The Soft Issue
August 2017
Story from Within
GIVE ME YOUR ID CARD
There is an identity card craze
everywhere. you have to have it on your
neck to get into certain places. Top level
clearance: what then happens if it’s not
around your neck?
By: Shalewa Babatayo
W
here is your I.D card?’ the man in a smartly
ironed navy blue uniform thundered.
My mind wondered; it went to and fro,
ran at the fastest speed it had ever ran.
It felt like my heart was going to burst with the rate
it was pumping. The man adjusted his beret, looked
intently at me. I felt his eyes burning my skin. I could
feel goosebumps on my arms. Raising up his hands to
indicate how ready he was to collect my I.D card, he
yelled again “Where is your I.D card?” I started shaking
like jellyfish. I was so nervous, my palms became itchy
and it felt like a bucket of water was poured on me
because I was sweating profusely. At the same time, a
cold shiver ran through my spine. He asked the question
with a great air of authority that I became very scared.
His eyes scanned me and that made my mind ask
different questions simultaneously. “Where is my I.D
card?”, “Why was I not I wearing it?”, “Do I want to land
myself into trouble?”
Being in my final year in the university, I had seen so
many students harassed because they were not with
their ID cards or because they did not hang it around
their necks and I had always been careful not to fall
into such category. Being without one’s ID card is being
in trouble, it could mean having to face the Student
Disciplinary Committee (SDC), it could mean expulsion
or rustication as the case may be. Without the Identity
card, one cannot be allowed into the school premises.
For some lecturers, without the ID card, one would not
be allowed to receive lectures. For some faculty (like
CIS), one cannot be allowed into the faculty without
the identity card. Students cannot write test, not to talk
of examinations without the school identity card. The
school identity card is that important. It is not enough
that a student is with the ID card, the ID card must be
worn around the neck. If not, you hear “give me you ID
60
card!” or “Where is your ID card”. Students wear
their ID cards around their necks not willingly or
for the love they have for their ID cards but for
the fear of being harassed.
A louder “Where is you ID card?” jolted me
back to reality and I replied “it is with me, sir”.
He looked angrier and I wondered if that was
how I would leave the school without getting a
degree. I imagined the expression on my parent
face when they hear that I could not finish
with a degree because I failed to wear my ID
card around my neck. I could not imagine the
embarrassment my mom would face because
she keeps bragging about me, bragging about
how big my convocation ceremony would be to
all her friends and colleagues.
I looked around and all eyes were on me and
the man, I felt naked, I did not want to drag the
matter more than that so I politely explained to
him that the mesh uniting the school tag with
the ID card was broken and I was yet to get
another one.
I kept on repeating “I’m sorry, sir.” so that
the atmosphere could be conducive for me
because it felt like I was being strangled.
I looked down so as to give the idea of an
innocent person. Then, his eyes had a bit of
pity so he said “Make sure you get a new tag by
tomorrow oh, you should always wear your ID
card ehn, follow school rules. You can go”. My
joy knew no bounds. I was as joyful as a mother
who just had her first son. I instantly thanked him
and moved as fast as my legs could carry me
because of the on lookers. I felt relieved. I was
not in trouble. All praise to God.
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LENS