I’ve had the opportunity to work with leaders from my junior high school days up to date. In my junior high days, I was close friends with our class captain for the whole three years that we stayed in high school. Moving to senior high, I made friends with the class captain again from the first year to the last year of our stay in the school. At a point, I stepped in as the acting class captain for a while and became the ‘teacher assistant’ to one of the teachers.
After completing high school in 2014, I had problem with 2 of my elective subjects so I decided to go and learn the Quran. During my stay there, I was chosen again to teach my juniors. So for 2 years, I was learning whiles teaching.
In the middle of 2016, I decided to go back to school again because my colleagues were moving forward and I was lacking behind. I went and picked the form and after filling it, I started schooling again. During my first high school, I was studying Building Construction but then I had to change a course which I went in for General Arts.
Within a span of a two to three months, I became the favorite student in the school because I was determined to pass my exams and proceed to the tertiary level.
I barely had time for myself during that period which led to my first relationship breakup with my girlfriend because our communication was dwindling and we had to breakup.
Fast forward, we wrote the final exams which I was one of the two students who passed well and could actually go to school with their certificate without any difficulties. I literally cried when the headmaster brought out my results and told me I passed and I was one of the two people who passed.
Fast forward to 2019 I applied to Uni and had admission that same year. During my Level100 days, I was kinda like someone that people go to when we were given assignments and when we were given group assignments, I was always chosen as the leader until I was done with my Diploma in 2021.
I continued with my degree that same year and I was working with our course rep in managing the class. At some point he left me in charge of grouping the class for assignments and group works which was hectic but I was able to balance it with my studies.
Somewhere along the line, I had a chat with a role model of mine who advised me to contest for a position in my department which I thought he was just joking but he kept saying it almost every time that we met. I later decided to take it on but then, I was late to make a decision as a friend came to me with the same idea of going for the same position I had in mind. I supported him and he won.
One thing that led to me pursuing a leadership position was two years ago when I was in charge of my department’s Secretariat for 2 years. A role model of mine used to frequent our secretariat and he said to me one day, ‘FT, why don’t you go for a position in your Department if you think SRC is big for you’ and that was all it took.
Earlier this year I started with my campaign and all the necessary things that I needed to do. I picked up a nomination form, filled it and submitted it back to the EC. After a few weeks, a date was set for the election. The day finally came and we went out to caste our votes.
I am happy to say I won my opponent with a 100+ votes and today I am the newly elected General Secretary of our department.
