I was once uncertain of what I wanted to become. I thought having a degree in a marketable field would set me on the path for financial security. At that time, having money was what mattered most especially, to life and living.
This may seem personal, nonetheless, it is more than my story or that of my school. It is a chorus of unheard voices and a breakdown of the unmeasured effect of Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), on me and a host of others. I therefore write at the behest of all who would love their experience shared; the likes of me.
Upon resumption in October 2019, I will be in my finals. Whenever I reflect on my life, what I have learnt and the path I am threading, I am entreated to make peace with whatever is to come, because I have been moulded into an astoundingly confident speaker and writer. God’s green earth holds a special place for me.
There would be no story without an experience that precedes it. I enrolled in JABU, September 2016, into the department of Mass Communication. Prior to that time, I had a science -based academic background; notwithstanding, the department consciously submerged me to its depth, to rise as a full breed communicator. A transformation that could only be achieved by an institution carefully dedicated to the improvement of its students.
There has never been a university unrepentantly relentless in its quest for instilling discipline in every being that dwells within its confines as JABU, a place where things are done in the most prim and proper fashion, that outstands and outshines the general views of private institutions. An attribute worthy of note and reverence.
Interestingly, it stands distinguished as the foremost entrepreneurial university in Nigeria, but more remarkably it has proved itself as a formidable force for nation-building, by producing leaders whose concerns are what they can offer above what they can get in return. I have been inspired by the exploit of many who have come and gone and some who remain.
Frantically, it has not been entirely benign, as JABU has had its fair share of a troubled past and its consequence. Regardless, it has risen above all odds and its mantra ever stands for – Knowledge and Godly Service. I was, and I am still exposed to a monumental standard of learning that has a commonality with world leading universities.
I have met countless students within JABU whose ambitions are motivating. A positive ambience gives rise to all round development, of which I am a chief beneficiary. I now have a purpose and I have been set on the path for selfless service and financial freedom.
I daresay, I am indeed confident to matchup to any student in the world and be respected, for I am a product of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, an indomitable haven of knowledge.
––Lance Momodu Jnr,
reallancespeaks@gmail.com
