DEAREST Jambyto Read This!!!

Last weekend was one of my best weekends on Campus. Of course, not because my bank account is heavy or that I won a jackpot; I was happy because the entire campus and it’s environs was radiating with joy and happiness. I saw the dreams of many young people come through; the laughter on their faces was like a ray of light on a polished surface. Parents and well wishers sat under different canopies, their faces beaming with a smile.

It was also the best weekend for me because Rice and Stew Were Very Plenty (RSVP). We sang “Ewu Jambyto…” we played the ogene, we laughed from Okpara to Okeke, Slessor to Bello and we even danced from Nkrumah to Eni Njoku. The mood at Alvan hostel was also exhilarating. I sat under different canopies eating, drinking and filling my stomach which I had emptied with the aid of Andrew’s Liver Salt on Matric eve. The mere fact that I know a lot of people that matriculated gave me an expressway to merriment. Seriously, I ‘chowed’ and ‘chopped’ as if I was asked to eat and store enough food that would last me for the year.

At the end of eating and drinking, on my way home, right at the back seat of my uncle’s SUV, I began to wonder and ponder. I just couldn’t stop thinking about these cubs^____ I mean Jambytos who have found their way into this glorified den. I kept asking myself, “How would they fare after a year, two years, three years or even four years from now?”

Would their GP be like mine which is seriously praying for a revival? Or would it be like that of my friend who is currently on first class? Well, I guess time would tell.

Dearest Ewu Jambyto, I know that you are feeling on top of the world because you’ve finally left home. The truth is that there is an air of freedom around here but trust me, if you don’t manage this freedom well, you would forever wish you never had to come here. This kind of freedom can mar or make you, depending on what you choose to do with it. I remember when Prof. Chidi Onyia, many years ago told us on our Orientation day at Ekpo Convocation Arena, In his words, ‘My dear students, this environment (the university campus) is designed to make you fail. But whether you fail or succeed is entirely up to us.

Dear Jambyto, the day you would wake up and stop taking your lectures seriously; the day you stop doing your assignments and start playing truancy; that’s the day you made the decision to fail. Trust me, everything you require to succeed in this environment is inside of you; if only you would push harder. But, if peradventure failure comes, see to it that it goes just the same way it came. Even the Bible says that a righteous many falleth seven times and rises again. However, see to it that you don’t fall, but if you fall don’t stay on the ground!  This environment (compared to most other tertiary institutions in the country) is very beautiful. For the guys, there are beautiful girls here and there but the truth is that from time immemorial these beautiful girls have had so many promising young men buried in their way. If you doubt me, ask Samson. And for the girls, so many good-looking guys, and of course, the ugly-looking once also, have destroyed the dreams of many girls.  BEWARE CAREFUL!

Well, I’m not suggesting that you should not mingle; what I’m saying is, ‘Don’t get trapped and entangled just for ephemeral pleasure.’ While we encourage you to make good friends, just make sure you don’t become stupid. For the Jambytos, in a short-while, you’ll start punching your calculator to see what your GP looks like. Whatever you get after this simple arithmetic depends on what you did or didn’t do with your time.

From all of us @UNNINFO, all we have to say is ‘HAPPY MATRICULATION! ALL THE BEST!!!