SET TO EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED?

By Osarennoma Ogbeide

Second semester began like a gentle wind. Many are used to the trend. The semester is known to bring a wave of activities; hall week, faculty week, department week, excursions, seminars, master class trainings, fellowship programs, football games, dinners, even jaw war; the list is endless, not forgetting classes, tests, group projects and the like.

All these are the expected, thus we adequately prepare to manage our time such that our interests and priorities are encapsulated and our academics are not deficient. Little did we know that we should have prepared for a shift, the unexpected.

It started with complains from Awo, CMF and AOO girls (our people in the outskirts) about keke and cab drivers refusing to go towards their hostels because of the distance, creating much inconvenience and increasing rate of insecurity when they eventually have to walk the long distance in the silence of the night. The issue was properly tabled and addressed to the right authorities and action was taken.

However, this same insecurity we’ve been avoiding came to knock right at our door. In the past few weeks, cases have been reported of girls being picked up at gun point, robbed and sometimes even abused; all within campus! I believe it took us a while to adjust to the new transport system within school, it was also common that we would accept rides from caring Samaritans but now we don’t need a soothsayer to tell us that not every ride offer is from a Samaritan. I heard someone say it is impossible to be kidnapped as long as we’re inside school. I am 100% certain that view has changed. On-campus that is supposed to be our safe haven isn’t so safe anymore.

School authorities have released notices for all to be vigilant. Even with ‘Abefele’, you need to be your own vigilante. Just as we were still reminiscing on the devastating shift, link of life caused a shake in the hearts of many. We commend the leap at standardizing and improving the technology of things within school. Students however think otherwise as this link of life only linked many with fears and anxiety. We await a review of the results because from the mouth of many “that is not my true result” is heard.

Talk about the unexpected! Awo tossing Bello out of the jaw war…truly no one saw that coming. Who knows what next?

5 weeks into the semester, no one is sure of how the remaining weeks will unfold. For eyes have not seen, nor ears heard, neither has it come into the mind of students what the rest of second semester has in store. The only sure thing is that we should be ready and set to expect the unexpected. Let’s go!