NIMSA South West Convention 2019: The good,the bad and the ugly.

The NIMSA South West zonal convention held a week ago. Though it has passed already, a lot cannot be forgotten from the just concluded program. It was a nice experience and it is advisable for everyone possible to try to attend such events as they are very advantageous. Not being able to mention all, I bring you a few of the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of the event.

THE GOOD

1. The Architecture: Anyone that visited Afe-Babalola University for the convention would have found it hard to not notice how beautiful the school was. The buildings had good structures, creative designs, beautiful paintings and of course, the cleanliness of the streets (Little wonder the D.V.C said the school was the cleanest in Nigeria). The magnificent PTCF Amphitheatre was a lovely piece of art. It was beautiful on the outside and inside, the air conditioners were working and the chairs were uniquely designed). If you had the chance to take a stroll round the school, you would have spotted the hospital complex too. Though we didn’t get the chance to go in, it was really a sight to behold.
2. Meeting new and great people: If you went to that convention and didn’t make a new friend, then you must have been sleeping throughout. It was as if making new friends was on everyone’s agenda. In fact, a room mate of mine was a hero at this. You could be walking with her and the next minute, she is striking a perfect conversation with someone you both met on the road. Though some just wanted to brag about their schools to you after exchanging pleasantries, a lot of people were actually great achievers that you would want to keep listening to.
3. The second plenary session: Yes, it is the one you are thinking. The one on the role of medical students in achieving SDG3. Trust me, this was the plenary session that most people listened to. Unlike the usual attitude the audience tends to demonstrate when a plenary session is going on, people really paid attention to this one. Little wonder that over ten questions were asked after this session. It is logical to say that it turned out so well because of the vibrance of the speakers. Dr. Babatunde Ajayi was so natural that you would have felt that he was your age mate. His speech was the prefect definition of ‘I can relate’. Dr. Okikiola Oladele’s achievements at such a young age made everyone want to listen to him. His citation was the longest. However, when he started using slangs that we youngsters use, it just made everyone burst into laughter especaially when he said “you don’t know wah is going on”. As for Eddy Ogbemudia, was it the passion with which he spoke,or the fact that he was a student just like anyone else in the audience? All I can say is, be an Eddy Ogbemudia today, become successful tomorrow. Kudos to the moderator, Mr. Laolu Olorunfemi for asking relevant questions and making the session interesting.

THE BAD

1. Plastic cutleries: I could not understand. As Nigerians, we know that the level of hunger is directly proportional to the calibre of spoon or fork you use. Imagine being very hungry and finally settling down to eat only for the food to start falling off from the fork. That ‘meins’ you have to start chasing the food round the plate. Though I heard it was that way because of security reasons, I still could not understand.
2. ABUAD Anthem: Whenever that thing came on, all that came to mind was “what is this?”. I always felt it sounded like child’s first trial while learning how to play a musical instrument or maybe a low budget A.I.T advertisement.
3. White beans and stew: Let us just save our energy and not just go there.
4. Trekking: I guess a lot of the long treks we did was because we weren’t used to the environment. However, if you walked over a kilometre to the hall every morning, just to find out on the last day that the hall is just the building you can see across your window, then you would have felt stupid for not knowing circle geometry.

THE UGLY

1. The Curfew: I am sure that I am not alone in this. I mean, everyone has to be indoors by 10 p.m? The same time that the Chicken and chips guy in my hostel has the most customers queuing up? This would not have been an issue if there were no night programs on the agenda. Imagine starting a night party at 8pm only for the security man to start switching off the lights by 9.30pm. Note that this is the time when ‘the gbedu is just starting to enter body’. A lot of delegates will surely not forget in a hurry, the countdown being done by all during the dinner, when it was 9.30pm and the main dish had not been served. It wasn’t funny at all.
2. The dinner Ofada rice: If you were one of the few lucky ones that picked Amala/Pounded yam over Ofada rice during the dinner, then your ancestors directed you well. As for the poor ones that tasted that ‘supposed to be’ Ofada rice, we fought to hold back our tears in our tear glands when we took the first spoon. The stew felt like the cook mistook pepper for water during the cooking process. The taste, oh my God! Diverting your attention to the rice alone hoping for a remedy, fatality! It was saltless and burnt. If anyone there was like me, then he or she would have resorted to eating just the chicken with the juice for fear of dying of hunger.

In conclusion, the NIMSA convention 2019 was a wonderful experience.A big Kudos to all the organisers as they tried their best to make everything go smoothly despite the school’s strict regulations. Ofcourse, we are human beings and we may not be able to do everything to perfection. Still, we look forward to attending the next one in the future

Written by: Jummai Sadiku