Posted on: 09:39 Sat, 12 Mar 2016



A young Nigerian lady, Mrs.
Oluwamayo Ojumah has translated
her 16-year old personal
misfortunes into a success story.

After spending 16 years in pursuit
of a university degree at four
different universities within and
outside Nigeria, she finally emerged
with a First Class degree in
Biochemistry at the University of
Lagos.

Interestingly, making a First Class
degree, did not come accidental to
her, it was a decision taken
after several failed attempts at
studying medicine and under the
care of her pastor father, Mr.
Johnson Ajibade, and her husband,
Mr. Felix Ojumah, who is a
Petroleum Engineer.

Feeling Saturday Vanguard in on
the experience that saw her going
from Ago Iwoye, United Kingdom,
Okada, Lagos and nearly to Saint
Kitts in the Americas for a
university degree that was largely
elusive for 16 years, she exclaimed;

‘’I am still in shock.”

Continuing, the obviously excited
Ojumah, who recently had her
convocation at the University of
Lagos, UNILAG, flashed back
recalling how her wasted years in
pursuit of the degree paid off with
a Cumulative Grade Point Average
,CGPA, of 4.51.

Expounding this at her home in
Lagos, she said:

‘’I left secondary school in 2004
and in that same year I got
admission into Olabisi Onabanjo
University ,OOU, for Applied
Zoology and the agreement was
that if I performed well they were
going to transfer me to Medicine.

I had wanted to study Medicine. I
didn’t really get the scope of the
course, so I was not doing well. I
think I left in 200 levels. So my
parents said I should go abroad and
study Medicine. Unfortunately it
was quite expensive and I didn’t
want to get them into those strains
of providing that kind of finance
every year. So, we reached an
agreement to come back home and
go to Igbinedion University, Okada.
That was in 2009.

I went to the UK and came back. In
the UK they were not ready to
admit me to read Medicine. I
needed to do a lot of courses before
and then thinking about the
financial implications I had to
come back home. Since Igbenedion
was better and they said they were
going to allow me read Medicine, I
came back home.

So, when I got to Igbenedion I was
admitted into 200 levels with my
transcript from OOU. I did 200
levels and 300 levels but at the
level of my MB, I failed two
courses, I passed Biochemistry and
failed Anatomy and Physiology. By
the time I did my resit, I think I
failed Anatomy and failed
physiology.

Ordinarily, many would opt out at
this time, but Ojumah embraced the
options that came her way.

‘’The option was either to repeat
the class, take a transcript and go
abroad either to Ukraine or to Saint
Kits in the Americas,” she stated.

Considering that it would be less
burdensome financially for her
comfortable parents, she opted to
go to Saint Kitts, an Island in the
Americas formerly known as Saint
Christopher.

‘’It was not as expensive like going
to the UK. And just within that
period while processing the
passport; I had a little problem
with immigration.

It took a little while. Unfortunately,
by the time I got my passport, the
border had been closed.
Unfortunately, my mother passed
away in March 2011 and I couldn’t
go abroad any more.

They wanted me to go and I told
them that it did not make sense
going abroad again. The only
option was to go to University of
Lagos.

Now that was the fourth time of
starting all over again and I did not
want to sit for JAMB. The only
option was to do the foundation
programme from 2011 to 2012 after
which I took Direct Entry into 200
levels.”

Narrating her experience at
UNILAG, she said the disposition of
her lecturers and students towards
her were not outside the ordinary.

The Biochemistry lecturers of the
University of Lagos are okay. They
gave their best. At least I have been
to other institutions and know the
kind of things other students go
through. My supervisor Dr. Lawal
was supportive.

The day I knew he was proud of me
was the day he said I was
graduating with a First Class. And
when they discovered that I was
married, I had a better
relationship,” she added.

Asked if there were exceptional
methods applied to achieve the
feat, she said:

I didn’t just depend on class notes. I
used Youtube and downloaded most
things that had been taught from
Youtube and I read a lot.

I can read from 8pm to 6am. My
husband was also supportive
because I used to watch movies a
lot but he ensured that I did not fail
to read because of movies.
He would wake me up at night and
even sometimes compel me to read.
I read a lot, prayed a lot. In fact, I
prayed like I was not reading and
read like I was not reading. I am
still in shock.

The summary of it all is that God
saw me through. I think God just
wanted to honour me. I did a lot of
work. People are talking about me
that I came out with a First Class
after all I have been through.

It feels great. I already knew I was
going to get First Class in October
when the results came out. I think I
have been in shock until the day of
graduation. I just don’t believe that
this is me. I am not a genius. Some
think I read a lot. People don’t
remember my past stories, but I
have a cause to thank God.”

On his part, her husband,
Mr.Ojumah, explained that he
ensured she didn’t lose sight of the
fact that getting a First Class was a
project.

It is actually great.

For me it is like a dream come true.

After we got married, my father in-
law told me that I should make sure
she comes out with a First Class. I
called her to ask what it will take to
get that. Looking at it, I just felt it is
possible, that is why each time she
comes to say she was tired I will
tell her she is wasting her time.

I know there had been times when
she felt we should drop the idea of
First Class and settle for a 2.1 but I
felt she was wasting her time. That
is why I had to stop her from
watching movie. Even when I will
be watching a movie by the time
she comes back I will stop. I felt we
had a goal and must meet that goal.
One of the easiest ways to get to
our goal was to stay focused.

During examinations, I often told
her to relax while I do the cooking.

For me, it is like a dream come
true. I never knew that people will
find it inspiring because to so
many it is like a challenge that
having gone through all these, a
married woman came out with a
First Class.

We are happy that people, who feel
that they can’t make it would find it
encouraging. I just want to bless
God for being there for us. The
lesson for people is to stay focused
and remain determined in spite of
difficulties. Sometimes I had to
keep her awake just to read not
because I had examination to sit
for. There is need for people to
utilise any opportunity at their
disposal to actualise their goal.”