In contemprary Nigeria, is teaching a worthy profession?

Today is exactly one year, one month and eight days of the unfortunate accident that I had the early morning, about 5am, Saturday 31st March 2018 in a hotel in Karim Lamido town of K/Lamido LGÀ in Taraba State. I sustained fracture of the femur head of my right thigh bone. That moment of the accident I thought it was the end of life. The end of a checkered life of a thorough bred public servant who will go unknown, unappreciated, wronged, cheated and humiliated. Even in retirement I always nursed the feeling that some day, someone, the authorities will revisit my travails most of which were documented but few acted on, and restore my dignity and personal loss suffered financially and in ego.
I was born in Faren Lai, a village six miles from Jada in Jada LGA (former Trust Territory) of Adamawa State. My father, Malam Bakari (Abubakar) one time the then acting village head of Gambe village, now in Mayo Belwa LGA of Adamawa State, in January 1946. At the tender age of five years I was made to leave home Gambe, to go to school at Jada Junior primary school, the only one then in the zone. Jada was then comparatively a cosmopolitan town, a commercial trade hub of the then British company, John Holt, engaged in buying of popular products like the groundnuts and cotton. At peak purchase periods, pyramids of groundnuts were erected waiting transportation to the sea ports. From the John Holt buying station in Jada fleet of lorries evacuated products to the Eastern Nigeria sea ports. The Igbo marchants and their lorries would arrive Jada on Sundays with goods such as textiles, enamel wares, kerosene in tins, bar-soaps, salt, sugar, needles, threads, palm oil etc, against the Monday, the market day of Jada till date. As kids in the primary school we attached ourselves to Igbo friends to assist them translate the language of communication from Chamba, Fulfulde and Hausa to English and vice versa. Regular Igbo marchants pick honest primary kids whom they trust from previous experiences to be their sale boys.  We stand in for the traders whenever some of them go to the local beer parlours in Jada to relax. When they return to the market a reconsiliation of sales with unsold goods was carried out and amount realized handed over to the boss. At the close of market at around 3pm to 6pm, the traders will payoff their assistants based on sales made that market day. Many traders leave Jada same day while others leave on the next day. Many of the primary school kids eventually move to Eastern Nigeria with their Igbo friends turned masters to start a new life after completing Junior primary education. That was the setting back in the nineteen fifties during the colonial era. It was the setting that made Jada market a busier commercial center than even Yola markets.

Bukar Zanna Award refugee winning Teacher

It was from this modest background in Jada under the guardianship of my aunt, Maria, my father's junior sister and her husband, Malam Garba Laweso that I attended the Junior Primary School Jada. On the transfer of Malam Garba with my aunt Maria to Toungo in 1955,  I relocated to the house of Aliyu Mufti Kaniyibeni, father to Alhaji Yaya, Alhaji Sajo both famous directors of Ganye LGA and Jibrilla Aliyu, an education retiree consultant. I moved to the famous boarding Senior Primary school Jada in 1957 as one of the pioneer pupils and proceeded to the famous Middle School when it was Provincial Secondary School Yola in January 1960 and by 1st October of the year Nigeria became an independent nation. We celebrated Nigeria's Independence from our boarding Provincial school in Jimeta town , the Provincial capital at the parade ground now NEPA office. It rained by 2pm the evening of October 1st 1960. I was about 13 years old and even though from poor rural parents the boarding facilities smothered whatever disadvantages or differences existed between us and the children of the city or the rich.
I went through my education virtually on scholarship from primary to secondary with confidence and dreaming to reach the pinnacle of what learning can offer, the university education. There was no fear of been dropped out as the new independent nation was eager to invest in us the youths so that we could take over from the colonial civil servants who were departing from the country. There were doctors, engineers, accountants, architects etc who would have to be replaced.
After completing my secondary education in December 1964, I was engaged by the Adamawa Native Authority (ANA) as a pupil teacher and posted to Gombi, headquarters of Ga'anda district in Adamawa Province. While waiting for the WASCE results I got admission into Federal Science School (FSS) Lagos to study A level course leading to medicine, thus physics, chemistry and zoology. The Federal School of Science was an advance level instituition which prepared students for university admission. It was an affiliate of the University of London who conducted the general certificate of Education A level examination. On resuming in the school, I changed my course to A level agriculture course,  thus chemistry, botany and zoology. After the final examination which was conducted May/June 1967, during the Biafra secession saga, I got admission and a Northern Nigeria scholarship to study agriculture in ABU Zaria in September 1967. Again, I changed my mind to study education when I could not get the Agriculture course in 1967 as a consequence of the civil war that broke out in July 1967 that made me to relocate to Yola from Kaduna and so I received my admission letter late in November 1967.
While still taking the final degree examination in May/June 1971, a delegation from the civil service commission of the new North Eastern State conducted employment interview for us the final year students of the state in ABU. On completing my final examination papers for the B Sc. (Combined Hons Botany/Zoology) in June 1971, I went to Maiduguri, the then new North Eastern Nigeria capital.
Employment letters were waiting for the new graduates from ABU especially for those in sciences. The next morning in Maiduguri  I collected my  letter of employment with effect from 1st July 1971. I also was given an air warrant for a  flight from Maiduguri to Yola. I took my first flight from Maiduguri to Yola by 12 noon and arrived Yola airport under one hour using the Folker Friendship airplane. Waiting to receive his new teacher was Mr RRB Kimmit,  a retired British education officer who served in South Africa and returned home to Britain. He was appointed principal of the GSS Yola after an international scouting interview. He arrived Yola in his personal jet.
Mr Kimmit warmly received me and took me in his Vaxwagen Rio car from the airport straight to the government rest house in the government reservation area, GRA, in Jimeta town, the Provincial capital of Adamawa Province. I was booked into a chalet 8 which has all the modern facilities. The water system then was fully functional as well as the electricity supplied from the Jimeta power station established by the colonial administration in the nineteen forties and fifties and run by electricity company of Nigeria (ECN). The rest house was close to the residence of the Provincial officer, who was referred to then as the "Resident". In front of the residence of the Provincial officer was the town square which is today named the Ribadu Square where important events and Celebrations are conducted. The residence serves as the Deputy Governors residence to date.
In the warm water in the bathroom I found myself thinking, reflecting on life and living. There I was beginning life at the age of twenty five years in  comparative opulence while my parents were there living peasant life, hardly getting the basics of life. I resolved to better their standard of living when I progress in my service. After the warm bath I dressed and made for the restaurant by 7pm after my magrib prayers at a small open air mosque. A waiter brought the manure and I placed my order of the main course which was then rice and chicken. Some sweets were served. Many Europeans, Indians and other foreigners were there in the restaurant and some locals from the metropolitan Jimeta town. The people from down town Jimeta and Yola were mainly civil servants,  contractors and business men with their lady associates. There was a spacious bar just near the restaurant. More people were streaming into the bar and taking the comfortable seats arranged neatly around center tables. Some gentlemen preferred to sit on the stools by the bartenders. People were making orders for various drinks, gin, whiskeys, beers and soft drinks of all types. Later in the evening, as more and more people were streaming into the bar, more seats were arranged outside the bar under lighted trees and open spaces. The place assumed an informal party atmosphere. It turned out to be regular features of life in the rest house.
By 7am the following morning, the principal, Mr Kimmit gave me a lift to the school some kilometers away. I met one of my former Nigerian metal work teacher, Malam Ibrahim Mubi still in the school. The assembly started by 7:30am and the over 2000 students congregated at the open assembly ground in front of the single story administrative and classroom block just as we used to do during our days. At the end of the normal announcements, the principal introduced me as the new science teacher just from the ABU Zaria. The students jubilated especially when they note my age. I met the Head of biology section of the science department, Mr Sarvanatan who also received me warmly and immidiately assigned me the classes I would teach. He gave me the final year HSC classes, two arms of forms 3 and 4 and integrated science in forms 1 and 2. It was a challenge to me to take the final year A level students but I was pleased to take them. Some notable students in the classes taught were Bala Ngilari, the headboy who was one time governor of Adamawa State and Lawrence Ngbale, who later became  architect, in the HSC section; Ibrahim Mahmud, later architect and Jolley Nyame, later former governor of Taraba State in the secondary section; Bello Furo, a former legislator of the House of Representatives, Bello Tukur, former Deputy governor in Adamawa State both in junior secondary level. Mr Sarvanatan threw a challenge by handing over the A level final year to me and Itook up the challenge and handled the level, conducted the mock examination. The scores they obtained in the mock examination was reflected in the WASCE results they got. The result was very good and it showed in the number of university admission they secured that year, 1972. During my classes I had my unique style that kept students on their alerts never a full moment. Any inactive student I referred to as "blinking punk" or "dead wood" so much so that the students nicknamed me " Mr Blinking Punk." A name many still know me today.
Outside teaching which came to me naturally, I had beautiful interaction with staff and students in the school just as I was enjoying life with my friends and general public in the familiar environment of Jimeta-Yola. I was instrumental in the formation of Alpha Club in the school and the lower sxth student, Lawrence Ngbale was pioneer leader of the club. Ngbale, a Bachama prince of Numan was excitedly attached to me as a result of the cultural affinity of Chamba and Kambu (Bachama). Our attachment exists firmly even to date, especially after he chaired a Governor Murtala Nyako Committee on  education/service reform audit where I was a member. As a young man of almost the same age with some of the students I was closely attached to them. After classes many students flocked to my house, now in the school premises for one thing or another. I never fail to compare them with students from the southern part of Nigeria. While southern students were hard working their northern counterparts were làzy and not serious. I was always vèry frank in telling my students of Northern origin, who were virtually my junior brothers that many of them were not serious with their studies. When I asked simple questions and they failed to give answers, I would get mad at them and label such students as "blinking punks" or "blinking idiots". Each wrong answer from anyone attracted this response from me to the spontaneous laughter of the other members of the class. I was eventually nicknamed "Mr Blinking Punk", a nickname that stuck till date. An episode in Jos in 1997 shows the extent of the affinity and affection my students had with me during my early classroom teaching: My wife accompanied a friend to greet another woman in a hospital in the Jos metropolis and when she was introduced as the wife of a Sa'adu Abubakar, the patient lady asked if the Sa'adu Abubakar was the one she knew, a teacher, their vice principal back at GSS Gembu in 1974/75? When she was told that was the person, the Sa'adu Abubakar"Gambe"she knew. Emilda, the patient shouted "Mr Blinking Punk." her former biology and vice principal at GSS Gembu where she was the Head girl in the foundation class. That was 24 years after we parted at Gembu. She quickly phoned a friend and told her she was in the hospital with the wife of "Mr Blinking Punk." She was so excited seing my wife, who is my junior wife, the same age as them. My wife was undoubtedly surprised, amazed and wandering at her unusual reaction of my former Head girl. At this stage Emilda was a teacher with Taraba State Government, indeed a principal in a school, GSS Army Barack.
Such memories were common with many of my former students from GSS Yola, GSS Maiduguri, GSS Gembu, GSS Ganye, GSS Mayo Belwa, GSS Fufore and GSS Takum. In 1980s I had to go to the Ministry of Education headquarters in Lagos to sort out the issues of my wrong lateral transfer to Federal civil service and whenever I land in Lagos especially by air, I'd meet some of my former students who would in turn alert other classmates about my arrival and my hotel room will look like a meeting venue where each former student would want to let me know their status in life. Each and every one of them came to see and interact with"Mr Blinking Punk."Many would tell me had I not ensured strict diciplinary measures on them, they wouldn't be able to reach where they were. Many of them were in the police, army, navy, air Force, airways, custom, immigration, ports authorities, ministries and agencies. I remember one of my former students, an assistant inspector general of police, who died in helicopter crash in Jos during one the Jos communal crisis. I've forgotten his name now! Many of them attained top positions such as governors Jolley Nyame of Taraba State, Bala Ngilari of Adamawa State, Modu Sharif of Borno State, Pro A. L. Tukur of MAUTEC Yola, professors A. B. Dikko, Saidu Umar, Provost School of Nursing and Midwifery Yola , Provost College of Education Zing, Doctor Bala Saidu of the Specialist Hospital Yola, Dr Inuwa Musa director Federal Agriculture Gombe State, Dr Uzairu Abdullah, former legislator Bello Furo, by proxi, late Senator Maccido, Senator Mbata, then chairman Senate Committee on Education, former Deputy Governors Bello Tukur, Martin Babale and hundreds of others out there across the Nigerian terrain, Federal, State and Local Governments. Of all my former students, I have very good memories except one engineer, formerly based at Ganye, in charge Mayo Belwa, Jada and Ganye zones. The only one who felt uncomfortable with my presence. May be for my punishment to him or some low scores in my tests! I pulled a lot students around me whether in classes or out of classes even though I was strict in admonition laziness and bad virtues. I'm honored by many of my former students in their various ways and calling, be it in hospital, airport, military or government circles. Dr Bala Saidu of the Specialist Hospital Yola receives and treat any Patient from Gambe first before any with due respect to his former teacher, principal. My village people appreciated the kind gesture and thanked me for that. The senators Mbata and Maccido honored me in 2005 by increasing my school, FGC Sokoto, 2005 budget by N80million to the utter surprise of Minister of Education who made spirited efforts to confiscate the N80m through virement but the Senate Committee on Education turned down the request. As a result, the school approaching it's 50 years of establishment then was given a major infrastructure upgrade boost. Staff and students were pleasantly surprised at the salient achievement/achiever. Before the ovation died down I retired in January 2006.

Coming in my next write ups would be details of life as a pupil teacher, teacher, Head teacher, Inspector of education below the tertiary level and an education administrator. The posers and questions I will put across the society are:

1. Should the reward for a teacher be reserved in the Haven?
2. In contemporary Nigeria, the teacher is considered as:

a. A nobody whose roles can be replaced by anyone that can be hired.
b. The messanger, the cleaner or driver is more important to ogas and their families than the teacher in a public school. May be the children of the leaders or the public servant are overseas, expensive private schools or hired tutors for lessons in the house.
c. Teachers are ones to suffer most when there is paucity of funds be it at Local Government, State or Federal levels. Teachers will be unpaid salaries for six to ten or over a year while the administrators ensure they pay themselves unfailingly each month.
d. Teachers, as consequence of the poor condition of the service, dress substandardly to school where their students appear corporately dressed, wearing expensive perfumes etc that often lead them to look down on their teachers.
e. The bottom line is that the teacher's ego is deflated in many ways and and the leaders use their low spirit to further worsened teachers woes. Teachers are left to borrow many times to the level, God knows when, they will be out of poverty trap!

THE POSERS/QUESTIONS ARE.
1. In the contemporary Nigeria, what is the worth of the teacher's work on a scale with other professions?
a. Nurses.
b. Doctors
c. Lawyers
d.  Engineers
e. Accountants
f. Administrators
g. Pharmacist

2. No applicant wants to go into teaching until it is the last resort. Over 80% of the teaching Force in Nigerias primary and secondary Schools are there temporarily awaiting greener pastures. In order not to stay doing any job, they pick up teaching. As employers are happy engaging even professionally untrained teacher for the lower remuneration they'll pay. The teacher's union have no constitutional powers to regulate employment minimum standards.

To be continued...