MR LECTURER Most African university graduates do dream of becoming a lecturer. We all know about the bright future of lecturers, the respect they controlled and the wealth that followed them. Yea being a lecturer gives one the opportunity to get to the very top if he’s serious about it. As a lecturer you have a clear path towards becoming a professor and it’s now left for you to work towards making it happen. I was opportune to travel to Canada for my masters degree, immediately after my Nysc in 2006. I returned to Nigeria two years later and quickly married a family friend’s daughter whose father was equally the Dean of Education faculty in the university that employed me two months after my wedding. I had my life well planned out. I already knew what to do and what not to do in achieving my goals. My parents were equally supportive and moderately wealthy. They supported me in everything. Being the last child in the family of two girls, i was overly pampered by my parents and siblings, even after my marriage to Jessica who equally was a nurse in the state General hospital. I soon started work as a lecturer with a strong spirit towards correcting all the wrongs in the university system. I swore to stand straight in my dealings with students. I swore never to compromise my dignity and be a good man respected by everyone but unfortunately it was easier said than done. Being a lecturer opened my eyes to the realities on ground. Politics and corruption was already well embedded in the university system that you either join in the show or look the other way. I was young and ambitious. The options before me was simply unimaginable. Hmmmm, well at first i was forced to look the other way and face my classroom work, which i did with great zeal . I handled Bio 101, 102, 201, 202, 301, 354 & 402. It really wasn’t easy for me at all and to worsen my situation some of the senior lecturers i shared the courses with, left everything for me to handle alone and the number of students offering the courses were quite enormous. But that wasn’t even the major problem. As soon as the first exam i was to participate as a lecturer arrived, more temptations poured in.. The first temptation was from final year student known as comfort. She was the first to tempt me. How did it all happen?? I was resting in my sitting room after a very stressful exam day when my phone rang with its loud ringtone. I lazily stared at the unknown number calling for some seconds before answering. “good evening sir” a female voice greeted. I instantly knew the voice belonged to one of my students which made me clear my throat and answer with a gruff voice. “yea who are you?” i asked seriously. “hello sir, my name is comfort. I’m one of your students. Please i wish to speak to you. It’s very urgent. Actually i’m in front of your house” she announced, sending me up on my feet with shock. I was extremely surprised to learn that the girl was in front of my house because I never made the mistake of giving my house address to any of my students. “you mean you are in front of my house?” i asked to be sure. “emmm not entirely in front of your house, but inside a shop very close to your house” she answered without fear. “what do you want?” i asked. “your help sir” she replied. “fine wait there. I’m coming out” i replied, hung up and left my sitting room to see what the bold girl wanted. The few months i spent so far in the job had taught me that male students are more scared of lecturers than female students. I couldn’t imagine what the girl wanted from me. I slowly crossed over to the small shop opposite my house where a very light skinned beauty smiled at me. She was really beautiful and sharply dressed i must confess. “so what do you want?” i asked seriously, throwing out a frown like a stern lecturer. “sir you know i’m in final year?” she asked calmly, drawing more anger from me with the question. “i can’t really recognize your face, what do you want?” i asked again. “i missed Bio 301 exam today and i can’t just spend an extra year over it. You got to help me please” she said boldly, throwing me into another wave of shock. “what do you mean i got to help you ehh” i asked with a raised tone. She quickly tried to kneel before me but i stopped her right on time. “just help me, even if it’s with an “E” i don’t mind doing anything for it” she begged. “but how come a big girl like you missed such an important Exam?” i asked suspiciously. I already knew how most of the girls travelled around even during exam period. “i thought the exam was to hold by 12noon as was written on the time table only to discover that it held by 9am” she answered quietly, while i breathed deeply. “you will hear from me tomorrow, just go back to your lodge and don’t try the nonsense of coming to my house again” i said to her seriously. _ I really spent most of that fateful night thinking of what to do. A part of me wanted to help her, since i still had the answer scripts in my office and equally was the only lecturer handling the course after Dr Ogbonna travelled to India two months ago, but another part of me frowned over helping her. I really was caught between doing the right thing or taking the wrong step. It could equally be a set up, which i wasn’t blind about. I just couldn’t reach any decision that fateful night. __ As soon as i got to my office early the next day. The young lady walked into my office with a calm smile on her face. I frowned on seeing her which she noticed and drew closer to me without fear. “please sir you got to help me. I’m 28yrs old, i can’t afford staying an extra year. I’m already way behind in everything” she begged. “so what do you want me to do eeh?. Supposing you participated in the exam but wrote nothing it could have been a different issue. But you missed the exam. Your record isn’t anywhere” i answered. “i can get an answer booklet, and write the exam anywhere you want. All i need is for you to accept it when i’m done” she said boldly, giving me the impression that she has done such a thing before. “so what’s in it for me, why should i risk my career for you?” i asked curiously. She smiled. “sir do you have a guest room in town?” she softly asked, slapping my ears with the unexpected question. WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 2
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 18:33:51 +0000
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