By Ibrahim Sulaiman
Let me celebrate a trio of my teachers, Miss Tina, Mr KJ Kabir and Mr Nebo Ekene. They are not only my teachers but have also stood out for making me academically ambitious.
Graduating from a nearly dying government secondary school system in the North Eastern part of Nigeria in the early 2000s was discouraging for students being churned out from these schools. These National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members were determined to make us think and dream like our counterparts in other schools that were practically better than ours.
Miss Tina (as she was then), a UniLAG-trained geographer, was very concerned about covering the syllabus. She wanted me to sit for JAMB the following year, as none of us had registered for the matriculation exam that we finished every year at school. She gave me a pass in A&B to read in preparation. She also contacted me after leaving Jama’are when she hadcompleted her one-year mandatory NYSC.
Mr KJ Kabir (from Kwara State) was concerned about my proposed course of study. He was our Press Club patron, and I was one of the club’s newscasters. He would always ask through discussion, ‘Ibrahim, what do you want to study? ‘I would reply, ‘Mass Communication, Sir’ (having been influenced by the press club plus the fact that I was and am still a radio fan). From our discussion, I learned that he wanted me to study political science (he is a university graduate of political science, too).
Mr Ekene (a Baga-born Igbo from Enugu state with an excellent and near-perfect command of the Hausa Language) was another dedicated teacher and a mentor. This corp-member teacher will always fix classes and/or extend classes beyond the allotted time in his bid to cover the syllabus.
The lodges of the trio were vestibules for extra lessons for me. I frequent their houses, and they’re always available for me. I remember vividly when Mr Ekene left the school quarters to stay in Cooper’s lodge in Jama’are town. I used to go there for my lessons. These experiences prepared me and, of course, made me conscious about proceeding with my studies immediately.
This consciousness made me focus more on education than anything else. Some of them were disappointed in me when I told them that I was enrolled in a diploma program. They all wanted me to be in university after secondary school. But I always assured them I would proceed from there, and I did!
To these teachers, the trios, I am ever grateful for the inspiration. The books you gave me while passing out from the NYSC and the Q&As bequeathed to your chosen student were sources of inspiration that keep prodding me up to today. They will keep pushing till I reach the pinnacle, called PhD (soon)! Thank you so much for your selflessness and service to humanity.
Ibrahim Sulaiman writes from Abuja, Nigeria and can be reached via ibrahimsulaiman193@gmail.com