Mrs Kobindi Tajudeen, mother of the valedictorian of Kole Best College, Oshodi, Dasola, knelt down on the stage when she heard that her 16-year-old daughter won an award of N150, 000 as the overall best graduating pupil during the school’s graduation last week.
Dasola had the best result in the 2019 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the school. She made A1 in Computer Studies, Commerce, Government, Book Keeping, and Civic Education; B2 in General Mathematics; and B3 in English Language, Financial Accounting and Economics.
With tears running down her cheeks, all Mrs Tajudeen could say was: “Alhamduliliah (I thank God).”
“I am happy because I did not expect this; but I thank God. I have a lot of things to say but Alhamduliliah,” she said in an interview with The Nation. Continuing, she said in Yoruba, “Eni ti won ro pe ko le pago ni oro mi”, which means “people did not expect anything from me.”
Mrs Tajudeen, a single parent, used to sell Amala in front of her house on Olatunji Street in Oshodi, Lagos, to support Dasola and her younger brother, Ibrahim.
When the food business failed, she started working as a nanny. But with the income, she could not afford to register Dasola for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) this year. Even if she had, Mrs Tajudeen said she did not have the funds to pay her tuition fee in the university, so she decided that Dasola should work for a while before furthering her education.
Asked why she chose a private school for Dasola, Mrs Tajudeen said since she did not go to school, she wanted the best for her children.
With the N150,000, Dasola’s hope of going the university has been renewed.
In her valedictory speech, the teenager thanked the school, her teachers, and class mates for contributing to her success.
She reserved the final thanks for her mother, who she said always counselled her in Yoruba language, saying, “Mo omo eni ti on se, Ma se kegbe kegbe” (Remember the child of whom you are; do not keep bad company).
Praising Dasola, Proprietor of the school, Pastor Lekan Bankole, said she had been the best pupil in her class since JSS1.
Dasola also got awards for being the best in English Language, Mathematics, as well as the best behaved pupil.
The second and third best graduating pupils among the 16 SS3 graduands were Marvelous Akingbaso and Ifenna Ibeh.
Among the 41 JSS3 celebrated for completing their junior secondary education, Victor Ademilua stood out as the best. The son of the PTA chairperson, Mrs Oluwakemi Ademilua, also won the best in English and mathematics awards.
The Head of School, Mrs Fatima Abdullahi, praised the achievements of the pupils – attributing it to the development of structures on the school’s newly-acquired property to boost expansion.
Speaking on the theme: “Beyond the limits”, the guest speaker and founder of Adams College Oshodi, Mr Adams Adebola, said things that could limit the pupils from fulfilling their potential included drugs, cultism, friends, pornography, and social media.
He also gave examples of young pupil who chose to go beyond limits despite the difficulty that surrounds them.
The officiating minister, Pastor Sam Olubayo, advised the outgoing pupils to consider some important facts as they move on the next stage of their lives.
He further said they should be diligent in their pursuit of academic excellence.
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