By Lekan Raji, Lagos with agency report
A Nigerian girl, Abdulkadir Islamiyat Oluwatoyin, has emerged the best graduating student at the International University of Africa, (IUA), Sudan.
Islamiyat had lost both parents before she was six years but many thanks to the proprietress of Ad-din International College, Ibadan, Alhaja Sekinah Adekola, who placed her on scholarship throughout her primary and secondary school education.
Islamiyat, a one-time winner of the Oyo state essay writing competition on poverty eradication, said she had to work for a year after her secondary school education before she registered for the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
She finally got admitted to the University of Ibadan(UI), to study medicine, the same time she was awarded a scholarship to study Nursing at IUA.
The best graduating student said she chose IUA, Sudan because it was a scholarship, adding that “studying Medicine in Nigeria without a full pocket could be difficult”.
She, however, graduated as a doctor because in her primordial year, she had a Grade Point Accumulation (GPA) of 3.61/4.00, above 3.50 (the school highest score then) and the Faculty of Medicine chose her to be one of her students.
In her speech at the graduation ceremony, she said: “One certain thing I know about myself which cannot be disputed is that I am a living miracle of Allah. If you have searched for a proof of miracle but to no avail, look no further as I am here to testify to miracles of God.
“I will always be grateful to Allah and my parents despite not living long to know more about them. To my mum, I know you were proud of me but I am much more proud and envious of you because you had a beautiful life crowned and gifted with a daughter that will never let your dream go with the wind.
“I miss you and I wished you were here to witness today. You are blessed mum and I won’t say I love you instead I will say I love my existence for you because aside Allah and His prophet, the next person I live and exist for is you, I shall live to fulfill all your dreams. I Love you till the end of time, mom. Continue to rest in peace.”
