By Usman Santuraki
His parents had phobia for western education. As the first born of the family and as result of this phobia, they did not enroll him into formal education. Growing up was a big task for him, while his contemporaries are attending school at their formative years, little Danlami was made to stay at home doing nothing until his contemporaries returned home from school, when they gathered at their usual playing ground in their ward in Jimeta, and playing football till late evening of each day, when each one of them returned back home.
The opportunity to enroll in primary school came, when his father died. In his quest and
desire to acquire western education, he presented himself to the headmaster of the famous Doubeli Primary School, Jimeta, where he pleaded with the headmaster and he was promptly enrolled into primary one.
He continued until he finished his primary six and he was subsequently admitted into
Government Day Secondary school, Doubeli. Upon his completion, he was employed by the Adamawa Transport Company as a Clerical Assistant. Steadily, he rose to become the Station Manager. As someone who wants to educate himself, he was admitted to read for a Diploma in Public Administration by the then Federal University of Technology, Yola.
Ahmed was not deterred to chart a course for himself by acquiring additional qualification. As such, he applied for a Degree in Business Management with the Modibbo University of Technology, Yola in its Distance Learning programme and completed with flying colours. Today, he is the Commercial Manager of the Adamawa Transport Company. He combined studies with the responsibilities of his siblings, who are also in various schools.
In fact, it is sheer determination and commitment on his path that he passed through the door to obtain western education up to degree level.
He is not yet done, as he is preparing for his post graduate studies in the same discipline during the next academic season with the same university he graduated.
At the moment, Malam Danlami is proud to have taken his destiny in his own hands by opting to acquire western education in order to catch up with his contemporaries that were born with the silver spoon. His classic example of determination can take anybody to the level he so desires.
He desires to get educated, though his parents are vehemently against their son getting western education. But when he got the ample opportunity, he utilised it to the fullest and today, he can be accounted among the graduates of his nuclear community, most detest western education.
The coming generation needs to borrow a leaf from what this gentleman has done to overcome the stark reality of poverty of the mind.
The society cannot be bereft of people like him, who wanted to overcome the poverty of acquiring western education. Encouragement from government and corporate organisations is needed as there are countless less-privileged members of the society that want to have sound education, but are constrained by lack of opportunity.
Santuraki wrote from Jimeta-Yola