As a student and a citizen of Nigeria, I see myself growing up to become a responsible leader but corruption has a way of manipulating the minds of people. I studied Statistics in Kenule Beeson Saro Wiwa Polytechnic, the former Rivers State Polytechnic. As a National Diploma (ND1) student, I made good grades, not because I was too intelligent but because I made a resolve to give it my best. One of those days in school, one of my lecturers who took a core course asked me out. I refused without giving it a second thought. As a result of my refusal, he made up his mind to frustrate me. Unfortunately, I took ill and wasn’t able to make it to school.During the period, I missed a test which he administered and on the day I resumed, I went to his office to explain the reason for my absence and why I should be given a test. He told me to my face that he will not administer any test to me that I should just prepare for examinations.
The examination timetable was released and I read thoroughly for the exams. To avoid his problems, I put in my all into writing that exams knowing that I could come out with a “C”. To my greatest surprise when the results were out, I had a carryover. I consoled myself with the fact that I would do better in the next one but he (the lecturer) told me to my face that I would write the course over and over again whether I studied hard or not. I had to sit for the exam again and ended up with another carryover. At this point it dawned on me that I had to do something and so I reported him to our Head of Department whom I thought would help me. Unknown to me, he was the leader of the gang.Instead of helping me, he asked me out in return. He said if I needed his help, I knew what to do. At this point I knew there was no safe place for students to make their complaints anymore. Everything was on the basis of “You scratch my back, I scratch your back” principle.
I kept on sitting for that exam until I started my IT program. This coincided with the swearing in of a new Government in the State and a new Rector for the school as well. In celebrating the victory of his boss, our Rector declared that all those who have one carryover or the other would not pay an extra year school fees and would not rewrite the exams which held them back. Fortunately, I fell into that category of students. That was how I was saved from the wickedness of my lecturer and right now I am in my final year with outstanding grades. I am a Nigerian student and this is my corruption story.