As a marked yearly occurrence in the calendar, there are occasions in the tertiary institution arena that not only brings about the massive influx of persons to the school environment, but also creates this unusual “busy bee” avalanche ambiance for businesses, school authorities and students alike. The three undeniable ones include matriculation, convocation and aptitude test examination.
When one of such occasion is brought down to aptitude test examination which is conducted yearly, a lot truly comes to mind because a lot really takes place.
First is the fact that candidates hoping to gain admission into the school converge from different parts of the country to try their luck and prove their versatility in the journey to acquire western education and compete in the labour market..
Another boils to the usual noisy nature around the school environment with unions, religious groups and fellowships trying to garner the attention the lay their hands on.
For most computer and internet savvy students, the season is a clarion call for them to convert their laptops into a money generating gadget used to print online exam slips that most times end up to be quite irrelevant at the end of the day.
But while the above mentioned activities round up as the routine line-up of events that are bound to take place, another chain of happenings takes place during this period that even though most persons may choose not to pay attention, its existence simply cannot be left in the lurch or hidden in the realm of nothingness.
During the week for aptitude test in many schools, it is well known that not only does the transport fare heading to the said institution goes up, but there is also this seeming unending gridlocks that last for unimaginable hours. This evidently leaves many candidates stranded on the way, and coupled with the epileptic network coverage by service providers, these candidates are left most times to evidently fend for themselves; their fate and safety dangling like a pendulum.
Imagine if you are female seeking admission into one of the very many universities or polytechnics scattered across the country, and due to some unforeseen mishaps which might come in form of gridlock on the road or GSM connection problem by service providers, you are left stranded in the school with no one in mind to call apart from your prearranged host whose line isn’t connecting.
For some persons, so much can cross mind at that very moment. While some will immediately switch on their survival button, can it be said to be the case for every one?
It is during this time that many young, and adventurous boys go on the hunt for pretty, gullible, and stranded young females seeking for a place to spend the night.
They stay on the lookout, monitoring ladies who stay at a particular spot longer than usual, darting their eyes around, and constantly checking their phones in frustration.
Out of their desperate nature, they succumb to the sugar-coated words of these lads who are neatly dressed and composed, and follow them to their various “slaughter house”
After the gentle man facade of hosting the girl and treating her like a favourite distant cousin from his maternal side, the midnight always brings the horny, pay-in-kind theory, and the animalistic side of these boys. Only then, the girl has no where to go.
They threaten these startled girls with talks like throwing them out in the middle of the night and how ungrateful they are to a person that helped them out when it was evident they had no survival lifeline up their sleeves. The technique is to plant fear and self- pity in the subconscious of these girl, all with the ulterior motive of having carnal knowledge of a total stranger they met just few hours earlier.
In as much most girls in the fix might bring up the usual excuses of being in her period, or feeling very lethargic due to the whole stressful day, their chances of sleeping in peace that night is a very, very slim one.
Evidently,not every girl stranded in a new school environment will remember to head down to a nearby church and spend the night. It may even occur to any of them to go into the school, ask for the Porter to the female hostel and possibly spend the night there.
This is because IQ level differs, and hotels can be quite expensive in this part of the world for an average girl.
The writer is not implying that there are no good Sameritans out there who can help a fellow in need without minding their gender, and still expect nothing in return. They exist. But the startling reality remains that the dress code of most mechanics has made quite tasking to differentiate between them and deranged persons.
Ideally,for this issue to be deftly handled, schools across the country needs to understand that the problem truly exists. This way, practical steps can be taken to tackle and proffer lasting solutions.
On the other hand, Intending candidates for these yearly exams should do well and come at most two days prior to the date of their examination. It would save them from falling prey to one-night- stand dudes and lesbians out there.
No one intends to find himself or his relatives in this kind of situation, so it calls for adequate preparation and early planning.