By: Amazon

“Where your own belle?”

“Belle as how?”

“No be belle everybody dey take resume?”

“This Betty sef, you’re not serious o. Where your own too, or you no dey among everybody?”

“I no dey among, I don born my own. In fact, na twins.”

“Na so!” Both girls laughed. “That reminds me, have you registered your courses before the strike? I’m not sure I was able to do that.”

“See serious student o! Sholly, Sholly! You’re the most serious student of our time!😂” Betty teased her friend.

“You can’t blame me now, eight months no be beans, I no even sure say I remember my matric number.”

“Well, you’re right. Your case is even better than that of a particular someone who wanted to collect his transcript after resumption but was shown his signature.😂 Man already collected it before the strike.😂😂😂”

“Really? Someone did that?😂”

“It’s people like you that should go to church for Thanksgiving now that the portal is finally accessible. You’ll be able to know where you stand and where to start from.”

“Yes, like it’s something really worth thanksgiving. Should the portal have been down, and for so long, in the first place? I hate how this country keeps making us turn our rights into prayer points or things we’re meant to be grateful for when or if they finally become accessible to us. That’s how we’re expected to be jubilant over the strike being called off.”

“Sholly, I don’t understand you. Aren’t you happy that the strike got called off?”

“I’m not happy, and I refuse to let you guys impose your rejoicing mode on me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I loved or even liked the strike. Nobody desires academic interruptions, and it’s even more annoying when it’s very avoidable ones and not compulsory ones like the COVID lockdown. But, we get thrown out of school for as long as the powers that be deem fit, and called back at will almost every session. Then we’re expected to be grateful that the strike was finally called off, or that it wasn’t longer than it lasted, or for any other ridiculous reasons people come up with.”

“I understand everything you’re trying to say, even more than how you’ve said it. You’re not far from the truth at all. I mean, we students are actually the ones most affected by strike actions, and no one even seems to care about how the strike affects us both academically and in other aspects of our lives. We’re advised to get something to do during the strike, I signed up for an apprenticeship program but couldn’t even complete the training before the strike got called off.”

“That’s what we have to go through in a system where nothing works and the government doesn’t care. Imagine spending billions of Naira on the redesigning of an already worthless currency, a currency that is continuously losing it’s worth at an alarming rate. Such misplacement of priorities.”

“That’s why I find it unbelievable to see students actively supporting and campaigning for the very political party responsible for the present government, a government filled with the most inconsiderate people to ever taste power since the start of democracy in the country.”

“See, Betty, Nigerians can be very funny. That’s why I say we are our own problems. As for me, I just want to get my certificate and leave this school so I can focus on japa plans.”

“Everyone keeps talking about leaving the country, is that really the solution to things?”

“Solution or not, I just hope there won’t be any more strikes till the end of this session so I can say my final goodbye to tertiary education, never to look back.”

“Sholly, Sholly!😂 So, you’re not planning to do Master’s?”

“Betty, second, third or more degrees are for four-pointers o, no be for we wey no sabi anything, with GP wey dey dip pass crypto 😂.”

“Kukuma say na pass Naira.😂😂😂”