MA COACH
today
1k+
JAMB
Chapter 5
Snake on the Roof
LONG BREAK. Joyful sounds of pupils in every corridor. In the primary and secondary sections, the children never missed the opportunity to play, even though it was time to eat. It was also a time when Principal Bepo and teachers on duty moved around to ensure there was no dangerous play, as one or two students had broken an arm or a leg in the past.
Mrs Ibidun Gloss, the MD, had just had her lunch. She escaped into a room in her spacious office for some rest. This getaway was top secret; only very few people knew in the academic community of about 1,500 students and staff. Yet, if the privileged few knew she had time out in any room, none understood why. They never knew the health condition that plagued her buttocks, leaving her with a peppery pain whenever she sat for long. She had been to doctors within and outside the country. She had, in over 30 years of living with the condition, explored spiritual and traditional interventions, all to no avail. She, therefore, learned to live with it, especially as it did not immobilise her.
Minutes later, she chose to alter her schedule a little by taking a walk around the surroundings. And she, in the end, thanked her stars that she did.
The MD decided, a little instinctively, to exploit the opportunity to inspect a piece of land that Stardom had acquired two years before. That was some five minutes away from the back gate of the school. As she approached the entrance, the two security staff manning it stood at attention, with one hurriedly opening it as she gestured them to do. Both moved to accompany her, but she asked one of them to remain at his duty post.
When she reached her destination, she discovered that, although the property remained fenced off as the management had left it, about half of the three plots were filled with cars of different brands. They were not new, but it was obvious to Stardom’s big woman that they were in use and that some people had turned the place into a car park.
“Our staff park here, Ma,” the guard, Jombo, said to save the MD from her puzzle.
“Which staff?” she asked, unable to hide her shock.
“Our teachers and other staff.”
She was more confused because she knew there was a staff car park in the school, and she, like almost everyone else, knew who had cars and who did not.
“Ma, it is not everyone who brings their car into the school,” Jombo said in a tone that meant more than he uttered.
The MD took time to inspect the rides, wanting to know who owned them. Jombo was right because many of the cars bore Stardom Schools’ stickers. So, many of her staff were hiding their cars from management, she thought. She saw different brands and models, including Toyota, Hyundai and Mazda. She even saw the big Toyota some drivers called Muscle. The MD skipped a breath and shook her head self-pityingly. There were even two buses at the far right of the park. One was white, while the other wore the ubiquitous Lagos yellow colour. Were some people cheating on her by engaging in public transportation? She felt anger mixed with fear run through her system. She summoned the principal and the school accountant via a phone call.
It was too bad for her and too bad for the school, she thought. Something must be wrong. The school’s purse must be leaking. How were the teachers getting money to buy those kinds of cars?
“Afternoon, Madam,” the accountant said as he arrived.
“Accountant, what is happening in this school?” the MD asked.
“Great things, Madam…”
“Accountant, I didn’t call you for a motivational speech. What is happening? How safe is this school? How secure is our money?”
Before the accountant, who could no longer hide his confusion, could say anything further, the MD added, “Where is all this money coming from? Where are teachers and storekeepers and every gardener getting the money to buy these cars? When did this happen? How did this happen to us?”
Jeremi Amos – the accountant – now understood his boss’s fear. She thought people were stealing to buy cars. He and the principal, who had also arrived at the scene, exchanged glances. It was an understanding that the latter should speak. Mr Bepo, therefore, first ordered Jombo to go back to his duty post.
By this time, the fear was palpable all over the MD’s face. For the first time in a long while, she sweated profusely.
“Ma’am, please let’s go to the office,” Bepo said.
In the MD’s office, the accountant and the principal assured her that the school’s finances were intact. They noted that while some of the teachers had raised money for their cars through various personal means, including loans, the primary source of financial strength for about half of those who owned the 17 vehicles was the school’s cooperative society. According to the two principal officers, many staff members had taken loans, which they had also been duly paying back as the loans were being deducted from their salaries.
Yet, if the information calmed the MD down, it also raised another major question. How fat was the cooperative’s purse that it could guarantee those she saw as every Tom, Dick and Harry a vehicle?
And inadvertently, that was the way she asked the question.
“How much is in the account of the Stardom Cooperative Society that it could buy every fool a car of his or her choice?”
The word ‘fool’ hit the two men like a thunderbolt. They did not find it funny at all. They again exchanged glances but managed to maintain their cool. Bepo was happy that neither the VP nor the Physics Teacher attended the meeting. Neither might have been able to stay mute in the circumstances based on the profile of their temperament.
The following day, she called a meeting of the board of directors – all members of the same family: the chairman, Chief Mrs Solape Aje, who was the MD’s mother; Martins Aje, a non-executive director; and Oye Aje, the last born, who was the board’s secretary. Not willing to take any chances, the MD asked for details of the cooperative society’s account from the accountant and the principal. In the purse was N95,000,000, while over N50,000,000 had been loaned out.
“It’s like hanging a snake on the roof and going to bed,” Chief Aje said. “What if the staff rebel and jointly establish their own school with the money? They would have stolen our brand ideals and every other thing about us.”
The board weighed the threat and unanimously reached a decision that guided the cooperative ever since: no staff member could borrow more than N250,000. Also, all loan requests above N100,000 had to be approved by the MD, and the management must be duly informed about the cooperative’s elections.
Here are the 50 possible JAMB questions and answers for this chapter.
Instructions: answers each question are in bold form.
THE LEKKI HEADMASTER – CHAPTER 5: Snake on the Roof
1. What is the title of Chapter 5 of “The Lekki Headmaster”?
A) The MD’s Secret
B) Cooperative Society
C) Snake on the Roof
D) Long Break Concerns
2. During “Long Break,” what activity did the pupils primarily engage in?
A) Eating
B) Reading
C) Playing
D) Studying
3. What was the responsibility of Principal Bepo and the teachers on duty during “Long Break”?
A) To supervise meals
B) To ensure there was no dangerous play
C) To mark attendance
D) To prepare for the next class
4. What health condition plagued Mrs. Ibidun Gloss, the MD?
A) Headaches
B) Back pain
C) Peppery pain in her buttocks
D) Joint pains
5. For how long had the MD lived with her health condition?
A) Over 10 years
B) Over 20 years
C) Over 30 years
D) Over 40 years
6. How did the MD try to alleviate her health condition over the years?
A) Only through conventional doctors
B) Only through spiritual interventions
C) Only through traditional interventions
D) Through doctors, spiritual, and traditional interventions
7. What did Mrs. Ibidun Gloss decide to do after her lunch and initial rest?
A) Go home
B) Call a staff meeting
C) Take a walk around the surroundings
D) Review financial reports
8. What did the MD instinctively decide to inspect during her walk?
A) The school library
B) A piece of land Stardom had acquired
C) The school cafeteria
D) The teachers’ staff room
9. How far was the acquired land from the back gate of the school?
A) About two minutes away
B) About five minutes away
C) About ten minutes away
D) Directly beside the gate
10. How many security staff were manning the entrance to the acquired land?
A) One
B) Two
C) Three
D) None
What did Mrs. Ibidun Gloss discover upon reaching the acquired property?
A) It was overgrown with weeds.
B) It was being used as a residential area.
C) Half of it was filled with cars of different brands.
D) It was completely empty.
What was the guard’s name who spoke to the MD about the cars?
A) Bepo
B) Amos
C) Jombo
D) Martins
According to Jombo, who owned the cars parked on the acquired land?
A) Local residents
B) Visiting parents
C) School staff and teachers
D) Construction workers
Why was the MD more confused about the cars after Jombo’s explanation?
A) She thought the school already had a staff car park.
B) She didn’t believe the staff could afford such cars.
C) She didn’t know the school had acquired the land.
D) She thought the cars belonged to the students.
What was Jombo’s tone when he said, “Ma, it is not everyone who brings their car into the school”?
A) Excited
B) Fearful
C) One that meant more than he uttered
D) Indifferent
What kind of sticker did many of the cars bear?
A) Stardom Schools’ stickers
B) Lekki Headmaster stickers
C) Private property stickers
D) For sale stickers
Which car brands were specifically mentioned among those parked on the land?
A) Honda, Ford, Mercedes
B) Toyota, Hyundai, Mazda
C) BMW, Audi, Lexus
D) Nissan, Kia, Volkswagen
What popular Toyota model did some drivers call “Muscle”?
A) Camry
B) Corolla
C) Land Cruiser
D) The text mentions “the big Toyota some drivers called Muscle,” implying a specific large Toyota vehicle without specifying the exact model beyond that description.
Besides individual cars, what other types of vehicles did the MD see at the park?
A) Motorcycles
B) Trucks
C) Two buses
D) Bicycles
What colours were the two buses mentioned?
A) Red and blue
B) Green and white
C) White and Lagos yellow
D) Black and grey
What emotions ran through the MD’s system after seeing the cars and buses?
A) Joy and relief
B) Confusion and excitement
C) Anger mixed with fear
D) Sadness and despair
Whom did the MD summon via a phone call after her discovery?
A) The chairman of the board
B) The principal and the school accountant
C) All staff members
D) The security head
What did the MD suspect was happening within the school regarding the finances?
A) The school’s purse was overflowing.
B) The school’s purse must be leaking.
C) The school was receiving more grants.
D) Staff were investing wisely.
What was the accountant’s name?
A) Mr. Bepo
B) Jombo
C) Jeremi Amos
D) Martins Aje
What was the MD’s primary concern when she asked the accountant “What is happening? How safe is this school? How secure is our money?”
A) Staff welfare
B) School expansion plans
C) Financial integrity and security
D) Student academic performance
What did the MD accuse the teachers, storekeepers, and gardeners of getting money from?
A) Donations
B) Stealing to buy cars
C) Personal businesses
D) Bonuses
Who was supposed to speak first between the accountant and the principal, according to their exchanged glances?
A) The accountant
B) The principal
C) Both simultaneously
D) Neither
What was Mr. Bepo’s first action after the accountant and he arrived at the scene?
A) He greeted the MD.
B) He ordered Jombo to go back to his duty post.
C) He tried to explain the situation.
D) He asked the MD to calm down.
What physical reaction did the MD show due to her palpable fear?
A) She started crying.
B) She sweated profusely.
C) She fainted.
D) She became speechless.
Where did Bepo suggest they go to discuss the issue further?
A) The car park
B) The principal’s office
C) The MD’s office
D) The board room
In the MD’s office, what did the accountant and principal assure her about the school’s finances?
A) They were in crisis.
B) They were intact.
C) They were being audited.
D) They were insufficient.
What was the primary source of financial strength for about half of the 17 vehicles owned by staff members?
A) Personal savings
B) Bank loans
C) The school’s cooperative society
D) Family inheritance
How were the loans taken by staff members for cars being paid back?
A) Through monthly cash payments
B) Through deductions from their salaries
C) Through selling other assets
D) Through direct bank transfers
What word did the MD use when asking about the cooperative’s funds that “hit the two men like a thunderbolt”?
A) “Thieves”
B) “Incompetent”
C) “Fool”
D) “Irresponsible”
Who was the chairman of the board of directors?
A) Mrs. Ibidun Gloss
B) Chief Mrs. Solape Aje
C) Martins Aje
D) Oye Aje
What was Chief Mrs. Solape Aje’s relationship to the MD?
A) Her sister
B) Her aunt
C) Her mother
D) Her colleague
Who was Martins Aje in the board of directors?
A) The MD
B) A non-executive director
C) The chairman
D) The secretary
Who was Oye Aje in the board of directors?
A) The MD’s eldest child
B) The board’s treasurer
C) The last born and board’s secretary
D) The MD’s husband
What was the total amount in the cooperative society’s purse when the MD asked for details?
A) N25,000,000
B) N50,000,000
C) N95,000,000
D) N100,000,000
How much money had been loaned out from the cooperative society?
A) Under N25,000,000
B) Over N50,000,000
C) Exactly N95,000,000
D) All of it
What metaphor did Chief Aje use to describe the situation with the cooperative society’s large loans?
A) “A ticking time bomb”
B) “Like hanging a snake on the roof and going to bed”
C) “Walking on thin ice”
D) “A house of cards”
What was Chief Aje’s concern about the staff if they rebelled?
A) They would leave the school.
B) They would jointly establish their own school and steal their brand ideals.
C) They would demand higher salaries.
D) They would cause a public scandal.
What was the first decision reached by the board to guide the cooperative ever since?
A) No staff member could borrow more than N100,000.
B) No staff member could borrow more than N250,000.
C) All loans required collateral.
D) Only teachers could borrow from the cooperative.
What was the second decision regarding loan requests above N100,000?
A) They had to be approved by the principal.
B) They had to be approved by the accountant.
C) They had to be approved by the MD.
D) They were not allowed.
What additional information must the management be duly informed about?
A) Cooperative society’s financial statements
B) Cooperative society’s new members
C) Cooperative society’s elections
D) Cooperative society’s investment plans
Why was Bepo happy that neither the VP nor the Physics Teacher attended the meeting where the MD used the word ‘fool’?
A) They were too busy.
B) They might have been unable to stay mute.
C) They were not part of the board.
D) They had already heard the news.
What did the MD note about the cars’ condition on the acquired land?
A) They were brand new.
B) They were old and broken down.
C) They were not new, but obviously in use.
D) They were all luxury vehicles.
What was the immediate impact of the MD’s discovery on her “long while” experience?
A) She felt unprecedented joy.
B) She experienced profound peace.
C) She sweated profusely for the first time in a long while.
D) She decided to retire.
What kind of speech did the MD interrupt the accountant from giving?
A) An apology speech
B) A motivational speech
C) A financial report speech
D) A resignation speech
The chapter highlights a conflict between the MD’s perception of staff finances and the reality. What was the source of discrepancy?
A) Staff receiving illegal payments.
B) The cooperative society’s financial activities.
C) External funding for staff.
D) Staff engaging in illegal businesses.
THANKS, BEST OF LUCK
+2349061221656, +2348062853040
admin@macoach.com.ng
+2349061221656, +2348062853040
admin@macoach.com.ng
2nd Floor former joybell nursery & primary school opposite lotogbe junction ondo city, ondo state
Monday — Friday 8am – 11pm
Saturday — 8am – 10pm
Sunday — Closed
MACOACH.com.ng –Your No.1 Online Academy for Daily Mathematics Lessons, Textbook Solutions, and Exam Preparation in Nigeria.
© 2025 Created with MA COACH
