PoTW – Lawrence Onime
MCSS 99 ALUMNI PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK
Name: LAWRENCE ONIME
Nickname: Jss ‘orangeman, sss Orsino of Sickyria
Brief Background: I am from a minority tribe in Edo State (Owan ), born in Oyo State breed in Lagos Nigeria. I was bred in Ketu Lagos Nigeria Tipper Garrage Axis. I wouldn’t be wrong if I tell you I am a hyperthymesia, also known as (HSAM) Highly superior Autobiographical Memory, I am also someone who observe environment and people a lot, I could mimic your mannerism if I spend time with you.
EXPERIENCE ABOUT COMING TO MCSS: I was not a very bright pupil growing up I first attended “Je ki ile simi”, (one teacher squad), as a short guy, our hands had to go round our head before we could be allowed to enroll in government public school I did primary one to five before I moved to a private Primary school in Ketu one of the best then, private schools were not all over the places as it is now. I was very excited coming to MCSS, I felt like a kid who was attending NDA, as a ketu breed, schools like “Orishigun college ketu, kosofe college, The Apostolic Grammar school etc around the Ketu vicinity were schools one would have though ministry of Education would post one to, when I saw Mcss, I was so very excited and I felt different in Ketu vicinity as Mcss was a school most chaps would love to attend as it is seen as school for the elites kids it was a rare privilege.
MCSS EXPERIENCE: I first stepped my foot in Mcss in 1992, I had a relation who was graduating in 1994, she introduced me to her mates and I had plenty God mothers and God fathers, they really took care of me whenever any senior is punishing juniors I was always free from such punishments during break time I had a lot to eat But a major calamity occurred after my first year in MCSS and I will reveal that shortly. Instead of the normal 6 years one is expected to spend in secondary school my goons and I spent 7 years because we repeated Jss1, we were meant to be 1998 set. There is this woman who sells hot puff puff at the Maryland gate adjacent to St Agnes and close to Maryland convent gate, I think her puff puff were 50 kobo then, so my gang and I namely Babatunde Olaegbe, Femi Onabanjo ,Kayode Alausa and I were found of playing this woman there were always a large crowd trying to buy puff puff, so we would lie that we had given her money on most occasion we never gave her cash she would then give us puff puff of the whatever amount we claim we have given her and we would munch the hot puff puff with relish ,three of us could pay her then one will lie she has been given money then I remember one of the days she swore “If to say una give me money una go pass but if una no give me money una go fail”, brothers and sisters to cut the long story short four of us failed and were meant to repeat Jss1. I wish to see that Mama and beg her for forgiveness we cheated her wella. While repeating J ss1, Femi Onabanjo failed again and he was expelled from Mcss, Kayode Alausa I guess repeated again in jss2 it’s only Babatunde Olaegbe and I that finished with 1999 set. I trekked Odo Iya Alaro Bridge severally my close ally Tunde Olaegbe, whose birthday is today 20th June we are of same zodiac sign but when we got to SSS class Tunde became a science student our interests then differed. We did silly things together like begging early for ride to school when we still had our transport fares, went to casino to play “kalo kalo” If I were to continue my MCSS story I could write a book on it, let’s leave it here for now . Mr Egbeyale remains my most tormented teacher at Mcss, he made life unbearable as he was our year Tutor from our Jss days to SSS day, he and Mrs Ajoje were, but he kukuma carry the thing for head pass the gentle woman.
PALS IN MCSS: Jss Tunde Olaegbe sss, Lanre Oloyede,Ehije Ojeabulu, carlo Maggi.
MEMORABLE MOMMENTS IN MCSS: I think the bad or sad Memories registered more in my memory as a hyperthymesia, that I am the day “Patos Gang”, a cult like group formed by 1998 set, the day they flogged Fash the Vp, Bola was the one who led the gang that flogged Fash it happened in my presence don’t ask me what I was still doing in school that time, it was closing hours I guess I was waiting to attend after school lesson or waiting for Ehigie Ojeabulu whom we always go home together to win his tete so we could go eat some Eba at Rufus. I also remember the many fights Bola versus Ehigie Ojeabulu, Theophilus versus seniors and the Pedro Police Station arrest that Emeka Nnwankwo escaped from Egbeyale and Onabajo he scaled the prototyped building, when I first entered Mcss, I saw it as an Ajebo school, but 1998 set changed all that impression and I am somehow happy I did not finish with that set as their WAEC, was not too good.
WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: I was in “M” wing of the Art Class, as Art class has just two arms “M and N”, I was one of the bright students in Literature, History and Government, my love for literature was what made me coined the name “ Orsino Duke of Sickyria”, after the famous Duke Orsino of Illyria a popular novel by Williams Shakespeare. I so dazzled in Literature class that the Literature teacher always called my name to answer questions in class so also is the History Teacher Mrs Ikpeme. I did not attend the famous lesson owned by Ademilokun, but I attended University Preparatory Academy in Ketu and later at Ojota.
WHAT DO YOU DO: I am a trained Broadcaster, some call us Journalist. I work with the Only American University in North East Nigeria, I worked for the first private Radio Station in North East Nigeria for 8 years before moving to the University and I manage the University’s Online Radio Station, I also Compere at events and produce Radio and TV Jingles and Documentary, I have 13 years working experience as a journalist I have trained and given so many journalist young cubs the opportunity to explore and be great in my profession and I am an IVLP Alumni (Google it) hahahahahaha.
INTEREST AND HOBBIES: listening to music from Africa, reading about History and going out, if you want to finish me pata pata incarcerate moi, I love travelling too.
PERSONAL HERO/MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN MY LIFE: Anyone who is doing good and kind to humanity is my hero, great leaders inclusive.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS: I will like to have advanced more in my career and seeing my kids doing well academically Deo Volente.
WHAT YOU COULD DO TO CHANGE THE WORLD: do my part in ensuring in my own little ways I make those around me feel my impact and assist in whatever way I can, I dislike people having problem and then I can help but I am not helping I love to help if I can.
EXPECTATION FROM ALUMNI GROUP AND ADVICE TO LANDER FAMILY: let us as a body be united, there should be no segregation amongst us, that we all graduated from college the same time, in essence everyone be treated equally irrespective of what class you were in school Art, Commercial or Science Class or where we are based now diaspora or Naijapora!!!!.
Ki Oluwa ma wa pelu wa. (God b with us all).
