THE LEKKI HEADMASTER NOVEL SUMMARY

Why You Should Read The Lekki Headmaster

• JAMB Comprehension: Understanding the book will boost your performance in the JAMB English exam.
• Moral Lessons: The novel teaches integrity, perseverance, and the power of education.
• Engaging Storyline: The book is relatable and thought-provoking, making it an interesting read for students.

Ensure you read the novel thoroughly, as JAMB questions may test your understanding of characters, plot, and themes. This chapter-by-chapter summary serves as a helpful guide, but reading the book itself will give you a full grasp of the story.

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

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.

Chapter 4 – A Case of Visa Denied

Bepo is in his room at Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos, Mr Bepo receives a call from Mrs Ignatius, the parent of a student, just as he is about to say his night prayers. He was not okay with the overly cordial relationship that Mrs Ignatius was extending towards him. He always related to his students and staff with humour and compassion but he did not appreciate being taken for granted just like Mrs. Ignatius was doing.

Mrs Ignatius’s husband, Mr Ibe Ignatius, who works as a manager in an oil firm, also decided to “japa” with his family. He argued that he would not want his children to grow up in Nigeria where the children of those who went abroad come to be their children’s leaders and superiors. Mrs Ignatius was in love with this idea and soon started learning tailoring and hairdressing so that she too could earn some money abroad. Mrs Ignatius had quit her job as a clerical officer while her husband had closed up his “clearing and forwarding: side business as they prepared to relocate when something terrible happened.

While processing their visa, a DNA test revealed that Mr Ibe is not the father of one of their three children – Favour, an SSS2 girl at Stardom. This is the subject of Mrs Ignatius’ late-night call. Her husband had told them (Mrs Ignatius and Favour) to leave the house. He was not sure how to respond to this situation. He was aware of the fact that some of these rich parents can be selfish and nasty. He is reminded of an incident that led to the sacking of Mr Ayesoro, who was the Government teacher.

One of his students, Bibi, had a dream about the Government teacher. Bibi told her mother, Mrs Ladele, that the government teacher appeared to her in her dream with his tribal mark. His tribal marks are so deep and prominent that the student nicknamed him Mr Owala, a derogatory Yoruba name for a person with wild facial marks. Every time, Bibi saw Mr Ayesoro, she became scared. The dreams continue until Mrs Ladele goes to the school to file a complaint. Worried that they would lose Bibi and her siblings to another school, the management transferred Mr Ayesoro to Stardom Hub, the property wing of Stardom Group of Companies.

Chapter 5 – Snake in the Roof

The MD chooses to take a walk rather than retreat to the private room in her office as she always does. She walks towards a piece of land that Stardom had acquired two years ago and that was five minutes away from the school’s back gate. She discovers that the teachers and some other staff are using the land as a park instead of the park allotted to them within the school’s premises. She is shocked by the number of big cars and buses that she sees in the car park.

She immediately summons the principal and accountant to figure out if the teachers and staff are stealing from the school. When the MD asks how the teachers and staff can afford the cars, the principal advises that they retreat to the office to discuss it. The principal reassures her that the school purse is fine and that the staff had gotten the money through the school’s cooperative.

The MD inquires further: “How much is in the account of the Stardom Cooperative Society that it could buy every fool the car of his or her choice?” Her choice of words shock both men. The following day, she called for a meeting of the board of directors where she was able to ascertain that the Cooperative society had N95 million, while over N50 million had been loaned out. The MD shares her concern about how the staff can use that money to establish their school and steal their brand. She uses the simile: “It’s like hanging a snake in the roof and going to bed.” The board eventually reached a decision, that no staff member could borrow more than N250,000, that all loan requests had to be approved by the MD and that the management must be informed about the cooperative’s elections.

Chapter 6 – Ade as Well as Jide COMES vs. COME

It is Open Day at Stardom Schools. The teachers at Stardom look forward to gifts from parents that come in cash and kind, especially the class teachers. Some teachers also dread Open Day because parents often come with a lot of complaints. Mr Bepo recalls an episode where an English teacher, Mr Farore was sacked for a trivial complaint made by a parent – Mr Guta. Mr Guta was in the MD’s office asking for Mr Farore to be sacked.

He recalls several other incidents where teachers were sacked. Some who were sacked were guilty and others were just “victims of circumstance or even conspiracy.” He always felt bad whenever he had to write a sack letter. He understands what can drive people to do things like this. He recalls an incident a long time ago when he was out of a job and had no savings. He ‘ate’ the N2,500 electricity tariff he had collected on behalf of the tenants and lied that he had paid it. However, the truth came out when the NEPA officials cut them off. The tenants mocked the “Oga Tisa” and disgraced him in front of everyone.

Mr Bepo was instructed to send for Mr Fafore who was teaching a class. Mr Bepo was not okay with calling a teacher out of the class as it left the students idle. Mr Farore could have given the notes to the class prefect so that the students could continue copying the notes but this practice has been discontinued because a parent had sued the school because of this. They had no other option than to leave the student idle.

While they walked to the MD’s office, the principal questioned Mr Fafore to know why he was about to be sacked but Mr Fafore was clueless as well. He then asked if he argued with Mr Guta but Mr Fafore responded that Mr Guta only walked into the class, checked his son’s books and said nothing before he left abruptly. Mr Bepo broke the news that he had been sacked, and Mr Fafore left for the staff room, devastated. He went to the staff room to collect his personal items where his fellow teachers had heard the news. The teachers concluded that “there was no job security in the establishment.”

At a meeting that occurred immediately after, the MD revealed to the teacher why Mr Fafore was fired. Mr Guta had discovered a grammatical error in his son’s note: “Ade as well as Jide comes early”. This made him so angry that he threatened to withdraw his children from the school. She says that the sentence should read: “Ade as well as Jide come early.” The principal responded to the MD’s fiery speech about Mr Fafore’s incompetence by saying that the sentence Mr Fafore taught was correct. He said:

“When you use ‘and’, the verb that follows is ‘come’. But when you use ‘as well as’, ‘together with’, ‘alongside’, etc., we fo for the singular verb with ‘s’. The clause is in the subjunctive mood and does not align with normal grammar rules.”

The Lekki Headmaster (pg. 33)

Not satisfied with the principal’s explanation, she directed everyone to look it up on their phones. They all discover that both Fafore and the principal are right. The MD felt deflated having sacked a hardworking teacher but Mr Audu breaks the ice with a joke. Eventually, she reemploys Mr Fafore.

The Lekki Headmaster: Chapter 7 – Ritualists

Bepo recalls joining Stardom schools after a disagreement that he had at his former school – Beesway Group of School, located on the outskirts of Lagos. He tried to correct the grammatical error in the name. He pointed out that the school ought to be called “Beesway Group of Schools.” The director, Mr Egi Meko thanked him mockingly knowing fully well that he would not change the name. He claims that the name was divinely inspired and that no one was complaining about the name.

Bepo tried to raise this issue countless times but to no avail. Eventually, a couple of parents raised the same issue at one of the PTA meetings. The director calls him to his office and accuses him of telling the parents about the error in the school’s name. Bepo argues that he had done no such thing. Bepo eventually leaves the school after an incident that he considers to be ungodly occurs.

One night, while in his room at Beesway Staff Quarters, he noticed something strange going on far in the distance. He discovered a group of five men, one of them was holding a cow by a leash. Two men emerged from a pit and were leading the cow into the pit. Immediately, Bepo grabs his machete and heads out towards the men. He soon discovered that the Director was among the group. Bepo protested that they should not be burying a cow while the director warned him to go away.

When he did not listen, one of the men hit him on the head from behind and Bepo fell on his back. Before his accomplice can do some damage, the director quickly pacifies them and helps Bepo back up. He takes Bepo back to his room before he continues to complete his “dark assignment.” Bepo was shocked by the entire ordeal, He had heard tales of rituals carried out by school owners and patrons of other businesses.

He recalled when he started “Fruitful Future School” with his colleague. The school he had built was flourishing for a while as the number of pupils had grown to over 70 in the third session. One day, one of the parents, Mr Ogo, walks into his office to suggest that he “perform a rite that would supernaturally flood the school with pupils in no time.” (pg. 38). Bepo chooses not to do this and Mr Ogo withdrew his child from the school afterwards. Soon, the school shut down after its neighbourhood was deserted by those who could afford the school fees because its roads became bad.

Ten years later, Bepo discovers that Mr Ogo murdered a civil servant, a woman who had consulted him for a spiritual solution to her infertility. She had paid him N9 million naira over a year and nothing happened. The woman asked for a refund and threatened to arrest him if he did not pay up. Eventually, he murdered her after inviting her to his home.

Bepo thought of reporting the Beeway Director but he knew nothing would come of it. The next morning, Bepo got a call from the Director to see him in his office. Before he went to the director’s office, he moved his belongings out of his room and the staff room. The director apologised for the assault he suffered and claimed that the scene of the previous night was part of a special prayer for his late father, who had given him the land on which the school was built.