Really, We Have No Room For Bullies

When I left home aged 12, I moved to Lagos, the biggest commercial city in Nigeria. I was young and had no clue what I was getting myself into.

It was my first time leaving home and I felt like a fish out of water.

The chaotic scenes at the bus station in one of Africa’s biggest mega cities blew me away. I’d never seen such hustling and bustling in my life.

A weird combination over 645KM away from home

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it sure wasn’t to experience such a massive shift from my once tranquil childhood to being in ‘no man’s land’.

However, more stark on my ‘not expecting this’ list was the cultural shock. So, Lagos is predominantly of the Yoruba tribe and I’m Igbo from south eastern Nigeria.

Then throw in the mix the fact that my middle name is spelt exactly the same as my new high school and the new local town I lived in.

It was a weird combination. And it wasn’t long before the bullying started.

I was taunted, called all kinds of names and the emotional trauma was excessive.

Come to think of it, how do you end up sharing the same name (albeit different pronunciation and meaning) with your new school and town over 645KM away from your place of birth?

Oh well, never mind.

In my case, I couldn’t fight back. I couldn’t retaliate. But I didn’t let them win either.

My school results did the fight back for me. I was more resilient, smarter and more intelligent than the bullies. And they eventually wore themselves out. 

Really, we have no room for bullies

Bullying is a cowardly act. To intimidate others perceived as vulnerable to get your way isn’t winning but actually shows your insecurity.

Unfortunately, it remains a pervasive problem, not only in schools but in 21st century workplace and society at large. It’s a problem we must stamp out. 

As the world watches one superpower bully its way against another country and threaten the rest, we share the collective understanding that ‘wrong is wrong’.

Our homes, schools, places of worship, workplace and nations must have no room for bullies.

We must collectively speak out and stand up against emotional, spiritual, economic and physical bullying in every circle of society. Don’t accommodate it // Really, We Have No Room For Bullies Click To Tweet

And if you have been bullied on a personal level, don’t let it define your outcome. You are more resilient, smarter and intelligent than them. 

We rise, not by pulling others down, but raising each other up. And together, we will win.