The untold story of ‘candi’ syndrome

Sunday Trust learnt that students who are about to graduate from secondary schools have made it a duty upon themselves to give gifts to their so called moms and daughters. The gift is not the normal success cards for best wishes and successes in the SSCE examinations. Now it is such big things as a […]

Sunday Trust learnt that students who are about to graduate from secondary schools have made it a duty upon themselves to give gifts to their so called moms and daughters. The gift is not the normal success cards for best wishes and successes in the SSCE examinations. Now it is such big things as a set of expensive boxes loaded with expensive fabrics, cosmetics, shoes, bags and lots more. Sometimes the gifts are so many that one will think it is a marital or betrothal gift.

Giving gifts to moms and daughters is now the vogue in most secondary schools as discovered by Sunday Trust. Although some schools are very strict on such practices, the students seem to be defying all measures as they continue to give out the gifts to their loved ones. In addition to gifts, there is also the ashobee. Group of friends will each sew to all members of the group sets of clothes so that if they are seven in number each one of them will sew and then get about seven sets of attires.  This is not to talk of posters and memos among others.

Some parents are not happy with the trend because of the negative impact it is having on the children. But checks by Sunday Trust revealed that other parents are the brain behind it. A principal that would not want her name on print said schools are blaming parents for the unfortunate trend. She said many students were doing it with the support of their parents. According to her giving gifts and doing ashobee during graduation ceremonies of secondary schools are strictly banned and students caught doing it are punished. But despite that, the trend still persists because some parents are supporting it.

Children of the less privileged see their graduation period as a time for trial because of the psychological torture they always find themselves in. It makes them feel inferior among their colleagues and sometimes they are compelled to create some false expensive to their parents so that they could get money to buy the gift and then do the ashobee.

Fatima Amin had to lie to her parents to get money for it. At first she gave a budget of about N30,000 to her father who is a low salary earner. When she could not get it she changed strategy by telling him that they were asked to pay some levies in the school amounting to thousands of naira. Suspicious of his daughter’s claim, he decided to pay a visit to the school and make inquiry from the authority about the truth of the matter. To his greatest dismay he was told that there was nothing like that.

This is the extent to which graduating secondary school students go to get the parting gift. Some of them would force their fiancés or boyfriends to get it for them.

To this group that is not so fortunate, the graduation ceremony looks more like a mourning period but for those that are fortunate enough to have parents that are supportive, they move about during such events with pride and exhilaration.

Another thing discovered by Sunday Trust is that this menace is practice largely in female secondary schools. The male secondary schools seem not to have time for such stuff. And is it also more common in Federal government colleges than in state government schools.

Parents interviewed expressed mixed feelings over the trend. While some mothers perceive it as necessary, others have condemned it vehemently.

Hajiya Binta Umar feels the period of graduation is just once in a blue moon thus according to her it would be a good thing for parents to make their children happy by giving them what they want, “This is just once in a blue moon so I feel there is nothing wrong in giving your daughter money to buy gifts for her love ones in school,” she said.

Hajiya Halima Mamman on the other hand said even though she had enough to give her daughter for such gifts she did not give because she thought it was not a wise thing to do. “It is not about affording or not affording. People should stop intimidation the indigents with their wealth. How can anyone tell me that it is a good upbringing for a parent to give their daughter a box full of gifts for a so called school mom or daughter,” she said. According to her, the action was an act of show off.

What is the school authority doing to stop the phenomenon?

School principals could not say much because according to them they are not authorized to talk with newsmen about things that are happening in their schools. However, one of them that said very little said many dirty things are happening during the SSCE final examinations and such dirty things are done with the support of parents, “There are many dirty things that are happening during the final examination with the support of parents. We believe if parents will support the school in fighting the menace, it will be eradicated completely,” she said.

Sunday Trust learnt that students caught giving gift during such celebrations are punished and even the taking of photographs are also banned because of its aftermath. Some of the students would spend their money taking photographs and would remained stranded in the school for lack of transport fare. School’s PTA is not doing much to curtail the trend because not all parents see it as something bad.

One can imagine what will happen if a girl of secondary school age who cannot get money for gifts from her parents is offered such money on the street.