Chapter Seven
This chapter is about the arrangement made by Salma before her meeting with the Examination Malpractice and Ethics Committee, her meeting with the committee and the consequences.
Salma is summoned with a letter to report to the committee in a week’s time. As expected, she tries to find ways of escaping. But the rules guiding exam malpractice are clear and simple. This makes some students, when caught, just pack their belongings and leave the school.
They would then sit for another qualifying exam to another university. Some don’t even bother honouring the summons of the committee, they would just pack their things and leave, since they know the outcome is expulsion; most universities have zero tolerance for examinations malpractice.
But for somebody in the last semester of the final year, leaving the school would be the last resort. Salma then meets Tomiwa and confides in her; she opens up to Tomiwa on the matter. Tomiwa is sympathetic and asks her the next line of action.
Salma says she is thinking of talking to Labaran who would discuss with Habib who in turn would discuss the matter with the chairman of the committee or the vice chancellor or someone higher on her behalf. She adds that the politicians are very influential and have their ways.
Tomiwa understands that Salma’s condition is desperate, she is having doubts about the strategy put forward by Salma working. She ruminates over “somebody higher up” as said by Salma. She asks in her mind whether she was referring to the Visitor to the university which is the president. She comes to the conclusion that desperate measures require desperate measures.
Salma does as plan. Habib tells his driver and friend, Labaran, to bring her to his office. It is Salma’s first time in the office, but Tomiwa has been there a few times.
Salma sits on the sofa opposite Habib. She looks around the magnificent office and imagines how luxurious the office is. It is lavishly furnished and spacious. She also catches the sight of the collapsible conference table that is linked to the wall facing the entrance. The name inscribed on the desk is HABIB LAWAL, SPEAKER.
It is then she knows the full status of Habib; after the State Governor and the Deputy Governor, Habib is the next influential in the state. She puts her mind at rest. She then imagines how she gave a fake number to Habib and settles for Labaran, his driver; she condemns the bad spirit pursuing her.
Salma sits comfortably on the sofa turning from left to right. She is admiring the powerful man in front of her. She resolves that if anybody is to help her out of the problem, it is Habib.
Habib tells Salma that he received her message from Labaran and what she wants him to do. Salma responds that Habib must do something to save her from being expelled because of the General Studies course. She pleads that she has to graduate.
Habib says he understands and that the only person he knows could be of help is Professor Dabo. Salma is no longer conformable with the name mentioned. She instantly tells Honourable Habib that there has to be someone else.
The latter asks her to mention a name she has in mind. At this moment, he pressed an invisible button on his desk and the entrance door automatically locked. Salma is not aware of this move by Habib.
Salma mentioned the chairman of EMEC; the Chairman of the Exams Malpractice and Ethics Committee who is a professor of Biological Science.
Habib asks her why she thinks the man would agree to their request. Salma answers that they said the man likes money a lot. This sounds funny to Habib that the chairman of EMEC likes money. Salma then adds that “when it comes to money, every man has his price.” She also laughs with Habib.
Habib leaves his seat and sits on the three long sofa nearest to Salma and says that he likes the saying that when it comes to money, every man has his price. He then asks Salma about every woman.
Salma responds that women are given and sometimes the person doing the pricing matters. Habib then asks whether he matters. Salma says he matters if he doesn’t lose the matter at hand by saving her from being expelled. Habib answers that he would not lose it.
Habib takes her back to the chairman of the committee they were discussing before. He says he did his research on him and the people say that the chairman could sell his mother’s soul if he sees good money. He then asks Salma the amount she thinks he could be offered. Habib suggests two or three hundred thousand. He asks her what she would give in return if given the money.
Tomiwa answers the question with another question. “When I gave you Tomiwa, what did you give me in return? Habib responds that she didn’t give him Tomiwa but tried to use her as her escape route because she didn’t like him. That Tomiwa just didn’t mind going out with him and now reaping the benefits.
He adds that that is a different deal and explains further that she wants two or three hundred thousand naira and asks for what to get in return.
Salma tells Honourable Habib not to be mischievous and tries to explain certain things to him. She says in the first instance, the money is not for her, secondly, she is Labaran, his friend’s girlfriend and thirdly she is a blossoming friend of Tomiwa, his girlfriend. She tries to establish that Habib’s request to go to bed with her is not proper.
Habib tells her that the issue on ground is not about being proper or not and he is not ready to argue with her. He says he is the one losing money and why would he want to give money to the chairman of the committee? He asks her why her relationship with Labaran affects their own affairs or who would tell Tomiwa about their affairs.
Salma starts thinking quickly over the money; would he really give her that kind of money? Is she going to give the whole lot to the committee chairman? What would be the consequences if she doesn’t release all the money?
Salma asks Habib if he would give her the money. He says he would surely give her if she cooperated. She complains that the door is opened while the Honourable tells her that it is locked; this surprises Salma.
…….
Salma is given the money by Honourable Habib, but unfortunately the money gets into the wrong hands. Salma couldn’t relate directly with the chairman of the committee, she only meets a man who claims to be a member of the committee and introduces her to a fake chairman of the committee named Dr. Mohammed Kabir outside the school.
The said chairman asks her if she is guilty and Salma answers that she is guilty but begs him to temper justice with mercy.
The chairman agrees to help but give her an appointment in a hotel far from the school. Salma makes the appointment but refuses to sleep with the man and offers to give the man money instead. The man asks her the amount she wants to offer. Salma in turn asks the man to give his price.
The man explains that there are other four members of the committee that should also be catered for. Salma replies that that is why she does not agree with going to bed with him in the first instance. She says that after the whole thing is resolved, they could come to the hotel again to celebrate.
The assumed chairman named his price as two hundred thousand naira. Salma responds confidently that if she has that amount, she would use it to process admission in any of the private universities. She knows they are alone in the hotel and the man doesn’t entertain any fear of his voice being recorded by her; he knows she was the one in danger.
Salma eventually agrees to part with one hundred thousand naira and adds that it must work, so that the man would not regret it in the end. She reminds the assumed chairman of the committee that he has more to lose than her.
The man also tells her that threatening is not the best option for her in this situation but bargaining. He says he just agrees to the amount because she is a student that needs help. Salma hands the money to the man and he keeps it in his pockets.
As they are about to depart, Salma remembers that she doesn’t even know the man’s name. After a few arguments, the man says he is Dr. Mohammed Kabir. The man then opens his arm for a parting hug, Salma declines and instead offers her hand for a handshake. She leaves the hotel and goes home.
…….
Salma gets the shock of her life when she is called to come and defend herself before the committee and finds out that the man sitting as the chairman of the committee is different from Dr. Mohammed Kabir, the man she gave money to in the hotel.
The man that introduced him to Dr. Mohammed Kabir who claimed to be a member of the committee is also not there. It is then she knows that she has been duped and starts crying.
The chairman and the members of the committee do not understand why she is crying; they mistake it to be remorse or repentance. They then appeal to her to calm down and explain what happened in the exam hall.
Salma calms herself down and narrates the whole issue. In the course of the agitation, she doesn’t know when she tells them that she collected the cheat notes from Kolawole Abdul. In response to a question from a member of the committee, she says that Kolawole is her classmate. The man asks whether it is not more than just a classmate.
Salma goes into a deep thought as she realises that she makes a mistake by mentioning Kolawole’s name. She remembers how the boy disturbed her for a relationship that she declined and told her that they should remain as friends and the boy agreed. She says she later gives in to him because the boy is giving her private tutorials. Salma feels that it’s not fair repaying him in that way.
She also goes down memory lane that it’s not fair what the men she has met did to her; they relate with her based on her beauty and they always want to date her. She only exempts her father and says no man worths to be called a man. She lists them; Kolawole, Habib, Labaran, Dr. Kabir. She says some pretends to be helping her but exploiting her. She laughs inwardly and says in her thoughts that Dr. Kabir who collected money from her would pay for it. It is now clear to her that she is going to be expelled from the school.
The chairman of the committee shouts her name, cutting her short from the thoughts. He asks her again if the named Kolawole gave her the notes just because they were classmates. Salma answers “yes, sir.”
He urges her to tell the truth as the committee does not believe that anybody could do such a thing just because they are classmates.
Salma says with due respect that there is no relevance of the committee to deep into her privacy. She explains that the body is the exams malpractice committee and not the Students Disciplinary Committee. Also, she does not see how her relationship with him has anything to do with the case.
There is palpable silence in the room, they are surprised of the boldness displayed by Salma in her response. The chairman then explains that they are only trying to establish whether money changes hands in the process. He adds that students have been caught for giving or receiving money in such cases.
Salma says she didn’t give anybody money. They request for Kolawole’s number and she gives it to them. They ask her whether she knows the implications of examination malpractice and she answers “yes, I do.” She is then asked to leave and would hear from the committee. She walks out quietly. Omar asks her mother what Salma means by saying Dr. Kabir would pay for it.