My name is Oyeyemi Olusanya,
hail from Iju (Town near Akure city) in Ondo State, Nigeria West Africa. I was born on the July 11th, 1975
to the family of late Aladesae Oyeyemi (High Chief Asaoye of Isa-oye Quarters,
Iju).
To begin with, Nigerian
education system is a little different from American school system. It is called, 6.3.3.4. that is;
·
6
years of primary schooling
·
3
years of junior secondary schooling (J.S.S 1 to 3)
·
3
years of senior secondary schooling (S.S.S 1 to 3)
·
4
years of university education
This is equivalent to American
school system,
Elementary school (K-5),
middle school (6-8), high school (9-12), then, undergraduate program.
I came from a polygamous
family of four wives. My father was a
goldsmith, and later turns it to Bicycle repairer meaning he was the first in
town, though the business stops long ago. He died as a commercial farmer last
year, own big cocoa farm spread on acres of land. My mother, Oyeyemi
Modupe. She trade in foodstuffs (Beans, Rise,
pepper etc.), she buys her goods from far north (Kano, Sokoto, Maiduguri
etc.). Sells in southwest, Ondo, and
Ekiti state. She’s popularly known as
“Iya-Elewa” meaning, the woman that sells beans.
My story is like a tree with
many branches; love life, academic life, family life etc. I will be telling my leadership story in the
course of my academic life. I was led to
enrolled in primary one in 1982 at Local Authority primary school, Iju. My mother completed her house early in 1983
and we moved in. We did not live in the same house with my father.
My school has to change
because of distance to our new house. In
the new school, (St. Matthew’s Anglican primary school). I had to repeat the
same class that I have passed. Therefore, I repeat primary one. I became the class leader popularly called
“class captain” in my primary three through primary five.
Something happened after the
promotion to primary six. The school has
just six-block of classrooms that were not enough for the students. The community secondary school by the other
side of the road (Elu-Iju high school, Iju) gave us some classrooms in
addition. Our headmaster was transferred to another school, the new one made a
new change. She (Mrs Agbalaja) stop student
from crossing the express road because of the age. However, the classrooms that were available
are not enough. That year, a private
nursery and primary school was introduced which reduced the number of pupil
admission that year. Headmaster looked
into promotion sheet, in a class where 30 pupils were promoted, the last five in
their class average will be withdrawn to the previous class. I was withdrawn to primary five after
promotion to primary six.
In primary six, government
transfer the headmaster (Mr Olanipekun) back to the school. When the time for prefect selection came, our
headmaster announces on Friday that we should dress nice on while come next
Monday. His system of selection was
democracy by open ballot system. There was a boy, a good friend of mine. Very brilliants. Every one of us believes Ilesanmi to be the
next head boy.
At the assembly on Monday
money, where we normally sing, pray and listen to the announcement each day. The headmaster, asked us to nominate
candidate for different position then, we vote for them by raising hands,
monitored by all staff to prevent double counting and voting.
I was the first person to
nominate, I nominated Ohunakin Ilesanmi. To my dismay, the second nomination
was my name from Oyaniran Monisola. After the voting, I lead Ilesanmi with five
points. However, our headmaster
disagrees because it was obvious that he wants the other person to lead. He reject the voting and conducted another
one, encouraged everybody to vote. To
his surprise, I won by 25 points.
After our primary school, we
dispersed to various high schools.
Fortunately, Ilesanmi and I found our selves in the community high school
(Elu- Iju High School, Iju). Both of us were
the class captains in our various classes from J.S.S. 1 to J.S.S. 3.
In S.S.S. 1, we both choose
science class as our option. We both
reject the offer to be the class captain for that year asked someone else to go
for it.
In S.S.S. 2, there was a crisis
in the school after a month that our seniors were selected for school prefects. One of their classmate, disrespect a female
teacher, when the principal hared the issue he decided to give them a
punishment. In those days, the
punishment was to cut school main field grass.
They refused to do so including the prefect among them. The principal decided to set up another
promotion examination for them and raise the promotion criteria. They also refused to take the exam after been
promoted.
The following week, Principle
dissolved their leadership and selected two male and two female from S.S.S. 2
to lead the student for that year. Fortunately,
the two male was Ilesanmi and I. The
following year, in our S.S.S. 3, we were honoured for successful leadership. It took the whole staff more than two months
to decide who the next Head boy would be.
Ilesanmi was the most brilliant but Olusanya has the leadership skill
required. Looking at our promotion
result, out of nine subjects offered, Ilesanmi had Credit and distinction all
through. I had seven credits, one distinction,
and one pass. To my dismay, my result
reads 10 subjects, which increased my credits to 8.
I learnt later that it was
recorded for me to have the same credit with him because some teachers want me
as the next head boy. Among the staff, I
had more supporters.
One afternoon, we were having
personal study during lunchtime. I was
the initiator of the personal study group, which Ilesanmi was a prominent
member. Then, Olorunsola Dele and Orimaye Adebayo. A teacher sent for Ilesanmi, they were
sitting under a big tree in front of our class.
Few minute later, they sent for me.
When I got there, I saw Ilesanmi stood aloof. They sent me to a junior class to curb them
of their noise during lunchtime. I went there
and in a few minute the whole school was at peace. When I came back, they faced
Ilesanmi. “That is what we asked you to
do, you can not even command your junior”.
They asked us to leave.
The following Monday, Ilesanmi
was announced as the head boy while I was made the labour prefect. Students were supersized because everybody
was expecting my name to be mentioned for head boy, for I had done it once
successfully. Later, I heard that the
staff concluded that I posses more leadership skill and that skill will be more
useful as a labour prefect than head boy.
Labour prefect is closely related to that of prime minister while the
Head boy position is like Queen Elizabeth in UK. Even now, some of our junior still refers to
me as the head boy, because I was the one performing even when Ilesanmi had a
good idea, he will communicate it through me.
In my undergraduate days, I
was afraid of going into student politics because it was obvious that lots of
cult boy were involved. These people create much turbulence in the school and
kill at will. However, in final year, I
was nominated for senate from the school of engineering. I served in the student parliament for one
year. At the same time, the president of
drama group in the school.
First job I got after
graduation was a teaching job in a private school of nursery through high
school, a private school in Iju. I
taught Mathematic and Computer both in primary school and High school, at the
same time the school electric mentainance man.
After my first year in the school, the principle nominated five of the
staff to coordinated the election for prefect selection in the school for
2005/2006 academic sessions. I was the
leader of electoral committee. The
proprietress has introduced democracy in the school since she joins politics. That year, she was the commissioner for youth
and women affairs in Ondo state.
The election was open ballot
system, the student nominates their candidate, and votes for them we record the
outcome on board so that the looser can contest for another post. I submitted election report to the
principal. He took the list to the
proprietress but she disagree with the person that won the position of head boy
because, the proprietress was lobbying to be as a senate candidate in her party
(People Democratic Parties), but the boy that won the head boy in her school’s
grand father was a strong antagonist to her ambition in the party.
However, it was too late to
manipulate the result been open ballot that the entire student already have the
result. I was suspended for one month
for conducting a free and fair election.
Though before the end of the month, Parent Teacher Association of the
school sent delegate to appeal to me to come back but I did not. I got a job to
oil and Gas subsidiary company six months later in Lagos. I worked there for four and half years and
moved to united state late 2010.
I see ability to lead in me as
a natural thing, even when I want to run away from it something will happen
that I will be left with only the option to lead. There was still some indirect leadership that
I control the decision of the leader both younger and elders.
At times, my suggestion may be
neglected but things will surely turn around that they will come back to it. I am not ways right but my leadership ability
paved ways for me. I can say that
faithfulness in my opinion or assumption and suggestion has helped me.
I may say that, the skill was
acquired from both parents because both of them were leaders and orator, but
more from my mum. For example, both in
primary school and secondary school her opinion was cherished. My mother’s opinion and suggestion at “Parent Teacher Association” (PTA) meeting. For
this reason, teachers seek for her availability at every meeting, because she
is a very busy woman. “Even though she’s
not learned but wise” that is the congregational evaluation of her whenever she
contributes to bible study in the church.
References:
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