Abubakar Babatetengi reports
Shittu Halimat and Abdulsalam Aminat
The Biological Science Students’ Association, at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, has revived its once-lost tradition, honoring three exceptional students with well-deserved merit awards.
The handing over event, organized by the outgoing executives, took place on Wednesday, December 13th at the General Biology Laboratory (GBL).
The occasion saw three students being honored for their prudent performance towards their academic careers during the 2021/2022 academic session.
The awardees are; Shittu Halimat Olaitan from the 200 level with a 4.79 CGPA, Abdulsalam Aminat Omowumi from the 300 level with a 4.70 CGPA, and Emmanuel Patrick Yamma from the 400 level with a 4.50 CGPA.
In an interview with Shittu Halimat, one of the best-performing students at the 200 level, she expressed her commitment to her studies and how she has been struggling with some hard courses in her field of study.
“Everything is due to the grace of Allah. Though Biology was not the course I chose during my UTME, motivation from friends and lecturers compelled me to develop a passion for the course. Physics and Mathematics are the courses that gave me a headache but tutorials from Standard Deviation Tutorial (SDT) helped me through. Finally, I’m really happy to be the Best-Performing student at my level.”
Also, another awardee, Emmanuel Patrick Yamma, conceived his achievement of being the Best-Performing student in the 400 level, and how some students underrated Biology as a simple course.
Emmanuel Patrick Yemma
He said, “ I can say the journey has not been as smooth as people thought it was, some students see biology as a mere course but I stand to argue that, biology is not just a mere and simple course in the university.
“First class was my dream after being admitted into this prestigious university. At times, I thought of giving up in my first year because I couldn’t make it, and a few points were dropped, but in my second year I received more directions and enough study added to it, and I climbed first class in my second year of the study”, says Patrick.
In an interview with Muhammad Aminu Shinkafi, the immediate past President of the Association, said that the students were honored for their excellent performances, to serve as a motivation to the other students.
His words: “The rationale behind the innovation is to recognize the awardees for their hard work, and to encourage them to perform more than they are doing while motivating other students to emulate their prudence.”
Speaking with The News Digest press, Hussaini Abdulmujib Abdulkadir, the immediate past Secretary-General of the association expressed that the administration revived the lost custom of the department.
Expressing optimism, he noted that the reinstated practice, as highlighted during their tenure, will endure and persist in the future.
“As we all know, the act of awarding the best student each session has been a lost culture in our department. Our Aim is to revive this culture and make it a norm that would be carried out from this administration to the next administration”, Abdulmujib said.
He further added that the purpose of the award presentation is to make every student realize that their hard work is always recognized.