My name is Casmir Ihejika and I hail from Eziala Nguru in Nguru Umuaro in the Ngor Okpala local government area of Imo State. By the grace of God, I am a student at the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education Owerri in the Department of Special Needs, studying Special Education. I attended Umuaro Central Primary School Nguru Umuaro, and Hilltop Comprehensive secondary School though it was formerly Hilltop Commercial College in Nguru Umuaro.
I attended primary and secondary school like my other classmates, I had my sight and grew up like others. However, everything changed after my SSCE examinations. It was supposed to be in 2003 but one of my teachers, Mr Geoffrey Onyegbula prevailed on my parents to allow me write it a year ahead, he maintained I was adequately prepared and will make it. My father asked me if I was ready to attempt the SSCE in his words, and I told him yes, I went ahead to make a beautiful result. Then in 2003 when I was supposed to write the exams, I lost my sight.
Tell us how you lost your sight?
I travelled to Lagos after my primary school in 1995. I was taken by an uncle who promised to send me to quality secondary school and that upon return, I will assist him in his shop. My parents thought it was an added skill for me and agreed. Unfortunately, upon arrival in Lagos, the promise changed. He didn’t send me to school rather he gave me out as a help to his friend who was into electronic business. There I was assisting in the shop until one day, I didn’t even know I had already lost sight in one eye. I had felt an itch in my right eye so I just covered the eye with the intention of using the left eye, only to realise I couldn’t see anything with the other. So, after several attempts to see with my left eye, it dawned on me that I had lost it so I alerted my boss, but he simply ignored me but I persisted with the complain because I was terribly scared.
He later took me to Edwina Eye Clinic in Ikeja. There, an Indian doctor examined my eyes and said he didn’t find any problem. The doctor later recommended three different eye drops for me. My boss bought only one of the eyes drops but the problem persisted especially pressure in the eyes. Suddenly, I realised I didn’t see well especially at night. Once the sun went down, I was thoroughly scared because it meant blindness till daylight returned. It continued so until one day my boss just bundled me from Lagos back to the village and dumped me for my parents, that was the last I saw them. I stayed three years in Lagos and during that period, I never stepped foot into a classroom, my schooling was put on hold.
Upon return to the village, I wrote to my uncle then working with the Nigerian Railway Corporation in Enugu, he sent one of his daughters to bring me. Upon arrival there, He took me to Niger Optical Service on Zik Avenue. It was there the Indian Doctor discovered I had glaucoma. He said the glaucoma had totally covered the right eye, and had eaten deep into the left eye and trying to cover it up. He recommended operation but my uncle was afraid of the surgery. He was of the view that since I could see during the day slightly during the day, if the operation failed, I would lose the remaining sight totally, so he opted out. The doctor recommended an eye drop which he said I was to use for the rest of my life and I was using it. As at that time, I had not completed my secondary school education. My uncle was scared of keeping me in Enugu to continue schooling especially because of the several cars on the roads and since there was nobody to act as my guide when he was at work. He advised me to return to the village school which was calmer.
Upon return to the village, I returned to secondary school. Remember I dropped off in JSS 1, I didn’t do JSS 2 and 3. I resumed SS1 where my original classmates were. After the first term, I came 1st during the second term. What I did was to collect all the past notes of my friends and read them up. The notes really helped me because then I could see any typed document of handwriting no matter how tiny, my challenge was seeing what was on a blackboard. I gave myself wholly to reading and within two terms, my hard work paid off. Again, I emerged first in the third term and was promoted to SSS 2.
That was made my teacher to request my parents to enrol me for SSCE/WAEC that year saying he knew I will pull it off. My parents asked me if I could cope and I said yes, as an art student, I enrolled and came out in flying colours.
It turned out to be a blessing in disguise because by the time my mates were registering for their own SSCE, my sight was completely gone, I could no longer see. I woke up March 16, 2003 and discovered everything remained pitch black till date.
What was your reaction like when your fear of losing your sight was first confirmed?
It was terribly tough, my world practically stopped for a moment. I cried my eyes out, repeatedly, all day, unable to eat or do anything, I felt helpless. I just thank God I didn’t do anything stupid then. After some days, upon realization that I had lost my sight totally, I started thinking what options were available to me. When my former classmates visited and told me of their University, Polytechnic, or higher institution admission, I cried myself sore. Others who took to learning a trade or vocation always came to share their progress reports with me and I rejoiced with them but cried in my closet.
How did you gain proficiency with button phones such that you write text messages without assistance?
One day, my aunt, Aunty Florence Okere, asked me how she could assist me to fend myself and not be a concern especially as the years roll in. I asked her for a handset to make calls in a business centre, extra battery, charger, table, two chairs, and a big umbrella. Everything amounted to about N17,500. When she enquired how I will cope because of my lost sight, I told her not to worry that my village people will readily support me. She promised to return with the items by Easter of that same year.
By Easter, she returned and gave me N30,000 and asked me to give my mother N5,000 and use the rest for my business which I did. I bought the items, learnt how to set the phone timer, call duration, how to dial number, and other things. I started with Sagem phone , then later changed it to Nokia Torch. This is my 14th year of using this Nokia Touch phone because of the facilities which I have gotten used to, including checking time.
Though I can’t see, but I can type text messages perfectly, save numbers and names, bring out numbers. Using experience, I just mastered it and operated with it, I don’t need anybody’s assistance to bring out a contact’s name before dialling, so much so that people that meet me for the first-time doubt if I truly lost my sight. But the truth is I learnt it by myself, it was not easy but I put in time to know the positioning of the alphabets, how to press to get a certain letter. Not forgetting that my speed is second to none even compared to people with sight.
So it was gathered that you are called the human phone tracker as you have the ability to discern anybody’s voice so long as you have met before. Tell us on your gift of helping to solve phone theft in your community?
Well, any person that I have heard his or her voice, whatever time or place, I can recognise it. If anybody misplaces the phone and somebody I have met takes that call, I can tell you who is with it, and I have used that gift to help several people, I guess that is why they call me phone tracker.
Tell us you how it feels going back to school (Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education Owerri) after several years of leaving secondary school.
Well, it’s a great opportunity that I have been craving for. Unfortunately, my challenge has been finances because I have passion for education. Not too recently, an Aunt sent for me, she put me before her academic doctor colleagues who threw all sorts of questions at me. It was at that meeting that they told me that there is a course programmed for people like me, Special Needs Course is meant for people like me. They encouraged me to reach out to people since I complained of finances, my father is late and my mum is a farmer with other mouths to feed. Immediately, I reached out to uncles and aunts, cousins, former classmates, anyone who I remembered and could reach to assist me go back to school.
First my aunty gave me money to buy JAMB form thinking I could get Alvan Ikoku College of Education or somewhere around as my centre. Behold, I later learnt that all visually impaired students write theirs at a special centre inside University of Nigeria Nsukka, but Enugu campus. One of my brothers took me there. Upon arrival, I met several others like me, over 60 students.each had their Braille, typewriters, but I had none, so I wrote mine in a 2A exercise book. After reading out the question to us, I will just write the number and the alphabet answer since I started as a normal student. God so kind, I passed that first attempt.
Tell us your experience as the representative of Special needs student in the Student Union Government of Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education.
I represent Special Needs student in the student representative government. Even in my department, I’m the general course representative in the entire department. Am in my final year as an NCE student. My job is to bring the complaints of other special needs students to the school authority to ensure the atmosphere is conducive.
Are all your course mates and lecturers people with special needs?
No, but I have two lecturers who are, one is visually impaired, while the other is physically challenged. Most of my course mates are hearing impaired, while those visually impaired are two. In other levels, they are also mixed. We also have students that are normal without special needs, because the department is not absolutely meant for people with special needs. We have two methods of writing examinations, either with guide or typewriter. In my own case, I didn’t attend special needs school either in nursery, primary, or secondary school. When compared with those ones, I dare say my speed is reduced.
During examinations, either you type your answers or you are attached to a guide who will read out the question. In my own case, I will tell the person to write as I speak. At the end, I tell the person to read it back to me so I can cross my tees and dot the ayes.
Tell us about yourself.
I’m the first child, I have eight siblings, my father is late, and my mother is alive. I turned 40 years on January 15th. I was married but the incitement from my in-laws forced my wife to leave, they kept teasing her that she was with a visually impaired spouse, but we have a son.
I noticed you are very current with national and international happenings, how is it so?
Well, my best friend is the radio, I listen to news and analysis almost every free time I have. I listen to health programmes and several others. People come to me to know trending issues because over time, they realised what I said was true. I also watch movies, when I say this people laugh. Yet if we both watch or listen to a movie, I can tell you the story from scene to scene, by the time I finish, you can confidently walk away with the impression that you actually watched it yourself.
Is it safe to say you have the most sensitive ears that tells you everything.
Yes, my ears and my brain are inseparable. As you can see, I don’t walk with an aid and I’m yet to fall into a ditch, it was not easy at first but I told myself I won’t be a burden on anyone, so I trained myself. When I shake a hand, somehow I never forget, even if you keep mum, I will mention your name. My cousins always ask me to teach them how I do it, but I wish I know how to explain it, other than that I have trained my other senses to be alert and replace my lost sight.
Some of my lecturers and fellow students tip-toe to catch me unawares, they are always surprised when I call their names even without them uttering a word, they all feel I’m some sort of an enigma. I just try to study the environment, I try to adapt to wherever I go to.
Tell me your aspirations after school
Well, I can work anywhere though I prefer teaching people with special needs. Truth is I consider myself one of the most popular students of Alvan Ikoku College of Education, everybody wants to meet me.
What is your greatest desire?
Funding, paying my school fees, transportation, buying of textbooks and audio tape, feeding, are some of my greatest concerns. I desire to acquire more knowledge but with scarce resources staring at me, what can I do?
