SATURDAY SUN
August 25, 2012
21
Saturday People I rose from background of poor academic Towards a performance to earn 6 degrees –Dalley Peaceful By MOSHOOD ADEBAYO, Abeokuta
D
r. (Chief) Gbenga Dalley is a rare Nigerian gem. The academic achievements of the former Head of Department of Mass Communication, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, are arguably rare to come by, as he parades six academic degrees in Communication and Law. Interestingly, Dalley had a humble beginning. He worked himself to the top, as it were. Today, apart from his academic accomplishment, he owns a primary and secondary schools in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. Looking back at what he has passed through in life and what he has become, he said: “To God be the glory, this is not my own making, but that of God. I have almost lost hope, just as my father, until I got to Form 3 when the dull boy changed to be a brilliant boy, ranking among the best five in the class.” He recalls with nostalgia: “I never knew I could even pass out of a secondary school when I was in the primary school. Things were not working well for me and I was worried, just as my father who wanted the best for me.” Although he hails from Abeokuta, Dalley was born and bred in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. He attended Alafia Institute, Mokola, Ibadan, one of the best in the town. “I started well in Nursery One and Two, but when I got to primary school, the tide changed for worse; I could not cope. I was as worried, just as my father, who did everything humanly possible to make sure that things changed for better. One day, he called one of his friends, a headmaster of a school, to diagnose my problem and the man told him my background was bad. He recommended some baby birds books for me. My elder sister was saddled with the responsibility of making sure that I read the books. But they did not follow up,” he said. Continuing, Dalley said his troubled father, a medical doctor, had to move him to Osogbo, when he went on transfer and had him repeat Primary 3. It was the same old story, as he also found it difficult to read and comprehend. “What I used to pray for was that during the third term, I should be pushed on trial, because at that time, I did not see myself passing examination normally. That was how, gradually, I moved on trial and I was moved to St. Luke, Molete, Ibadan, where I improved gradually, but I was not yet there, as expected by my father and I,” he revealed. The former HOD said although his poor academic performance affected his Primary School Leaving Certificate, he made an improvement. “When I started catching up, I was able to comprehend, but I still had problems in reading. My anxious father wanted the best for me. He obtained entrance examination forms for Government College, Ibadan and several others. For me, I was not sure that my poor academic performance could secure me admission in the school,” he said. On what happened thereafter, Dalley said: “They managed to get me a school, not the one that my dad wished. I started improving., I was doing well in English Language, particularly in Comprehension than in Composition. I managed to read and comprehend. I still remember very well that while I was writing a comprehension, I could not spell the word ‘because.’ According to him, a literature book, The Incorruptible Judge, where he acted the lead role, was a turning point in his life. “The book assisted me and gave me one clue that, all along, I have not been reading, because, as the leading actor, I was forced to read and memorise. Since then, I re-discovered
•Dalley myself and things began to change positively for me.’’ When his father moved to Abeokuta, Dalley was also moved from C.A.C, in Ibadan, to Egba High School, where he was made to repeat the Form 3. He said: “I did not like repeating the class. When my father insisted that I was going to repeat the class, I told him that I was not going to school again. I insisted that if he did not allow me continue in Form 4, I would drop out. I was already regarded as a senior and had even started sending students of Form One to Form 3 on errands. My father, as tough as he was, in terms of upbringing and discipline, surprised me by not forcing me to go to school. I did not, however, know that he was working behind-the-scene to make sure that I return to school and repeat Form 3.” He revealed that his father got one of his friends, Justice Ogundare, to prevail on him to repeat the class,which he later accepted. “Something happened that day, when I got to his court. He was presiding over a case, and he immediately adjourned it and asked the court clerk to bring me to his chamber. Unlike my father, who would not ask what the matter was with me, Justice Ogundare asked me what the problem was. I gladly told him. In his bid to persuade me to repeat the class, he described my juniors, as witches and wizards, who he claimed had foreseen my future and knew that I would be a star in future and they were ready to scuttle it. He pleaded with me not to allow them scuttle it. The judge started to work on my psyche, pleading with me to return to class and suddenly he removed his wig and put it on my own head and guided me to a mirror within the chamber. He told me nice things and ended with a prophecy that I would later in life be a lawyer,” he said. Dalley said that after the session with Justice Ogundare, “there and then I made up my mind to repeat the Form 3 as well as read very well so that I could beat my mates. Today, I thank God who used the judge to transform my life.” According to him, “my repeat of the class was like a transformational tactic for me, as I became more serious. Surprisingly, I was
rated among the top five in the class, to the surprise of everyone, including my father who had almost written me off. I sat and cleared the West Africa School Certificate Examination as well as the General Certificate Examination. I wanted to read Medicine. I later went for A’ Level science programme at the then Ogun State Polytechnic, now (Moshood Abiola Polytechnic), where I passed some courses and failed others. You know Medicine is not for unserious students, since I did not clear all the sciences, I could not realise my ambition of reading Medicine at the University of Ibadan, where I was offered Biochemistry as an alternative, which I rejected. “I was still pushing for sciences, but, by faith and providence, after going through my credentials, even though I did not apply for Arts-related courses, I was moved to the Faculty of Arts to read Language Arts. That was when the university system was still working. I remember very well that after looking through the prospectus, I realised that for a student to be in the Faculty and read the course I was offered, he or she must have passed Literature. I neither applied for Arts nor passed Literature at the School Certificate level. I was still admitted for the course, and passed in flying colours. I did my master’s degree and PhD in the same course, at the same prestigious University of Ibadan. With my experience, I don’t see why a child would not make it in life just because his beginning was not too impressive. It is only an imbecile that probably can’t do well. That was one of the reasons I established the two schools. I give glory to God for salvaging me; turning me around. The miracle God did in my life is still there and He is still doing it in the primary and secondary schools I established. On the performance of his schools, he said: “In our secondary school, we started writing WAEC in 2006, and our students have been coming out in flying colours. Let me tell you that this school is not just one of the private secondary schools that go behindthe-scene to ensure the students pass at all costs. We work hard for whatever successes we must have recorded in recent time. My joy is that I have also succeeded in impacting positively on students who never thought they could make in life. “I will never forget my late father. During my trying period, he was concerned, he stood by me; he never left me to my fate. May be if he had not shown concern, I would have been a nuisance, not only to him, but also to the entire Dalley family.” He said that he lost his mother early in life. “The person I knew as my mother was not actually my mother; she was my step mother. I lost my mother early in life, but I have to thank her for bringing me to life,” he said.
Living (Vol. 3)
By Josiah Bonire 07055822097 jjbonire@yahoo.com
Critical thoughts on Behaviour (Section Five):
Chapter One Caution 2201. Beware of happiness, for it often brings accidents. 2202. Foolish pride rigidly chooses a path into an unknown world. But wisdom rather explores all possibilities with caution, especially on what it knows little about. 2203. He who knows not many failures won’t make a good leader, for he will be too daring. And he that has met too many failures won’t lead well either, for he will be too fearful. 2204. Watch the spirit of jealousy. It makes to be angry and unable to learn. 2205. A wise ignorant man would rather choose to be foolish so as to be able to learn. 2206. But a fool rather flexes his muscles, as if force has a special ability to reveal secrets. 2207. Don’t ever lean on a project you embark on, its failure can make you to fall. 2208. In a world of uncertainties, a wise man does not encourage dogmatism. 2209. Hmmm… Let a man persevere on what might succeed, lest he spends his life pursuing failure. 2210. Whatever gives a lot of pleasure to the present threatens the happiness in the future. 2211. Where actions based on belief fail to yield positive results over a long time, a wise man looks again at his belief. 2212. Let each man watch his ways. Only if memory fails in onlookers would a devil successfully change and be seen as a spotless angel. Preparing For The Future 2213. Don’t go to bed because the mood for a particular work is lacking, if a mood is not suitable for a work, find the work that is suitable for the mood. 2214. While waiting for tomorrow, get the best out of today. 2215. Where there is a future, there is a destiny. 2216. Defer pleasantries till the end of your journey, if you are not to lose attention for the journey. 2217. The lust for more makes a man forget to use what he has. 2218. Whatever will threaten the success of the future diverts attention to the joys of the moment. TODAY IN HISTORY:
August 25, 1964: Kenneth Kaunda wins election to become first president of an independent Zambia