Congratulations to my teachers

On this occasion of Teachers 'Day let

me recall my teachers.

Recalling them will be a Herculean task. One of the problems of this kind of exercise is that the people you leave out may be more deserving than the people mentioned.

So be it. Only God is perfect.

My journey through school began in Makarfi in Kaduna State 

Sadly I cannot recall any of my teachers but suffice it to say I was a model for always attending the Mosque on Fridays.

At Holy Cross Primary School, Mission Road, Benin City. I cannot recall any teacher too.

But in St Bernard Primary School in Illah, I remember the widow, portly, tall and always in Black.

May God bless her. Amen.

Innocent was the proprietor of God's Care Lesson, where I first had formal education in Lagos.

Then to St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School.

At St Thomas I met my greatest teacher to date.

He was my first and best. His name is the Late Michael Patrick Adebayo.

Even when I became a teacher, I borrowed many of his ideas.

Teachers are usually all things to their pupils just like our parents, Mr. Adebayo, the father of two reverend Fathers was many things to us. 

He was my first Catechist and a philanthropist even as a teacher.

He taught us the virtue of Honesty and regularly conducted promotion tests for us within the class with the best in column A and the least in column F.

He taught us plural by telling us a story of a man who went to Agege to buy two exercise books from Suru Lere only to forget to say books on getting home he realized his mistake and he had to walk back to correct himself.

How can one forget such a lesson?

Primary Four was Mrs. Sokefun and Primay Five was Mr. Aina whom I ran into at St Mary's Catholic Church Isolo in the 90s.

Next was Mr. Vincent Oguru who doubled as the School's football coach in a team that produced two Internationals, Emmanuel Akpan and Michael Ekpenyong .

Then off to St Pius Xth Grammar School Onitsha Ugbo in Delta State.

In my form one, my teacher was Steve Mbanefo Osemeka, who taught us English.

Next was Mr. BBC Moneke in form two as our English teacher, Career Counsellor, PE teacher and Tennis Coach. He was also my House Master.

My Economics teacher was B A Anyaduba. He made Economics pleasurable. My Biology teacher was Mr. Nwabueze.

Monsieur Okoye was my French teacher and Mr. Ughaerumba was my History teacher. 

Mr. Drama teacher were Messrs B A Isoh and Mozia.

At Jubril Martins Grammar School Abule Nla, Iponri was Mrs. Ebibayelo my Literature teacher. My Principal was Mr. Balogun.

In St Pius, I had two Principals namely P C Utulu and Eddy O Iweanya.

My University, UNN gave me Emeka Ikpeze, Dr. A. O Okorie, Professor Humphrey Nwosu, Professor Enoch Anyanwu and Professor Chinua Achebe.

To the rest, you are still highly regarded.