CAREER TALKS*
"A timely move can mold a destiny."
When you are in a position of authority, you
have to be sensitive to others and sufficiently
knowledgeable to know when to stick your
neck out and pursue a just cause. This may
be costly but it is worth it.
When I was the VC, there was and still is this
Quota System for admissions-a procedure
whereby admission quota is reserved based
on states of origin, i.e., catchment areas,
educationally less-advantaged states (ELDS)
and on merit.
No discretion was accepted. I had those two
candidates for Medicine who had been
classmates together from the beginning. They
went to primary school together; they went to
secondary school together; and they took
JAMB examinations together now (cbt).
One of them of course did better than the
other which was reflective of their absolute
academic ranking. However, the university
policy at the time offered admission to the
one in our catchment who did not do as well
as the other because of her state of origin.
The two parents and the two candidates
came to see me as the Vice-Chancellor. We
tried as much as we could to convince the
other child who did better (and never visited
the state nor town of origin) but was not
admitted to do a change of course or school,
she neither understood nor agreed on the
rather ‘obnoxious criteria’.
Clearly, she was not going to be a nationalist
as she felt ‘cheated’ and was very sad. I was
touched by her predicament and decided to
test the system’s fidelity with the support of
the UNILAG Senate. The University admission
office sent her name to JAMB with a detailed
explanation, and that worked. She was offered
an admission.
Years later at the 90th Birthday of one of our
elders, Chief Jonathan Obafemi Olopade, OFR,
last year; the referenced lady who I could not
recall neither her face nor name was one of
the guests. She is now a qualified medical
doctor.
Clearly, barring any unforeseen circumstance,
a person like that would ‘die’ for Nigeria.
That is what we need to try to cultivate in
this country through orientation and doing so
that people will see a reason to die for
Nigeria.
All these catchment, quota system and
Federal Character may have been put in place
for good reasons, but the reality is that it is
frustrating our brilliant young men and
women and making them to lose faith in
Nigeria.
