I will never forget a particular occurrence from my academic career that served as a constant reminder of both the unfairness of the world and how unpredictable life can be. In 2012, the doors of opportunity seemed to be firmly locked against me, even though it seemed like I could approach them.
Being a secondary school graduate and entering the university's "wider world" after leaving the hard secondary education is usually exciting. Since a person's scores are their ticket to admission into university, I was confident that I would be admitted right away because I had finished with good grades in both the O'level and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and Post UTME exams.
In my case, the joy was much greater since I could actually picture myself being accepted into the University of Jos, my dream university. I was left floating in the unknown after my hope was dashed when, despite my greatest efforts and good results, I didn't get the admission. I applied to the university's remedial programme because I was still determined to find a way out of staying at home. This programme was a ray of hope for kids like me, who had all the prerequisites but didn't get admitted, so I didn't give up.
Unfortunately, though, my name was noticeably missing from the list of selected applicants uploaded on the website; this made me lose hope. However, when viewing the hard copy of the list of applicants that the Senate had approved, my uncle, a university professor, attested that my name was there. After this injustice, I struggled with a range of feelings; my emotions were all over. I was deeply filled with sadness, rage, and frustration. How could someone who has all the requirements be treated like that?
However, it was when I heard rumours of lying and manipulation that I realised the entire extent of unfairness. At that moment, I discovered that dishonest ICT employees had hijacked my legitimate admission twice. I was totally broken. My dreams were stolen from me. My name, duly authorised by the senate for both the remedial programme and the 100 level, had been changed with the names of their preferred candidates in the process of uploading the list. My family's continuous support and my own spirit of perseverance gave me comfort in the face of such injustice. Even though I was deeply hurt, I resisted letting my anger or hopelessness overcome me. Rather than giving up, I continued on with my academic goals by looking for other routes.
In December of that fateful year, fortune smiled upon me when my cousin informed me about the chance provided by the remedial school at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. I jumped at the opportunity, and I passed the aptitude test, which proved to be a testament to my steadfast resolve in the face of difficulty. Years later, while I carried on with my studies, the wheels of justice kept turning relentlessly. The very ICT employees who had attempted to dash my hopes were held accountable for their wrongdoings, which were exposed. As I saw them fall, I felt happy, and it was as if the wrong that had wounded me for so long had finally healed. Even if the wounds might not go away, I came out stronger, and my spirit was not broken by injustice. Because, in the end, my perseverance and the triumph of justice defined me more than the weight of betrayal.
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