Are you a doctor, a lawyer or a shame to the family?
This female staff that'd been attending to me turned away from the laptop to face me, "which course?"
I was so tensed, my voice sounded like that of a dying patient in need of a doctor, "Medicine".
"...in this school?" pointing to the screen, I'm telling you the shock on her face could make you suffer a stroke 😂
"Hia! They will not give you medicine oh, they don't use to give people Medicine in that school, even if you score well in JAMB", she said. It was then I became conscious of the number of secondary school leavers, impatiently waiting their turn.
Small and shy me then— what did I know. I asked her to select "Human Anatomy", at least it was closer to Medicine and I will switch later (my fellow Nigerians, you see that thing they call switching— e no dae happen) 😂
That was how I left home telling my parents I was going to register for Medicine and came back home with a print out slip that had "Human Anatomy".
Anyways, I didn't gain admission that year, and the year after that, and the year after that year... And (omoh you get my point).
Four years at home because I wanted Medicine, when I finally got admission, it was to study "Plant Science and Biotechnology".
Abeg free me joor, all science na science😂
I had few of my friends in different professions share their experiences. You'll love it, trust me.
CHIMA EMMANUEL OKOYE
Studied accounting, Chima and I go wayback— to when I was a very careless teenager, full of deep shit. Lol.
I owe a part of my grooming into adulthood to Chima (though I've not told him this in person before)🙈
1. Chima, you're the first son, and elder brother to five beautiful girls (I used to fancy one of your sisters by the way— Chinazom, I think I still do) 😂 so Chima, being who you are in the family; to your parents and to your sisters, did it, at any point mount pressure (mild or severe) on your choice of course?
Errm... No. As a matter of fact, it didn't. Not one bit.
I think I'll say, it's because of the type of family I come from. They're not the type that would want to police your life one hundred.
They are not the type to tell you "...this is what you have to do and that is final".
As a matter of fact, I studied Accountancy in the University but that's not the background I had in Secondary school (that's a very funny story) 😅
Not until I had a conversation with one of my family friends (he was sort of a mentor to me then) he advised me— after which I decided to switch to Social sciences.
In fact, with social sciences I wanted to study Economics but because I attended a polytechnic— I had to study Accountancy.
2. You're currently an On-air Presenter, among several other beautiful things. Looking back to the point you applied to study accounting, what's the funniest realization you've made about yourself, and what advice would you give to your younger self?
Looking back... In fact to be honest, I just wanted to go into school, I was tired of staying at home. 😅
I'm sure if I was offered errh... soil science... (and this is not a shade to anyone offering soil science, I have nothing against the course) but I'm saying even if I was offered a course that had no background with what I studied in Secondary school, I would still have jumped into it, because I was just.... desperate! 😅
Even as a young person, I've been around for a long time to know that, time is more valuable than money.
Exactly! I felt that line too😂😂 Thank you very much, Chima.
Next stop, is a childhood friend, one of South-south's youngest lawyers.
GIDEON TOM
Gideon got into University the same year he finished high school (while I was just beginning my affair with JAMB at the time😩). Oh well, he recently graduated from Law School, age 25.
We've been friends since my Js2.
Gideon, or should I say Barrister Gideon. I learned you're a part-time stand-up comedian, amazing. 😂
1. From the time you graduated from Law school till now, have you ever been hungry? (My Lord, I know this is a funny question but I am very serious) 🤭
😂😂😂😂😂
Everybody has had a moment or stretch of hunger and we are many in that WhatsApp group. So yes, I have been hungry before and this really owes to the fact that income and expenditure are after my life😅. For real!
Though nothing really prepares anybody for the day of want and I have had to be in that moment of want only hoping that tomorrow will soon come and this really can affect anybody in any strata of life whether a professional or the common man.
Tomorrow is the currency we all bank on.
2. My Lord, was there any time when the reason for this hunger (whether slight or intense) was owing to the fact that you didn't have cash at hand?
Yes cash at hand has been a factor before. Bouncing back from that with proper planning has helped so far.
3. So My Lord, you're saying that, at one time after law school, you didn't have money to buy food?
My Lord?😅 Emi ke?😅.
Oh well! There's a saying, "who naked no dey put hand for pocket".
I have said it before now, it really wasn't about Law or After Law School, not having money at the time to buy food in that sense hit me as a human just like it would any other person so if I speak your mind on the question, then my answer still is in the affirmative.
I rest my case. 😂 Oh last question!
4. Looking back to the point you applied to study law, what's the funniest realization you've made about yourself, and what advice would you give to your younger self?
I would have rather been a businessman or learnt a vocation with a sprinkle of baby boy lifestyle😅.
The thing is, success like I have come to realize is like being a Landlord, nobody gives birth to a child and names the Child a "Landlord" and the child automatically becomes one. It's either there's a house upon his birth or he grows up to acquire one for himself.
So the quickest advice I'll give to my younger self is to shake off laziness quick enough and get ready for work ahead.
P.S: I would also tell my younger self that in 2015-2016, Leicester City will win the EPL, 😁 the young man will know what to do.
PROMISE OZOR
Promise studied Veterinary medicine, teaching Literature was just what she did to engage herself.
1. Promise, you're more artsy than some artists I know. I mean, I usually send most of my works to you for reviews. Why did you study vet med, I have nothing against it but I feel if you knew art is what you're good at... Why not further improve by studying about it?
First off, thank you for the compliment. I live for compliments as much as I do reviewing your work sometimes 😁
My dad was my first teacher. My best teacher too, if I’m being subjective. I did pretty good in school. Science and art subjects, they came with ease. So every night, when my father would see me using a candle, or a torch, to stay up all night reading just about anything I could lay my hands on, he probably said to himself “This my daughter should be a doctor oh”….. and then he implanted the idea that should be a Dr. of whatever kind.
So I’d say my father played the most role in my ending up as a veterinary doctor. My teachers too. By the time I realised what I wanted to be, and that I resonated with words and art more than anything else, I was already preparing to write my first professional exam. There was no going back for me.
I’m not complaining though. I love my profession, and I have settled my heart with the understanding that your passion and your career could be two different things.
2. Looking back to the point you applied to study veterinary medicine, what's the funniest realization you've made about yourself, and what advice would you give to your younger self?
Funniest realisation: I actually put in for veterinary medicine cos I didn’t want the hardship of reading human medicine (sigh of regret).
So the funniest realisation I made about myself is that when I sit down to think, I don’t actually think well.
I think giving my younger self an advice would most probably stem from a wish to change something about my journey so far.
For that reason, I have no advice. Somethings could have been done better, or not, but would I be this wonderful complex being that I am now? I think not.
Okay maybe I can concede to just telling my younger self to give it time. Do your best and leave the rest…..to time.
Thank you so much, Promise.
VICTOR EZINWA
Studied Computer science, I met Victor during my first year in UNN but I got to know him really well towards the end of last year.
Victor does this thing where he treats me like a younger brother (I think it's because of my height) 🙄
1. Victor, in 2021, you were nominated as winner of the "Graphics designer of the year Award" in Believers' Loveworld, Campus Ministry (both at chapter and Zonal level)— comparing that to receiving your Bachelor's degree in computer, which one made you a lot more happier?
To be sincere, being the Winner of the Graphics Designer made me so much happier especially because as of 2019, if someone told me I'd be a Graphic Designer, let alone being the best, I might not have believed.
My Goal at some point was just to get good enough to do just one design for the church but I do all the designs now.
I also know this is of eternal value unlike the BSc that ends here on earth. I could imagine the Lord Himself telling me THANK YOU MY SON!
2. Looking back to the point you applied to study computer, what's the funniest realization you've made about yourself, and what advice would you give to your younger self?
I realized during the period I got admission, I actually didn't have a vision of what school was supposed to be.
Almost throughout my first year, first semester— I was playing video games, I would walk around school almost everyday with a laptop and gamepads in my bag (even with extension socket) 😂😂
One of the things I wish I should have done better was to engage in school activities (being part of what is going on in school). Cause in the end, the experiences you get in school, you can get them anywhere else, you can't also replace them.
Wow... Thank you Victor!
[Back to me now]
Errm... I do have a friend who's a doctor, but because of my, my... whatever, I've been unable to build a good relationship with her over the years (I guess in the end, anything related to medicine wasn't really my thing)😂
I'd thought of calling her— to feature her on this talk, but I know she'll tag me as being selfish for calling her after three years, only to ask for a favour. 😂
Plus, I also realized I didn't even have her current number🤒
But here's a good thing, I have a friend who just graduated from Pharmacy. I think that will suffice for the Human Health faculty.
GLORIA ANIH
I met Gloria last year, at the time— she was the Principal of the Foundation school program I enrolled for in church, we became good friends after my graduation.
1. So Gloria, you're a Pharmacist now, and even working (clears throat) Hmm-mm, e be like I go send you my aza very soon, make I follow dae chop money from human health sector. 😂
But how does it feel like? Since your graduation, has there been a time when you asked yourself "what next?"
Oh! yeah... 😁I love to start by saying thank you so much Nabas for having me interviewed on your platform😄. So, your question... Of course, I asked myself that many times and I'm glad I got that answered before I graduated. Cause to be sincere, life can be really confusing after school.
2. Looking back to the point you applied to study Pharmacy, what's the funniest realization you've made about yourself, and what advice would you give to your younger self?
Looking back I would say it wasn't really cool for me, towards my leaving school— having to realize that I should have put my energy into so many things asides studying pharmacy. It's kind of a bad feeling for me though, as my eyes don clear now😅
3. Random question, I remember whenever I had running stomach as a child, my mother would always buy a drug called "tetracycline" and it would work like magic. We call it red & yellow capsule in this side of Africa, what's so special about that drugs anyway? If you don't know, there's really no problem. I'm just asking so anyone reading this documentary, and later finds himself stooling very often will know what drugs to buy. 😂
About the tetracycline... Of course, the rate of abuse is rampant. It's an antibiotic used to treat different bacterial infections like urinary tract infections, acne, gonorrhea, antibiotic-associated diarrhea and others..
Usage in "stomach wey dey run"😅 should be prescribed by a pharmacist.
Quick one ... generally, antibiotics shouldn't be abused or misused (whichever case it may be) to avoid developing resistance.
Avoid self medication📌
Gbam! Doctor has spoken. Avoid self-medication😂
But used to cure gonorrhea? 🙁 Omoh, I didn't see that coming.
Thank you so much Gloria.
Alright, this is where I draw the curtains guys... I really can't say if I've been able to prove much to you with all these interviews.
Truth is, when I started this documentary— I really didn't know the full scope of what I wanted to hear from these people. I simply believed that youths in Nigeria had the power to call out water from a rock and whatever course the Nigerian Universities place in their hands, with it, they could steer the course of this country to greatness.
I read in the novel, "I Do Not Come To You By Chance", by Adaobi Tricia, where she mentioned, "Nigeria is a country flowing with milk and honey, but the milk come in bottles and the honey in jars that need opening".
I'd like to thank my friends who took out time to engage in this documentary— you know as a child, it's quite easy to spend the whole day playing with ten of your friends but as you get older, you realize ten friends can't play together for ten years. At some point, you would all have to get responsible— so I'm saying a big thank you to Chima, Gideon, Promise (my dear Promise), Victor, and Gloria for making out time and ensuring that this documentary was a success.
And to you reading, thank you for joining us today on iTell stories and everything beautiful.
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