Chukwuemeke Victor Esumeh: Life is sweet, bitter, sour [Nigerian Voices]

by Chukwuemeke Victor Esumeh

There have always been ups and downs that seems to place situational hurdles on the path of human progression. From our growing up days till now – that we can make life changing decisions without been shot for it: knowing fully well that we stand to bear the brunt of the outcome on which ever way it swings (good or bad).

My name is Chukwuemeke Victor Esumeh, I hail from the South-South region of Nigeria, Delta state to be precise. I was born in the 80’s in the metropolitan city of Lagos (Lasgidi).

I Had my primary to the higher education here in the West coast of Nigeria (Lagos and Ogun state). The diverse nature of life in Lagos made me vast in understanding Yoruba, Igbo and my native dialect – Ukwani which was in the early days referred to as – ‘Delta-Igbo’ language.

Born into a family of six – two boys and four girls, my mother is an industrious and herculean woman who was known around the vicinity for lending seasonal trades in selling corn; roasted yam and plantain; fruits and other food items for revenue streaming. On the other hand, my father is amiably-natured and altruistic to the family. A mechanic, he worked with different companies to engage his productive time and to foot his obligatory duties. In my father’s excellent spirit, he made sure we were never repudiated from school at anytime and vehemently lived up in every other precincts of our upbringing.

In reminiscence of my educational experiences and self-made decisions that were taken while I was left with abject fates confronting me and how they have played out today are really worth reflecting on. I implore you to come with me on a trip down memory lane: while I run a narrative highlight on these unforgettable moments.

I can say I really had a wholesome primary school experience – it was a sweet mix of bitter and sour – noteworthy drill from my first day in school, till I had my posting to secondary school. I was that kind of pupil that could be seen as the fairly-positioned type academically (the type that was always up and doing with his academics without any notable accolade to append; but very far from the bottom of the class on performance scale). Not too popular, but socially relevant among my circle with a distinctive creative flair.

After my primary school final (Pry 6) exams (Common Entrance and G2 exams), we (I and my mates) anticipated posting to some of the most sorted secondary schools around the place at the time but were shocked by getting posted to an only boys school –  a nightmare I had to be awake to deal with.

I’ll tell a story about one of the major ordeals I had back in secondary school, in my first year (JSS 1) which has to do with my name. My native name is ‘Chukwuemeke’ or the short form – ‘Emeke’, but my tribulation started when we were tasked to write our names for class attendance being freshers. At every point of submission of the attendance, the Vice Principal often mistook the spelling of my name for an act of not knowing how to spell correctly. He thought it was supposed to be spelt ‘Emeka’ as commonly known.

After several unpleasant, futile correction meetings with the VP that resulted to severe blacklash, flogging and punishments: I could’t hold a firm choice than to succumb to spelling it as widely accepted ‘Chukwuemeka’. This is what all my documents are inscribed with till date. I blamed it on the tenacious hustling programs of my parents that couldn’t make them available for coming forth to lay an explanatory case against the school in that regard.

It was a glorious celebration and jamboree when I scored 285 in JAMB after countless attempts and got admission into UNAD (University of Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State) to study Accounting which has always been my dream. Traveling to Ado Ekiti didn’t leave me with a cheerful reflection; it began on a very twisted pivot: didn’t have anyone I could put up with to pass the night and it was at a period when the institution was not in session. I was stranded, had to embark on a 3-hour trip from Ado to a remote community to connect with a distant relative. Got there about 12:30am in the morning before I could get a place to lay my head.

My second trip was more epic than imagination can easily unravel. It was in those days when the Nigerian telecommunication service was still suffering from epileptic network coverage. I got hold of a friend’s contact, he was in his final year – before I made my way out for the journey. With overwhelming confidence, I headed straight to the department for administrative findings. I got through around 6:30pm and discovered there was no network reception on my mobile handset – I was using MTN at the time.

I swiftly located a nearby call center only to be told that it was only Econet (now Airtel) that had a network mast sited there; to exacerbate matters, even the call center was using MTN so I was confined to waiting for Network before I could make a call. When I finally placed a call through, my friend shocked me with the breaking news that he was still in Lagos and couldn’t travel back to school on that day as envisioned. To cut the story, I forfeited the opportunity!

After another painstaking preparations to write another JAMB, I finally got admission few years later. During my university episodes, lack of structure and systematic ways of processing data was a debilitating factor that played against me in different ways in the course of adhering to registration protocols. Carrying out my statutory departmental and faculty registration processes as due were HELL!

It took me sessions to complete some of those processes and it affected me during exams, because the effect was that the school authority demanded certain documents before we can be allowed to seat for exams. In situations where such cases were affecting a large number of the class, we get amnesty but the repercussion on such instances was that those affected lose ample time out of the regulation timing slated for the paper.

Exam time table scheduling and academical activity timelines were erratic factors to pledge to; cases of assembling in a wrong exam venue (hall) due to communication breakdown for a requisite exam while others are elsewhere bracing to write the paper was impetuous all through my years of study in the university. You can imagine the toll that would place on one’s academy! Gross issues of missing exam scripts was another distasteful experience that would consume words if I unleash the sheer displeasure that this plague inflicted on my university academic process.

Hard to skip this from retrospection: the issue of poor transportation because we had an off-campus settlement for students in my school. An eventful empiricism was one that happened during my 3rd year – second semester exam. On this momentous day, I had 3 papers and my last paper for the day lingered till around 7pm. After the paper, there was no vehicle to convey students from the campus: I resorted to trekking. I trekked to my bed from the exam hall (because I was so exhausted I had to go straight to bed – no pun intended) without food. It was a distance as far as Oshodi to Cele bus-stop (if you are conversant with Oshodi – Mile 2, in Lagos).

Life after university wasn’t as pleasant as one would imagine it will be. The scorching terror of unemployment was a contending psychological battle that would test one’s resolve in this kind of society we find ourselves. Timely impediment in meeting financial responsibilities as melted by the economic uncertainty in the country which in its ripple effects have a draw-back on our individual set goals. Sometimes these situations affect and tear our sense of perception to shreds living us with frustration and disgruntle.

I have an accounting academic background from the higher institution, but reality made me realize it doesn’t just halt there! After effortlessly struggling in the ‘elbow-room’ of the labor market, I had to sort for supplementary professional programs to give me employable edge – I took up a PMP (Project Management Professional) training. Thereafter, I engaged in freelance media projects, events & artiste managements (A&R) and currently take up a marketing/administrative assistance designation in a start-up tech firm.

Conclusively, as humans we pass through metamorphosis in various facets of life undertakings. I will say for a fact: there’s no actual measuring metrics to weigh life achievements. We live to attain self-actualized goals that makes life progressively different and also transmit better life.

We have to be fervent, unfeigned and responsive in finding ways to solve problems that deter us from moving forward; because in reality there’s always a reward for perseverance and hard work. Let’s stay unperturbed and steadfast in the face of perplexity to make a difference!

“Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.”

– William Arthur Ward.

 


This entry was submitted as part of the Nigerian Voices competition organized by YNaija.com.

We publish, un-edited, Nigerians telling the stories of their everyday lives. Read all the narratives daily on the Nigerian Voices vertical. You can also contribute your own story titled ‘Nigerian Voices’ to [email protected].

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