Going to school was the least in Nosede Ukekwa’s aspirations. He hated the classrooms, which he described as a cage and a prison cell, where pupils sit for hours to learn under a teacher who behaves like an emperor.
The teachers of his time compounded his disdain for education and all that it represented. He saw the teachers as cruel, wielding canes to lash pupils for failing to meet their expectations.
Except for his father’s pressure and his forced enrolment in a local school in their village, Ukekwa preferred to be an artisan. He was thrilled by the sparks or flames from the local welder in his community and by the dark eyeglasses that shielded his eyes from them.
Looking back, Ukekwa said his first day in school was miserable. As his father left the school premises and took him to his Primary 1 class, his teacher’s appearance did not excite him.
Rising from the table to receive Ukekwa, the teacher directed him to one of the back seats, without considering his height.
While Ukekwa expected a proper reception, the teacher thundered: “We don’t come late to this class; next time, you will not be too lucky.”
As the class progressed, he could hardly see the lower part of the blackboard because of his height. This impeded his speed and ability to catch up with the rest of the pupils.
He recalled, “After the first day at school, I returned home very bitter. It was a numerical lesson. I told my father I was not caught up in education. I begged to be allowed to undergo an apprenticeship under the village welder. My father encouraged me to continue because even the welder used measurement tools and estimated the materials he required for his fabrications, which he learnt in school.”
Months turned to years, and excitement caught up with Ukekwa as his father continued to encourage him. At Primary 2, the teacher was less hostile and more passionate about his job.
He said, “I soon discovered that I was learning faster and not actually a dullard as the Primary 1 teacher had made me believe. I ended my primary school well and became desperate to go on. I had a new spirit: to learn, discover and teach others. My classmates gathered around me to get clarifications on certain topics and subjects, which gave me a sense of worth.”
“I defied the odds to become an academic star. Once declared a ‘dullard’ by my first school teacher, I no longer struggled with my books as I began to teach others. Instead of failing in exams, I was excelling. Unlike my elder siblings, who sat for WAEC on more than one sitting, I did it once.
I pressed on and gained admission to one of Nigeria’s renowned universities in the South East, and graduated with a Second Class Honour (Upper Division) in Economics.
“Life changed for me as the accounting firm I undertook the mandatory one-year national service retained me after the scheme. This encouraged me to pursue a career in accounting, ultimately becoming a chartered accountant. Now, I am full of gratitude to my father, but without forgetting the scars of my early days in school.
“My advice: Don’t let the perception and attitude of others blur your vision.”
