Ruth Idi Okpoto, do you still remember her? She is the deaf university
student who graduated as the best student in her Faculty of Education,
at the University of Ilorin, in 2009, and whose story once made the
cover of the Education Review. But the shocking part of the story is
that six years after topping her class, the lady who is now married and
answers Ruth Omopariola-Bolarinwa is yet to get a job despite promises
upon promises, none of which has materialised and are unlikely to do so,
unless something, somewhere gives way.
In this heart-rending
account, the mother of one child, through a sobering email sent to
Education Review pleading with it to bring her plight to the attention
of the public, tells the trauma she’s been through all these years and
why she wants University of Ilorin, government agencies, parastatals and
private companies like ExxonMobil, Glo, MTN, Etisalat, Airtel, to come
to her rescue. Excerpts:
“To set the record straight I am not a
deaf-mute. Not all deaf people are dummies. I am a bilingual deaf person
with a mild hearing loss. I became deaf in 1997 at the age of 15 while
in SS 1 at Dairy Farm Secondary School, Lagos. I have already acquired
language proficiency before the sickness that caused my hearing loss
started then. After the illness, I discovered I couldn’t hear very well
whenever people talk to me unless I read their lips. Despite this
hearing difficulty, I continued my education at the school.
“At a
point, I confided in the Vice Principal (Academic) Deaconess Afolabi
but she didn’t believe me because according to her I could speak and
hear her. She decided to check my academic records but was surprised to
realize how brilliant I was as a deaf person. From there, she showed
interest in me and adopted me. She later introduced me to her husband –
Pastor Toye Afolabi. They supported me to further my education at Kwara
State College of Education, Oro, in 1999, after the completion of my
SSCE. I lived and grew up under their loving care for more than 15 years
till I got married in 2011.
“When I got admissions into
University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), they encouraged and supported me. I did
not even know sign language then but I excelled at the College where I
studied Agriculture. I did my IT at the Lagos State Agriculture
Development Authority without the help of any interpreter. I have a good
rapport with people. Some people think I am pretending to be deaf
whenever I tell them about it because of the way I relate with them. I
didn’t attend any special school but I learnt the skill of sign language
while teaching at Christian Mission School for the Deaf at Ibadan in
2003.
“I am physically, mentally, emotionally and morally sound,
and very assertive. I love interacting with people but I don’t like to
be taken for granted. Intellectually, I like reading and researching. I
also love playing football. Mind you, I am still playing football even
now as a nursing mother. My friend used to call me Tomboy in those days
because I like doing what boys do. I love tasks that challenge my
intellect. My husband and I have similar condition. He is deaf but he
can speak English fluently. We are both qualified graduates from
University of Ilorin. He is, at present, working with Ogun State
Teachers Service Commission.
“I scored a Cumulative Grade Point
Average (CGPA) of 4.45. That was the score I saw on the result sheet in
the first semester of my final year. After the completion of my study I
graduated with a second class honour (Upper Division).
“On the
efforts made so far to get a good job, I had wanted to work with the
University of Ilorin. There is a lecturer at the Faculty of Education, I
was so fond of her even till today. Leaving her was, indeed, a
difficult challenge for me. The affection I have for her made my desire
to work in the university stronger and that was what motivated me to do
my NYSC in the institution. The lecturer is now a professor. I was then
lucky to serve at the newly established Centre for Peace and Strategic
Studies (CPSS) headed by her (Prof. Olasehinde Williams). Before the
completion of my NYSC, I wrote a letter requesting to be retained but
got no response then.
“After the completion of my one mandatory
youth service, I continued to apply for job whenever the university
released vacancies. I think I have done so thrice. The former Vice
Chancellor, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, was making attempt to employ me based
on my application which was submitted to him in 2012/2013. I later
learnt that he was about to do that before his tenure expired. I wrote a
letter explaining the situation to the new Vice Chancellor (Prof.
Ambali) in 2013 and, in fact, re-applied last year but the vacancy was
put on hold.
“Another opportunity came when ex-President Goodluck
Jonathan gave disabled people employment opportunity in 2013. I joined
others to apply and traveled with my husband to Abuja for the interview
in November. My daughter was just seven months old when I embarked on
the journey with her. The selection process was based on our
qualification and I had the faith that I would be selected since I was
the only applicant with second class honour (Upper Division) among the
deaf applicants from Ondo State. I was disappointed when my name did not
appear on the list of those shortlisted due to what I will call
“connection, godfatherism and tribalism syndrome” which has become a
social norm in Nigeria as far as employment is concerned. If the Ondo
Commissioner had selected us based on merit, there is no way I would not
be qualified since there was no written test or oral interview.
“My
surname, Okpoto, must have affected me because that was the name on my
credentials but having married a man from that state the Commissioner
should have considered me qualified. I regretted not applying through
the Delta State Commission as I would have been given the job then. The
most painful aspect of this experience was the refusal by the
Commissioner to give my husband, an indigene of the state, his
posting/appointment letter. Initially, his name was on the list but was
later short-changed with someone else known to the Commissioner.
“Another
instance where tribalism and connection really affected me was at the
Lagos State Scholarship Board exam in 2004/2005. The then governor
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu had forwarded my application for oversea scholarship
to the board for immediate action. The Director of the board (Mr.
Badmus) told me that I was not born in Lagos because of my surname
(Okpoto). I told him I was born and bred in Lagos but he refused to
treat the letter. The institution abroad (Rochester Institute of
Technology), had awarded me scholarship for only tuition fee but I could
not raise funds to cover other expenses. Life is indeed full of
experiences but I will never give up.
“As noted above, a situation
where political connection, godfatherism and tribalism are used as
yardsticks for recruitment is psychologically and emotionally
disturbing. Imagine the stress I passed through traveling to Abuja from
Ibadan with a seven-month old baby for the civil service interview. This
is too bad! But I believe that life goes on! Things will change for the
better now that President Muhammad Buhari is making effort to sanitize
the system. The Disability Rights Bill is long overdue. The President
should, please, assent to the bill to protect the employment and
fundamental rights of persons with disabilities.
“At the moment I
am living with my husband and managing to work as employee of Parent
Teachers Association in a school in Ogun State. The monthly take-home
pay is meagre. But what more can I do? I have tried so many places
without any result. Everywhere I go, some people would ask some funny
questions like “you are from where?” “You do not look like a Yoruba”,
“Your father’s name is an Igbo name.” Deafness is another barrier as the
society does not want to employ deaf and disabled people. They usually
experience employment discriminations due to their disability. But
disability is not inability! There is nothing the deaf cannot do. The
only difference between us and our hearing counterparts is our inability
to hear which in my own case is partial. The society especially
employers of labour should know that deafness is not an insurmountable
barrier to success. I can teach. I can lead. I can do mathematical
calculations etc. What is more? Let the society try us first and see
what we can do.
“I can work in government ministries, agencies
and parastatals as well as private companies in administrative capacity.
My computer skill is also an added advantage. As a holder of first
degree in Educational Guidance and Counseling, I can provide counseling
service for young people. Apart from the university job, I can work in
oil companies like ExxonMobil or in telecommunication companies like
GLO, MTN, Etisalat or Airtel, in the area of computer operation, data
processing and network or in any other administrative duty that may be
assigned to me.
“I am still searching for a good job and I am
pleading with the University of Ilorin management to help me. I don’t
think the University has abandoned me. I guess the new Vice Chancellor
is not aware of the fact that I served at the university and I am not
sure if he received my appeal letter. The former Vice Chancellor was
working on my application before his tenure ended in 2013, so I think
the new Vice Chancellor in the person of Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali should
reopen my case as regarding employment. I appreciate my parent/pastor
Deacon Toye Afolabi, Prof Alasehinde Williams, Prof. Omotosho, Prof
Adegoke, Dr. Esere etc for their efforts in assisting me.
“To be
honest with you, having good job will make it possible for me to achieve
my goals and give back to society. It is my dream to become a lecturer
so with good job I will be able to save money to further my education. I
need to go back to school for my masters and PHD. I also want to set up
an NGO that will empower disabled people especially young ones that are
not educable to acquire vocational skills that will make them
self-reliant and to contribute meaningfully to the growth of their
fatherland rather than roaming the streets and begging for money. An
adage says: “if you give a child a fish, you feed him for a day. But if
you teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. I want to assist
young people to have the financial muscles to feed themselves for a
lifetime. I also have a business plan in mind but there is no money to
get started. I believe with good job I can achieve all these.”
SOURCE
