Last year when I first became victim of the new JAMB policy, I felt that
was because I was unnecessarily being resistant to good innovations and
being slow to something good. Not until this year when it became clear
to me that I had last year passed unfair judgement onto myself.
Last
year I read like never before: past questions and answers could without
stress pop up at a flip of finger; I prayed because I believe
hardworking and prayer work hand in hand for envisaged success; I was
hitherto full of hope, believing nothing, no matter how small could
bridge me against success...and such was the exacting state of my
belief!
All of this went in futility when on getting to the exam
center, I was told I had come late for exams - I had come 2 hours late!
- truly I came late but if they could ever be magnanimous enough to
listen to my '5Ws and H', possibly the story would have been different
today. 'no excuse you can give that will change anything' such was the
stand of these 'mean' officials.
Dejectedly, I turned around to look
for solace but none was forthcoming. It was as though my life depended
on it. I left for home but to later on face the greatest humiliation of
my life. I had in the year before forfeited an admission on the premises
of not wanting to settle for 'less' - I had been short-changed; I
applied for Law, given admission and later changed it to Linguistic. "Is
it a crime to aim high and live to achieve great feat?" this question
wouldn't let me be after the event of conspicuous disqualification from
writing my exams.
Ways to go now posted a great problem to me.
Even when I had decided to wait a year more so as to correct the bad
precedence, how best to utilise good one year that lies fallow
in-between was still a great challenge. But this thought wasn't long
before I found a 'way'.
While I was been engaged in a new job, I
was as well been 're-dipping' myself into the preparation for the new
exam. I watched out for the new exam date and I eventually became first
among others to register for the 2016 exam. And at a point, I quieted
the job to give needed concentration to the coming tests. The needed
concentration here was not 'just' to pass but to pass to the perfect
satisfaction.
Thus, efforts intensified. Those areas I knew
usually post difficulties, I made stringent decision on them. I read
5hours in the day and 3hours in the night. I knew English Language was
never my mother tongue, hence my scheme of work favoured it
significantly. Literature-in-English, hmm this, whatever I know on this
subject can be adjudged to be self-taught as no one in particular can
boast of being my teacher. Yes, you read it right! I was a victim of
circumstances back in the days of my secondary education... In my
school, we rarely had 'lit' class, science class was favoured in all
ramifications. You want to know why? My school was more of faith-based
school and of community establishment; we relied solely on NYSC. And
throughout my senior studentship, 'we' in the art class were never lucky
enough to have a Corp member who could boast of having nitty-gritty of
English literature. Ironically, there was a boy that so much love works
of art. How can this boy survive this intellectual bankruptcy, I
fashioned out means. There was this non-serious class mate, her parents
'blessed' her with all needed materials, but in return, she coursed
those 'needed materials', in a nut shell, I'd 'tricked' out this texts
from her and 'blessed' them on myself. And this was how I got myself
acquainted with literature in English. To my point, I can adjudge myself
to be rightly above average in it.
Government was also one of
the subjects laid in the waiting for me in the coming exam. Could any of
my classmates rubbish my stand on any government topics? Well maybe now
that some of them are now studying law in their respective
institutions. However, I believe far above average I stand. I taught SS1
& 2 government in my previous teaching job and this wouldn't have
become possible if the 4 men-panel set up (2 of whom were PGD holders)
to interview me had made otherwise decision. I am utterly confident that
government is a subject not only I am well groomed in it, but also love
tirelessly.
The last of the 4 subjects was IRK and by the
virtue of it being my faith related subject, I felt a sense of
familiarity with whatever questions waiting in-line for me from it.
Nevertheless, I still needed to read and do some research on its areas I
presumed difficult. All of these, to a convincible standard I did.
Fast
forward to 9th of March, I was scheduled to sit for exam by 1.30pm, but
the 'masters of ceremonies' could not commence the said exams until
after 2 hours later. What an irony! This was same length of time I late
in the previous year's before I was dismissed from the centre without an
atom of sympathy. But in this case, they are the authority and we are
the subjects. Would anybody decide stupidly at the detriment of his/her
career? I doubt if there's any.
Under the scorching sun students
queued. Some for the fear of unknown, would regroup to have glimpse of
those likely questions and their answers - the previous entries had come
out to gist the incoming ones what years' past questions they should
monitor as those ones they had were mostly same past questions. Of
course, who wouldn't take it upon himself to getting the master key
(studying past questions) to unlock the mystery behind overall 400
points the examiner awards? But there I was with a female colleague who
was also indifferent towards the happening, staring at the hanky-pankies
the revelation has caused. I remember I told her that I would rather
have a test of my IQ than to have a test on my memory. Ofttimes, I have
adjudged my intelligent quotient to be around 60-62 percent. Unarguably,
I am not extra ordinary in anything but I believe on average basis, I'm
above even level. So I can never claim to be overly intelligently.
Everyone
was now before his/her machine, expecting the usual shout of 'start'
from the MCs. This later came afterall but not until this 'yellow man'
had visited my exam room 3 times to check 'if everything is in order'.
Of course, virtually everything was in order except the unseen ones
which we could not ascertain.
It took unaccounted 15mins after
my first click before the questions could roll out; English was by
default the first subject, of course, if one so wish, one can start with
any of other three subjects - not necessarily you start with English.
The
report from the predecessors were actually true. A fashion of 2015
questions at the comprehensive level was staring at me but alas! I had
studied another fashion. I looked up to see smiles on my colleagues'
faces. Given credence to my thought - "ha! What a day for these people;
none of them would have less than 300/400". Oh well, I didn't allow my
mind to revolve much on this. I faced my own port of porridge and as my
system dishing it out so was my hope being restored.
Less than
15mins to the end of my 2hrs 45mins, I had concluded my exam even though
myself and some three male colleagues were left in the room. I suppose
we all could understand why that was. 6mins left to finalise my
decisions when I suddenly noticed the system shutting down itself.
What!? I haven't submitted neither have I checked for the final 4th time
I desired to peruse my works again, after all I didn't cram 2015
English past questions. "don't worry, it'll submit itself. You may now
leave" was the response I received from behind. Well, since it's been
assured that it'd submit itself and having been satisfied with my works,
at least to the best of my IQ. Well, I think it's better I listen to
him. I left the centre and to locate some faces I knew before we entered
including the lady that along side me shunned the past questions snarl
became impossible. I would have loved to hear from her how she was able
to cope.
At home with my friends, hoping for the 'best' result
notification alert when a young brother whom I met at the centre broke
the heartbroken news through my phone's earpiece. Guess what the guy
got... 177! I couldn't believe my hear instantly. What? But this was a
guy, among others, that ardently studied the past questions and was full
of live when he came out of the exam room. Subuhanallah! What then
should be at stake for us that did not study past questions?
I
was lying there envisaging the bad news; my friends would not talk to me
because it's been hitherto aggressive from my side. These friends are
already in school, it's just coincident that my exams center to be near
their school. Night passed no messages on my phone. The tension in me
was enough to power the whole FUNAAB community and environs. Hmmm! such
was the state I was. Suddenly a pop up came into my phone, it's a
WhatsApp chat from a friend in OAU informing me that our results have
been released online that I should not expect any text. He didn't say
much possibly because he knew what could be at stake for me as well as
he later declared to me that a friend of his whom he adjudged 'erudite'
had 176 or so.
The tension in me could not allow me to check it
myself. And my friends had also left for lectures, I was home alone. I
later decided that I send my registration number to the OAU friend to
check for me. I did. And he checked.
"congratulations" was his
first chat afterwards. This awaken my positive curiosity and some sort
of smiles have started reshaping my facial muscles. Not until after he
sent the score that I recognised the reason behind his first
'congratulatory' chat. I had initially told him to be careful with the
way he would be breaking the news to me as I am prone to a health
challenge. Really the guy used his senses otherwise only God knows. The
little energy I derived from the guy's prank made me withstood the shock
that followed.
All my almighty IQ could deliver was 208 (Eng 60;
Lit 68; Govt 46; IRK 36) No! Definitely not! I've been short changed...
Oh! This is an assault on my own self...I started shaking, my eyes
became misty and I broke down. Just about then I came online to see
vituperations from my online colleagues. This actions from these online
folks give credence to my stand that we have been short-changed. Either
deliberately or not, I wouldn't know, but there are feats beating our
chests and calling for justice.
It's to this end I unequivocally
request for our answer scripts. I personally want to know and see where
answer was supposed to be 'A' but unintelligently I chose 'B', I want to
see where I was expected to choose 'C' but my IQ prompted my decision
for 'D'. I want to know, I want to see, I want to be convinced against
my decisions, I want to be purged out of my invective against what I
perceived unjust... I really do want to tame my roaring tantrums against
the concerned bodies. I want to exonerate Prof. Dibu-led board against
my 'ignorance', please help me.
I call upon all the concerned
authorities to publish our answer scripts. To also add a button to the
ones in the board's portal that will enable us have at least glimpse of
our handiwork. They should have uprightness and ethical dispositions as
their watchword.
**I would rather fail with honour than succeed by fraud**
Seun, lalasticlala, fynestboi
No comments:
Post a Comment