We almost killed Success, now her video has changed our lives –Parents

THEOPHILUS ONOJEGHEN writes about how a video of the innocent
outburst of Success Adegor, went viral, elevated the family and
exposed problems in the educational system in Delta State

Finding Success Adegor’s home within the Urban Area of Sapele
wasn’t difficult. Within a week, she has become one of the most
famous people in the history of her community. The entrance to
their one-bedroomed apartment at Brazilian-styled house, popularly
known as Face-me-I-face-you, was swamped by visitors.

Urban Area is a poor neighbourhood but for the Adegor’s family,
the situation is fast changing through their seven-year-old
daughter, Success, who has become the toast of many Nigerians.
Success’ claim to fame, a viral video in which she was venting her
frustration and anger after being sent out of school over her
parents’ inability to pay her examination levy, caught the
attention of the state government and many Nigerians, including
celebrities.

The primary three pupil of Okotie-Eboh Primary School 1, Sapele
had said in the footage recorded by her neighbour, Miss Stephanie
Idolor, that she preferred to be flogged to being sent out of
school.

Meanwhile, from our correspondent’s interaction with other kids
in the community, there are many others like Success who have
either been sent out of school or do not attend school at all.

Success’ father, Godwin Adegor, is a commercial motorcyclist,
popularly known as okada rider, while her mum sells recharge cards
and raw eggs. They have two other children – Gift and Marvelous –
who are in Junior Secondary School. Both are said to be intelligent
and they showed signs of this when they read the entire Tuesday
edition (March 19, 2019) of The PUNCH Newspaper our correspondent
had with him. They were fascinated by the picture of their younger
sister on the front page of the newspaper.

As Saturday PUNCH approached Success’ parents, proud smiles
beamed from their faces. Mr Adegor said everything was happening so
fast for his family as if it was all a dream. “Are Nigerians this
kind?” He asked our correspondent, while still smiling. “We are
short of words for what has come our way.”

Since Success’ video went viral, the Adegors have been receiving
people of all social strata as visitors and some have been calling
them on the phone. Popular social media celebrity, Mr Jollof, was
among the early callers. Mr. Jollof immediate registered Success at
a private school – Majesty Academy, Sapele – and paid for two terms
starting from third term, promising to fund her education up to
university level.

Success has also received scholarship for primary and secondary
school education from the Sapele Local Government Area Chairman,
Chief Eugene Inoaghan, along with cash gift. The family of the girl
has also met with the Private Secretary to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa,
Mr Hilary Ibegbulem, while some Nigerian celebrities, including
comedian, Ayo Makun, aka AY, have also reached out to the family,
with promises to help the little girl.

“At the moment, we have two scholarships for Success – one by
Sapele LGA chairman (Inoaghan) and Mr. Jollof. I feel great. I
thank everyone for their support.

“Everything is happening as if I am dreaming. I don’t really
believe that we have so many kind people around us. I thank God
because He did this one for us. We are really happy for everything.
I’m really happy with the way Nigerians supported us, most
especially the Delta State governor (Ifeanyi Okowa), Sapele LGA
chairman, AY and Mr Jollof. The whole world has been supporting my
daughter since her video went viral,” he said.

Giving reasons why he could not pay Success’ examination levies,
Adegor said, “The truth is that on that day, I didn’t have any
money on me to pay the levy. It was actually exam levy, and not
school fees. All public schools are collecting exam levies. It is
not just Okotie-Eboh Primary School. My two other children paid
before they left primary school for secondary school.

“I was not informed about the levies early enough. I had already
told her teacher that Success was too small to be sent home from
school. I appealed to them to always inform us about things going
on rather than to send her away from the school. I had also told
them that I would pay, even before the incident. One thing about
Success is that whenever she is angry, she will say whatever she
has on her mind. I know people will feel she’s stubborn but she
isn’t stubborn. I know that God has a purpose for her,” he
said.

Success was almost aborted as a foetus –
Father
Continuing, Adegor said Success was born with signs of greatness in
her. According to him, his wife once contemplated aborting her when
she became pregnant of her and even took a poisonous substance to
get rid of her.

“I knew she would be a great child. That was why I gave her the
name Success. We received many favours on the day she was given
birth to. Let me tell you a short story about Success. After our
second child, my wife said she didn’t want to give birth to another
child.

“When she was pregnant with Success, she decided to drink ‘Angle
90’ (a poisonous substance). She said she wanted to die. I
convinced her that rather than kill yourself, have the baby so that
you could sell it for N500,000. But she said she wouldn’t sell her
baby.

“On the day Success was born, somebody that had owed me N100,000
paid the debt. Money was just coming from different areas. As we
were receiving the goodwill, I told my wife that if we had
terminated the pregnancy, would these favours have come to us? It
was because of the goodwill that has always followed her that made
me named name Success.

“She has been receiving blessings from every corner since she
was born. There was a day a soldier who stopped the vehicle that
was taking them (our children) to see their grandmother at Kwale,
gave her the bread he had bought for his family. The soldier said
he liked the way my daughter was talking. Anywhere she goes, she
always receives favour. She has won a scholarship before. The
scholarship was given to her by a governor’s aide,” he said.

Why I want to be a lawyer –Success

However, Success has described herself as not stubborn as the
viral video has allegedly depicted her to be. She noted that she
only vented her frustration and anger for being sent home while her
colleagues were in class. But the seven-year-old girl added that
she was not the only one driven away from school.

When Saturday PUNCH, however, asked her what she would like to
become, she said she would like to become a lawyer and a pastor. “I
want to be a lawyer and pastor. I want to be a pastor so that I can
preach the gospel. I want to become a lawyer because I love
everything about them. I love their dressing and I hope to become a
judge (some day),” she said.

I recorded the video for fun – Stephanie, lady who recorded
Success’ viral video

Not many have heard of the 23-year-old graduate of Public
Administration from the Auchi Polytechnic, Stephanie, who made the
trending viral video. When Saturday PUNCH came in contact with her,
she said it was purely for entertainment.

Stephanie said she was shocked to discover the attention little
Success had received since the video went viral on social media,
adding that she never foresaw the goodwill the video could bring
for the Adegors.

“My mum sent me on an errand and on my way, I saw Success
grumbling and angry. She was complaining bitterly that they
(school) sent her away from school when they were supposed to flog
her. So, I recorded the video just for entertainment and not to put
it on social media to raise money for her. If you notice in the
video, she was walking away from me and that was where I ended the
video.

“Thereafter, I posted the video on my WhatsApp status and people
started asking for the video because it is funny. I also uploaded
it on my Instagram and Facebook accounts. It was from there that it
went viral.

“When I posted it on my Instagram, people started commenting and
one of my friends (Joy) said she was going to talk to Instablog9ja
to upload it for us. I called her (the friend) again to find out if
Instablog9ja would post it but she said she didn’t know. I was even
praying that they should post it.

“Few hours later when I checked, Instablog9ja had posted it but
my friend was credited rather than me. I told her that she should
have added my name so that the two of us would share the credit for
the video. Nobody did that video for me. I did it myself. I was the
one who posted it on my social media platform. No one should take
glory for something I created,” she said.

Stephanie, however, added that as the initiator of the video,
she had not received any support from anyone. She also appealed to
Nigerians to give her a job, adding that like Success, many other
children in the area have no money to attend school and therefore,
also deserve the sympathy and goodwill of Nigerians.

“I’m very happy but when they suspended the head teacher of the
school, I felt so bad because I didn’t do it to expose her or for
anything like that. According to the head teacher, I taught Success
what to say and, that is a ‘big lie’. Success is very sharp and can
say what happened. I even have eyewitnesses who were passing by
when I made the video.

Okotie-Eboh Primary School 1.
Photos: Theophilus Onojeghen

“I didn’t teach her what to say. Although I felt bad when they
suspended the head teacher but it wasn’t really my fault. I didn’t
do the video to get anybody sacked or suspended. I did it just for
fun. On the other hand, I feel happy because this little thing has
gone viral and she has been receiving a lot of assistance and
funds.”

She, however, criticised Success’ mother for allegedly hiding
things from her since her daughter started getting famous.

“If you call Success’ mum now, she will tell you that the Sapele
LGA chairman has given me money and that people should not give me
any money. She told me that the money in her account was N700,000,
not knowing that the money in the account was more than N5.3m,
which good-hearted Nigerians have given them.

“That is why I am angry with her. I didn’t tell her I wanted to
share the money 50/50 with her. She should have told me the truth.
I don’t really understand why she was hiding everything from me.
She told me that she would give me N400,000 from the N700,000. I
didn’t do the video because of money but since money is coming out
of it, I should be carried along, rather, she started hiding
everything from me.

“My parents have asked me to forget about it. I even promised to
help Success speak English and dress better. The local government
chairman said if they don’t want to give me money, I should forget
about it but it is not supposed to be like that. They were not even
sure of getting N100,000 all through the year but now that they are
swimming in millions, they want to give me N400,000. I have decided
to leave the money with them.

“The LG chairman has said I should summit my CV, which I have
done. If I don’t get a call from the local government, I will have
nothing to show for my efforts. I believe my helper will come. I am
a graduate. As we speak to you now, I don’t have a dime on me. I
think she’s being greedy, but my parents have advised me to leave
the money issue,” she said.

Stephanie

Meanwhile, beyond the help the Adegors have received, the video
has also exposed the infrastructural decay in public schools in the
state and alleged extortion in the school system.

Illegal fee that broke the camel’s back

When the authorities of the Okotie-Eboh Primary School 1 sent
home a “willing-to-learn” Success, they never thought of the
backlash that would greet their actions and alleged illegal
examination and other levies that pupils are required to pay.

Also, the state government has won several awards for
educational development. According to residents, the video has also
shown that the organisers of such awards do not do thorough
investigations before giving the awards to the state.

Why Delta govt suspended Success’ head teacher –
Commissioner

However, the Delta State Government said it suspended the head
teacher of Success’s school – Okotie-Eboh Primary School – Mrs Vero
Igbigwe, for allegedly collecting unauthorised fees including
examination levy from schoolchildren.

The state Commissioner for Education, Mr Chiedu Ebie, who
visited the school on Monday, emphasised that basic education
(primary and secondary) in the state were free, saying that the
suspended head teacher acted outside the law.

Ebie said although a thorough investigation would be launched
into the matter, his ministry was aware of similar illegal fees
being imposed by school heads. He added that about 10 primary and
secondary school head teachers and principals had either been
suspended or demoted for related offences.

School buildings too old for renovation – Parents,
teachers

When our correspondent visited Okotie-Eboh Primary 1 located at
the Urban Area off Ikomi Road in Sapele, one ugly thing that stood
out was the tattered roofs of the school’s storey building.

A block of classrooms that was part of the school was no better.
The school surroundings have clearly been assaulted by open
defecation, most likely by neighbouring residents.

A resident, who simply identified himself as Akpokona, told
Saturday PUNCH that one of the school buildings had been there for
so many decades, as he appealed for new structures to be provided
for the school instead of the renovation of the dilapidated
structures.

Culled from Punch