CHELSEA FC AND REAL MADRID FC

I remember one of the final papers I wrote during my M.Sc days.
Dr Ken asked gave us 5 questions and we were to answer any three.

I looked at my exam paper and none of the questions had a straightforward answer.

I calmed down and went for the ones that looked like case studies.

I had only 2 or 3 bullet points in my mind but I needed flesh on them. I spent the first 10 to 20 minutes thinking on effective team working, identifying and employing skilled professionals into a team and retaining them and sustaining a functioning organisational structure....something like that sha.

Just as I was thinking on what to write, I remembered my office session with Dr John and the tips he gave me at the beginning of the programme. I didn’t have to remember anything or everything verbatim. I only had to apply my knowledge of the subject matter to point of discourse.

So I decided to go against my lecturer by laying a strong argument against what he asked us.

Now listen to me, if you are not studying in the West, don’t try this! My Uni is still there and you can request for my exam papers to corroborate this.

I decided to talk about Chelsea FC and Real Madrid FC.

Yes. You heard me right. I wrote about football using 2 clubs that I naturally despised at the time as case studies on why assembling the best talented or skilled professionals may not be the core answer to the organisational goal.

The failure of the galaticos of Real Madrid at the continental level was my point of argument. And I predicted that Chelsea FC was bound to head in that direction with wasted billions before they would be able to capture Europe.

By the time I finished with football, 2 questions were already answered. I used Tesco Supermarket as case point for the 3rd question I answered.

After the exam, I just wanted to get to my old jalopy and get away. Elohor wanted to ask me as I drove on what questions I answered. Lolz. I remember telling her that once u drop my pen, I don’t bother myself again with what I wrote. The headache was not worth it I said.

At the back of my mind, I knew I fought a good fight as I was always raising objections or interrupting this particular lecturer. In fact, I can’t remember sharing same views with him. So down to the wire in the exam hall with my M.Sc life on the line, I still wrote against his expectations.

My result few weeks later....B+.

Yep. It was a B.

Today as I checked my 1999 diary during my final year, one lecturer told us he would defend our fails to heaven!

He picked on me in particular because I refused to ‘surrender’ one article I wrote that got a positive reviews from the students and lecturers in the department - HALF BAKED AND QUARTER FRIED CHEMISTS! Even the HOD called me aside to praise my write up. But that man from Ile-Ife categorically told me he would wait for me where it mattered most.

And he nearly succeeded in my rain semester paper I wrote for his course. I won’t mention his name and I have long forgiven him. But he was one of the people that killed my interests in anything science. He categorically told us we were not fit to come near his children to lecture them.

Thank God I changed environment and I met with lecturers who didn’t want to hear your ‘yes sir’ all the time. They want to hear your opposing views and see what they could glean from it.

So if you see me embracing you even though we share a massively different opinions, it is because I met the right people who allowed me to have my opinions without violating my right.

If I feel my opinions do not matter with you, I will stay away from you. If there is no reason for us to argue in a positive way, then I may not be gaining anything from you. And if I don’t gain anything from you, I am off your radar.

By the way, no lecturer forced me to buy handouts in the West so I could have an assured 40 marks. Rather, they made me work for my marks in my own way.

And to Chelsea and Real Madrid fans, sorry, I despised your clubs strongly at the time, but I am a bit mellowed now. The Nigerian guys playing for Chelsea will always bring me to wish the club well if they are constantly used. Blood first before club!