Muslim students shine at UNILAG 51st convocation
As 30 Muslim students bag first class
THE Muslim Society University of Lagos ( UNILAG), has celebrated its overall best graduating students of the 2018/ 2019 academic session, Alimi Ibrahim Adedeji, who had a Cumulative Grade Point Average ( CGPA) of 4.98 and overall best PHD thesis by Dr. Moruf Rasheed alongside others who bagged first class.
A total of 281 graduating students were awarded first class during the 51st convocation ceremonies of the institution.
The Chairman of Muslim Community ( UMC), Prof. Lai Olurode, commended the graduands who made first class in the last academic section.
“I celebrate all the students who made first class not because they are Muslims or Christians but because they are the best. I suggest others should emulate them.
“They should be a model for the younger ones and come back to the university for mentorship of others. They must learn to circulate knowledge and give back to the society, especially to UNILAG where they graduated,”
Staff Adviser of Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria ( MSSN), University of Lagos Branch, Dr. Khalid Adekoya, said he is happy with the brilliant performance of Muslim students who bagged first class during the last academic session of the institution.
Adekoya attributed their excellent performance to the grace of Almighty Allah that crowned their efforts with success, noting that the development is also an indication that MSSN members led in the university.
“We give glory to God Almighty for crowning our little efforts with this success. We based our efforts on what God has guided us to do. We made sure that we encouraged the students, especially those of them that are good, to organise tutorials in the mosque alongside other Islamic teachings. We have specific lectures for different courses, especially the difficult ones to encourage those who are not doing too well to wake up.”
Dr. Moruf Rasheed, said he is excited because he had no premonition to win the laurel at the start of the research work, but decided to get the best out of everything he laid his hands on.
According to him, “Being the best makes a person the number one but being unique makes a person the only one. Each person knows his or her own place for water ( Q 2: 6).
“With respect to what I have done within the three years of my full time Ph. D. research leading to 12 extracted published papers in both international and national journals, I then realised it is an award well- deserved. I thank God Almighty for this honour, knowing that many of my colleagues also had good contributions to knowledge.”
Ibraheem said, it was great emerging UNILAG best graduating student.
“My parents and extended family thought I was going to study Medicine due to my smartness.
“I knew I couldn’t cope with medicine due to my fear of blood, mutilated bodies, human parts, and all situations doctors face. My next option was engineering because growing up, I loved cars and had a dream of building my own car and I also love Mathematics. So, Mechanical Engineering felt like the perfect choice.
“My five years experience in the University had its moments, good and bad ones. Mechanical Engineering itself was very demanding and stressful right from onset. The rigorous and voluminous lab reports were important highlight. I was able to make new friends and families, further extending my connections,” he said.
First class in Marine Sciences Depts graduate Labeebah Dhikrullah, daughter of popular Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dhikrullah said being the third best in her department gave her joy.
“First, it’s Allah that made it possible. I am grateful to Him for seeing me through with a good result. Being the third best gives me internal joy. For someone like me, I didn’t have a first- class GP in my year one but I saw the need to buckle up.
“I set a target of 5.0 for myself every semester. There are some semesters where I did well and some I didn’t. For every heartbeat before checking my result, to all kinds of emotions after checking it, I say Alhamdulillah. Sometimes I felt discouraged about having a first class, but my mentor always encouraged and motivated me not to give up and always prayed to Allah for strength. I’m grateful. After seeing my final results, I am happy. Another thing that gave me joy was that, out of five first class graduates in my department, four of us are Muslims. It was a prayer that came true and I’m very grateful to Allah and to everyone that was part of my success story,” she added.
Others are Hassan Salaudeen, who was the MSSN UNILAG Amir ( President); sensational Ewi reciter and the head of Yoruba Unit at MSSNLAGOS Information Department, Adébáy láb dé; and Sherifat Omosholape Oshoala, Nigeria’s Super Falcons captain and Barcelona attacker, Assisat Oshoala’s relative.