A lecturer in the Department of European Languages and Integration Studies at the University of Lagos, Dr Adewale Tiamiyu, has revealed he had 18 girlfriends while in secondary school.

Tiamiyu who bagged a first class at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, after failing woefully in his O’level examination made the revelation in an interview with Saturday PUNCH.

He noted that apart from his activities as a break dancer in secondary school which affected his academic performance, he was also a notorious philanderer.

“No. That was not the only issue. Then, I was too social and had about 18 girlfriends in almost all Ibadan schools. In those days, we always went to different schools for inter-house sports and I would want to have at least one girlfriend in any school we visited. I am talking of the 80s now.

“So, I think it was my social life. It was later in life that I understood that I was not a dullard since I had a First Class in OAU years later,” he stated.

He further revealed that he was able to overcome the initial setback after he abandoned education and became a meat seller in Cote’D’Ivoire.

He, however, picked up the pieces, passing his GCE in 1996 and gaining admission in 1997.

“Between 1990 and 1995, I was in Cote d’Ivoire as a meat seller. So I traveled out of the country. However, I returned in 1995 to Lagos and registered for GCE lessons. At the same time, I worked as a primary school teacher in Surulere.

“So, I prepared to go back to school between 1995 and 1997. I made my GCE in 1996 and got admitted into Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife in 1997,” he revealed.

He noted that he was lucky to turn out successful as some of his classmates who failed their O’level couldn’t forge further.

“None were able to overcome that setback of poor O’level results. There is even one at the University of Lagos where I work currently. He is a bricklayer. He never furthered his education after that experience. He is doing the bricklaying job at the university. In my set at the secondary school, we were about 600. Three of us from the same secondary school and class currently work in UNILAG. One is an Associate Professor. I am a lecturer and the third man is a bricklayer

“The first man is my senior because I couldn’t catch up with those who had gone ahead of me. But the third person is still a bricklayer as we speak here in UNILAG. Though we still talk, he is not always comfortable around me, because he is not happy seeing me as a Dr, while he is a bricklayer. But I wanted to encourage him because I don’t believe anything is impossible. I believe that if he can dream it, it is possible.

“I could remember that when I was doing my master’s programme at UNILAG. I used to trek from Ikotun to the university. I trekked more than 20 times to go for my studies that year. So I am the type that doesn’t give up on something”, he added. (Sunday PUNCH)

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