The Newsmakers

 

 

Dramatic stories of UNILAG 1st Class graduates

Though 89 of the 6,239 students that graduated from the University of Lagos during the 2007 Convocation made first class, the story of five of them, aptly gives meaning to the saying that show me your friend and I will tell you the kind of person you are. They are five jolly friends. They are also products of the nation’s public secondary school system.

            According to their leader, who is also the best graduating student, Seun Ajayi they are joined together by books and the urge to be the best. Ajayi, 23, had proved that he was meant for the top when he became a chartered accountant as a 200 level student. He made a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.94 out of a possible 5.0 in UNILAG. With this performance, Ajayi had beaten the record of Adesuwa Taiwo, who made a CGPA of 4.91 to become the best graduating student in 2006.

            Others in his group are Ayokunu Adedokun, who emerged the best graduating student in the Faculty of Social Sciences with 4.75; Tayo Akande, (Economics 4.61); Fatayo Temitope (Computer Science 4.54); and Stella Atunwaya of Computer Science (4.63). Ajayi graduated in flying colours from the Ijebu-Ode Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, in 2000 while Akande completed his secondary school education in 1999 at Isolo Secondary School. The other three also attended various public schools before they gained admission to UNILAG.

            Ajayi who spoke with our correspondent shortly after he received his award, said “There are four important things that I think any student who desires to excel academically should do. He should pray hard, work hard, study his lecturers and then choose his friends.” But why should they study their lecturers? Ajayi said, “This is very important because a student can only be as brilliant as his lecturer permits. Also, when you are a good listener and you are regular in class, you are likely to know his area of interest.”  Ajayi, however, added that he read between two and six hours per day, adding that he never missed his lectures.

            He was, however, full of gratitude to his parents and lecturers, whom he said gave him good counsel and direction. After he finished his secondary school education, his father enrolled him for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria examinations. So, when his colleagues were wasting precious time, waiting for their results, he was busy preparing for ICAN. “I was combining preparation for the Universities Matriculation Examination with the ICAN exam. I was admitted to UNILAG in 2002 and by the grace of God, I became a chartered accountant in 2004.

            Did he plan to graduate with a first class degree? “Yes, I did.” But he added that he never dreamt of becoming the best graduating student. So what are his plans after the mandatory National Youth Service Corps? Would he come back and pick a career in academics? The second child in a family of four said, “I don’t want to be a lecturer at all but I will enroll for a postgraduate programme in computer science possibly at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US. But the intention is not to become a lecturer but to equip me to become one of the best ICT experts in the country.

            Ajayi who was awarded N.1m, a laptop and a plaque for his effort, said that his ambition was to set up a big computer firm that will specialize in software writing. “I also desire to help the poor and to create a name for myself in the computer world,” he said. What was his social life like on campus?

            He said, “I don’t go to parties or club. I have my own special and Godly way of relaxation. I don’t have relationship with female students except it is purely academic discourse.”

            He admitted that university life is full of fun, but that all the fun he had started and ended in his room with his room mates.

            His classmate, Fatayo described Ajayi as an easy going but extremely brilliant student. “It was tough competing with him. He had 5.0 when we were in 100 level and a lot of us have been wondering how his graduating CGPA went down to 4.94. He loves Mathematics, numerical and computing analysis. But as brilliant as he is, he is not proud. You can call him anytime to explain some difficult topics to you and he will oblige you.”

            Akande’s story is also a classic study in resilience and determination. He had completed his secondary education in Fiditi Grammar School, Fiditi, Oyo State in 1998.

            But he only had a credit pass in Economics, F9 in three other subjects and P8 in the remaining four. Nobody gave him a chance to excel again, more so when he lost his father shortly after his secondary school education. But the 24 year old Economic graduate, proved everybody wrong a year after. He left Fiditi for Lagos, enrolled at Isolo Secondary School and made six distinctions and three credits. In 2002, he passed the UME and was admitted to study Economics.

            “I was determined to succeed. On July 3, 2003, I was reading the Bible and I just got this inspiration that I could make a first class. I wrote it down and asked God to help me to realise this ambition.” He did. But this was not without challenges. I suffered a great deal because I lacked the financial support as a result of my father’s death. My mother too did not have the wherewithal to help.”

            But rather than giving up, the sixth of seven children of his parents resorted to part-time teaching. “In spite of this, there were days that there would not be anything for me to eat,” he said.

            However, Akande made the first class, emerging the second best Economics student in 2007. His only regret is that his mother died a week to his convocation. But in spite of this constraint, Akande said he would not stop until he obtained a PhD degree. According to him, “My ambition is to become a lecturer and without a PhD, it will not be realizable.”

 

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