Abuja — In a break with tradition, the House of Representatives wednesday suspended its rules by admitting Mr. Ayodele Dada, a graduate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) who set a record of attaining a 5.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), into its chamber in recognition of his achievement.
The honour is usually reserved for visiting presidents, parliamentarians and rare guests.
A perfect score of 5.0 as CGPA is rarely attained by students of universities in Nigeria or any part of the world that use the same grading system to determine the class of degrees to award undergraduates of universities.
When it is attained, it implies that the student passed all of his or her course programmes with excellent grades from the first to the final year of a degree programme. Most brilliant students who graduate with a First Class degree often produce CGPAs of 4.50 to 4.90.
The 29-year-old Dada, a graduate of Psychology, received a standing ovation from the lawmakers.
Majority Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who facilitated his visit to the House, noted that it was necessary for the parliament to celebrate achievers who do the nation proud.
“Dada is from humble beginnings, he worked his way through school sometimes doing two or three jobs… A 5.0 CGPA means from the time he got to school till the time he graduated, he did not make less than an A in any course. It is time for us to claim ownership of him,” Gbajabiamila said.
He added that a 5.0 CGPA is a rare feat all over the world, and therefore worthy of a national honour.
Hon. Nnnenna Elendu-Ukeje (Abia PDP) noted that despite the shortfalls in the nation’s tertiary education sector, Dada was able to excel.
“The education sector has been the subject of debates and complaints about the infrastructure, demotivated teachers and unmotivated students, yet he was able to achieve this. He is homegrown and we must lay claim to his achievements,” she added.
Dogara also lauded the young man and urged him to continue in the path of hard work that would see him celebrated.
“You must realise that you are a role model now for many, and you must strive to remain that way. You have begun very well, and the end must be better than the beginning. Continue your hard work and make this country proud,” Dogara said.
By Damilola Oyedele
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201603240591.html
