Chapter 24

I found the Registrar's office on my own and went in after knocking. A man was sitting there on the table in an office that looked like a reception. 'You are the Registrar?" I asked. I am not the Registrar at all and I do not deceive myself that I can be I heard. Why do you think you can never be a Registrar? 1 asked. look' said the man 'I am a sweeper. I know that there isvno mistake whereby I can be a Registrar.

Although I was an optimistic, person I found it hard to tell this man that he could one day be a Registrar. He was close to his 'dying age' and was

still a sweeper.

'How do I see the Registrar?" I asked. Just then a man entered and gave me a form to fill on hearing the question I was asking. In the form I was asked to state the specific reason why I wanted to see the Registrar, I lied in the form that I had come from Lagos with a confidential message for the Registrar.

The man took the form to the Registrar's office and soon returned to inform me that the Registrar said I should come in.

I went into the Registrar's office and sat down facing him after-greeting him. What message do you have for me from Lagos?" he asked expectantly. I had to confess to him that I had no

message from Lagos; that I was an applicant; that I needed a job

badly,...''You want a job as what?" he asked. I told him I read Economics from the University of Ibadan and came out with first class and would agree to work in any section in the University.

'Have you done your youth Service? This question always gave me a headache. I left for prison in the middle of my youth service and did not have a youth service discharge certificate.

And I always found it difficult to explain the seven prison years away since employers always want a clear and certified account of every year of one's life. After some brief thinking I said, "look, this is a university. I believe the university is an enlightened community. It is no use telling you lies. The university has the duty to enlighten the populace about certain notions. It is an

autonomous entity. No one can query its decisions. On the contrary the university is the country's touch light, I have to be frank with you. I am an ex-convict. or rape. Now, I didn't commit the rape ...

The Registrar smiled at this but I didn't care. I still continued. I was unjustly imprisoned by an erring

judge. Now I am jobless. I need a job. And I need it badly. That's why I came.'

The Registrar smiled again and fiddled with his biro for some time. Then he said. 'Employment is in the hands of various heads departments. I have no hands in it. But I have to be frank with you as you are frank with me, the University does not employ ex-convicts. Whether the ex-convict committed the offence for which he was convicted or not is irrelevant. To the University,

an ex-convict is an ex-convict."

The disappointment I got on hearing that the University was also against the employment of ex-convicts paralysed me. I had thought that if anything the University should be able to explain

to the people that ex-convicts needed to be rehabilitated. After suffering from speech paralysis for some moments I asked, 'Does

the constitution of the Federal Republic say that ex-convicts should not be employed?' The Registrar told me that he did not know anything about the constitution but that he knew the

University did not employ ex-convicts. 'Do you think the university is right in doing this?" I asked. I heard him say that this was not a matter of right or wrong. It is a policy which we

always adhere to. I told him that I assumed that a policy was something that should be justifiable, and that he should justify it to me. 'I am not facing a court of law,' he told me 'a policy is

a policy.' I told him I was certain that there was no standing order or written Regulation in the university which says that an ex-convict should not be employed. The unwritten policies are

stronger than the written ones' he told me. 'I don't believe this!'

I protested. The Registrar told me that it didn't matter whether. I believed it or not. 'Mine is to explain the policy' he said. "You haven't explained anything!' I said you are fabricating this policy! There is no policy like that!' The Registrar frowned and said 'I am done with you! Out of my office! 'I wanted to talk some more but I couldn't. His shout could be heard outside 'leave my office for me! Go away! I left his office.

I remembered that he had said that employment was the responsibility of the heads of departments. So I went to the

department of Economics to see the head. I walked along the corridor of the department and saw 'Professor Ibrahim Usman. Head of Department,' written on one door. I knocked on the door and was told to come in. 'You have come empty handed! yelled Professor Ibrahim Usman 'You must come with your assignment on Econs 204!'

I told him that I was not a student. 'Sit down then,' he said. As soon as I sat down I introduced

myself and told him that I read Economics from the University of Ibadan and came out in flying colours, and that I needed a job in his department as a Graduate Assistant.

'You don't hold a Ph.D?' he asked

'No'

Masters?'

No

Bachelors?

Yes.

You need a job as Graduate Assistant?

Yes.

You've done your youth service?

There was no youth service at my time! I lied

'You were teaching before?'

'No'

What have you been doing?'

'I have been working in a company'

Which company?'

'Holdings Ltd. Ibadan'

'For how long?"

'Nine years' I lied

'And you want to teach now?'

'Yes'

'After nine years in a Company?'

'Yes'

Why?' he asked

'Pardon?' I asked even though i heard it.

'Why?'

'I like teaching'