I have come to cherish the time-honoured truism that “one should not judge a book by its cover”. This is because a great deal of evil lies in one-sided view of a person, situation or thing and possibly a man who simply conclude that it would be a sunny day all through because of the terribly scorching rays of the sun would be left at the mercy of the unexpected heavy rain. That exactly is a lifetime lesson I have learnt from the Nigerian Law School and the House of Lords.
It exists in virtually every intellectual, social, and even religious gathering, though it may be called another name or even exists without name but one must have noticed it on one or more occasions. They form a team of formidable people somewhere in the classroom or any gathering. More often than not, they subscribe to the rare seats in such gatherings. Different classes of people with quite amazing and strange purpose for abandoning the front seats for the back. Ask an average Nigerian, he tells you they make the association of unserious minded fellows: empty heads with no clue on the answer to potential questions, the Jonahs who sees the back as comfortable to take a siesta without being noticed, class disturbing rascals, people whose mode of dressing violates the law of the gathering and seeks a perfect abode to evade sanctions among others. In religious gatherings, if you hear anyone says “Amen” without the pastor saying any prayer or you hear an abrupt shout of “Hallelujah,” without the conventional “praise the Lord” find out, it would be a backbencher.
As much as the above assertion may paint the true picture of the backbenchers of occasions, I seek to spot on this perception of the House of Lords as popularly known and called at the Nigerian Law School. No, this House of Lords does not comprise of learned judges and justices of different courts as known in the real sense, rather, it comprises of students whose comfort zone is the back seat. They are ready to go extra miles to secure that back seat for themselves and fellow “Lords” in their caliber. Little wonder, they found it quite easy to notice a new comer as even the way one looks and responds to their greeting manner would tell if one is a “Lord” or an “intending Lord”.
As expected, different pranks and stunts are pulled from this group of people in class. A house of Lord Member would never suffer the same embarrassment for not knowing the answer to any question asked by the lecturer like a non-Lord. Whether he is short of idea or not, a standing ovation with the loudest of claps awaits him by fellow Lords. Upon his return to his seat, he is more often than not entitled to a bow. Even for an articulate non-Lord with the apt answer to the question to be allowed to half of the encomium, he need pay obeisance to those at the House of Lords. This mode of determining who goes back to his seat with a swollen ego or a deflated one is not limited to fellow students but even lecturers. A mention of lecturer’s name before superior officers attracts different grades of reaction triggered by the House of Lords. A loud noise accompanied by thunderous claps are exclusively reserved for the most cherished lectures, thunderous claps alone for the cherished ones, average salutation noise for those a step below while the last categories earn grunts as compensation. Ask well, these categories honoured with grunts are those who won’t stop patrolling the House of Lords in a bid to seize phones, I pads or other gadgets. So, the Lords see the opportunity as a payback time by grunting when such people are mentioned even before the Director General. It must also be noted that, despite the percentage of those in the House of Lords which can accurately be put to 20% of the entire class number, they have the most audible voice and loudest claps. If they say they hear the lecturer, no one attempts to say otherwise and if they say they couldn’t hear him, no front seated fellow dare say otherwise. If the House of Lord says a baboon is the most beautiful creature on campus, so be it, if they call a beauty pageant winner a monkey, everybody would be willing to join in singing the chorus. It should be noted that these Lords are not into violence and acts inimical to the progress of the school, they only enjoy intellectual rascality.
However, there lies more than enough knowledge to acquire by taking the pain to sit among the Lords. Even from their seemingly unserious attitudes comes a clue to wisdom for those with insight. Or what do you say of a student who was caught posing for pictures at the rare part of the class only to provide accurate answers to all the lessons been taught in the class when asked? Among every bad group lies some form of good and amidst evil men lies some form of good. Despite, the spoilt and rotten ones who gist away dreams and ping out prospects during lectures, students with challenging and intimidating credentials, genius of enviable potentials, outstanding poets and writers, distinguished orators, great dreamers with zeal to actualize it and possibly the best of intellectuals abound in the House of Lords. They burn night candles to study hard and only attend classes to ease tension and catch fun.
One then would not be wrong to assert that the House of Lords has proved an exception to the old believe that serious minded people are found in the front seats while the dismissive ones seek to hide behind in a bid to conceal their ignorance. Several best graduating students of the Nigerian law school were known as typical back benchers and respected Lords. Now the battle line is drawn, who wears the crown at the next call to bar? A Lord or a serious-minded front seat addict? Only time will tell.
Ogundipe David Oluwasegun writes from the Nigerian Law School, Abuja.
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