Oni Babajide David is the best graduating student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, in the 2015/2016 graduation ceremony, with a 4.88 Cumulative Grade Point Average. For him, the collective motivation he received from his coursemates encouraged him to target and aim at emerging the overall best student of his set. In this interview, the graduate of the Department of Agricultural Economics narrates his success story and experience in school to TIMOTHY AGBOR. Excerpts:
How did you feel being announced as the best graduating student?
I felt great. This was against the trend where graduates from the Faculty of Technology had been receiving the awards over a long time. I graduated with a CGPA of 4.88 out of 5.0.
Do you mean you were determined to break the jinx since your admission to the university?
It was not as if I was determined to break the jinx but I was just determined to beat the best and be the best.
How can you describe your undergraduate days?
My undergraduate days were stressful, moving from one lecture theatre to the other, queuing for water and going to classes sometimes without bathing. But thank God that in all of these, He made me victorious.
At what point did it occur to you that you would emerge the best performing student?
When I was motivated by my classmates, especially my class representative, to try to make the best graduating student position my target.
As an average student in your secondary school, how did you do it to clinch the overall best?
Yes, I was somewhat not one of the egg heads in my secondary school days. I couldn’t meet the cut-off mark for medicine. I was six marks short of the cut-off point for medicine when I wrote UTME the second time. But then, you will be the product of what you believe and who you follow. I am a member of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries and my General Overseer in person of Dr. D.K Olukoya is an epitome of greatness. Hence, I have no choice other than to learn from him and follow his path of greatness by trying to beat the best and be the best.
How did you feel failing to gain admission in your first attempt?
I made my first UTME by scoring 230 but I had some personal issues that couldn’t make me gain admission into UNIBEN then. That was why I couldn’t gain admission then. But then I felt very bad then as my friends gained admission. God’s time is the best. As regards Agricultural Economics as a course, I made the decision to change my course of study then as I could have gained admission to study Pharmacy or Dentistry but due to the fact that I chose OAU as second choice, I was told I couldn’t be given any course until I got admitted to study Agricultural Economics. What is your pattern of reading? Actually, I didn’t sleep in the room most times. I slept in the academics area as my room in Awo Hall was usually overpopulated. So, I prefered to sleep on the cushion seats in the academics area where I read. This continued until God used a man – Mr Oyeyemi by name – for me and my reading partners, who willingly gave us his office for reading purpose and at times, would give us money to take care of ourselves, too. I read for a minimum of 6 hours daily and I relaxed for a minimum of six hours, too.
I was not one of the egg heads in my secondary school days. I couldn’t meet the cut-off mark for medicine. I was six marks short of the cut-off point for medicine when I wrote UTME the second time
Did you involve yourself in extracurricular activities in school?
Yes I did. At the fellowship level, I was a worker in the ushering unit and Bible study sub-group and the head of the ICT/Business unit. At the faculty level, I was a parliamentarian for two sessions while at the level of the students union, I was a public relations officer of the elections petitions committee for the 2014/2015 session. Likewise, I was engaged in several businesses, too.
You were engaged in several businesses to train yourself or your parents were the ones sponsoring your education?
My parents were the ones sponsoring my education but then I love entrepreneurship and I just had to engage myself in it. More so, as a man, I can’t be asking people for money all the time. Since you wanted medicine and you later changed to Agricultural Economics, are you considering pursuing medicine in the nearest future? Not at all. I don’t have passion for medicine. It’s only for those with passion for it. So, what would you ascribe your sterling performance to? It was just God. It’s all about God’s mercy which endureth forever. Also, it’s a function of my choice of friends, too. They inspired me every time to do more. Lastly, the inspiring messages from Dr. D.K Olukoya also encouraged me.
Are you considering being an entrepreneur or you would go for a white collar job?
I will be an entrepreneur while working with a company to learn and not just to make money. Working for someone will just keep one in a rat race throughout one’s life.
So, have you got any white collar job?
Not at all. I am in my service year at present.
What are the prizes or awards you won on this convocation day?
I received nine prizes and they are: Faculty Prize for the graduating student with the highest CGPA in the B. Agric Programme; Alli Idowu Prize for the best graduating student in the Faculty of Agriculture; Professor Hezekiah Adedunmola Oluwasanmi Prize for the student with best overall performance with the highest CGPA in the Bachelor of Agriculture degree in Agricultural Economics; Professor Caleb Osuntogun Prize for the student with best overall performance in Bachelor of Agriculture degree examinations in the Department of Agricultural Economics; Professor Banwo Olufokunbi Prize for the student who scores the highest mark in Econometrics in the Department of Agricultural Economics; Professor Yakub Layiwola Fabiyi prize for the student who scored the highest mark in Agricultural Development and Policy; Professor Kenneth Herald Parsons prize for the best student who makes a minimum of Second Class Honours (Upper Division) and scored the highest mark in Agricultural Marketing course; Professor Kenneth herald parsons prize: for the best student who made a minimum of Second Class Honours (Upper Division) and scored the highest mark in Land Economics course and Tola Olukilede Agent of Change Prize for the final year student in the university with the highest cumulative grade point.
