ENMITY INHERITANCE

"Bro, who are you voting for this FASA presidential election, you know we have two major contenders from mass communication and History department respectively?" I had asked the young man seated beside me. It was FASA MANIFESTO DAY(faculty of arts student association).

Everyone was cheering their candidate for the upcoming FASA general election. It was the manifesto day and all of us had gone to listen for ourselves, the promises of those vying for the positions. From the look of things, there were majorly two departments in that hall– Mass communication and History and international relations. 

The young boy beside me had made comments that prompted me to ask him who his candidate for the Fasa election was. 

"Iwwwn!" He had shouted when the Constestant Number one was called out to present his manifesto. It was Nkan David from mass communication. 

"I know mass communication department will always behave as if they are the owners of this department but you see today, we will show them the stuffs we are made of." He added, hissing at the sight of David coming out to take the stage. 

It was obvious that David was the people's choice. The noise, the clapping and hailing that bubbled the air showed that people actually loved the him. This made me to turn to that young man to inquire from him whom he was rooting for since his attitude towards David was closest to "disgusting".

"Of course I am voting for my department," he answered. "It's either history department or nobody else. Forget all these mass com people are trying to prove," He added.

This got me more interested in him and I asked him, 

"Who is the candidate from your department? 

I don't know oo" he answered, "but I am sure he is best for me. Nothing will make me vote for a mass communication student, iwwn, those people stinks" he continued.

"But you don't know him nah, so why would you think the contestant is the best?" I had asked him. 

"It's because he is from my department. And the only candidate I know, David, is from mass communication and because of that I can't vote for him. You know mass com and History have a beef, so I will show them today that it's not by number but by the will-power." The guy had added. 

"A beef? What beef? What is the problem between mass communication and history department?" I asked him, claiming curiosity. 

"I don't know oo, but we were warned to steer clear from mass communication student as there has been and is still a beef between them. And I have come to realize that it's even true because, this people too dey para. That's why I can never vote for anybody coming From that department." He said.

"Have you ever had an issue with a mass com student?" I had asked him.

"No oo, I don't even want anything that will connect me with them. That's why i even avoid the elective course from their department which though would have been easier for me. I can't jus stand to do anything with mass com people." He said.

And that was how it went. The election is tomorrow. Many will go out to vote not because they want to vote a capable hand but because they hate a particular candidate because of a beef they knew nothing about. Why would you inherit an enmity you know nothing about? How can the first orientation a student would have in a university environment is an imaginary intra-faculty beef? Why do we even complain of tribalism if we are doing departmentalism? What guts do we have to complain about racism when we are characterised by intra-faculty problem at this age?

Don't inherit a problem you know nothing about. Don't share in another persons ignorance. Think and be intentional in your action. 

Kenewrites