Nigerians on social media have taken to Twitter to relish their secondary school memories and their encounter with an educational counsellor and motivational speaker identified as Dr Ken Katas, who they said was popular for touring federal government secondary schools to counsel students.

A Twitter user identified as @OdionAkhes had tweeted “O jewa ke eng ken katas edition”.

“O jewa ke eng” is a phrase in Southern Africa language which means “what is it that is bothering your spirit or what is disturbing your soul?”

The phrase became popular on Twitter a few months ago.

Katas is an Educationist and Founder of Sit Down and Read Foundation who goes round secondary schools, especially unity schools in the southern part of Nigeria, to host seminars, counselling programmes and competitions to help students cultivate good moral and reading habits. He has been doing this for over a decade.

Reacting to the thread on Katas, some Nigerian Twitter users tweeted their sweet and sour experience with Katas while they were in secondary school.

While some described him as a major contributor to their academic and moral excellence, some were of a different opinion and claimed many of his motivational talks were full of half-truths and outright lies.

 

See the tweets:

O jewa ke eng
Ken katas edition pic.twitter.com/FWiKe82N2v

— flightcancelledbutstillfly (@OdionAkhes) February 28, 2019

Ken katas used to brag about his son for us.. his children sef. How they read for hours without getting up. Went for one reading competition,he brought his son. The boy started sleeping after like 20 mins.

— Sotonte ?? (@SosoThe1st) February 28, 2019

 

Ken katas actually help me tho?. I read like a mad man, passed jamb and got admission to study pharmacy and medicine in 2 different universities.

— Kene Francis (@kenechuqu) March 1, 2019

In one of the videos we watched, Ken Katas’ son licked his own catarrh and the man proudly said “he licked his catarrh because he didn’t want disturbance”

— Mr_Chiemezuo (@CNA_tion) March 1, 2019

Ken Katas said a visitor once brought out Ice cream and chocolate, brought out a book, and brought out a CD of Tom and Jerry for his 5-year old son and asked him to pick just one. The boy picked the book and asked for silence as he read.

— Mr_Chiemezuo (@CNA_tion) March 1, 2019

Ken Katas said he had a friend named Christopher. Christopher read from 9pm to 6am then prayed from 6am to 9pm. When he was done, he was floating back to his room(cause he was too spiritually inclined). ? https://t.co/JMjemDfGMA

— Fvking dice (@dicethemann) March 1, 2019

I remember then, I was in ss3 staying with some junior students, immediately I got to the hostel, I gave my bed to a JSS1 boy and decided I was going to sleep on the bunk ??…shit, I suffered ehn
This Ken katas man suppose go jail, he just brainwashed us

— Man__us (@Man__us) March 1, 2019

But what ever the case maybe, that his radical 8hrs reading nonstop helped me through my University days. And every lie he told kept us in check. I can remember I didn’t allow anyone finger me, cos I remembering how Ken Katas said it was cancerous???

— Aetido (@tido_a) March 1, 2019

I can relate to the Ken Katas gist because my brother kept telling me about this mysterious man that the school invites.When I finally got into boarding school,he came briefly to sell a book where he said”Sex is a pot of soup kept in the open where 633wild animals come to play”?

— Anastasia (@prettydiferent) March 1, 2019

I saw Ken Katas trending and was like ‘which school has this man scammed after giving motivational talk again’. I won’t forget how that man made people drop their phone at FSTC ijebu imusin back then. People even cried when he was done with his speech that day. Good old days.

— Munir Akorede (@muneer_akorede) March 1, 2019

Ken katas baba.
This man came to my school then,
He said he bought his first car at the age of twelve, he said he copied the whole of NEW GENERAL MATHEMATICS(all the exercises), he said he had a gang self, they call themselves “9-11”. https://t.co/8qXDwzoEez

— BXLU ?? (@Oladokun_Bolu) March 1, 2019

Ken Katas told us he solved one hard SS3 physics question in his SS1. Said he still remembered the question and answer. Told an SS3 student to open New School physics to a certain page, read the question from memory, gave us answer and told her to confirm from the back ?? https://t.co/4qoJcre9my

— Praise. (@praiseeey) March 1, 2019

Dr. Ken Katas said he didn’t have money to buy the “New General Mathematics” textbook so he copied it from his friend into 13 long notes.

— Mr_Chiemezuo (@CNA_tion) March 1, 2019

Ken Katas organized reading competition in my school and registration fee that year was 500. A whole 500. 95% of students registered . 6 weeks later, he presented a bible to the winner and made away with the rest of the money.
I Kuku no serious so I no register

— Ndu Bu Isi (@CherryAlex2) March 1, 2019

Ken katas would give you reason why you should stop eating food and you’ll believe without thinking twice ???????

— •ADA NNE• (@ThatUrNextGF) March 1, 2019

Just in case you don’t know Ken katas, ask someone that went to a federal government college.

— wendy obed (@zaxry_) March 1, 2019

Ken Katas that said his daughter could draw and label the whole skeletal system at 5 years old.

Lmfaoooooooooo!!

— Bet-hel (@Betheevo) March 1, 2019

Ken Katas told us back then that he sleeps on iron spring bed without mattress, he reads from morning till night. Some of us nearly developed mental problems just because we want to be like Ken Katas. ????

— Canadian Tailor ?? ?? (@VivBlessed) March 1, 2019

Ken katas told us that porn releases ero toxins in our brain.. and the more we watch. The more we damage our brain. That soon we won’t be able to remember anything. Especially boys ??

— Sotonte ?? (@SosoThe1st) February 28, 2019

Ken katas wrote jamb 6 times and still graduated at the age of 20 https://t.co/W8ZmeXY6UE

— fredo? (@fredwiththeplug) February 28, 2019

?I knew this day would come. Ken katas daughter was in my school, and she repeated classes. I guess charity doesn’t begin at home.?

— Tricia Rawlings (@Trish_here) March 1, 2019

Ken katas scammed us back then. If Ken Katas did not come to your school back then, just know that you’re indomie generation. ???

— Canadian Tailor ?? ?? (@VivBlessed) March 1, 2019

Ken Katas told this same story to us on the assembly ground, literally had students in tears the whole time and coming out 2 confess bad things they had done.

Had more than half the school’s population in the library for 1 straight week after his presentation.

Ascammermaya Ken

— Adaobi (@1_igbo_geh) March 1, 2019

Ken Katas said he was shot and with his guts spilling out he drove to the hospital

— Oluwatobiloba ?? (@Smalliee__) February 28, 2019