Mr Arowosegbe Aderibigbe, best graduating student, Lagos State University 2014/2015 academic session, on Friday, said hard work and the grace of God made him achieve the feat.
Aderibigbe said in Lagos that he would seek God’s direction before accepting the automatic employment offered him by the institution.
The University’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, had, at the institutions’ 20th Convocation on May 25, announced that the best graduating students with first class would be offered automatic employment.
Fagbohun also said that second class upper students would also be considered afterward.
Speaking on the offer, Aderibigbe, said: “although I was considering joining the academic staff, I intend to pray and seek God’s direction before taking a stand”.
He said that he tried to live a balanced life while in school, socialised once in a while and also did some church and academic activities.
Aderibigbe said his father was a contract staff with the university, while his mother was a trader.
“Many of my friends and colleagues never knew my father once worked as a contract staff attached to the University Campus Marshal.
“I witnessed a students protest while in 100 level where he was stoned. I could not cry.
“As if that was not enough, another incident occurred on Nov. 9, 2012 which changed my father’s life to this day.
“He had an accident on a bike while on duty on campus, where he hit his head and back against the university gate. He could not move any of his limbs initially.
“Some even thought that was the end of him, and my academic pursuit because there was no succour from the appropriate authorities.
“But, glory be to God, he is recuperating and I am now a graduate,” he said.
Aderibigbe said though he had no inferiority complex being a son of a campus marshal, it was challenging.
According to him, he reluctantly came to LASU after he was denied admission at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.
“I reluctantly chose LASU as my second choice in 2011 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and I almost ignored the post-UTME that year because I had already written that of OAU, where I scored 287.
“I thought with that score, together with a UTME score of 278, I was on my way to study Medicine and Surgery.
“I felt the Biochemistry I chose in LASU was to fulfil all righteousness, but look at where that choice has brought me today,’’ he said.
Aderibigbe won three awards – best graduating student overall, best Faculty of Science student and the best student of the Dean.
