Rising with Disgrace

Rising with Disgrace follows the puzzling rise of Uchoyo, a man whose appointment as Principal of Talaka College is as questionable as his work ethic. Teaching philosophy in Talaka State is the sole responsibility of the college, and Uchoyo finds himself in charge after Mwongo, his only rival, oversleeps and fails to attend the interview. Whispers of his Aunt Gladys’ influence on the panel swirl, but Uchoyo quickly dismisses such talk, swept up in the thrill of victory.

Once in office, Uchoyo plunges into a life of indulgence. Casinos, betting halls, and luxury resorts become his haunts, masked by fabricated foreign conferences where he travels with female companions. At the college, he thrives on division, granting privileges to a chosen few, striking shady deals, and running side businesses from the institution itself.

The philosophy course posts staggering failure rates, crippled by poor instruction and a barren library. Rather than fix these problems, Uchoyo cancels coursework and suspends exams, pacifying students with empty promises of international internships. When the governing council raises alarms, he buys their silence with shopping sprees in Paris, Kuala Lumpur, and Dubai. For council members reliant on the college, complicity feels safer than resistance.

Trouble brews when a government directive demands that all funds be remitted to the Ministry for Pecuniary Affairs, cutting off Uchoyo’s main stream of illicit revenue. Desperate, he contemplates burning college buildings for insurance payouts, but Fedha, the finance manager, dissuades him with less reckless schemes. Uchoyo instead sells off land, vehicles, and printing machines, and invents alumni fees funneled into a secret account.

To expand his patronage, Uchoyo opens an annex in western Talaka, renting at exorbitant costs. The annex soon has more staff than students, forcing Uchoyo to slash pass marks to lure enrollment.

Mwongo, hungry for influence, is strung along with hollow promises, while Uchoyo favors Bayuuni. Mwongo’s instability erupts when she murders Blowunie, one of Uchoyo’s chief critics. Emboldened, Uchoyo lowers the bar for first-class honors, turning graduations into hollow spectacles. Behind the façade, exam malpractice flourishes: mercenaries write papers, notes are smuggled in socks and thighs, and Uchoyo leaks questions through an “exam bank.”

Bayuuni exploits the chaos to eliminate rivals, but clashes with Mwongo prove fatal-Bayuuni dies from injuries after her attack. At the annex, staff threaten revolt but shrink back when they realise exposure would implicate themselves. With Mwongo jailed, Uchoyo grows bolder, filling ghost positions and protecting Fedha by abolishing her role to shield her corruption.

At last, his empire collapses. The Minister for Andragogy intervenes, sacks Uchoyo, liberalises the teaching of philosophy, and transforms Talaka College into an independent examination body.

What begins as a dubious appointment ends in national disgrace, leaving Talaka College battered by greed, manipulation, and betrayal.