For as many who were adequately versed in knowledge
with the happenings in futo community; such would think that the community is
limited to a place where ignorant lads pass through; just to obtain a five year
incubated-now-hatched degree, and afterwards zoom off into the larger society
to join the other already arrived millions in the unending quest for survival.
The same would think that the community is exclusive
for these lads – since there was no or very few lasses, and these few in a mass
headcount, abbreviated to less than one twentieth of the whole population. What
did I just say? Permit me this time to reiterate to no fault, that the feminine
gender was to the males, a 1 : 1000 ratio. Yes! I mean a proportion of one girl
is to a thousand guys.
Funny enough in a class of Engineers, Technologists
and scientists, it would interest you to ponder why there are just two girls
walking in from the hostel and finding their way to the front seat – this didn’t
seem to be their birth-right, but then the males were fond of valuing what was
rare. So they just let their macho girls be.
Even with their long wailing skirts, the waist-tight
jean trousers, the protruding firm butts, the soft tops that thrust out the
masculine breasts, even with these ladies in class; it was more of an
unnoticeable course. Of course the males barely appreciated they had girls.
They weren’t concerned with who made advancements or not, they cared less what
an intercepted wink could mean, A caress on the face was like – please can I
have your PHY 101 Manual. At this eld, cat-walking only signified laziness… Who
knows? I do.
These guys were not gays! They were steadfast in their
studies. Acting, faring and living in oblivion of these their ilk. In fact, the
continuous existences of these machismos left FUTO a BOYS BRIGADE CAMP, and
believe me; the race enroute GP consciousness went smoother without
distractions.
Yes! It used to make headlines for comics, but it
never ended there.
If you are still engaged in this school of thought,
then you are probably shut out to new developments, or you are apparently some twenty
five years backwards.
Federal University of Technology Owerri – FUTO is an
institute blessed with a favourable number of students and unlike before, the
girl – boy ratio has come to normalcy with the introduction of new feminine
departments which has helped increase the inflow of ladies; thanks to the
school management
It has a large expanse of land for edifice and
structural development, and is characterized by a great number of scholars –
scholars who are ever ready cum willing to sacrifice their time and standing
strength to inculcate immeasurable knowledge to their savants.
Frustration Under Tension Owerri – FUTO is yet another
institution. When juxtaposed with the first mentioned institute, it would
become obvious that the former is but a picture of the latter, where the
supposed transfer of knowledge is to take place. But in real sense the latter
is the environment where the students have found themselves, Characterized by
frustration, stress, mental pressure, strain, suffering passion, ridiculed
desire, competition …and what have you. The large expanse land has helped in
sporting activities rather than the initial supposed structural development.
Students are trained in skill of walking, jogging and running from one lecture
venue to another.
Given these situations, one would wonder how these
FUTO girls have been able to survive and will continue to survive.
“Worth, Honour and Strength”
The school originally poses a challenge for an average
male, who is merely concerned with managing the process of knowledge
acquisition. Every boy walking from lecture hall 2 to hall of mercy, or from
school of Health to SAAT building, or running back from 750 Capacity after a
funny Igbo 101 class is singing curses on the school for their mismanagement of
land. Yet, our ladies walk, jog and run this same distance and no one cares
more.
I applaud the girls that reside in the hostel area. The
amount of energy they spend only to fetch water from the manual borehole (Man
power) is heartbreaking. Sometimes the man power breaks down. Normally this
would send an average male packing his loads from the hostel to some friend’s
lodge in Eziobodo or Umuchima – yet you see them everywhere; each holding on to
her bucket. They move from halls C and D to the males’ side. These ladies show
forth strength and relentless passion in the struggle for knowledge, accepting
every con associated with the procedure. Even though they are encumbered, they
are never dispirited! – WORTH!
They read their way through. FUTO lecturers are not
going to give out freebies, so these folks must pay. When payments for
materials have ended, these sisters still have to wade off the day’s stress and
find their way to CCE building, SEET head, Civil building or STACC for night
class. Some still use their discomforting rooms, finding solace on their beds
and many others on their tables for night jacking – just to make ends meet. Not
willing to give up!
No one says the boys are not better at it; the concern
is with the equality. My years in High school made me understand and see
reasons why the saying; “what a man can do, a woman can do better” was very
wrong. As a young military student in a military school, we were given separate
work and punishment as regards your gender. Females got lighter punishments,
and we die-hard males enjoyed the fierceness of our koboko – Yet, our then Medical Inspection Room (MIR) had female
visitors almost horary. Now in Futo, the management has dished out equal amount
of service and warm welcome to both parties of gender and yet, the medicals’
girl to boy ratio of visitors is not one-sided – STRENGTH!
They are leaders. They never abandoned their role in
the Students’ Union Government. They engage in politicking and lobbying for
votes. They even defy males in the struggle for victory; 2012 Politicking era
holds its records as one of them contested for Director of Socials (DOS). Was
she a tough opponent? – ALUTA MAYOR would tell better. The many who don’t
contest, never allow themselves to be disenfranchised.
Yet they don’t leave out their feminine duties. CHUKWU
PURITY, during the 2014 SUG DEBATE mentioned how she would use her femineity to
make sure the Union activities does not veer to its ebb, if elected Vice
President. They are focused.
They fellowship! Visit our fellowships and see these
ladies in their numbers. They want to communicate. They want to intercede for
their families, friends and the school. They have sacrificed the love garden
for prayers. They never forget the mark!
And in class, one would wonder how these girls, being
the weaker sex engage in these activities with the stronger side, and still
retain their positions. In secondary school, Mom asked me why I came seventh
position (7th) and let Four girls beat me, my answer was simple; “these girls
don’t engage in the same tedious activities as us”
Now after my four years in FUTO, I am scared of
answering this same simple question.
In their departments, they lead. During Convocation,
you see them awarded. Now what men could do was able to be done too by these
FUTO GIRLS, and funny enough, this time sometimes better – HONOUR!
Aluta
Continua…
Onwa
Franklin C.
No comments:
Post a Comment