The 30th day of April was another remarkable day- you ask why? I answer "a new breed of freshmen made it into the bosom of our jungles" and being a fresher myself ( a lover of fresh things), the dictates of brotherhood suggest that I share my opinions of the jungle with you.
Undoubtedly, it's not just customary that I welcome you to this community of great and strange things rather it's more in the spirit of identity with your particular challenges. Challenges which are in no mean negligible.
Meanwhile, I do not fancy myself a 'patroniser' but I think I like the sound of a 'recognizer'. I do believe I have an inkling of the sentiments espoused by Camara Laye in his "African Child" where he 'blah-blahed' about the beauty and peculiarity of a child initiation into adulthood. I like to presume that our freshmen are currently in that stage of initiation to university life.I hope I won't be misconstrued.
Meanwhile, I do not fancy myself a 'patroniser' but I think I like the sound of a 'recognizer'. I do believe I have an inkling of the sentiments espoused by Camara Laye in his "African Child" where he 'blah-blahed' about the beauty and peculiarity of a child initiation into adulthood. I like to presume that our freshmen are currently in that stage of initiation to university life.I hope I won't be misconstrued.
When i close my eyes, i can effortlessly recall that I came into the walls of this jungle after my anxious spirit, and that of many others, has been subjected to series of resumption postponement a development which I suspected testified to the ineptitude that decorates virtually all governmental outfits in our nation. Well, as you rightly guessed, the leprous hand of confused leadership and followship can be seen in public display in this jungle of ours even after we resumed and as I write. But I digressed.
Providence was kind to me, He planted me in a field of rainbow differences and in spite of the 'nakedness' of imitation I can truthfully conclude that I found my robe of many colours in the heydays of 'fresher's orientation.
Whether you agree or not is a matter for philosophical discourse but I'm moved to believe that once again, in His traditional manner, Providence has dealt you spades of aces. How about you count your blessings and brace up for a simulation of life within the jungle walls?
O fresh king and queen, what are you worried about? Is it the absence of privacy in those rat infested enclaves? Or the stress of having to manually repeat your digital registrations? Perhaps you are tired of the long queues and the coldness of admission officers and there comrades? Oh no yours is a more romantic dilemma,where are the 'hotties' my admission into the jungle gurantees? No, yours is a spiritual concern, should I attend Lagbaja's fellowship or Bongo's traditional ministry? But your cash is dwindling? No, it's your foodstuffs? Just calm down and put things in perspective. It's dilemma, our drama. Enjoy!
The life of a freshman is undoubtedly filled with expectations and for those who decided to blaze new trails, lots of ambitions. So, I resign myself to commenting chiefly on what I believe to be king among these thing's and the 'antidote' to some of dem! I'm not Dino bruhv. Thanks.
The Jungle is filled with practices begging for abolition or reformation and king among these practices is the "Aro Establishment" I'm not ashame to state that a freshman needs to come to terms with the realities of the aforenamed. True, there's no tattoo indicating your freshness on your forehead but as a result of environmental circumstances, majority the freshmen of identify you hence, some of them can hardly resist the temptation to pass on the legacy of absurd remarks, expensive jokes and to crown it all demeaning cat calls, especially for the offspring of Eve. Let no daughter of Eve nor son of Adam take any of the vexatious remarks of his forbearers to heart. I like to think that such remarks are outward expression of a community of persons with so much energy and insignificant outlets to burn them.
Again, I think the fresh compatriot should guard all his/her faculties jealously for it's a truth that the proverbial Owl of Cultism is struggling to rise from its cold ashes.
Well, God forbid that the seed of wicked men germinate in our time. Let me move to a less controversial footing, I humbly suggest that in line with earlier suggestion, our fresh man should take the caution of making proper enquiry before saying "yes" to the clarion calls of any ideological, intellectual and religious groupings. I voice these sentiments because I have seen and learnt that the substance of a group cannot be conveniently separated from its leadership and membership; there's often more to the written articles, aims and objectives of groups. Pay attention.
In another vein, I encourage the freshman to take diligent care of what he or she takes to heart or brain in the contents of any article he comes across. I write this with the innocent presumption that my freshman belongs to the awakening breed of political heir, my bird sings with the innocent presumption that our freshman is a fan of common sense and common sense in this regard is enamoured in the political awareness of persons. The understanding that all and sundry need to get involved!
Therefore, i pray that our freshman will be wary of 'activists and comrades' that are in the habit of either oversimplifying occurrences or exaggerating frivioities. I pray that my freshman will guard the sanctity of his humanity from the campaign of vitriolic elements who can only offer the most unedifying criticism while neglecting the need to apply the dual test of morality and reason without malice to circumstances.
I sincerely hope that our freshman will not by accident or design be a pawn in the game of persons so consumed with an entitlement mentality such that they have forgotten that the world owes us nothing since it was here before us, in order for him not to ever forget that he's a king, a bishop, a Knight in this chess of life and if only our freshman will decide, he can be the best freshman that ever traveled the intricate labyrinth of our jungle.
The freshman should always bear in mind that the best investment a man can ever make is to contribute all of his essence to the prevalence of justice for times without number situations have proven that at the end of everything the struggle is between right and evil, good and bad, justice and tyranny. Let no man decieve you otherwise. It's my heart desire that you go all the way and that freshness will forever punctuate your love for justice and your fellow men. We are fresh together!
Wole Zangani
Part 3
Part 3