Ahmad Sodiq Akinkunmi writes,
A rumour is a piece of information or story that has not been proven to be true before being shared from one person to another. It can also be described as a view or saying widely disseminated without any solid discernible source. Rumour is also a path to confusion and a way to develop bad intentions towards certain depicted or described matters or issues.
This has been widely and publicly known and it has become a thing we cannot do without, we do spread it, but a pure mind will ignore it and allow the purity of his heart to work against the rumour. When you have a firm relationship with a certain person then you know the truth about him/her either good or bad.
In the first place, I heard of a humble and kind Professor Babikir, the lecturer that the majority of UDUS students named this hilarious and fearful name "End of the Road."
Each time I think of the name, it sounds scary and my heart beats, and a lot of unanswerable questions run through my mind. "Why would a person bear such a name? Does it mean whenever you come across him on a road there won't be another way to pass?" I asked myself rhetorically, but I concluded on knowing him better.
During my course registration, I ascertained the lecturers that would be taking each course, and to my greatest surprise, Professor Babikir (End of the Road) was included, he takes (ARA 111). Knowing this made some of my organs excuse my body as I shivered like I was camped in a freezer. "Is this going to be the end of my road?" I rhetorically asked myself again.
I tried to avoid Professor Babikir for the whole first semester, whenever I see him coming in my direction, I quickly take another route. I tried all possible means to avoid encountering him, not to talk of having eye contact with him.
Although the information clearly expressed that he loves any student who can communicate with him in Arabic, and being an Arabic student doesn't convince me because I am vividly sure that I would definitely forget the first Arabic alphabet whenever I set my eyes on him not to talk of communicating with him due to the fear that engraved my heart with the rumours shared by the students about him.
After the first semester, the long-awaited day is here and the fear hitched my mind but I concealed it. Our first-class with him was nothing to be compared with than a lake of honey. It was lively, lovely, and educative to the extent that we were all smiling after his class. The rumour I heard about him differs from what we came across. That was when I had more knowledge about that so-called rumour and how it could tarnish one's reputation, strong name, image, and dignity if care is not taken.
During my first year on the UDUS campus, Professor Babikir never missed a class, he didn't joke with his work, apart from lecturing, he took us around the world to know more about life, he is indeed a father.
After carrying out some internal findings on him, I realised that the reason for being named as the end of the road was because he is a man of integrity, a well-trained and disciplined lecturer, and a man of his words. He maintained a professional attitude, character, and behaviour and never gave room for impersonality and irresponsibility.
Professor Babikir took time out of his tight schedule to fix a class a week before our exams and he summoned every one of us and we were all surprised and confused because it had never happened to me. We kept wondering what may be the reason he called for a sudden class.
As we all arrived and were seated amicably, Professor showed up some minutes after with a gorgeous face and he started: I called you for this class purposely to bid you a farewell and to ask if I offended anyone here in one way or the other?
We were all speechless and dumbfounded and shouted ‘NO SIR' rhythmically. He asked two students to pray for the whole class but the first one was a Hausa guy while the other was from another tribe. He took a picture with every one of us and the class ended with joy.
I am writing this piece for the benefit of everyone reading it to never in any way believe what a second person tells you about people. You should try your possible best to make findings about them by moving closer to them to know their attitude, character before jumping to a conclusion.
I am using this medium to appreciate and thank our indefatigable professor for his unending love and his efforts towards making our lives better. We are definitely proud of you and we will always value what you imparted us out of your crystal knowledge. May you be rewarded with it beyond measure.
Ahmad Sodiq Akinkunmi (GOOGAA) is a 200-Level student of Education & Arabic, UDUS.
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