The much-awaited Naija
Inspirational Hub monthly
Inspirational interview is ready. It is
the first of its kind, and much so the
first in 2015.


In this first part of the interview with
Mr. Suraj Oyewale aka Jarus, he
spoke about his days as an
undergraduate, how he worked hard
to graduate with first class in
Economics from O.A.U, his N.Y.S.C
days, and most importantly what led
to his enrollment into the Institute of
the Chartered Accountant of Nigeria
(ICAN), and how that action changed
his life positively today.
So sit down, relax, and enjoy…


N.I.H: Can we meet you sir?
Jarus : I’m Suraj Oyewale, popularly
known as Jarus on the Social Media
space. I’m an accountant, career and
management blogger and a public
analyst.


N.I.H: Growing up, how was it like?
Jarus : I grew up in a semi-urban
community of Offa, Kwara State,
where I spent the first eighteen years
of my life without spending five
consecutive nights outside of the
town. I never stepped into Lagos
until I was 19. I did a lot of things as
a kid, from playing football bare-
footed on the streets, to skipping
school classes to go and read
newspapers. But I was still doing
well in my studies.


N.I.H: You graduated from the
prestigious Obafemi Awolowo
University Ile Ife. What impact did
the school have on you?
Jarus : I think the school
consolidated my tendency to express
my opinions freely. The liberal
environment of the school, where you
can write or say anything,
contributed to my penchant to
express my views without fear. As an
undergraduate in OAU, I wrote an
article, published in Tribune,
castigating the VC, Roger Makanjuola,
for his rigid management style (in
hindsight, he’s one of the best
managers I have ever known). I even
compared him to the then President
Obasanjo for his hard posture that
led to clashes with university
workers’ unions (ASUU, NASU,
SSANU etc.) which sometimes
crippled academic activities on
campus. If it was another school, I
may have lost my studentship for
writing such strong article on a page
of newspaper.

I realized that the hard way when I
wrote a similarly strong article in the
SUN newspaper (August 17, 2007)
against the governor of Sokoto state,
Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko , during my
service year. I had forgotten I was no
longer in Ife. I was made to face the
music by NYSC. Another major
impact Ife had on me was optimistic
mentality. Ife is such a school where
you hear a lot of positive stories that
motivate you to work hard. The
school imbues in you a kind of can-
do spirit .
There is also the issue of simple
approach to life. Ife brings out that in
you too. It’s an environment where
material possessions are not given
much recognition. In many schools,
the most popular students are the
ones that drive the best cars. In Ife,
nobody cares about the car you
drive. The most popular students are
the ones with earth-shaking CGPAs.
All these contributed to shaping me.


N.I.H: During your university days,
what was the most important thing
on your mind then?
Jarus : Getting a good job, post-
School. I tried to make a very good
grade that will at least improve my
chance in the labour market. I thank
God both came to pass.


N.I.H: You are a first class graduate
in Economics, how easy was it
achieving this feat?
Jarus : Somewhere between easy and
difficult. First, I knew I had what it
took; I only needed to work harder. I
was always running permutations
before the beginning of every
session. I knew I needed to have as
much A’s as possible. I always
targeted A in every course, and I felt
like crying if I couldn’t meet my
target. I was also fortunate to have
great guys who encouraged me and
shared with me tips to succeeding in
Ife.
N.I.H: Now let’s talk post university
days, what was the next thing on
your mind after graduation?
Jarus: Getting a decent job, with a
focus on the Oil & Gas industry.

N.I.H: Is first class honours
synonymous to success in the labour
market?

Jarus : Not exactly . The best it can
do for you is to get you shortlisted
for almost every job you apply for,
provided you meet other
requirements (age, relevance of
course of study etc.).

Continue Reading at:

http://naijainspirationalhub.com/i-started-ican-out-of-boredom/

wow....to be honest i didn't read this
FTC..... calls Nlanders to join me and celebrate.... dancing shoki

Nice

laurel why can u post everything here for us to see ..... suraj is a great dude.

Quite an inspiring piece.

Jarus and his gloat. I wonder when this dude will stop running his mouth here and there just to get attention.

The entire nairalanders know that Jarus graduated with first class. Is he the only first class on nairaland?

And one thing I don't like about this dude is that he will make other people look less intelligent because of his first class.

You started ICAN out of boredom, right? I will be waiting for another interview or article that will read "you took up your current job when you felt the need to help the company to grow or because company was begging you to work with them".

Benebaby77

Your view is noted and respected. There will always be dissenting views in a public forum.

The blogger sent me a message asking for interview, and I granted. I only responded to the questions he asked. He was even the one that cast the headline.

He came to NL to post the interview after publishing it, obviously to direct traffic to his blog.

But again, I've been active on public forums long enough to know there will always be different interpretations of things like this.

Jarus:
Benebaby77

Your view is noted and respected. There will always be dissenting views in a public forum.

The blogger sent me a message asking for interview, and I granted. I only responded to the questions he asked. He was even the one that cast the headline.

He came to NL to post the interview after publishing it, obviously to direct traffic to his blog.

But again, I've been active on public forums long enough to know there will always be different interpretations of things like this.

Ride On Sir .......


God bless u sir ....

benebaby77:
The entire nairalanders know that Jarus graduated with first class. Is he the only first class on nairaland?

<<HATERS be like***
Frustrated people always think they have an opinion..

Keep the good work Mr.Jarus.U're positively affecting many lives on this forum..
**Thumbs-up bro**

Thanks.

I think we should all respect her views, it may actually be in good faith. Don't insult her pls.

wow

benebaby77:
Jarus and his gloat. I wonder when this dude will stop running his mouth here and there just to get attention.

The entire nairalanders know that Jarus graduated with first class. Is he the only first class on nairaland?

And one thing I don't like about this dude is that he will make other people look less intelligent because of his first class.

You started ICAN out of boredom, right? I will be waiting for another interview or article that will read "you took up your current job when you felt the need to help the company to grow or because company was begging you to work with them".

your blood must be black n venom must be running through your poisonous mind from your brain that is full of jealousy for another great man . Suraj worked hard for his ist class n he happened to be one dude in a million who is ready to share his success with others in educating us that anybody has the potential of making it. Go and read his book on the road to Victoria Island , you will fall for this dude.

I swear very soon when I finished my ICAN I m gonna enrol in his tutorship for career oriented trainings n securing good job....... Jay is a greatness about to revolutionise Nigerian Youths and whether you like it or not he is a celebrity within his own sphere at least among people who know his worth and benefitted from his wider experience in academic and career oriented services.


"he won't grow , he who fails to celebrate growth" ......