These Are the Issues

A bit far away from the library was a girl in her early teens, who almost bashed herself against a passer-by. She raised her head and in a loud fearful voice, she apologized. Her mind was buried in the students’ magazine she was holding. Turning to her friend, Ajoke, she waved with a smile on her face. “Hi. Have you checked this week’s edition of the finest minds?” she asked cheerfully. Ajoke adjusted her glasses while she glanced through. “Pastor is the student of the week.” Grace told Ajoke with excitement. Ajoke responded with a fake smile as she often got irritated with the magazine idea. Ajoke once told Grace that there was nothing incredible about the magazine as she had thought that the magazine was influenced by the Big Boys Group, which she considered corrupt. The BBG, as most students often called it when they involved in chit-chat was known to be the main agent of bullying of other students. Some students would wonder about who was in charge of the BBG. Other students were certain that the BBG was run by an influential guy, whose parents must be exceedingly rich. Daniel, a tall hefty dark guy, who was popularly called Big Dan had been rumoured to be the head of the BBG. A number of students would gossip about his repeating class in the past. He was known to be fearless and he was even feared by teachers, of which many had linked it to his parents’ influence. Big Dan’s father has worked for a number of politicians. Some felt his father was a thug, which they whispered to one another. His mother was one of the biggest textile tycoons in the city. Big Dan hit a junior student for stepping on one of his white Nike Air Force sneakers, which many students have argued to be a lie. “Why will anyone step on Big Dan’s shoe? You no dey fear? I think Big Dan’s girlfriend is hitting on that guy.” a junior student said. Another student would stand to argue as if a million dollar prize would be won. “Seun is not Big Dan’s girlfriend. He probably just like her.” he assumed while another student who was disinterested in the whole conversation nodded in agreement as if he was listening.

“Look at this page too. Why is it like this?” Ajoke asked Grace as she flipped through the magazine. “Bring it down. I cannot be stretching my neck.” Grace quipped. She tapped Ajoke as she turned right angle to see what Ajoke was trying to show her. “Look at who is coming.” she nodded slightly to avoid pointing as she used her eyes to express herself. “What?” Ajoke asked and pretended she was lost. “You like him? Hmmm.” she bantered with Ajoke. “Jeez! He’s looking at us. What have you done?” Ajoke said while she dragged her abruptly. Emeka, a tall fair athletic guy with handsomely carved eyebrows that sit on his irresistibly sexy eyes, liked Ajoke but Ajoke did not want to associate herself with someone she had thought to be a member of the BBG, a group whose operations she had always been against. Emeka had been preparing for an Inter-School Athletics Competition, where he was one of the shortlisted participants. In the coming weeks, the Head Prefect would present a nominee for the competition. Emerging as the selected nominee and eventually winning the competition has been his childhood dream. Grace reminded Ajoke of how Emeka once used his influence in the Diamond Class Representative Election to make sure that the right guy win against Ibrahim, who had the heavy backing of the BBG. “But the BBG still has a heavy presence in Diamond class.” Ajoke said and Grace responded quickly. “But he 'sha' did which I consider in-cre-di-ble.” they both laughed.

A fight once broke out between pro-Ibrahim folks and anti-BBG folks in the Diamond class. It was a long fight that many had feared it might lead to a school riot. A guy popularly called pastor, who was one of the most respected students in the school settled the conflict by capitalizing on the fact that the government could shut down the whole school and other schools in the state might not admit any of them.

Soon, there was a chemistry between Emeka and Ajoke which looked unnoticeable but not to Kola, a thick guy who liked music a lot and has made many students sing some of his love-centered songs. Contrastingly, Kola was not dating anyone, at least not known to anybody. Kola was loved by many students. He had many friends but he often felt lonely. Sometimes, he battled with depression and other times, he was full of energy. He was mostly accompanied by Precious, whom he often called his ‘bestie’, although Precious wanted more from him. During one morning assembly, where Kola was to perform, he was summoned by some senior students to carry their school bags. Kola would have helped but he declined. They insisted and Kola got annoyed, hurled insults at them, which led to a fight that got all of them punished by the two teachers that saw them.

“No girl has ever been the Head Prefect and you, Ajoke will not change that.” Big Dan said assertively. “I know what is doing you. You want power. And you can have that by becoming my girlfriend.” he added. “Who is Seun? That stupid girl.” he told her. “See body.” he added while trying to touch her. “If you dare touch me, you will regret it. You think I’m like other girls. I do not blame you.” Ajoke responded in annoyance. Grace suddenly appeared. She felt irritated and dragged her friend along with her as though she was the one being harassed.

The annual prefects’ election was approaching and the atmosphere was filled with solidarity as if a revolution would happen. “Why are they shouting ‘Ajoke for Head Prefect’? I’ve not even gone to campaign.” she wondered. A junior female student ran towards Ajoke to welcome her to the class. She told Ajoke that the Class Rep had shown them hell. She narrated how the Class Rep often wrote their names as noisemakers wrongly. “If you do not give her money in a day or you do not share your food with her, she will include your name as part of the noisemakers even if you are quiet. My classmates are tired. We have tried to report her but she always had her way. We are not united and she has fed on our disunity. Some people who can afford to give her something like the idea since they can make noise the whole day without getting punished. The shout you heard is just from ten of us and we are trying our best to restore dignity.” she said with passion. The ten of them have always believed in constant education of their colleagues and that all hands must be on deck if they want to win. The ten students had already started talking to their colleagues even before Ajoke’s arrival. “If we keep giving to Omolola, she will keep increasing her price and we will keep losing and a day will come when you guys won’t have much and Omolola will write down your names even if you are quiet. You won’t be able to do anything because she will gaslight you and emotionally blackmail you.” she often said. The energy was spreading and Ajoke even got more inspired. Iron class is the second largest class after diamond class. Omolola who often address herself as the Iron Lady got into the Class Rep’s office by the influence of one of the members of the BBG, who was also vying for the post of the Head Prefect, Ajoke’s major contender. Many students believed he had once dated Omolola.
The election was drawing nearer. Grace advised Ajoke to give her articles to Emeka, who could use his influence to give the school typist without passing through the Head Prefect. “We need constant education of our people.” she said with enthusiasm. Big Dan warned Emeka to desist from supporting Ajoke if he needed to retain his nomination for the coming Inter-School Athletics Competition. Emeka was slightly scared as he knew that supporting Ajoke and losing the election would be disastrous; still he insisted to support her. “The Diamond class is on BBG’s side and they are the largest class. We can’t underrate them.” Grace advised. “I will go and meet them.” Emeka quickly responded although Ajoke didn’t like the idea as she was worried about the BBG’s counterattack.
On the day of the election, students had already cast their votes and they were expecting the results. There was an awkward strange delay that made Ajoke and those rooting for her worried. A man in his fifties who was the school principal came to the stage. In his baritone voice, he told them that Ajoke had won the head prefect’s election and before he could end his address, a shout of victory as though they had just been set free, filled the atmosphere. “But the results are declared inconclusive” he uttered. Murmurings of discontent and side talks covered the ancient though beautiful, large hall. “Can I have your attention?” the principal continued. “Another election would be conducted for the Diamond class. We had to nullify the whole Diamond class votes as many fake ballot papers were found in the class polling basket. Every student has the right to vote according to our electoral act and we are going to conduct another election for Diamond class in a week time.” The murmurings continued. Weirdly, Ajoke felt calm and accomplished as no girl had come close to any of the BBG’s candidates in the past elections. She was however scared as she remembered how her sister who had graduated from the same school a couple of years ago, lost the class rep’s election due to BBG’s support for her opponent. But she remained energetic as she perceived the strength of her resolute supporters. Some of her supporters were heartbroken. Others remained determined as they discovered that Ajoke had ten more votes than her major contender.
Before the Diamond’s election, Kola met with Emeka. He discussed with him how winning the election would be important to his athletic career. Kola although did not like Emeka’s relationship with Ajoke but he promised to use his influence to get some votes of Diamond class. After he left Emeka’s presence, Kola thought endlessly of Emeka with few drops of tears almost rolling down his face. Imagining his relationship with Ajoke left him with a feeling like sorrow, a faded sorrow. But he was pleased for him.
The Diamond class election day came and Kola was sure Ajoke would get seventy percent of the votes, which she needed to emerge as the winner. Just before the election would start, Precious went to meet Kola and confessed she had been working for Pastor, who is actually the head of the BBG. Kola became furious, kept his recorder in his pocket and dragged her out of the election scene. Kola could not believe what he heard and asked why she did such. While the election was going on, Precious defended her actions. “You like Emeka. All the love notes were not for me. They were for that stupid boy.” she said angrily. “But we do not have a thing. And I did not tell you that…you know what? Never mind. And what did he offer you?” he asked. “Innocent (referring to pastor) promised to make me popular…” she replied. In the middle of their squabble, a loud shout from the election hall was heard. They ran and were eager to know who won. “Where have you guys been?” Grace asked while she fanned herself with the students’ magazine she was holding. “We won!” she said repeatedly with excitement. Precious looked perplexed while Grace revealed that Ajoke had stayed back the day before to do an extra campaign for the Diamond girls in particular. She told them how Ajoke informed the girls that the power of the BBG is not the money they often got from their parents but the girls they frequently used to accomplish their dirty works. “Without us, they are powerless.” she told them before she hurriedly left to continue the celebration. Kola laughed a little too heartily before he realized the joke was on him. He pictured how people would now look at him. He shrank away from Precious and raised his middle finger, which probably meant the end.

Footnote
Some students were aware of the BBG’s operations. They knew some members of the BBG, yet Innocent managed to hide his identity. How?

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