My name is Kelechi obijiaku, an Igbo from Imo State; Assistant Director in the Lagos State Civil Service and the Legal Adviser of the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency.
In 1996, following my emergence as the winner of an international competition, I was awarded a scholarship by the Lagos State government that covered tuition for the rest of my secondary education and my university education.
Sometime in 2005, after the completion of my LLB degree from the Lagos State University, I had issues getting on the list for Law School. At this time, there was already a backlog of law students hoping to get into the law school so a quota system was introduced and universities had limited slots.
When it seemed that all hope to get on the list was lost, my mother got wind of an event in Alimosho where BAT was attending. BAT was the Governor then. My mother showed up at the event and without any connections or pulling strings, she was able to gain access to BAT.
She pushed her request to BAT on the grounds that as a Lagos State scholarship recipient, I should be given preference. BAT wasted no time, he directed Rauf Aregbesola to forward a letter to the VC of LASU on my matter.
On the basis of BAT’s intervention, I made the list. I joined the Lagos State Civil Service in 2008 and from that time till date, I have never suffered any form of injustice or bias as a result of my tribe. On the contrary, I have had it better than most.
Today I occupy the position of the legal adviser of the most advanced Public Procurement Office in West Africa (this is verifiable…next week we host a team from the republic of Gambia who are on a tour to understudy the giant strides my Agency has made particularly in the area of e-procurement) and I didn’t have to know anyone. I have never been marginalised or shortchanged in Lagos State. I am happy and I am blessed.