THE LEKKI HEADMASTER NOVEL SUMMARY

CHAPTER 1 – DUSK

The chapter begins with the principal of Stardom Schools walking onto the podium from the back of the assembly hall. His gait is unusual and this shocks the students. As he grabs the microphone from the chapel prefect, he attempts to speak, but no words come out. Instead, he begins to cry in front of the perplexed students. The vice principal, Mrs. Grace Apeh, steps forward and, after inquiring about the problem without receiving a response, instructs the Chemistry teacher, Mr. Justus Anabel, to conclude the assembly and dismiss the students to their classes.

Once the students leave, the vice principal, joined by the school nurse and other staff members, leads the principal, now referred to as Mr. Bepo, to his office. They continue to ask him what is wrong, but he continues to weep uncontrollably for over 30 minutes. Soon, rumours about the principal’s breakdown begin to circulate among some parents. As the Vice Principal’s phone starts ringing with calls of concern from the parents, she feels compelled to contact the Managing Director (MD), Mrs Ibidun Gloss, who is attending a function outside the school.

The day had not begun on this tearful note. Earlier, the school management had announced a reduction in boarding fees as a strategy to reduce lateness among students. The fees were lowered from ₦250,000 to ₦165,000 per session. This initiative encouraged 80% of parents to enrol their children in the boarding house and led most students to arrive as early as 7:45 a.m. for the morning assembly. Interestingly, the parents did not complain when the fee for “Excursion and Other Items” was increased by ₦93,000, though this became a topic of gossip among staff, especially Mr. Audu, the Fine Arts teacher who referred to the MD as “a witch and wizard rolled into one.”

That morning’s assembly had followed the usual routine. That day, the sang the second stanza of the national anthem “Oh God of Creation, direct our noble cause…” as they usually did on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, they had their normal Christian and Muslim prayers, along with the first stanza of the national anthem. After the anthem, an SSS1 student, Ikenna Egbu, was invited to deliver a speech about an excursion to Jos he had just participated in. His vivid description of Jos’s beauty and cool, inviting weather earned cheers and applause from the students.

Following Ikenna’s captivating speech, the students and staff expected the principal to commend him. Known for his 24 years of service, Mr Bepo was highly respected by his employers, parents and other stakeholders for his “ever-burning passion” to see his students “grow in all ramifications” and was expected to be on top of the world after this speech. They were all eager to hear something special from “the tall, light-skinned principal, nicknamed “The Lekki Headmaster” for his humorous imitations of characters from the old TV drama Village Headmaster during his time as headmaster of Stardom Kiddies. But, Mr. Bepo’s silence and distress left everyone stunned.

The MD promptly returned to the school after being informed of the situation. She was shocked, especially since the previous day, the school had celebrated an impressive 90% success rate in the West African School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). Teachers had been rewarded with snacks, bottles of wine and ₦20,000 each for the SSS3 teachers. Those whose students scored distinctions in their subjects received ₦30,000. However, two teachers, Mr. Obong Ukake (Chemistry) and Miss Taye Kareem (Geography) were reprimanded because two students had scored Ds in their subjects.

The MD arrives at 9:30 a.m. and summons Mr. Bepo to her office to understand the issue. However, he remains unresponsive and begins to weep again. The MD invites Mr. Ope Wande, the Physics teacher, who is also a pastor, to speak with the principal. He stoops beside the principal and tries his best to find out what is wrong but after 10 minutes of gentle probing, he gives up. Pastor Wande suggests contacting Mrs. Bepo. Mr Bepo gives them his wife’s number which is an international number. They dial it but it does not go through.

The MD suggests sending the principal home, but Pastor Wande objects as he believes that leaving him alone in such a state might be unsafe. The MD, worried about the impact of this dramatic incident on the school’s reputation, decides that Mr. Bepo should be escorted home. She directs the school’s guidance counsellor to accompany him to ensure his safety and well-being.

CHAPTER 2 – THE ENTICEMENT

After five days, Mr Bepo eventually reveals that he is leaving Nigeria for the United Kingdom as he can no longer withstand the pressure to relocate. His “foot-dragging over the matter had pushed his marriage to the brink.” He did not want to leave his students but his family was also “keen” on his mind. His two children – Nike and Kike – have also joined forces with his wife to force him to relocate.

He had spent four years as the headmaster at Stardom Kiddies – the nursery/ primary arm of the school and the rest of his time as the principal at the secondary school. It is his years at Stardom Kiddies that earned him the nickname, “The Lekki Headmaster.” The name was actually used first by Mr Audu, who joked about Mr Bepo’s humanistic and empathetic disposition which allowed him to resolve conflicts amicably. He said:

“The way the headmaster masterly resolves these fights reminds me of the way King Oloja, in Village Headmaster, resolved all the roforofos brought by his chiefs and villagers. So, as they had their own Village Headmaster, we also have our own Lekki Headmaster.”

Even after Bepo became the principal of the secondary school, this nickname stuck. Many of Mr Bepo’s colleagues found his reaction to his relocation abroad extremely funny as it is surprising to see someone who had the “golden opportunity” to relocate abroad be reluctant to do so.

His wife Seri, is a nurse and is earning up to £10,000 per month and Mr Bepo got a teaching job that pays about £3,600 and other entitlements. All of these would provide him a life that is much better than the one he has in Nigeria where he is paid only about N400,000 per month. Mr Bepo’s colleagues discuss all of these amongst themselves and criticise his reluctance to leave.

Bepo planned to retire from Stardom at 55, which is still four years away. He had plans to become a business owner and to “develop fellow men and his country”. Bepo also thought of establishing his school. He recalled what he had learned in one of his entrepreneurship seminars about the importance of starting small. He also knew that it was better to build a school in a place where the residents could afford the kind of education he would provide. He remembered establishing a neighbourhood school – Fruitful Future – with a friend shortly after his National Youth Service. It turned out unsuccessful because the parents in the area could not afford the school.

He thought about other business ventures like farming, food and sachet (pure) or bottled water businesses. He especially considered the commercial transportation business as he believed that someone with minimal capital could begin it and that it would begin to make money as soon as the vehicle was purchased. However, he was wary about the stories he had heard – about how many commercial drivers are untrustworthy as they come up with different stories so that they can keep the profits for themselves. But, Bepo still kept this option open as he is reminded that if big companies like ABC and God is Good Motors, could operate successfully, there is still an opportunity for him.

However, now, he has to set aside those dreams as he would be relocating to a new environment where he would be earning more and sharing a new life with his wife and children.

CHAPTER 3 – MIGRATION TALES

The content of the novel on this website is provided as a summary to assist with revision. Candidates should ensure they read and fully understand the entire novel before the exams

Bepo finally resolves to relocate and begins to listen to tales from others who have relocated earlier. He always knew that payment abroad could be hourly, daily, weekly or monthly unlike Nigeria where one-time salaries were more common. He preferred the hourly system which made it easy for the employee to change jobs as often as he wanted and for the employer to closely monitor their employees. It neutralised the Yoruba proverb which is interpreted as “whether an employer records gains or not, the employee will yet take home his full pay.” This, he believed, was why these other countries have developed.

He heard that one could earn between $150 to $ 250 per day and gather up to $2400 per month. This is a substantial amount compared to the N1600 that Nigerians earn. He also gathered that skilled work was also the best option for those relocating abroad. He learnt that nurses, doctors and other health workers have been migrating at an alarming rate (about 1000 of the country’s 3000 doctors migrate annually). Graduates are also leaving the country through education visas.

He also observed that some people use crooked means to get the resources needed to “Japa”. He remembered Mr. Nku one of the staff at Stardom who took a N2 million loan from the school’s cooperative and relocated abroad two days later and one of the school’s drivers who tried to sell the school’s bus to pay for his son’s college fees abroad.

Sola was one of his colleagues at Stardom who had relocated to the UK with her husband about six months earlier. She reassured Bepo that his settling into the UK would be without stress since his wife was already there. She relates how most couples who migrate have to share the responsibilities – while one works, the other one studies. She also narrates how she and her husband had to sell everything and borrow N4 million to fund their trip.

Most people relocate to the UK because of the opportunity for their children to enjoy quality education. Bepo’s children, Nike and Kike, enjoyed free primary and secondary education and did not have to pay fees until Nike went to university. This is unlike the kids at Stardom who pay millions of naira for their children’s education. Healthcare in the UK was also free, especially for children who enjoy mandatory regular checkups.

However, the tales from abroad were not always so good. Jare is a young man who abandoned his banking job and burst into tears when he realised he had to care for an old couple in London. An accountant named Hope who secured admission for a Master’s degree relocated to the UK with his wife. His wife worked to fund his studies. However, after a few months, his wife decided to stop providing for him. All this made Bepo realise that people “always had different results from life’s intriguing tests.” (pg. 17). He recalled a proverb from one of his former Idoma co-tenants about how the sugarcane and the bitter leaf got different tastes from the same rain that nurtured them.

There was also the question of bringing in dependents from Nigeria. While some are keen on sponsoring their relatives like Riike who invited two of her sisters to the US, others are not ready to.

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