Student Kicked Out Of OAU In Final Year Finally Graduates With 1st Class From FUTA (Photos)

A Nigerian man, Timilehin P. Abayomi, who was 'kicked out' of Obafemi Awolowo Univrsity (OAU) after studying for 5 years has been celebrated on social media for his academic feat graduating with 1st class honors, years later. According to his reports, he wept and attempted suicide after his poor outing at OAU that resulted in his studentship being withdrawn but he picked himself up.

Feeling the pains of wasted years in school, the man said he had attempted suicide and was also exiled from home. But rising from his academic misfortune, Timilehin stated that he decided to return to the university in 2015 and this time, he chose the Federal University of Technology, Akure.

In a celebratory LinkedIn post, Timilehin while keeping mum on the reason for the studentship withdrawal said the news reduced him and his mother to uncontrollable tears.

OF A GRADUATE WHO HAD TO FAIL FIRST

My Mother and I held ourselves in late 2014, weeping uncontrollably after learning that I had failed in OAU after being accepted to the citadel in 2008. My studentship was withdrawn in my final semester, 5 years later, for reasons I completely accept responsibility for.

My family and I went through a tough moment of one suicide attempt, exile from home and a family meeting to decide what to do next. I remember insisting on returning to university, and it was FUTA in 2015.

Fast forward to yesterday, I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Quantity Surveying with First Class Honours from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, and placed in the top 5% of the university's graduating class.

Between these years, I've gone through extensive refinement, learned various lessons and grown as a person. Excellence, diligence and tenacity, in particular, have become my watchwords.

With these guidelines in mind;

« I co-founded Inside FUTA, a news organization that helped the institution reintroduce campus media.

« I won the prize for most distinguished first-time member of the House while representing my department at the Students' Representative Council (SRC).

« Represented the University and competed against peers in national debate, entrepreneurship and construction competitions.

As I move forward in life, I'm determined to upholding the three values of excellence, diligence and tenacity, in the hopes that they would help me achieve my ultimate objective of realizing the possibilities of media and communications in the construction industry.

Construction Cost Data Management, Construction Economics and Project Management are three areas in which I am very interested in gaining professional/academic expertise.

As I've always maintained, this isn't the best way to get a degree; nevertheless, tell anyone who has failed that "failure is not final, no matter how fatal, for he who falls shall rise again."

I owe this eventual success to God, who gave me a second chance; to my dear Mother, who never gave up; family, who believed in me again; and friends, who were always there. My deepest appreciation to three of my friends who encouraged and supported me through this phase - Adesida Thompson, Anjolaolorun Alabi, ACIM & Opeyemi Fawole. This story is that of a failure who never gave up; a story of strength and courage. If you come across this, pray that God grants me speed for the years I have lost.