Defying the Odds: A Journey from Dream to Triumph

INTRODUCTION

I really love this particular topic a lot because it’s something that I can relate with due to my experience and I will be inviting @patjewell, @goodybest and @bambuka for this contest.

After the compulsory NYSC service, I’ve always wanted to further my education to masters level but the money wasn’t there. Luckily for me the Ponzi era came in Nigeria around 2016/17 and I was among the early birds that made lots of money from “MMM NIGERIA”. I removed some part of the money for my msc and the large chunk of the money was swiped away by other Ponzi schemes.

When the spell of ponzi finally left my eyes, I decided to make enquiries in the University of Port Harcourt about the cost of everything, I also paid the money from what I’ve saved from ponzi. I was really glad that God paved way for such victory because it was just a “dream” then… I thought, since I’ve paid everything, all that was just left for me, was to read, pass my exams and get my certificate but it was far from over.

Everything was going on pretty fine until I heard that our masters program was know longer a year and 6 months, that it is now 2 years. That was the first red flag 🚩. I didn’t want to bother myself so much because I had paid everything, so even if they want to increase to ten years as long as they won’t ask me to pay any money again, I’m fine by it. Few months to our final exams, rumors started circulating that we will pay another huge sum of money that none of us ever planned for. People didn’t really take it seriously because we were expecting it to be for the new Msc students.

Because of the extra 6 months they added to make the masters program 2years, we did three semesters. It was time for our 3rd semester exams, everyone of us was well prepared, nobody wanted to fail any course to avoid a spill over. We finished our exams, we took pictures and went to celebrate in a club for a successful final semester. I had know idea that I’ve only won the battle but the war was far from over.

Later that year, the universities in Nigeria went on a three months strike. I used that period to develop my thesis, seminar work and my article. After they called of the strike, the push for that exorbitant extra school fee’s started. The excuse they came up with was that we learned for 2 years, so, we’re supposed to pay fees for 2 years. When they noticed a lot of people were not paying the fees, that was when they came with the idea of “no school fees, no project defense”.

That was the worse condition they could ever give to me because at that moment I was so broke. The money I had, I invested in MBA FOREX. The so called CEO ran away with billions of investors money. I had to start begging for help and the help wasn’t forthcoming. Meanwhile, while looking for a way to raise my school fees money, anti- plagiarism test was also taking the little money I had. Each plagiarism test you fail to score below 10%, you pay #15,000. I failed that plagiarism test up to 5x.

I was becoming so frustrated but dropping out from school was never an option. I had to go pick job as a waiter in a local bar and restaurant. I was the oldest among the waiters and waitresses. It was demeaning for me because I felt so ashamed whenever my friends see me working there but I’d no choice at that moment. After all, if I ask them to give me the money I wanted, they will give excuses. I tried to take loan from my boss, he refused to give me , that I’m supposed to work for some certain period before he could give me. Each time I go to school, I see some of my course mates dropping out because they couldn’t meet up with the plenty payment.

My dad directed me to one of my uncle to help me with the school fees n promised to pay him back. Instead of him to tell my dad that he can’t afford it, so that I’ll know how I’m planning, my uncle promised to give me the money. Since it was my dad that spoke to him, himself, I was fully convinced he will give me the money, so I didn’t bother again. I went to hustle for plagiarism test money.

I was lucky to get another job again as a waiter, this time at a bigger hotel. I was saving as much as I can. A week to my project defense, I told my dad to call my uncle that I’ve not heard from him. My dad called him but he wasn’t picking his number. I said let me try, with my own number. I called him, he picked, as soon as he heard I was the one calling for the fees, he ended my call. This is the same uncle that always do as if he cares so much for me and my family, time to show the love, he had to run away, when l needed him most. Sincerely speaking, I gave up. I stopped worked immediately. Anti plagiarism was there causing its own obstacles, school fees haven’t been paid.

Some of my friends in school and my project supervisor were calling to ask me, how’s my preparation for the project defense and seminar presentation, If I’m ready? I told my supervisor the challenges I was passing through in my project because of plagiarism. He said I should come to his office. I left home and visited him. He now changed my topic to a new one and changed some few key words that could make me fail the plagiarism test. I was a bit skeptical because I was already in debt, so borrowing money again because of this plagiarism test for the fifth time, was really exhausting. But I did as I was told, collected some money from my friend and submitted my work.

Two days to project defense, my dad called me to quickly come and see him. I got there and my dad has raised my school fees. I was so overjoyed. I couldn’t believe it. That I’ll finally defend my project. That same day, I went to school and paid my fees. It was now left for the plagiarism test. The whole of my family was praying for me and finally on the day of my defense, I passed the plagiarism test. My score was 7.5.

After I defended my project, I called my family to thank them for their help and my friends for there support and for the first time in my life, I had to go to the church altar to give my testimony because everything ended in praise. Out of 57 of us that finished writing our final exam, only 34 of graduated with our set…

TO GOD, WE GIVE ALL THE GLORY!!

CONCLUSION:

A lot of us have dared to dream and one way or the other been discouraged or been put down by forces you can’t explain. But I’ll say do not give up because there is light at the end of the tunnel. You never can tell, who will help you out when they see your resilient spirit.

Cheers!!