WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE said “Do Not Be Afraid of Greatness, Some Are Born Great, Some Achieve Greatness While Some Have Greatness Thrust Upon Them”
The beginning of how I discovered my talent…
When I was admitted into Ahmadu Bello University in 2009, I started with the norms, Lecture-mosque-hostel-class. The same routine everyday which was normal at the time. Late in 2011, I was in 300 level when everything changed as I was approached by 2 of my classmates GARKUWA & GIMBA. They came with a request that the departmental association was divided on religious line and they needed someone like me to step in as financial secretary simply because they believed I ‘look like a Christian’ and behave like the Southerners (Igbo) but I turned it down.
They sent someone I respected to talk to me in the mosque and they offered to buy the contest form (for candidate) for me free of charge but I had to go to Block F1 at Suleiman hall to meet the other candidates.
The day I stepped into that room was the day my calling began (you may call it THRUST OF GREATNESS), my life changed as I got this feeling different from what I have ever felt before. Ideas started coming into my head about projects to execute.
Mind you, I didn’t even attend the election and all our candidates won because the Christian student boycotted the election.
We started doing projects and uniting the students, I became the de facto president because most of the ideas came from myself and then president (Zubair Buhari). The tenure ended very well but was botched by a shabby dinner.
Since most of the Executives then were religiously incline, we decided not to play music on the dinner night and we borrowed money to buy things as we were expecting much people but alas, it was just few people that came because there was NO MUSIC.
We ended up sharing the food, drinks and the meat thrice for everyone and guess what, we later forced ourselves to play music from a phone but it was already late.
We lose money and couldn’t pay our debt but there was one thing every student agreed on, that the tenure was the best so far. That was the end of my tenure as the financial secretary.
After the tenure and academic session. I went back ‘home’ (Onitsha, Anambra State) to continue my hustle (selling of scrap metals) to prepare for the upcoming academic section but the songs of victory of the tenure followed me home. That was the first time I tested the sweetness of the selflessness and sacrifice in leadership but yet, I decided not to run for office again because I was afraid to vie for the position of the president as I preferred working under someone (behind the shadow).
So when the new semester began in January 2012, I was still in Onitsha selling scrap metals then, when I went back to school, a group of young concern students (3 amazing lads) met me (Khamis, LeLe & Afiz). Their level commitment and loyalty is beyond measures especially the last two, and that is a strength I look forward in people. They helped me assembled 11 man Excos for my tenure during the campaign period.
During the election, I had opponents contesting against me as presidents. Rhema & Dan Extra. So I studied my opponents, Rhema is very vocal person with good dress sense (suits). Dan extra is a controversial comedian that had money to spend. I decided to consult some ‘different species’ of students. They are not the ones you often find in class rooms but in places of social events, music, basketball, parties etc; they called them ‘engine boys’ led by Rashman, Sadiq, TK, Bawa (my name sake) and ATM. They proposal I dress like a ‘clown’ to look different from others. So I did.
Mind you, I didn’t prepare because I really didn’t know what to say to the crowd at the Manifesto (at Danfodio hall) but when I came in, all eyes were on me especially because of my clown dress. The wall shook with vibration from the sound made by the chanting supporters and admirers; trust me if I say I had nothing on my head to say or present as speech or promise. So when it got to my turn to make a speech, I was speechless and frozen and I thought of a quick idea, which was to assume to the character of the clown since I am wearing the dress that matches the persona.
So I raised the first seat at my front and turned it on my head and began to dance. Imagine a situation where my opponents began to laugh talk more of my admirers. They couldn’t wait for me to finish as I already signaled them that I had nothing on my head, so they quickly came to my rescue.
They raised me and did not drop me until I reached my hostel and every one followed me outside leaving the hall empty with the disappointments on the faces of my opponents.
The opponents were embarrassed as even their supporters followed me outside as they were also intrigued by my prowess in the act. The next day was the election and I won with a large margin.
I became the SPAN president 2012 also knows as BORN TO SERVE
But I faced 2 challenges at first which were,
Age: Some said I was too young for the position
Religion: The Christian believed that I will sideline them (which is injustice).
Guess what, they became my greatest supporters at the end of my tenure, what did I do to them? It is in the next article http://muhammadidris.org/2018/07/28/as-span-president/
named AS SPAN PRESIDENT
P.S: SPAN stand for Student Physiological Association of Nigeria
Dedicated to a good friend (Juliet Silas)
Muhammad Idris.