A 19-year- old, Raji Khalid Olatunji, of the Department of Sociology, University of Ilorin penultimate Friday, took everybody in the auditorium by surprise as he was announced a First Class graduand, a feat that has never been attained by any student for the past 42 years the department was established.
Being the first to attain such feat in the history of the Sociology department attracted a lot of commendations as several guests in the auditorium exchanged pleasantries with Olatunji shortly after he had a handshake with the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sulyman Age Abdulkareem.
Announcing Olatunji’s class of Degree at a well attended first segment of the 33rd convocation ceremony of the institution, the Dean of Faculty of Social Science, Prof. Bashiru Salawu, described the young Khalid as a jinx and record breaker.
The Dean said the teenager has made a name being the first student of Sociology Department of the University of Ilorin to graduate with a First Class Degree since the inception of the department 42 years ago.
Prof. Salawu who also announced other students who bagged First Class Degree from the faculty of Social Science, proudly invited Khalid and his colleagues to have a handshake with the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Sulyman Age Abdulkareem.
Speaking on the sideline of the event, the young Khalid attributed his success to hardwork and fervent prayers.
He appreciated his lecturers for imparting sound and qualitative knowledge in him, and his parents for giving him solid Islamic and moral backgrounds.
Khalid, who hails from Iwo in Osun State, attended Titilola Memorial College, a private school in his home state.
Another huge feat was recorded the following day as 22-year old, Alabi Rasheedat Adedoyin, emerged the best graduating student in Medicine, winning 26 prizes.
The young lady’s outstanding performance thrilled the audience in the auditorium as they respectively gave her a standing ovation.
To crown it all, her parents were invited to the high table for a group photography with the Vice Chancellor, representatives of the President and the Kwara state Governor as a mark of honour and respect to her family.
Rasheedat emerged overall best in the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, as she topped in the Departments of Pathology, Community Medicine, Paediatrics & Child Health, Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and Department of Surgery.
Among the prizes she claimed included but not limited to the best graduating student in Chemical Pathology, in (MB; BS-Medicine), in Medicine, in Surgery, in Paediatrics and Child Health, in Physiology, in Clinical Ophthalmology.
She equally emerged the most friendly, caring, compassionate and selfless member of the graduating class.
Like Olatunji, Rasheedat hails from Ede in Osun State.
