By: Adetola A. Kehinde
Whilst I was opening my laptop to resume my weekend research work, I developed a thought about a story shared with me by one of my former University lecturers who is currently a principal officer in a federal university in the country. I must confess this thought didn’t come without an antecedent, I must say the thought came through the glimpse of an headline of a piece authored by @Yahayah although I didn’t read that piece but the headline alone was instrumental in developing that thought.
What’s the thought all about? I remember my former lecturer narrating some of his professional experiences with me. According to him, he just left Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to continue his lecturing job at Federal Polytechnic, Offa. As a young lecturer who just finished his MSc, leaving ABU, Zaria for FEDOFFA was demoralising having had his first and second degree at ABU, Zaria and started his lecturing career there, but as someone who knew what is ahead of him, he didn’t really allow the demoralisation to affect his PhD Programme at UI.
Without much ado, after less than two years at FEDOFFA, he was made the HoD. His emergence as the HoD of his department brought him so much enemies. These enemies are those whom he had assisted on several occasions. These enemies are those they have co-authored several articles and textbooks, attended conferences together. These enemies are those he confided in when he first got to FEDOFFA.
This my former lecturer was curious to know why he had many enemies in the department. On a particular day, one lecturer from another department in the same institute told him that, “Mr. HoD, do you really want to know why you have so much enemies among your colleagues in the department?” He said with emotion he responded and the man began to narrate what the plan had been in the department before he came from ABU, Zaria to join the department. The man told my former lecturer that before you came, arrangements had already been put in place by your colleagues on how the department would be headed till the next 15 years because this set of people sees themselves as the founding fathers of the department. But you, being an outsider who wasn’t in the plan becoming the HoD in less than two years in the department had already disrupted the long term plan. The man told my former lecturer that your emergence as the HoD of the department had aborted the long term plan his colleagues had and as such, you shouldn’t expect them to see you as their friends.
The experience of my former lecturer can also be likened to what is presently happening in Kwara State. With sincerity, I found it difficult not to find correlation with what my former lecturer narrated and what is currently happening in Kwara APC. It seems the emergence of AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as the governor of Kwara State aborted the long term plan of some set of politicians in the state, hence, they made themselves his enemies.
To believe or assume this set of people in the state are making enmity with the governor out of the love they have for the state; no, the believe and assumption is very far from the reality.
God knows best.