Miss Goodness Shekwobyalo Thomas involved in the admission challenge with the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, will Saturday matriculate at the Gabriel Igbinedion University, Okada for her choice course, Medicine and Surgery we can exclusively disclose to you.
Shekwobyalo whose name means God is good to me in Gbagyi language, started her registration process on Monday and concluded it Wednesday all under full scholarship of a Bini Princess who chose to remain anonymous as condition for sponsorship despite the fact that investigation shows she sponsors about two hundred people for various courses in different institutions annually.
Miss Goodness whose scholarship covers tuition, accommodation and books has already settled down happily in school with new roommates one of which is also a medical student.
The Registrar of the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof Ishaq Oloyede had responded to public outcry of the general public against Ahmadu Bello University with a roundtable meeting of the Admissions Officer of ABU, Haruna Ali; Bellu Attahiru representing the KadunState Ministry of Education and the representative of Civil Society Organizations. Nobody represented the family of Miss Goodness because her father, Mr. Elisha Thomas was not available in the country and the mother; Mrs. Gloria Thomas had no mandate of her husband to do so.
While the meeting was going on in Abuja, Mrs. Thomas was with her daughter at the Okada town processing her registration.
We can also authoritatively disclose to you that Mrs. Thomas has been contacted for a meeting with Niger State officials by the State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Hannatu Salihu for next week because to them the ABU issue is not yet closed. The Thomas hail from the Dogara family of Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State. They are of the Gbagyi extraction.
The Ishaq Oloyede meeting had ordered that ABU should expressly offer Miss Goodness Smith admissions for her choice course, Medicine and Surgery with a proviso that Miss Goodness has the choice to accept or reject the ABU offer.
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom thinking Miss Goodness hails from Benue State upon their investigation had alleged that Miss Goodness was denied admissions because she is a Christian. It was ABU that first goofed stating that Goodness is “from Benue State and placed seventh but because of her good result, she was offered Anatomy “.
From the Oloyede meeting, Goodness placed third. Isah Mujahid was first with UTME 296; post UTME 303 and average score of 299. Hassan Ruqayyat Ndaisa was second with UTME 275; post UTME 309 and average score of 292 while Thomas Goodness Shekwobyalo was third with UTME 309; post UTME 274 and average score of 288. The Oloyode decision therefore gave an impression that the offer was to attain religious balance.
An angry top Niger State politician told us that the Niger State Government left their involvement late as the case of the girl would have been lost if not for public outcry on the social media.
A Journalist, Rev. Eniola Olatunji had started the social media protest that went viral. It was through him that Goodness was offered admission and scholarship by the Bini Princess of a large Royal Family who after several persuasions only accepted to speak to Mrs. Thomas through the Bursar of Igbinedion University, Mr. Nosa Edogiawere to assure the Thomas family that the sponsorship was not a fluke.
Speaking in an interview from the comfort of her hostel room Friday evening, Miss Goodness said she got her academic gown Thursday and is set for the Matriculation that will start at about 10:00 am Saturday at the Igbinedion University.
– ENIOLA OLATUNJI.
