Tower of Babel: Quota System, Nigeria University Calendar and NYSC

By Adetola Ogunsola . . .

Adetola, Chisom and Abdullahi were childhood friends who graduated from the same high school. After graduation, they vowed to strengthen the bond by studying in the same university but it was quite unfortunate that the quota system did not favour them.

Chisom secured admission to study English at Nnamdi Azikwe University, Adetola, Tai Solarin University of Education, and Abdullahi, Ahmadu Bello University.

The three confidants later agreed to touch base anytime they are on break but it shouldn’t come as a surprise that no Nigeria university calendar is uniform.

Automatically, the jinx of friendship got broken by the government! (quota system, none uniformity of calendar)
On getting to the university, Adetola being an Historian made friends with like minds and they discuss politics extensively.
On getting home during a 2 week break in his 400L, he learnt Chisom’s mum died as a result of doctor’s strike (No medical care) and Abdullahi got knocked down by a government official’s convoy.

Adetola mobilized some people from his school and Chisom’s school but when the day of revolt came, a test was fixed at Chisom department.

Another date was fixed but it would surprise you that Adetola’s school management released examination timetable which clashed with the proposed date. The whole “Tower of Babel” movement was abandoned.

“After graduation, we’ll mobilise hundreds of graduates from universities in what will be a violent rally” Adetola echoed!
Two weeks after graduation, every graduate from Nigeria universities were preparing for NYSC and no oppressed graduate was interested in the rally as they all shunned Adetola.

Adetola felt more disappointed when Chisom said; “Let God fight our battle jor”

Adetola; “Even Chisom way her mama die!”

The “graduates” were all scattered all over the country.

Read also: What Would it Take for a Politically Exposed Nigerian Politician to Resign?

On getting to the NYSC camp, they were told not to address the press, form unions or organise rallies.

Adetola being a revolutionist decided to form a secret union but he met guys who were only interested in drinking, partying, girls and sex and they made fun of him when he approached them with his proposal calling him “Jesus of our time.”

He went further to make friends with the “Holy” ones but they saw “evils” in his proposal, calling his attention to Ephesian 12.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Adetola was left to live with the status quo for a year!

No friends, no foes, no like minds!

Today being Adetola’s POP, ironically, Nigerian government sits down at a round table clinking glasses saying; “Cheers for a plan well executed.

“They said to each other, ‘Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building.

The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.”

Genesis 11:3-9

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now