Last week, we started a review of Andy Egonmwan’s book, ‘Grace and Guts’. At that point in time a focus was effected on why we decided to do the review at all. We also revealed how he started out on the wrong side of life – a feature which was not of his own making. Today, the review continues with how Andrew managed to go through the portals of schooling – primary school, secondary school and, finally, the university.
Within a time-span of six years, Andrew attended three different primary schools. That nomadic existence was essentially owed to his brother, who had to move from one place to the other in search of education.
After primary school, the available options as recounted by the author were to proceed to either a secondary modern school or a secondary grammar school. He chose the latter. But the sticky point was that, in view of where he was coming from, who would pay his fees? After all, and as is well known, one does not walk into a secondary grammar school. As revealed in the book, there were obstacles like passing the entrance examination, having a successful interview and, perhaps most importantly, having the financial wherewithal. Even in the Great Book, there is the contention that money answereth all things.
Life at Annunciation College which he eventually attended was fairly predictable. It consisted of prayers, games and study. By the standards of those days, it was a struggling school. But through the efforts of the indefatigable principal, the legendary Most Rev. Fr. Anselm Ojefua, the school was turned into a model in the entire Midwestern region. As revealed in the book, the school was something of a record breaker.
Largely due to the industry of Rev. Fr. Ojefua, the school, within a very short time, was given the right to register candidates for the five-year school certificate programme. But this was not a bloodless operation. Human casualties were involved, since a number of students had to be weeded out to make way for the survival of the fittest. The author was one of those survivors.
After his studies at Annunciation College, Andrew got a teaching job, but his restless spirit prodded him to Ibadan, where he got a clerical job. He was soon to swap clerking for a career in Animal Health and Veterinary Medicine.
In light of the immediate foregoing, he was selected for a course at the Federal Veterinary Institute in Vom, Jos. It was a move which expanded his horizon. The Benin boy had moved to Ibadan and now Vom in present-day Plateau State. It was at this point in time that he had his first journey by train! Andrew was also exposed for the first time to the northern part of the country.
After successful completion of his studies at Vom, he returned to Ibadan. Incidentally, this was at a time when the then new state of Mid-West was created. As with all transitions, this one was also marked by turbulence. After some time, however, stability was attained, and the new veterinary assistant resumed his duties. But in life, you do not only have to be good at your job. Human variables have to be contended with and contained. Such a human variable was in the person of his boss who was not particularly disposed towards him. He was thus transferred to Anwai, near Asaba.
In his new posting, some form of epiphany dawned on the young Andrew. He had a lot of time on his hands. He therefore had the time to think deeply about the direction or non-direction of his life. Such, indeed, are the positive uses of adversity that, with the free time on his hands, he was able to register for GCE A-Levels, an examination which he passed (significantly for the first time) with the relatively good grades of BBC. One incident is worth recalling here.
As revealed in the book, Andy’s (shall we say infamous?) boss even tried to discourage him from going to the university by contending that Nigeria would soon become like India where university graduates would be made to serve as drivers and groundsmen. Andrew retorted that such a life was welcomed as long as he was a university graduate.
Andrew ultimately got admission into two universities – University of Lagos and University of Ibadan. He chose the latter where he studied Economics. This was not without some drama in view of Andrew’s less-than-wholesome financial circumstances. The crux of the problem was who would pay his fees. Initially, his brother filled the guarantor’s forms but he backed out later. True to form, his mother was available to step into the breach even with her thumb-print signature. Ultimately, Andrew benefitted from the Federal Government’s Indigent Bursary Scheme. It was this facility that enabled him to finance his university education.
But then, roses, as they say, have thorns. The end of his university career was also marked by the sad drama of his mother’s death. Thus it was that at the age of 25 years, Andy had already acquired a university degree and was then ready to launch himself into the world of the banking industry. Details of how he fared in the industry will subsequently engage our attention.
Q: Largely due to the industry of Rev. Fr. Ojefua, the school, within a very short time, was given the right to register candidates for the five-year school certificate programme. But this was not a bloodless operation.
Kayode Soremekun
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
