By Bada Abraham
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has narrated how as a young village boy, he would have only come to school for one day because of what he did to a teacher on his first day in school.
The former President said he only survived because of the maturity and understanding of the headmaster of the school.
Narrating the incident when he was interviewed on Untold stories with Adesuwa, the former President said,
“On the 15th of January, 1946 I started school. A near disaster happened. You know being a village boy, rural upbringing, respect for elders and particularly your parents, I never looked at my father in the face. It was not done. So the time to line up, the young teacher who was taking our names for admission then, when it came to my turn asked for my name. I gave my name. He said what’s your father’s name? In my understanding, asking for my father’s name is an insult. So I slapped the teacher.
So the teacher left, he didn’t slap me back. He then went to the headmaster and the headmaster came and put out a bench and asked four people to hold me firm on the bench. And asked the teacher to give me six lashes. So I was given six lashes.
And the headmaster who knew my father’s name gave my father’s name. But for the maturity and understanding of the headmaster, I would have only come to school for one day. I got back home I couldn’t tell the story to my father. And the teacher I slapped, he and I became the best of friends.”
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