Nigerian Man Narrates How He Felt When His Classmate Saw Him Doing Cleaning Job in UK Years Ago

In an interview with Segun Kasali, a Nigerian Successful man who is the Board member of VFD Group and CEO of Cashpot Limited, has shared his inspiring story.

Has your middle name been working for you?

Yes. I believe in luck, because there are some circumstances in one’s life that luck must have played some part. So, I think I am very lucky and fortunate. After school, my first job was as a banker at Universal Trust Bank. When I went for the job interview, I was in the waiting room, where I read a magazine talking about the internet. This was 1997 and the internet was still very new in the country. You can imagine reading that and then the first interview question I was asked when I got inside was what do I know about the internet? You can only say such a thing is God’s doing or luck, because I am sure I would not have answered it with confidence, if I had not read about it five minutes before I was called in. So, I just quoted what I read. Then he asked if I had any questions. I asked him, with confidence, when am I resuming?

Are there other instances where luck played out in your life?

There are more than one instances of such luck. I grew up in Warri, Delta State and I graduated from DSC Technical High School, which was the staff school of a steel company and I think that was when steel companies started in 1979/80. But I joined in 1983. It was one of the best schools in Warri and I was one of the pioneer students. So, that is why I said that luck plays a role in one’s life, most especially because my secondary school played a major part in my life. It created a foundation and most of the people that came out of that school are doing well in Nigeria. It was a big thing to go to that kind of school. So, when the secondary school started, it was meant for children of the members of staff.  My dad and mum were not working there, but I had a friend whose family worked there. When I heard they were organising a test to admit people, I got to write the entrance examination and I did well. During the interview, they found out that my parents were not staff of the company but the interviewer took pity on me and said “okay, we could give you a chance as there are a couple of non-staff children taken already. You have to pay more fees”.

How far did luck take you in your academics?

First, I believe that luck was part of what brought me to the school and getting into that school shaped the way I think. I remember that we were about 100 students in class one. The teaching approach was hands-on. We went through a proper training programme. For instance, we were the first set in SSS 3. By the time we got to class five, our mates in other schools in Delta State, apart from Federal Government College, were writing WAEC and GCE while we were still in SSS 3. So, most of us went to enroll in other schools to write WAEC or GCE and when we were writing the SSS 3 examinations, we emerged best students in schools where we enrolled. I wrote my GCE when I was in SSS 2 and I was one of the best and so were my classmates. Almost every one of us had straight As and Bs, except two or three persons. That experience shaped us, helped us in getting admitted to the University of our choices and instilled academic discipline in us.

Are there other instances where luck played out in your life?

There are more than one instances of such luck. I grew up in Warri, Delta State and I graduated from DSC Technical High School, which was the staff school of a steel company and I think that was when steel companies started in 1979/80. But I joined in 1983. It was one of the best schools in Warri and I was one of the pioneer students. So, that is why I said that luck plays a role in one’s life, most especially because my secondary school played a major part in my life. It created a foundation and most of the people that came out of that school are doing well in Nigeria. It was a big thing to go to that kind of school. So, when the secondary school started, it was meant for children of the members of staff.  My dad and mum were not working there, but I had a friend whose family worked there. When I heard they were organising a test to admit people, I got to write the entrance examination and I did well. During the interview, they found out that my parents were not staff of the company but the interviewer took pity on me and said “okay, we could give you a chance as there are a couple of non-staff children taken already. You have to pay more fees”.

How far did luck take you in your academics?

First, I believe that luck was part of what brought me to the school and getting into that school shaped the way I think. I remember that we were about 100 students in class one. The teaching approach was hands-on. We went through a proper training programme. For instance, we were the first set in SSS 3. By the time we got to class five, our mates in other schools in Delta State, apart from Federal Government College, were writing WAEC and GCE while we were still in SSS 3. So, most of us went to enroll in other schools to write WAEC or GCE and when we were writing the SSS 3 examinations, we emerged best students in schools where we enrolled. I wrote my GCE when I was in SSS 2 and I was one of the best and so were my classmates. Almost every one of us had straight As and Bs, except two or three persons. That experience shaped us, helped us in getting admitted to the University of our choices and instilled academic discipline in us.

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Credit: Nigerian Tribune