Young Man Who Drove Okada, Sold Yam to Afford School Fees, Graduates With First Class

Cursory: Ugwu Johnmartins Ifeanyi, a first-class graduate has revealed how paying for his fees and surviving was so hard that he had to become a commercial cyclist and he had also sold Yam.

For Mr. Ugwu Johnmartins Ifeanyi, determination, hard work, and dedication is the main key to success. As a student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in Enugu state, it was not at all easy.

Coming from a poor background he did everything legit to excel in school including riding a commercial bike. He graduated with First Class Honours with CGPA of 4.68.

In an exclusive interview with a WITHIN NIGERIA reporter, Ugwu explained how he was able to clinch the highest position in school despite all the challenges he encountered.

“My name is John Martins Ifeanyi Ugwu from Aku, Igbo-Etiti local government area of Enugu state. I came from a very humble background. I am the second son of my family. My father, Ugwu James is a retired Catechist who earns nothing as a Catechist while mother is a yam seller.”

According to the young man, the only financial help he was getting is from his Mom, but she is a petty seller.

He said:

“We were only supported by my mother, a petty yam seller. It was not easy for us from the beginning. We struggled to get through secondary school. But I and my younger sister were so much determined to succeed in life.”

He and his sister had gotten admission in the same year. While he was in Agriculture Extension his sister studied engineering. The siblings suffered so much that they ate whatever was available, to survive.

After his mom gave it to him, he gambled his School fees by buying a bike hoping that he will recover the money before the deadline.

“So, every weekend, I will come out fully, and ride a commercial motorbike. I will use the money I realized there to support myself and equally my younger sister who was in Engineering. However, in my fourth year, I joined some persons in doing Master of the Ceremony. I got some little money from there, but the truth is that job doesn’t come regularly.

“Actually it wasn’t easy for me. I started my bike business in my third year because of financial problems I had to borrow my friends bike to hustle at least to eat two square meal a day.”

However, the young man refused to let the challenges in life defeat his zeal for success. He kept pushing, looking for new ways to make money and solve his problems.

“I do go to bike work on weekends and market both weekends and any week day that my mom needs my assistance and that will result in me missing class for the day. I had challenges while riding the bike like accident that made me sick for months so it became hard for me to survive but my mom helped me with the much she can.

“So after that I bought my own bike with 100k my mom gave me as school fees and house rent. I started hustling with it so that I can pay up my school fees and rent b4 it is late. Finally, I paid it and from it, I paid for my four years and final year school fees. Then the bike was stolen inside school just at the beginning of final year 1st semester exams which became another serious challenge for me seeing my project before me and no means of getting money”

The brilliant graduate stated that he had decided to become an MC, which paid well but had a downside; contracts were ‘ot consistent

“I was dedicated to everything I do I give it 100% attention be it studying, riding, MC and business. Like I said my mom is selling yam so I do go to market to help her out and also from the profit gathered she will give me some money for my up keep. I also encountered light challenges too.

“During my 3yr and 4yr we had no electricity for close to 9months. So I used candles in reading and sometimes go to school with my rechargeable lantern to charge. It affected me deeply because all my assignments became hard as a result of continuous phone low battery.

“And I had no laptop till my final when my in-law gave me his to run my project.Other challenge was that my lodge I stayed from 1-5yr was far from school because I had no money to pay for nearby hostel, so I have to trek. Because of that I will wakeup early.

He shared the moment he felt was the most challenging in his accademic journey. It had been when he was involved in an accident, he had no money for food and had to rely on friends to survive.

Ifeanyi revealed what he hopes to do in future, concluding the interview with words of advice. “If I see the opportunity to go into large scale and mechanized farming, I will. However, I also have passion for teaching.

“My advice to them is that they should be patient in all situation having these three things in mind

1. God.

2. Hard work and

3. Determination.”

Read Also: I am Happy Selling Akara Than Getting Paid job: UNN Graduate who Rejected Many Work Offers

ALLSCHOOL TEAM