The salacious stories were breaking so fast it was tough keeping pace with them. Mr. Otubu’s sex drama had started as a mere rumour. Then came along the spicy movie story of Mr. Umodia, of Exams and Records, of Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma
The salacious stories were breaking so fast it was tough keeping pace with them. Mr. Otubu’s sex drama had started as a mere rumour. Then came along the spicy movie story of Mr. Umodia, of Exams and Records, of Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma
. When the Otubu story eventually made appearance on Facebook on the Net, it became difficult not to believe the other. Umodia is said to be a sex crazed bully and an extortionist who does verification of the entry qualifications of candidates seeking admission, and who also allocates matriculation numbers to students once they have been admitted.
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Everyone knows that AAU is a cesspool of corruption. A lot of the students get into the school via all kinds of routes. No matter how anyone gets in, he would be a valid student if Mr. Umodia says he is, through his verification and clearance exercise. This is a discretion that puts a lot of powers in his crafty hands.
Also, all graduating students must go through the formal exercise of verification and clearance otherwise they would never get their certificates. This is where the enormous powers of Umodia show. It's understandable that the outgoing students would be eager to see the process quickly through and done with. This leads to a rush, and creates a massive bottleneck. To Mr. Umodia, there can be nothing better.
Most AAU students are smart enough to know that one has to hustle his way through this narrow way, which swells Mr. Umodia's bottom-line greatly
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He's a very comfortable man, so the legend goes. That was why he had quite easily turned down the huge financial inducement the lady at the heart of this story had made him.
At last, the desperate woman had offered to pay up to #50,000; still Umodia had laughed it off. "Igwanigho-ole. Ebale mhen ghwano", he had gently told the solicitor the lady had yet sent in her behalf.
At this point, the woman was quite perturbed, and very worried. She had been willing to pay an handsome amount, for her verification, but Mr. Umodia had made it clear that he would settle for nothing, but sex only, "But I am married", she had pleaded, passionately. The man would not hear of it. "We've heard that before. Yet you sleep around with the students. But when it comes to our turn, you become stingy with it,” the man tossed carelessly back at her.
"True sir, I'm married. I'm actually pregnant now".
"Okay, you can have it your own way, but no deal". There was finality to his voice. She became immediately apprehensive. She thereafter decided she had to tell her husband about it.
After much discussion, the desperate couple had decided that the man should have his way. Mr. Umodia was very glad at the good news. He hastily arranged a rendezvous. The place was Transit Hotel, at Ujuolen Extension. They were together in the hotel room when the man suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He then advised that they should proceed to another hotel. Sunny Guest House, hidden in the Farm Settlement Road, at Emaudo seemed just the right place to do it, without fear. So they went there. Still as they settled down to embark on the matter, his sixth sense came alive again. Yet he would not give up.
He got up at once and advised that they move on to the Royal Hotel, which seemed just ok for the business at hand. Though his nerves were still jangling, he decided he had to do it there. Quickly, he took off his clothes, and told the woman to hurry up to undress. She stood up to comply but then immediately excused herself to use the restroom, quickly. She had to protect herself, she said, smiling. The man understood that perfectly.
Only that shortly afterwards he was suddenly plunged into a nightmare that quite knocked his senses out. He stared in horror as his room door quite unexpectedly shook violently, with a barrage of hard knocking. Of a sudden, the door blew open with great force, as from a hammer blow. Mr. Umodia could only stare.
He was petrified as many heavy footed men fought their way into the room. He felt like fish suddenly thrust out of water. With absolutely no stitch on, he was helpless like a day old chick.
He had never felt fear like he did now. The woman came out of the bathroom looking harassed, and very afraid. The invaders calmed her down, and identified themselves as men of the Nigeria Police. Umodia knew then beyond all arguments that he was in trouble.
While still nude he watched as they brought out their camera-phones and proceeded to interrogate him on record. He confessed that the woman with him in the hotel room wasn't his legally married wife, and neither was she betrothed to him. Yes, he had had plans to do it with the woman. Did he know that the woman was married to some man else? He looked at the woman, and couldn't answer the question. Did he know that the woman was pregnant? Well, he hadn't believed her. Everyone knows that women are full of stories. Why should this have been any different? From his experience in his trade, he's come to know to take their stories with a pinch of salt. Did he know that dispensing official favours for sex was a grievous misconduct, and a crime, punishable under the Nigerian Penal Code? He was dumb and numb. He could only perspire.
How would his bringing the woman to the hotel room have facilitated his verification of the woman's documents? He was incredulous, but he didn't dare point out the stupidity of the question. Surely, he couldn't have taken the woman to his home that he shared with his wife. But expect the police to ask all kinds of questions. He was a fool. That was very clear to him now. He should have known; the woman suddenly agreeing to his amorous advances. And yet, he had felt the alarm, intuitively. But he had ignored it all. He had been too determined to have his way. What a fool he had been?
At last, the policemen threw his clothes at him and ordered him to dress up, fast. He had to follow them to the police station, they told him. But he pleaded to have the matter settled there amicably, like good old friends, you know. They would hear none of it.
How had they known of his plans, and how had they known the exact time to break in? These were some of the questions that plagued him continuously as they made their way to the police station. The woman must have made a call soon as she got into the bathroom, he reasoned thus to himself.
At the station, he was given paper and pen, and ordered to commit his misdeeds to writing, which he quietly complied with. Did he know that it was wrong to make amorous advances at a married woman; touch her in a romantic way and seek to get down with her? Did he know too that it was a mortal sin and a terrible offense in the Nigerian culture to do so? They lectured him more on the serious calamity that it engenders in the society where such evil is practiced. He pleaded guilty, unreservedly.
Well, as a grown man he had to know that under the circumstances, some things must be done. Where the woman came from, the elders would demand that some cleansing rituals be done, at the minimum. He promptly agreed to fund the cost of the rite. He was eager to make peace.
Now what would he do for the woman and her husband he had so heartlessly embarrassed? They bargained. The police demanded for #3million on behalf of the injured couple. Umodia was flabbergasted. #3million! The Police were going for their pound of flesh, for sure. He never much liked them anyway; this certainly doesn’t help it. What did he do which even Nigerian leaders don’t do? But he didn't have the strength to argue much. He felt very feverish; his mouth tasted like he had been chewing on lead. All he wanted was to escape; to be allowed to go home. In the end, he agreed to pay #1million.
As he left the police station, he felt like he was a walking cadaver. His skin crawled when he remembered how the leading interrogating policeman had stared him in the face and demanded to know if he was into ritualistic practices. The policeman had put it to him hotly that he felt sure that he was ritualistic. Otherwise, why insist on sleeping with a married woman; especially one that was pregnant? Surely, only diabolical persons engaged in such things. He shivered as he remembered it all. His pace quickened, as he feared that the police could change their minds and deny him freedom, after all.
It was at the police station that Mr. Umodia discovered that the husband of the woman for whom he had had the lewd intentions was a police officer. Talk of nemesis.
He had fallen into a carefully arranged trap. When he had insisted on his having his way with the woman, the police had posted a surveillance team at the hotel, the agreed place for the consummation. Somehow while there, he had felt it and had become uncomfortable, but had decided to go ahead anyway as there had been no obvious reasons to abort his plans. But where would he now get #1million, to pay with? At last, he decided to approach the AAU Cooperative Society, and there he had mortgaged his future pay, for the #1million.
It's not difficult to see why Mr. Umodia would be tempted to misbehave in this manner. Why concentrate so much power in the hands of one man? In properly governed schools, candidates seeking to gain admission are offered places on the hard evidences of results submitted, to a duly constituted panel, which quietly verifies them, without the candidates knowing about the process. The results of the verification exercise are then posted on the notice boards, for all to see. Those that fail to meet the minimum requirements are immediately denied admission.
But at AAU, things are done differently. It is common knowledge that candidates obtain admissions in a variety of ways. This is a huge racket, involving the lecturers, Exams and Records, and a retinue of touts fronting for all kinds of people, in authority. So, there are always a substantial number of students in school but, without having met the requisite admission qualifications. Yet they may graduate and collect their degrees, depending on how well they know their way. This is where Mr. Umodia comes in. The student must however have an authentic Matriculation number, without which he would certainly run into trouble. A lot of Matric numbers are bogus, but they can be authenticated, by Mr. Umodia, for a fee, of course.
The State Governor should be aware of the sordid state of affairs at AAU as he ought to receive regular intelligence reports on the inner workings of the institution both as the Visitor to the university, and as the chief executive officer of the state. If he was careful to increase the fees the students should pay, he should be careful too to ensure that both the students and all the other stakeholders get value for this money.
AAU is a complete mess, which proudly turns out, every year, low grade graduates; people that cannot be counted upon to carry out even the most basic of clerical duties. At AAU, it's possible to turn a PASS into a 2ND CLASS Degree, within a twinkling of an eye. This happens, now and then. It only cost money; #250,000 would meet that need, easily. Mr. Otubu himself had said recently before his travails began that, only the College of Medicine was worth defending, at AAU. That, even the Law Faculty that once was the sign post of the school has since suffered a huge decline. He should know. No doubt, there are still some decent lecturers at the institution but, they're a declining minority.
Would the Comrade Gov do something about this? That is the question.
David Onobun
07040532320
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