Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the wordpress-seo domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/bcm/src/dev/www/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6121 Uniben | Zikoko!
Academic activities at the University of Benin have been suspended indefinitely following an announcement from the school’s Public Relations Officer, Doctor Benedicta Ehanire.
Why did this happen?
On July 3, 2024, Uniben students seized the Benin -Ore highway to protest a power outage and lack of water in their hostels and campuses. The university has been struggling with power cuts, thanks to a new 200% increase in its monthly electricity bill — from 80 million to ₦200-280 million. This new energy cost came after the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) cut the university’s power supply over a ₦300 million debt, forcing the university to work with power generators.
The students say they took to the street because light now comes up for only an hour a day, compared to the 20 – 22 hours they usually got. As a result, studying without electricity has become unbearable for them.
Image source: ChannelsTV
The university statement, announcing the closure, states that the university’s senate considered the students’ demand for 24-hour electricity and stable water supply in their hostels and the two campuses unrealistic. It instructed all students to leave the school hostels immediately. Academic and non-academic staff on primary duties are unaffected.
Power outages aren’t limited to Uniben alone. In a report by Punch, rising energy costs are crushing Nigerian universities.
“Some of the institutions have been disconnected from the national grid owing to millions of unpaid electricity bills to DISCOS while others who are still connected are currently grappling with huge amounts of debts running into millions of naira.”
The College of Medicine, University of Lagos, is struggling with its migration to Band A, which has increased energy costs to ₦253 million. The University of Ilorin’s electricity bill jumped from ₦70 million to ₦230 million. Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) disconnected the power supply at the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology due to a ₦248 million unpaid debt. The University of Jos has an electricity bill debt close to ₦126 million.
For Uniben, this isn’t the first time it’d shut down over students’ protests. In 2021, the university closed for 24 hours following a protest over a ₦20,000 late registration fee.
As I prepare to write my final exams, I reminisce on my time shuttling between Lagos and Benin city the last five years. Even though I’m from Edo state, I was born and raised in Lagos, so living in Benin was a chance to connect with my people. However, as much as I like to deny it, I’m a Lagos babe through and through. I like the hustle and bustle that comes with Lagos. As much as I complain about the traffic, a traffic free life scares me. I love
The culture shock I first experienced in my first year in 2018 hasn’t ended since. If you’re a Lagos babe like me and you want to know what to prepare for if you ever have to come to Benin city, first of all, never wear white shoes out. Benin and red sand are like Lagos and traffic — joined together, never to depart from one another. Your shoes will change to shades of red and orange, and you’ll hate yourself and the person who brought you to Benin.
Of course, not everywhere in Benin is covered in red sand, but most of it is. Especially the places that require you to walk. That brings me to my second culture shock. There are parts of Benin where you forget that okadas exist. In Lagos, I’ve watched various governors try and fail to ban bikes. They bring their little task forces and impound lots of people’s okadas, but one week later, they are back on the road.
My cousin told me there were no bikes in Benin, and I thought she was joking. When Oshiomole decided to ban them, he banned them for real. Lagos state governors should come and learn work from him. Edo state has mostly expressways and bikes are a big no-no except within specific streets. Even then, it’ll take a while to find one. If we’re being honest, finding anything in Benin city will take a while. The early morning grind culture I grew up with in Lagos? Non-existent in Benin city.
Benin people do not like to stress. They do things at their own pace, especially if those things are running a business. You go to a shop to buy something, and the owner sits while you attend to yourself. If you finish and don’t have the exact change, they can’t be arsed. Get out. I’m used to sellers in Lagos offering to at least find change for me. I can’t forget when a woman shouted at me for trying to buy a sachet of milk with ₦200, like I’d committed a crime. I had to return to my streets milkless and annoyed. It was even worse because I had to walk a long while to find a shop open by 8:30 a.m. on a weekday. They open their shops late and close them early. Do you want to order a Bolt by 7 a.m.? Better use that time to fill up your water bottle and start trekking. Anything that relates to stress? Benin people can’t take it. They don’t care if you’re paying them. Their gist, their peace, their rest come first.
If these business owners eventually answer you, language might be a barrier. If you’re like me and don’t speak Benin fluently, I’ll advise you to brush up on your pidgin. The pidgin they speak here is unlike the one they speak in Lagos. Dem fit use am sell you for your front, and you go just dey shine teeth. Your 32 go dey sparkle but dem don call price for your head. Better go and hire a pidgin lesson teacher. Make e no be like say I no warn you before. At least, if you narrate your story give another person, you go include say I warn you. If you no include am, the thunder wey go fire you dey warm up for Oba palace. Dem no dey talk too much give wise man.
If you get the language part down and have to deal with the business owners behaving anyhow, you might feel tempted to interfere. You might want to raise your shoulder and shout at them to prove a point because you’re now a superstar, shey? The insults they’ll rain on you will humble you. I’ve not met a group of people with a worse mouth than Benin people. They curse you to say hello, and if you complain, you chop some more.
Last week, I offered to do something for my roommate, and she ignored me. I told her, “I don’t blame you; it’s me that wanted to do good.” Tell me why one of my Benin roommates replied, “Instead of the good you want to do to kill you, it will kill the person you wanted to do it for.” The scream I let out could’ve been heard from the gate. What did I start? What did she finish? And she said it so casually, like it was an everyday phrase. After the initial shock wore off, I added it to my dictionary. Benin has taught me a lot of interesting and colourful statements. When I unleash them in Lagos, they’ll gather and beat me.
Benin isn’t all bad. I think my favourite thing about the place is the electricity timetable. Every street has a particular time they “bring light”, which is helpful to plan your day. If they bring your light by 6 a.m., you know it’s there till 9 a.m. Anything you want to do should be done by then. When they take it, it’s till 12 p.m. It’s very consistent; they hardly bring light when it’s not yet your turn. Unfortunately, when rain falls, it can take two to three business days for the wire to dry, and in that period, nothing for you. Just zukwanike. Rest.
Benin is for people tired of the hustle and bustle of places like Lagos. Rent is not as expensive, but that’s rapidly changing. With the rate at which fraudsters are pumping money into the shortlet apartment industry in Benin, if you want to come, come fast.
There’s a lot of time to just relax and take it easy. If you enjoy a vibrant nightlife, omo, nothing for you. Except you don’t mind peppersoup and beer joints. That one, Benin has in abundance. You’ll eat grasscutter so much you’ll start growing it on your head. If you’re trying to find clubs, whatever they show you there, better close your eyes and collect it. Lounges? Same thing. Whatever you use your eye to see, your mouth might be unable to say.
The people who were born here or moved willingly don’t have a bad thing to say about Benin city. If they could, they’d choose to be born here over and over again. Me, on the other hand? I’m dipping the first chance I get.
On Tuesday, the 14th of September 2021, students of the University of Benin came out to protest the school’s decision to enforce a ₦20,000 fine for missing the school fees payment deadline. Here’s everything we know.
After resumption on the 18th of August, the office of the Vice-Chancellor circulated a memo stating that any student who fails to pay their school fees by September 3rd will have to pay ₦10,000. The memo went on to state that if they are yet to pay the fees by the 13th of September 2021, ₦10,000 will be added again. The memo also stated that anybody who had not paid by the 18th of September 2021 is assumed to have withdrawn from the school and the school fees payment portal will be closed.
By the 3rd of September, students had noted that nobody’s school fees had been increased. On the evening of Monday, 13th September 2021, students who had not paid their school fees reported that ₦20,000 had been added to their fees.
When we spoke to some of the students, they told us that the deadline for school fees payment was usually at the end of their second semester, and only ₦10,000 was usually added as late payment fees. They also stated that on the school’s student’s portal, it mentioned just ₦10,000 increase after five weeks of resumption.
To show their displeasure at this change of events, the students gathered as early as 7am to start a peaceful protest. The starting point of the protest was the school’s main gate and ended at the Vice Chancellor’s office.
The protesting students were approached by various members of staff such as the Head of Security and the Dean of Student Affairs, but they declared that their intention was to speak to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lillian Salami herself.
As of the time of this report, the protest still goes on strong, and the Vice-Chancellor has not come to address the students.
If you are a student of the UniBen, then here are some things you definitely understand how they work. They are not new to you, and you are not new to them.
1) Shouting don’t pour when you want to cross the gutter in the hostel
If you enter the hostel and you want to cross under the gutter, you better shout with all of your might “don’t pour” if not, Santana pot that someone soaked for three days might be the next thing to land on your head. If water is inside the pot pours on your body, there is nothing you can do. Don’t even try shouting because it won’t solve anything. Just go and have your bath before the smell will soak inside your body.
2) Walking from the main gate to bank road
Someone thought it was a good idea to move the buses from the car park at main gate, to the park at bank road. One might even want to call that person wicked, but that person is the VC and you want to graduate. Imagine all the trekking you would do if you live on 19th street.
You after walking
3) The Sun
Rumour has it that UniBen has a separate sun from the rest of Benin. Don’t believe me? Check your weather map before and after you leave the school. The place is hot unnecessarily. It makes me wonder, maybe UniBen is Nigeria’s portal to hellfire. In fact, maybe UniBen is hell.
4) Shot put
Oh, you think UniBen has enough money and time to teach the actual shot put sport? LMAO
Personally, I refuse to be the only to explain it. God Bless you.
5) Lack of network
The school probably made a deal with internet providers just because they wanted us to suffer. Why else does network almost completely disappear when in school? Especially when you get to faculty??? Now, you’re actually forced to listen to your lecturers in class. Do they think that’s what we came to school for???
6) Always collecting your change
The ten naira other people might leave could be the difference between you trekking to you department, or taking the bus. That is why UniBen students always collect change. How else will they be paying for thirty naira bus all the time?
once they collect all their ten and twenty naira change
7) Stress and suffering, trials and tribulations
UniBen students are suffering. They wake up, take a deep breath and go “God, school again.” Trials and tribulations are things they know all too well. The stress of schooling in UniBen is turning their hair grey and making their blood pressure high. Those people are walking zombies.
that’s why you should be sending them money unprovoked. Please.
If you want to know what is inside this life, please click here
A Week In The Life” is a weekly Zikoko series that explores the working-class struggles of Nigerians. It captures the very spirit of what it means to hustle in Nigeria and puts you in the shoes of the subject for a week.
The subject for today’s “A Week In The Life” is a 200 level university student of finance. She tells us about combining a labouring job with being a student, how her classmates make jest of her and why she shows up in spite of all life throws at her.
MONDAY:
There’s no light when my alarm wakes me up by 5 a.m. today. The only source of illumination in the room is from the screen of my phone that has 5:00 a.m. boldly written in front of it. Fumbling against the darkness with the light from my phone’s screen, the first thing I do is locate my rechargeable torchlight. Armed with this, I prepare to start my day.
First on the menu is bathing and brushing — I do this quietly so as to not wake my roommates. As a 200 level student in the university, this preparation could be considered too early for lectures. However, I’m preparing to go to work. In addition to being a student, I juggle a full-time job as a labourer on a construction site.
It’s 5:45 a.m. by the time I’m done getting dressed. I leave the room by 5:50 a.m. and thankfully, because the construction site is a 5 minutes walk from the hostel, I arrive before 6 a.m. At the venue, I change into work clothes and wait for the more senior workers to start trooping in.
During my wait, my colleague informs me that the task for today is setting blocks on the third floor. This means that everyone is required to carry blocks from the ground floor to the third floor, where they’ll be laid. Additionally, today’s payment will be determined by the number of blocks carried —50 blocks gets you ₦1,250. I hear my colleagues making plans to carry 300 – 400 blocks, and I mentally remind myself that my quota is 50 blocks. After all, I can’t afford to overexert myself since first semester exams start tomorrow.
TUESDAY:
I don’t need an alarm to wake me since I’m up by 2 a.m. studying. My first paper is by 8 a.m. and I have to revise all that I’ve read. After getting in by 4 p.m. yesterday, I was so exhausted that I just went to have a bath and lie down.
Even though I’m grateful for having a source of income, I can’t help but flash back to when things weren’t like this.
I initially started working part-time at a dry-cleaning store. I’d attend lectures in the morning, get back to the hostel by or before 2 p.m. and immediately go to resume at the store. By 7 p.m. I’d be done for the day and back in my hostel. However, when the pandemic hit, the dry cleaning store couldn’t afford to pay me so they let me go.
I was worried and scared, but I couldn’t sit idly without making money. The idea of waiting for my parents before buying anything in school spurred me into action. While thinking of jobs to do, I noticed a construction site behind my hostel and went over to ask them for a job.
On the first day, the engineer on site said he couldn’t allow me to work because it was a man’s job. I had to assure him that beyond my tiny body, I was mighty and could do the work. At the end of my first day, I ended up carrying 12 buckets of sand, 10 buckets of granite, 25 headpans of concrete, and I fetched a lot of water. The payment for that day was ₦4,000. I remember feeling extremely happy to have made my own money.
Even though ₦4,000 is big money, I’m sure that I will make more with education, and that’s why I’m awake and studying.
I check my watch and notice an hour has passed. I have just five more hours until exams officially begin.
WEDNESDAY:
I went viral on the internet today. I resumed at the site, as usual, changed into work clothes and started my day. During our ten minutes break, I asked a colleague to snap me so I could update my media on Twitter.
I posted my photo and went back to work.
After an hour, I opened my Twitter and saw 300 likes on my picture. I wondered what was happening. For someone who usually got 20 likes per photo, this was strange. I chalked it up to Twitter people whining me and went back to work.
I opened Twitter again by closing time and saw 7,000 likes on the photo. In my head, I was like, “E be like say things don red.” Between the time it took for me to get to the hostel, have a bath and settle in, the picture already had 10,000 likes. In my head I was shouting, “I don blow.”
The only “downside” now is that I have to call my family and tell them what I’ve been up to. I don’t want a situation where they find out from gossip blogs. I know my dad and brother will take it well, my mum too might not complain. The only person I’m worried that might not take it well is my elder sister because she might say that the job is embarrassing her. Anyhow, I’m not too bothered because I know that the job I’m doing is very legal.
THURSDAY:
I wrote my second paper today. With every exam I write, I go one step away from my past and two steps into my future. I’ve done a lot of jobs to get me up to this stage, and I don’t take it for granted. If I had to give a timeline of all the jobs I’ve done, it’ll go like this:
Junior secondary school — got paid for copying notes and drawing biology diagrams.
Senior secondary school — worked in a sawmill as a woodcutter.
Immediately after writing WAEC — worked long hours in Katangwa market as a cloth seller and sometimes load carrier for people.
University — worked in a dry cleaning shop.
Now — working on a construction site.
Because I know where I’m coming from, it’s easy not to flinch when people make jest of me for being a labourer. The most painful incident was when my classmate saw me at work and called her roommates to laugh at me. At first, it pained me, but I had to remind myself I was making money from the job;she could go fuck herself.
After we finished our exam today, another classmate asked me if I was so desperate for money that I took up labourer work. I just walked past her because it’s none of her business. No matter what you do people will talk. If you’re lazy they’ll talk. If you’re hard-working they’ll talk. If you’re irresponsible they’ll talk. Even if you’re neutral they’ll talk. There’s nothing you’ll do that people won’t run commentary, whether good or bad. At the end of the day, that’s their business.
FRIDAY:
I have neither exams nor work today, so I can tell that today will be a good day. I’m finally going to rest. My plan is simple: sleep and catch up on Attack on the Titans [AOT] and Jujutsu Kaisen [JJK]. I can’t wait to see the latest episode of AOT and watch my baby, Eren, in action. AOT fans love Levi Ackerman, but I can’t stand him because he steals the spotlight from my guy, Eren.
I’m also going to catch up on the latest episode of JJK because I can’t wait to see my favorite characters fight.
I can’t lie, I’m grateful for rest days. My life is basically work, school, church on the weekends, and reading in the middle of the night. I have no time for myself to do anything. On days like this, I get to not only unwind but also think about my future. I’m still in my second year of studying finance, but I know where I want to end and where I don’t. I know I don’t want to end up working in a bank. If I must work in a bank I’d like to work at the Central Bank or alternatively, I’d like to thread Okonjo Iweala’s career path. I know that one day, I can become the minister of finance and even go on to become the DG of the World Trade Organisation. At least I know that by the time I’m ready, Okonjo Iweala would have retired. LOL.
My dreams scare me because I don’t know how to get to where I hope to be. Most people I’ve told about my dreams have laughed and said I’m making up fantasies in my head. Even if I don’t know how to reach my dreams, I’ll never stop pushing. I’ll never stop trying. In some part of my mind, I know that fantasies sometimes do come true in reality.
But before they can come to life I have to rest. Today is shaping up to be a perfect day to do that.
Check back every Tuesday by 9 am for more “A Week In The Life ” goodness, and if you would like to be featured or you know anyone who fits the profile, fill this form.
Students in Nigerian universities have stories to tell, but hardly anyone to tell them to. For our new weekly series, Aluta and Chill, we are putting the spotlight on these students and their various campus experiences.
Talk to any UNIBEN student about what it’s like studying at the university and chances are that you will hear stories about Ekosodin, Osasogie, and strongmen. The subjects for this week’s Aluta and Chill definitely have something to say about them, and they are not stories that warm the heart.
Ifeoluwa — Was friends with a strongman
I had just gotten into school as a direct entry student and I became friends with this guy in Year 5. It didn’t take long before I suspected that he was a “strongman” — which is colloquial for cultists in UNIBEN. First, a classmate had warned me about him. Also, he never told me his real name. Eventually, I was convinced that he was a strongman and I knew I had to get out of whatever I had with him, and that was the tricky part because he didn’t say what he wanted with me. He was constantly seeking me out — in my hostel, in classes. This guy had a way of showing up wherever I was. I couldn’t tell him off because there was no way of knowing how he would react to it and I was scared of what he might do if I riled him up.
On this day, he came to see me after class. I don’t know what happened, but he seemed to be having a bad day. We were talking as usual when he asked me what was wrong with me. I told him that I was fine. Then he blurted something rude and asked me to leave. I was shocked but I did what he wanted. That was the last time he spoke to me. My mind still goes back to this, thinking about all the different ways it could have turned out. It was a miracle to me, but I still shiver when I think about how I lived in fear until he decided to leave me alone.
Tammy — Followed by two guys at night
I like to take evening walks with my friend. This was what we set out to do one evening when we noticed two strange guys at the hostel gate. We ignored them and went our way. But they followed and started cat-calling us. When we decided to stop to hear what they wanted, We realised immediately that we had made a mistake. It had rained earlier and there was power, so the streets were empty. They caught up with us and rudely asked for our names. We calmly told them and continued on our way, hoping that would be all.
We got to a spot where students usually hang out and decided to stop there. We sat down and these guys came over again. We asked them to excuse us but we both knew that wasn’t going to happen. After minutes of small, uncomfortable talk, they asked for our phone numbers and we refused them. That was all they needed to hear to get heated. It looked as though they were going to get violent, lay hands or worse, so yeah, my friend and I were wondering why we had to go out in the evening.
After what seemed like hours, some groups of boys passed by. We saw the opportunity and raised our voices, hoping to call the attention of the group. It worked. The boys stood close by, watching what was going on. We had company now — the guys recognised that too and went back to wherever they came from.
Faith — Had a major fright at Ekosodin
I live in Ekosodin and went to visit a friend at Osasogie — these two neighbourhoods are known for their notoriety. I lost track of time and spent more time with her than I should have. The safest option was to sleepover at her place, but I couldn’t. About 10:30 PM, I ordered an Uber and he dropped me at Ekosodin gate. I had to continue the rest of the journey on foot. I switched off my phone and dumped it inside my underwear. A lot of dreary thoughts were on my mind but I knew I had to get home.
It seemed like I was going to get home without any funny business until I reached a juncture and ran into three guys. As I got closer, I saw that they were armed with guns. I maintained my composure, ignored them and continued on my way. I looked back and saw that they were following me. I was going to risk everything and trust my legs when one of them asked me to stop. They asked me a few questions and I explained everything to them. It turned out that they were one of the vigilante groups guarding the area. In the end, they let me go. But the night wasn’t over.
I ran into another group of guys in a shed about 10 minutes away from my house. These ones were the real strongmen. I instinctively turned back, hoping to run back to the vigilante group I met earlier. Two of them ran after me and I burst into tears when caught up with me. They asked for my phone and any other valuable I had on me.
The rest of the group joined us and I didn’t believe what happened next. I knew one of the guys. I had no idea that he was a strongman, but there he was. And he would be my saviour that night. He told that they couldn’t collect my stuff and dismissed them. After that, he walked me home. It was quite a rough night. I learned my lesson though — there was a reason the streets become empty by 8 PM and that was the last time I tried to push my luck.
Ebube — Was harassed by suspected strongmen
One of the first things I learned at Uniben was that Ekosodin is the “Den of Lions” and a phrase you shouldn’t hear from anyone is “dey with me.” because they are probably strongmen and there is hardly any way to get out of that situation without losing your stuff. The other option is to run the race of your life and hope you don’t get caught. I knew that like the back of my hand, but it wasn’t enough.
So, I was going to church in the morning. It was around 6 AM, and I thought I was safe enough to go out. Then these guys I’d never met huddled close to me and said the dreaded words “Hey guy, dey with me.” I had to think fast and decide on an option in the 2-second window I had before they grabbed me. I chose the second one and ran for my life. I fell down a couple of times, but I wasn’t too sure if they were following me, so I picked myself up and picked up my pace. I looked like a mess when I was certain that I was safe. I found my way into the school hostel and stayed with a friend until the day got brighter. Church had to wait till another day.
Can’t get enough Aluta and Chill?Check back every Thursday at 9 AM for a new episode. Find other stories in the series here.
Students in Nigerian universities have stories to tell, but hardly anyone to tell them to. For our new weekly series, Aluta and Chill, we are putting the spotlight on these students and their various campus experiences.
This week’s subject is a second-year female student at University of Benin. She narrates how two unpleasant experiences with lecturers have changed what she thought about the university and its lecturers.
Could you tell me how you got into university?
I wrote JAMB in 2018 and applied for a course I really liked. Choosing UNIBEN was a no-brainer because a lot of my relatives had gone there, so it is like a family school. Also, the course is not offered in a lot of Nigerian universities. My options were limited.
What drew you to the course?
I saw it in a social studies textbook when I was in JSS 3, and I’d wanted it since that time. However, I didn’t get the course. Instead, I was offered another one, which I didn’t even know existed until I saw it in my admission letter.
Anyway, I wasn’t going to wait a year at home. I decided to cut my losses and take the course. I planned to transfer to the department I wanted after I’d spent some time in school. However, academic activities didn’t start until March 2019 because of an ASUU strike.
Did you eventually transfer to the department you wanted?
Oh yes, it did. I didn’t even spend a session before I facilitated the switch. I knew the right person, and that was all that mattered.
How excited were you about UNIBEN?
My relatives who had gone there only had good things to say about it, so I was definitely pumped. I took their word for it. Now that I’m here, I don’t see what the fuss was about. The expectation didn’t match reality.
What changed?
A lot of things, but the ones that have affected me the most is how the lecturers have been a pain in my ass in the little time I’ve spent here.
Wow. What happened?
I went to see a lecturer because I needed information about the courses to register for and how to switch departments. I had no idea something funny was going to happen. The moment I entered his office, he locked the door behind us. That was mildly uncomfortable, but I thought he didn’t want to be disturbed. Then I felt his eyes on me, checking me out and sizing me up. I didn’t know what it was about but I kept my cool.
What happened after?
He asked me if I had started having sex.
OMG, What?!
Yep. That happened. I was obviously taken aback, but I wasn’t sure what to say. Now, I was really uncomfortable but if he noticed, he didn’t care. The next question he asked was if I had a boyfriend. Then he asked if I was a lesbian and if I had noticed any lesbians around the department.
I laughed it off and told him it was none of his business. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have laughed. He thought it was funny, but it wasn’t. Fortunately, he didn’t dig deeper. It was really unnerving. I mean, I had only spent a few weeks in university.
What did you think that did to you?
I was disgusted, to begin with. And I began to see the school and its lecturers in a new light. Thankfully, I switched departments not long after and I didn’t have to deal with seeing him anymore. However, It dawned on me that these lecturers see themselves as gods, and they could do whatever they wanted. The second experience proved that.
Man. What happened?
Sure. I’d transferred departments now and was in the second semester of my first year. I was inside a lecture hall. My class was a large one — about 350 students — and there were no PA systems so the lecturer had to walk around the class to make sure everyone heard him. He got to where I sat, regarded me for a moment and asked me to see him after the class.
Did you know why he wanted to see you?
I had just gotten an artificial septum ring that I wore to school. It was a nose ring, so I didn’t think there was anything to it. But when he asked to see me, I suspected it was because of the ring. He had a reputation for being strict, so I went to his office immediately after the class ended. I got to his office and everything took an ugly turn.
What happened?
He shared his office with two other lecturers that were teaching me different courses at the time. One of them was at the door when I got there. He saw me, saw the nose ring and started yelling at me.
Now, his words wouldn’t have bothered me so much, but he was throwing words like “harlot” and “prostitute” into the mix. I’d never been that embarrassed.
That’s not cool. Did you react to the outburst?
I did. I couldn’t reel everything in, so I retorted and asked him not to call me those names. He didn’t take kindly to this. Even then, I could see that he was offended, but I couldn’t care less. I dashed past him and went in to see the lecturer I actually came to see.
What did your lecturer say?
He asked me to sit down and gently told me that I was allowed to wear whatever I wanted, but I shouldn’t wear the ring to his class anymore.
I have a feeling that wasn’t the end of it
It wasn’t. The lecturer I had the run-in with was taking two compulsory courses at the time, so I couldn’t avoid him. Every time I ran into him, he looked at me in a weird way. He made it pretty clear that he had it for me.
I was writing a test for one of his courses one time when he came to my seat. He took the sheet I was writing in and waved it in the air for everyone to see. Then he started with the name-calling again — it was “fool” and “dunce” this time. It irked me, but I didn’t say anything.
Did you think he wanted something?
Yes, he wanted an apology, I guess. He asked me to his office twice, but I didn’t go. On the day I wrote one of his exams, he asked me to come to his office again, but I didn’t go. I wasn’t going to deal with him unless I had to.
What happened after?
We don’t see our results until the beginning of a new session. When I eventually got my 100 level results, I saw that I got F in both courses he took.
Whoa!
It took a lot to process that. I knew how much work I put into studying for those courses. I actually loved them and studied hard for them. Besides, his courses were the only ones I failed.
I’m really sorry about that. What did you do when you saw your grades?
There was nothing I could do. I had to let it go. Now, he’s my course adviser and I have to sit for the exams again. I could use a break from him. He probably still wants me to apologise, but I have nothing to apologise for.
Ha, he’s your course adviser now! How badly did the two Fs affect your CGPA?
My CGPA took a big hit. No student should have two Fs in their first year. Besides, both courses are compulsory. Right now, my CGPA is struggling a bit. I shouldn’t be dealing with this, but it is what it is. I’m trying to see the bright side, though — I’m in my second year, so I believe that I have time to make up what I’d lost.
How confident are you that you will pass his courses this time?
Man, I’m confident about what I wrote in the previous exams. However, if it doesn’t happen, I have to take it to department management. I know the HOD, so that could work to my advantage. I hope it doesn’t get there, though — these lecturers can be vindictive and I don’t want this to become me vs the department thing.
Have these experiences affected your relationships with other lecturers?
I like to keep my distance from all of them. I don’t care to nurture a student-lecturer relationship. From my experience, nothing good comes out of that. Of course, I’m never comfortable in classes. I always feel like they are watching me. All I can do to be in control is to take it easy and mind my business.
Do you think you might still get in a run-in with him?
Yes. It doesn’t scare me, though. There’s only so much he or any lecturer can do. I still have the nose ring, but I don’t wear it to school anymore. It makes me really sad that I can’t wear what I want when I want to, but I will live. The idea is to lay low, and I’m sticking with that.
If you could go back to 2018, would you still go for UNIBEN?
Nah, I wouldn’t even choose a public university. I would find a private university where the only thing I’d have to do is study without worrying about a lecturer leering at me or another one failing me in two important courses because he didn’t like what I wore.
*The subject asked to be anonymous.
Are you currently studying in Nigeria or elsewhere and have a story to share about your life in school? Please take a minute to fill this form and we will reach out to you ASAP.
Can’t get enough Aluta and Chill?Check back every Thursday at 9 AM for a new episode. Find other stories in the series here.
Ekosodin is a student neighbourhood near my school, and it’s famous for all the wrong reasons. I was walking in the area with a friend once when we heard someone shout, “Fine girl wassup na?”
We just assumed, “oh it’s just boys catcalling.” He kept at it, and we just ignored. All of a sudden, he just switched up and shouted, “Na me you dey form for?! Una want make I pursue you?” I don’t even know who ran first, I just know we took off, turning around every corner, running over dustbins and docking about.
We don’t even know if he actually pursued us, but we didn’t care.
