I was about 11 years old in the year 2002 when I
wrote the popular Federal Examination into
Federal Government College, Ikole Ekiti in Ekiti
state. To my utmost bewilderment, I received an
admission letter into Federal Government Girls’
College, Efon Alaye in Ekiti state. The most
troubling thought that consumed me, and my
father in particular, was how a male student
whose picture was clearly displayed at the top
corner of the admission letter and gender ‘MALE’
written in block letters could be offered
admission into a female only school. Thus began
my three months home-sitting journey into
secondary education life, while my former
schoolmates in the primary school had begun
studies in the various secondary schools. Having
graduated with the best result in the Federal
Examination in my school, which was a pretty
impressive score, I had been very confident of a
smooth admission into my choice federal school.
My father wrote the examination body severally
as well as the schools mistaken for appropriate
correction with the hope that it will be swiftly
resolved. I remember waiting on him every night
for two months to break the news that I will no
longer have to sit back at home. But I was
disappointed every time he told me his several
letters and trips were unproductive. He then told
me after a long wait that he would rather I
applied to another school till it was resolved. He
knew I had always loved to study in a federal
school after completing my primary studies in a
private school close to home. Believe me; I
desired a life far from home. Although I have a
supportive family, I just wanted to make my own
decisions and honestly, stay a bit farther away
from home like my former schoolmates did.
I wrote the entrance exam to my private
secondary school on a bench outside the
administrative block. I remember thinking it is
only in the meantime. Everything will be over
soon and I will resume studies in my dream
school. Result was out and I scored well above
the cut-off mark required. I was offered
admission that same day and shown to my
classroom. I remember that the class was at
leisure time and the strange faces staring at me
walking into the class were so strong they
almost tore into my soul. But then, some former
schoolmates of mine woke me out of the misery.
Finally, there I had familiar faces sitting next to
me in class. On that first day, I heard one of the
students’ whispers that I was just resuming the
semester midway and I could not catch up. And
after I scored poorly in my social studies test, I
did not give in to the belief but pressed on with
determination. At the end of session, I won the
prize of the best student in social studies and
performed excellently in other courses. As time
went by, I had to let go of thinking about my
dream school and embracing the school reality
had offered me. I went on to graduate as one of
the students with the best results in the school
in the West African Examination Certificate
(WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO)
and Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB)
examinations in my school. My name made the
school’s Honour Roll on graduation.
In 2008, I was offered admission to study law at
the Obafemi Awolowo University. It was truly a
dream come true. I resumed studies and a whole
lot of challenges came up. I began with the
determination to do to primary things, namely:
graduate with a first class honour and serve my
fatherland before I was 24. And it all seemed like
a foolproof plan. In my first year, there was an
industrial action (strike) lasting for about 6
months. I remember when we were made to
vacate the hostels, the grasses were low. But
after resumption, they had grown up to my
height (maybe it is because I am not so tall
anyway). An environment I had gotten used to
became strangely unfamiliar. I remember
thinking what would become of my plan. I did
not think I would experience so many of such
actions at different times in the duration of my
programme in the university. The lectures were
great and challenging. My reading plan was
uncertain in the first year that I made all ‘Bs’
and ‘Cs’. My grade point fell so sharply.
As soon as I reminded myself of how I had
earlier determined to make a first class, even
though I had realized the ‘age plan’ could not
hold, I sat up. From that second year till the end
of my final exams, those results would be the
least grades I had. I recorded several ‘As’ in a
lot of courses. I graduated with a second class
upper honour and cupped an award for the best
student in international law. I did not make my
dream class of degree but then I remembered
what someone had once told me, “aim for the
sun and if you miss it, you will end up in stars”. I
did not get the sun but then I did end up in
stars.
My final year in University witnessed an over six
months’ industrial action (strike) which delayed
us from making the year’s law school admission.
So for my class, we would have to wait till end
of the following year to apply. But as fate will
have it, an opportunity was made for an early-
year admission into the Nigerian Law School, the
first of its kind as I heard it. I was given
admission to study in the Augustine Nnamani
Campus, Agbani in Enugu state. I had never been
to the East. I had a mixed feeling about it but
the thought of law school sent more chills down
my spine. We had heard several accounts of how
horrifying and insurmountable the Nigerian law
school bar final examination is. Immediately I
resumed on the first day of May in 2014, I took
up the plan ‘all work and no play’. This did not
last too long. The workload got plenty and the
time to study shrinked the more. A programme
that was supposed to last for a period of nine
(9) months went on longer for more than a year,
although there were some breaks in between. We
wrote the first part of the bar final examination,
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) of 100
questions in different courses under 50 minutes.
It was then brought to fore that the reason for
failures recorded at the law school every year
was inadequate time. I prepared the more for the
concluding part of examination. It commenced
on the 18 and finished on the 22 day of
May, 2015. And then the wait began for
publication of results. The first scheduled date
for release was changed and a circular issued. I
could not breathe until I read that it had been
postponed. But then I realize I would have to
wait excruciatingly for some more months. The
second scheduled date was again changed, and
then I grew impatient. A lot of thoughts crossed
my mind and I whispered several prayers. It was
tough and agonizing.
On the morning of the day after it was further
scheduled to be released at about 3am, I woke
up and saw that I had missed a lot of calls and
received a lot messages informing me that the
results have been released. My fingers were
shaking and I could hear my heart pounding
against my chest. What is my fate? As I checked
the provided link to view the result and I typed in
my details, I paused a minute to heave a sigh.
Whatever comes after, I hope I will be fine. Then,
I clicked on the view result button, and waited as
it loaded my result page. And then I saw it. I did
not get the sun again this time, but I ended up in
the stars. On the 20 day of October, 2015, I
was called to the Nigerian bar. I was also
among the about 110 students that made a
second class honour across the six (6)
campuses in Nigeria.
I was mobilized to serve my fatherland in Sokoto
state. It was going to be my first time visiting
any state in the North-West. I prepared to make
the best out of it no matter what. It has so far
been accomplishing. I was afraid to go but now I
am more confused if I would want to leave.
As I advance toward my passing out parade in
October, I have taken my aim at the sun in my
next endeavour. I hope and pray that I get it this
time around.
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