I pretty much had that fame from my basic school days, where I ended up becoming the head boy of Unilorin Primary School. Almost everyone in primary school knew the head boy, including my tutors.
The high school was equally the same. The student population was a little over five hundred, and I was the labor prefect in my final-year class. Labor is not an activity anybody finds passion in, but I was an exception. I devoted my time and attention to labor activities while in high school, and my teachers commended my commitment. This, however, earned me a negative reputation among the students. High school is an adolescent stage where youthful exuberance and some unacceptable behaviors are exhibited. I managed to have almost all the students of the school in my palm, as I could conduct Labor Day activities single-handedly without the support of other school prefects. I had a labor attendance book that every student wished never to have a marked absence. The head boy and deputy did not have much to do when it came to punishment; all they needed to do was send the erring student to me, and there was always some grass or weeds to be cleared.
I was amazed when I visited my alma mater high school some years after, and some students that did not meet me while I was a student claimed to have heard tales of me from my junior students who became their seniors. This was a popularity that waxed beyond my presence as a student prefect in the high school.
My undergraduate days were not an exception, as I participated in student politics and eventually became the student union deputy senate president of the "better by far" institution, the University of Ilorin. As a medical student from the mini-campus who competed with a student from the permanent site with much larger faculties and populations, I beat my opponent with a score of 43 to 4, meaning I won with 43 votes while my opponent from the permanent site had only 4 votes. I remain one of the few students who participated actively in politics but never printed a flyer or banner for my campaign. I cannot even remember going about making campaigns or promises unless on election day, when we had to make a little manifesto. I was once approached by a freshman student who claimed to have voted for me. She approached me, saying, "Are you Musa James?" "I voted for you." I smiled and appreciated her.
Eventually, in the course of my studentship and political career as the deputy senate president of the students union, my popularity waxed stronger at the permanent site, and I had people greet me at almost every corner. They were mostly people I could not recognize. One major challenge at the permanent site of the students' campus was transportation. The nostalgia of the times I left mini-campus (which was a distance away) to come to the permanent site to help control traffic still elates me to this day. Our team worked passionately and sacrificed a lot for the welfare of students. My younger sister, who happened to be a student at the same university, once told me my popularity on the permanent campus may surpass that of the mini-campus. This was probably a result of many people knowing me and acknowledging me in every nook and cranny of the school. My title and nickname, "Senator MJ," seemed to exceed my physical presence.
At each point of my academic calendar, I have served devotedly and passionately, which is evidenced by the ease with which I make friends even now. At some points, I had to start deleting some Facebook friends I could not recall just to have space for the new friends in my life.
As of today, I pride myself on being a good friend and a shoulder to anyone who appreciates it.
Thank you for reading, friend. I would love to have your comments and contributions 馃
