Ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday evening re-lived his experience after the semester examinations at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), where he is studying Theology, saying he would accept the outcome of the exams in good faith.

Speaking at the 2nd African Conference on Distance Education (ACDE) in Lagos, the former president said: “My fellow students and the media were interested in the examinations, particularly my result. But let me tell you, those of you who are wondering about my result, I have my number, which is not known by my teachers. So, if I pass, it is not because of Ojoro (cheating), but because of my hardwork. And if I fail, I will not blame my teachers either.”

The former president, who said he did not believe in buck passing, therefore advised his fellow students to always take responsibility for their actions even when they did not excel in their examinations. He further urged the students to desist from blaming the teachers when they failed their examinations.
His words: “So those of you who blame the teacher when you fail in your exams, you should learn not to blame the teacher. Now the pot has broken, who broke the pot? It is you. The pot has not been broken, you did not break the pot. If you fail, it is your fault. If I fail, it is my fault.”
Obasanjo advised those interested in how he performed in the semester examinations to check his results from the vice chancellor.

While noting that being subjected to the rigour and discipline of preparing and studying for examinations could be exciting, humbling and stimulating, the former president said that it could also be energy-sapping.

In his words: “I found out that no matter the age, examination has the same grip on all serious students. Burning the midnight oil, having examination fever and having the last-minute revision just before entering the examination hall. Fellow students of my children and grandchildren’s ages were intrigued and maybe felt proud that we sat together in the same examination hall.”

On why he took the bold step to return to the classroom in an unconventional school system, Obasanjo said: “For me, as a deputation of my personal belief, interest, commitment to open and distance learning as an effective means of mass education without compromising quality, I enrolled as a student of NOUN in 2007. This was shortly before the end of my tenure and I have no regrets whatsoever.”

He described the experience as exciting and challenging. “It was for me a way of showing example and to see for myself what it all contained. And I found the experience challenging and very rewarding. It is quite exciting to return to the classroom in a non-conventional academic setting several years after learning from the conventional system. More exciting, however, is the experience of sitting for semester examinations.”