The principal who once lived

I am compelled to write this piece due to news making the rounds in the media recently regarding the state of president Buhari’s health. If men are going to lead healthy lives, their ideas about life itself must be rooted in what is true. I recall when Mr President returned from his extensive medical vacation to the United Kingdom that he will go for further medical check-up. So, why can’t he go back to the UK or any other place of his choice for medical check-up? Politics they say is a dirty game. Members of Buhari’s kitchen cabinet can’t afford to play politics with the life of the nation’s President.

Directly related to the melodrama from the presidency regarding Mr president’s health is a story my grandpa told me forty-five years ago. When occasion presents itself, my grandfather used to tell me that “wisdom is the greatest of life’s possessions.” “How do you mean,” I asked? “And why are you telling me about wisdom as a teenager,” I would often ask grandpa. My grandpa would always respond saying that “he wants to prepare me for life,” and that “anyone who desires to survive this corrupt world needs wisdom so that he or she could see things as they really are, and not just the way they appear to be.”As I grew up, I realized that wisdom is very essential to enable an individual navigate through murky waters and various seasons of life. Wisdom is a gift from our creator. Individuals who draw from wisdom can distinguish between those ideas in life that are true and those that are false.

The story is about the Principal of a college, Mr Zacchaeus Miosemo (not real names). Mr Miosemo was a man of integrity but took ill at a time during his tour of duty in the college. He was ill, but no one knew the nature of his illness except his wife and children. Mr Miosemo’s family was there to take care of him, but he needs to go for medical treatment. He simply refused to treat himself. The college community was worried about the principal’s deteriorating health. On hearing the news of the principal’s ill health, my grandfather who was the village chief at the time, decided to pay him a courtesy call.

While visiting the college, my grandpa first met the vice principal, Mr John Allwell. Although, the principal was a man of integrity, he was medically unfit. An anti-corruption apostle, only very few people liked being around him. Why? He didn’t yield to the advice he was given by some of his colleagues on his anti-corruption crusade. But, he was making progress in his war against corruption.

During the first meeting, my grandfather listened to the principal speak about his accomplishments. How the principal alone governed the college, but grandpa quickly realized that pride ruled this man’s heart and mind. The principal, according to grandpa, said he had single-handedly developed the college from scratch. By implication, none of his teachers and auxiliary staff assisted him in the development efforts of the college. Even your vice principal couldn’t help you, grandpa inquired of him. Yeah, the Principal replied.

Is that true that one man did everything in a school, I asked? I was equally surprised, grandpa replied. Hmm, one man can’t possibly do everything in a school. Grandpa told me he asked “Mr Integrity”: Who are those teaching the one hundred and eighty students enrolled in the school at the time? Who fed the students? Who cleaned the school premises and the toilets in the rest rooms? Who provided security over the college premises? It was then the Principal knew he’d made a blunder. He then hung his head in shame.

“But did you discuss his illness with him,” I asked? Yes, I did. He told me members of his constituency said he should remain in office, while treating himself at home. Treat yourself at home, when you can easily go to Aiyedun in the old Western region for treatment. Perhaps, Mr Zacchaeus Miosemo thought once he leaves office for medical treatment, the college wouldn’t function again, I guessed. My grandfather replied “I told him to go treat himself. It’s only when he’s healthy that he can administer the college well. Besides, in his absence, the vice principal will handle the college well.

A few days later, the principal thought about his problems and requested my grandpa to contact him again. When they both met, the principal started crying. “Now that I’ve thought about what we discussed last time, I will go treat myself.”“This is because I realized that I wasn’t the only one doing everything in the college. Without the kindness and efforts of others, particularly the vice principal, the college wouldn’t have achieved anything. My grandpa now asked him, “don’t you think you need to thank your staff and students, and most importantly, tell them about your illness? Thereafter, proceed to treat yourself.”“But don’t forget to hand over the college to your vice principal,” grandpa strongly advised.

I was surprised to hear this type of interesting story as a teenager. After the treatment, the Principal wrote a thank you letter to my grandpa. He didn’t only feel a sense of appreciation, he realized that everyone in the college including his family and friends needed to be respected and appreciated. Years after, my grandpa said, the principal was full of peace and happiness because he applied wisdom. Mr Zacchaeus Miosemo looked younger, and the college developed further. It was after the medical check-up that he saw things the way they were, not the way they appeared to be. Members of Buhari’s kitchen cabinet shouldn’t play politics with Mr president’s illness. Allow Mr president go for medical treatment urgently if there is need for it.

MA Johnson