boy was I feeling a sense of purpose!? There was this fire burning through my entirety and it fueled the entire action that was taken that day by every individual that partook in that movement.
We stood our ground, made our mark and sent the message_ that we refuse to be intimidated, extorted, oppressed and more so, we were ready to face whatever penalty the School authority was going to mete out to us.
I was the newly appointed Senior prefect but that wasn't what made that movement easy to carry out. What made it possible was a shared resolve to not only speak out but more so was the willingness to endure whatever was to come with our actions at that time. I felt very bad about the decision made by the authorities of that time but not more than every other member of my class.
We hung around the gate till it was noon. Sure that we've created newsworthy noise and made our mark, we resigned to our various homes satisfied but unsure of what becomes of our academics. I remember Lucky asking me, 'SP na to go another school sure pass o!' 'Danko Danko no go let us come back to this school again.' I gave him a reply I never thought of until that moment. "them no fit drive the whole SSII Comot for school. Who go enrol for there when time reach and we no dey? You no know say Na we external candidates go look take come?' 'he smiled and gave me that 'I'm proud of you' kind of look and retorted "Kai, Na true o!"
To cut the long story short, our parents were summoned and they too registered their disdain for the intended act of extortion and the unnecessary torture meted on us. I don't know much about what transpired in the PTA meeting but we were called back to school the next week to continue our academic sojourn.
Nothing was said about the missing or stolen phone to my class ever again. The issue was written off as if it never happened. I was glad there was nothing to fear and prayed that no member of my class would be victimized thereafter.
Then one day members from the SSIII class together with the then SP cornered me. They all gave me warm handshakes. I still remember the SP saying, "Kadiri you've done what those of us never did not even intended doing because of fear. I'm sure no set has ever attempted what you class has done. Yes. You challenged the authorities and gave them a reason to fear the firm resolve of an oppressed group. Na man you be!" he then added, "please keep it up and ensure that you stand up for the oppressed and to the authority of the day in any way you can."
I'm sure I didn't say more than a deeply meant "thank you bros".
The foregoing is an account of my encounter in secondary school when I was younger, smaller, less powerful, less influential, dependent, more disadvantaged, very naïve and unexposed.
I achieved a feat those better than me couldn't or never dared. I tell you today, we can inspire, motivate and mobilise every Nigerian youth at home and in Diaspora to stand up, speak out, own up to their collective responsibility of bettering this country.
It takes you and I to do great and noble deeds and achieve/attain even greater things cum lofty heights.
It's never too late to start. Let's start working our talk today!
___Jeremiah Kadiri ACICRM
13/12/017
Then I began to think of the last time he entered the lab. The phone was in his pocket. Not that I saw the phone but the impression of a phone was visibly shown because of the tight nature of his trousers and for the fact that he was well built. I summoned up courage to protest the fact that the phone was with him the last time he came to the lab and as such we cannot be asked to pay. This single act brought an additional punishment of 3to5 lashes from the back of a bike's brake wire on me and the entire class (as they too supported my guts).
As this went on, I retorted, 'this is not fair!' I felt so small but then I realised I had the class with me and decided to test their loyalty once more. I raised a motion for an organized protest to commence immediately we were driven out of the school environment to go get our individual fine for the payment of the said missing phone.
We got outside the gate and I started chanting, "we no go pay!". Others joined in the chorus and before I knew it, we had begun a protest. I was (and still is) a good graphic artist and so we bought cardboards and markers to inscribe our grief. I personally made all the inscriptions and boy was I feeling a sense of purpose!? There was this fire burning through my entirety and it fueled the entire action that was taken that day by every individual that partook in that movement.
We stood our ground, made our mark and sent the message_ that we refuse to be intimidated, extorted, oppressed and more so, we were ready to face whatever penalty the School authority was going to mete out to us.
I was the newly appointed Senior prefect but that wasn't what made that movement easy to carry out. What made it possible was a shared resolve to not only speak out but more so was the willingness to endure whatever was to come with our actions at that time. I felt very bad about the decision made by the authorities of that time but not more than every other member of my class.
We hung around the gate till it was noon. Sure that we've created newsworthy noise and made our mark, we resigned to our various homes satisfied but unsure of what becomes of our academics. I remember Lucky asking me, 'SP na to go another school sure pass o!' 'Danko Danko no go let us come back to this school again.' I gave him a reply I never thought of until that moment. "them no fit drive the whole SSII Comot for school. Who go enrol for there when time reach and we no dey? You no know say Na we external candidates go look take come?' 'he smiled and gave me that 'I'm proud of you' kind of look and retorted "Kai, Na true o!"
To cut the long story short, our parents were summoned and they too registered their disdain for the intended act of extortion and the unnecessary torture meted on us. I don't know much about what transpired in the PTA meeting but we were called back to school the next week to continue our academic sojourn.
Nothing was said about the missing or stolen phone to my class ever again. The issue was written off as if it never happened. I was glad there was nothing to fear and prayed that no member of my class would be victimized thereafter.
Then one day members from the SSIII class together with the then SP cornered me. They all gave me warm handshakes. I still remember the SP saying, "Kadiri you've done what those of us never did not even intended doing because of fear. I'm sure no set has ever attempted what you class has done. Yes. You challenged the authorities and gave them a reason to fear the firm resolve of an oppressed group. Na man you be!" he then added, "please keep it up and ensure that you stand up for the oppressed and to the authority of the day in any way you can."
I'm sure I didn't say more than a deeply meant "thank you bros".
The foregoing is an account of my encounter in secondary school when I was younger, smaller, less powerful, less influential, dependent, more disadvantaged, very naïve and unexposed.
I achieved a feat those better than me couldn't or never dared. I tell you today, we can inspire, motivate and mobilise every Nigerian youth at home and in Diaspora to stand up, speak out, own up to their collective responsibility of bettering this country.
It takes you and I to do great and noble deeds and achieve/attain even greater things cum lofty heights.
It's never too late to start. Let's start working our talk today!
___Jeremiah Kadiri ACICRM
13/12/017
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