(Series 1)

Omolara Jegede

“Praise the Lord”, The senior pastor of the Chapel echoed as the congregation responded to his call with an “Hallelujah!”.
The service began and the choir stood up in unisom for the hymn. The ushers were beaming with smiles as they welcomed the chapel members and first timers to the service.

It was time for the praise session a beautiful woman mounted the podium to take the lead, ‘I go dance to my God’ the praise session was highly inspiring and filled with enthusiasm.

“I will be late again today for service, when exactly would I stop all this bad habit?” She said in bewilderment. Ten minutes later she was looking good to go. As she entered into the church the ushers welcomed her in and showed her to a seat courteously. She obliged.

The service ended the church members trooped out in twos and threes with their Bibles and some women with their bags.

“Rose”,Matthew the youth general secretary beckoned on her. She had planned to stop by at the market to get some things for herself, but on seeing him she concluded there was no way out for her.

“You came late again today to church, may I know the reason for today’s lateness, miss?” Matthew said raptly beaming with some holy ghost smile.

“Like, I slept off and eeerm!”, she skipped. “God will forgive me again sir” as she lifted her head courageously. “What are you up to for today and I learnt UNILAG examinations is next month guess you have started burning night candles in preparation for it, I trust you whizkid” she commended him.

“I have no power on my own to write UNILAG examinations successfully but I trust God’s judgment and his will is good, I really wish I can speak to you today can you spare me sometime miss?”
“See, I am running late already I wish to visit the market to get something’s for myself if you will excuse me, Matthew. Catch ya later now” . She hurriedly waved at a cab.

Matthew stood like a log of wood casting glances at her till the cab faded.

“Dear Lord, please let Rose see that she is a mighty seed upon the earth help her to wake up to her responsibility and stand in gap for her own nation.” Matthew interceded silently for Rose.

They had been friends long ago, they attended the same school and church. Matthew had no ulterior motive for her but his heart yearned and he knew that she was going to be a great sledge hammer in the secret place for God but she didn’t pay rapt attention to him or his words.

“Give her time, keep interceding for her and keep your distance his inner man whispered as he rounded up his prayers to get other things done”.

Rose sat on the plastic chair in her room as she brought out her smartphones to surf the social media she opened the latest UNILAG newsfeed on the institution site.

“Wow! They have past questions compiled in a textbook. That’s great!” She instantly downloaded the p.d.f of the past questions so she could tell Matthew and some of her friends about it. “Who exactly does he thinks he his to interrogate me everytime I go late to church?” She muttered.”

The UNILAG examinations commenced and ended well, some of the participants that wrote the examinations came out beaming with smiles, definitely the set of participants that came across the past questions. Some came out with uncertainties from the hall while some looked so down and highly devastated on what would be their end after the result.

“Matthew”, Rose beckoned on him as she hastily walked up to him.

“Rose, how was your exams?” He said, looking totally exhausted and unhappy. “Guess you blowed it excellently” he managed to give out a sly smile”

“What’s wrong, hope there is no problem? Matthew you don’t look happy, Is it the examinations or didn’t you read the p.d.f past questions I sent to you?” She bombarded him with further questions to see if he would provide answer to all her interrogation at once.

“I am not feeling so well am on drugs and its malaria but it is well. Rose, thanks for the concern about the examinations I think I once told you that I don’t trust my brain I trust God and his judgment he brought me this far and he knows the best way to sort my life.”

Nonetheless, glory to him for being committed. Matthew didn’t attempt the examinations well due to his health but he was determined to tell God his plights than men.

“Hope you are feeling better now or are the symptoms still persisting? She queried.

The Result was uploaded on the school portal but the list of admitted students was pending. Rose swiped her phone to check her scores.

“Wow, Thank you Jesus” she blurted out loud and headed straightway to tell her Aunt Deborah about the goodnews.
“Aunt, I had eighty percent in the examinations.” Her aunt was excited. She remembered her friend Fransisca. They had both put in for UNILAG that same year she had a fifty percent while Fransisca had Eighty-five percent.

“I had lost all hope on the admission that year, I was sincerely happy for Fransisca as she also encouraged me not to loose hope. ‘Except there was a miracle’ I muttered after Fransisca words, Indeed a miracle happened that made me more confused about the real definition of miracles.”

The Admission merit list was pasted my name was the third on the list, we searched all day for Fransisca’s name and to my bewilderment, we didn’t see her name on the list.

‘Like what is happening here I queried myself, Fransisca had Eighty-five percent and I had fifty percent how? There is a mix-up somewhere I emphasized.’

The subsequent list too was pasted and my dear friends name was not on it, that part of the Bible dawned on my heart Romans 9:15-16 ‘it is the Lord that showeth mercy’ .

Fransisca cried out her eyes, weeks later she was referred to another Private institution In Abuja An optional offer she took up.

“Rose, I will be serious with you till date I don’t still understand how to define such miracle. Little sis, I advise you don’t trust UNILAG as such please pray for God’s mercy, Deborah said.

‘Rose didn’t oblige her Aunt’s advice, “that was her own time and now is my time nothing can stop me. UNILAG here I come”, As she placed her focus on the standing mirror in her room. “Make welcome the best student in the Physiotherapy department ‘Jayakaye Rose'” as she bowed. Yes that was the kind of honour she looked forward to get in the institution nobody can pour sand inside my garri (Cassava flour) she boasted.

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Matthew saw his results he had Fifty-Seven percent, he went on his kneels worshipping God for the score. It was too obvious that he could never score up to that due to his health status that day. He kept hope alive as he trusted God for intervention knowing fully well that the Accounting department never accepted students below grade Sixty percent.

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Weeks later the admissions board of the institution sat down to decide the cut-off marks for each faculty which resulted in so much unending argument.

“Dr. Makinde don’t tell me that. You can’t dictate for my department.” The H.O.D of Accounting Department blurted out.’

“I was just saying that let’s admit students within the aggregate score of Fifty knowing fully well that its the Business faculty”.

“Dr. Makinde, please stop trying to help us out. Last time I checked you are the H.O.D of Glass & Ceramic technology in the Science Technology Faculty. Save yourself the stress, pocket your gullible words,” Dr. Folorunso the H.O.D for Marketing remarked.

“Errrhm!” Dr. Makinde was about to speak.

“Dr. Makinde,what do you want to say again? It appears that you have been paid to trouble this meeting” Dr Sanusi the H.O.D from Architectural Department emphasized.

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Few Weeks earlier Dr.Makinde had met with some parents requesting heavy dues from them so as to get their wards admitted to the university. Funny enough, eighty percent of the incumbent students were from the Business Faculty, with fifty-two below as their aggregate. The remnant were from the Technology faculty, Medical faculty Humanitarian faculty.

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“I pray that the board accepts fifty percent for the faculty” He muttered silently.

“I want us to conclude now on the cut-off mark for this faculty so that we can proceed to other faculties” The Chief admission officer, Dr. Popoola pleaded.

The conference hall was at the state of decorum, every board members gave it a quick thought.

“I suggest fifty-five percent for them”, Dr. Ekpe, the H.O.D for Linguistics said.

“Perfect”, Dr. Luke stated.

“Good”, Dr. Sanusi added.

The House concluded fifty-five for The Faculty of Business after casting a votes. It was obvious Mr. Makinde had cockroaches in his cupboard. He was the only one who didn’t raise his hands in support of the mark.

“Now, we will take a brief break”. Dr Popoola announced.

Dr. Makinde opened the plastic soft drink to gulp it. “Are you okay?” was the word he heard from behind him, turning his head 180 degree.

Dr.Femisola the notorious H.O.D from the Faculty of Mathematics and Statistics receives bribe for virtually everything. They were friends indeed The adage Birds of the same type flocks together is the best definition of the duo.

Why did you insist on fifty percent?” Dr.Femisola asked.

“It is coded”, he replied as he stretched his hands forth to share with him a plastic soft drink.

“Thanks for the soft drink, I just pray Mass Communication department will be forty five” Dr. Femisola said restlessly.

“Why would you pray such prayers?” Dr. Makinde queried.

“I took bribe from about twenty incumbent students (Fifty thousand naira only) they are all from the Mass Communication department. Please support me as soon as we get back to the meeting”, he pleaded.

“One million naira over twenty students that’s damn much, I didn’t even collect up to that from my clients. You be boss. I am your apprentice, Just Ten thousand on about fifty of them just Five hundred thousand naira he boasted.”

“Now I understand the reason for your protest against fifty-five percent, Yeye yeye man (Hilarious personality)” he teased him.

“Let’s continue from where we stopped.” Dr. Popoola pleaded that he will prefer a very fast and precise meeting, as they still had a long way to go, “My wife and kids will be expecting me home from 6pm” he joked.

The Medicine faculty was next on the list. They all concluded that range of students with Eighty-Five to Ninety percent will be on the merit list then if the population isn’t enough, Eighty-two percent upwards can be considered. “We can’t go lower than that” Dr. Popoola concluded.

The physiotherapy department was concluded to have eighty two as an aggregate.

The meeting was adjourned to a next sitting. “After the compilation of the first list. If all the spaces are not filled, then there will be a need to step down some departmental aggregates “, Dr Popoola said.

Dr. Ray the dean of Social sciences faculty said the closing prayers.

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To be continued

STAY BLESSED

I CALL YOU BLESSED

Dexterity✍

JUST BELIEVE

I BELIEVE

Lady Omolara T.J