HAS THE “TERROR” BEEN TAMED BY DEATH, an eulogy to a disciplined disciplinarian

A close-up shot, stolen of Mr. Offence, three days before his passing 

He was a terror; Every student dreaded crossing his path on a wrong note because of his “No Nonsense” approach to beating the “bull” out of naughty, sluggish and mischievous students. At least that was how we perceived him then.

Lazy students could afford to drag their daft and blunt heads into any other class but once it was his period, Dangme, even dull and dead heads rose to life (responded to stimuli), one time- who born dog?
 

He was popularly called “Mr Offence” and that was because, he considered every major transgression on the part of a student as an OFFENCE that attracted his punishment and would not spare the rod at all. His official name, Mr. Sackitey was soon to give way to his “guy name”, Mr. Offence.
 

This man hardly caned students on the butt, no way. He had his typical flogging style of facing you (the culprit) and vertically launching his pair of long canes across your left shoulder further down your back onto the upper part of the butt. Three to six of those electrifying strokes were sure to exorcise you of your “stupidity” and childhood sorcery.
 

One more thing- Mr. Offence had “juju”. He employed pure psychology to apprehend or narrow down on perpetrators of petty crimes committed in class even in his absence. Anytime he entered the class and realized something fishy went on, he looked directly into our faces, watched our demeanours and picked the talkative/criminals often with precision. 

And guess what, because he came from a royal home, it was not difficult at all for us to credit him with “a third eye” and the power to see beyond the naked human eye. Indeed, we couldn’t escape that conclusion because the man was simply a "magician"- he knew who did what even in his absence.
 

Our 1996 year group

But one thing was clear, even at that age, we could clearly distinguish the serious teachers from those who were merely hanging around for their monthly salary. We knew those who really had our interest at heart and were justifiably flogging us to fall in the line. Mr. Offense was one of those passionate teachers who knew exactly what they were about. His techniques and teaching methodology worked. He kept that safe distance from students in order to command the needed respect. While students hardly recorded grade 1 in the other subjects, Mr. Offence often had a flood of ones (1s) year after year because your blunt head simply would not come out of his class alive. 

That’s why literally everyone one of his pupils (from Odumase Presby JSS and later Forman Memorial and Nuaso Presby JHS) could read and write Dangme effortlessly like "drinking early morning koko and agawu/akala".
 

Three days before his passing, I met him at the Agormanya Roman Catholic Parish Hall at a programme organized for the elderly. I approached and introduced myself to him as one of his boys; that was how he gave me that task which took me to his residence later that day for a long one-on-one chat.
 

We had nearly an hour of hearty chat during which he walked me through most of the tricks and tactics he used on us. The chat was an informal one and we punctuated it with loud outbursts, leaving his children and grandchildren amazed at the fun we were having.
 

It was soon time to leave and I did, with the promise that I was going to rally my mates to come pay him a visit. What I didn’t realize was that the “old man was crafting his exit strategy then; he passed on peacefully in his sleep just three days after our encounter.
 

I should have told him in the face that IT’S AN OFFENCE TO DIE but I didn't have that “forethought”; he sneaked out before I could pick any signal. But one thing is refreshing, he left a parting message to ALL WHO ONCE SAT IN HIS CLASS (a recording of which is still on my phone).
 

As our Dangme teacher and having said it in Dangme, I am leaving his message (to his students) same as he uttered them. He said:
“Mau n3 ye bua
N3 wa na nimli ngua hi fuu ng3 ny3 kp3ti
Ny3 lua ny3
Noko noko be n3 e kle k3 je sisi
Se he lua mi, he lua mi
K3k3 k3 ben3 a k3 nu) o he ), k3k3 o pine
Ts3 Mau n3 ye bua ny3”
 

I dare say, it was an awesome privilege sitting in his class and having the opportunity to “meet him on his way to eternity”- three days before his passing.

Nobody encountered Mr. Offence and remained same; indeed he was a disciplined disciplinarian.  

What we are and will be are largely the result of his effort- RIP Mr. Offence
God be with you till we meet again.

Henking is a journalist (an activist writer) and a blogger and can be reached via klonobi2007@gmail.com. You can follow him on twitter with the handle @henkingklonobi. Don't hesitate to leave the writer a feedback on the story