The year 2012 was the start of a major journey in my life that tells the story of God’s direction and provision. It was the year I started medschool in Afe Babalola University(Abuad). Now that would sound like a normal statement to anybody, till they understood the circumstances surrounding it.
My family and I had been praying that I enter the university the same year I graduated high school but more importantly the school God intended for me. It was on one of these nights my mother told me that she had dreamt of a matriculation gown with certain colors but it didn’t belong to any of the schools I’d applied for [University of Nigeria, Nsukka((UNN)) OR University of Ibadan((UI))].
At the time I had written the post utme exams for these schools and the results were in my favor. I even had the best post-utme result in UNN then, so I had an admission to study medicine on merit [this is just so you can understand the weight of the decision I made later on]. Judging from the usual point of view, it seemed like the perfect path to my future; it was quite affordable, familiar and close to home but within my heart I knew this wasn’t the place for me.
I had written the Post- Utme for Abuad before going to write the one for UNN, just because it was free and I had some time on my hands at the time. My father also suggested it figuring there was no harm in having more options but when we went to get the acceptance letter, my mum screamed pointing at the banner saying that the matriculation gown there was the one she had seen in her dream. Despite this occurrence we continued to pray and along the line, three unrelated people confirmed it but they couldn’t understand why especially because of the financial state of the family. Even my father wasn’t in support at the time because he didn’t think it was possible for him to get the money for my education there throughout.
This was the case for quite a while and during that time I went through my bible and saw that God made provision after acts of obedience and so I held on to that.
I still wasn’t able to resume on the set date for resumption because the money hadn’t come.
One blessed day, my grand aunt overseas called, [this call was shocking because we were seldom in contact with them] She asked about the family then strangely asked about me particularly . My mum reluctantly told her about the situation and immediately my aunt sent the fees for my first year. My aunt never sent it as a loan but my mum paid back anyway.
Now knowing the situation at home, I was motivated to study hard to qualify for any scholarship available. I did do excellently but no scholarship was forthcoming even the one promised by the school to those who had 5.0, so I resumed 2nd year with only #500,000 which my dad was able to raise somehow.
Later on that year I sensed the need to go the founder and explain my situation to him and seek a scholarship as the bursary had started asking me for my fees (I even had to leave class sometimes). Discussing the idea with trusted lecturers and my provost, I approached the founder after waiting outside his office for days. When I eventually met him I obtained favor and he assured me that I wouldn’t be disturbed again and that he would help me look for foundations offering scholarships. He was empathetic because he had been in a similar situation when he was younger.
Now resuming 3rd year, there was no money to resume with but little did I know that God was about to show himself stronger. This was the period God led me to friends who I shared my story with. They supported me every way they could; helping me find scholarships, reassuring me with words of encouragement, praying with me etc
This time I went to meet the founder to request for a full scholarship (there was one available at the time but only applied to new students so I wanted to ask that he’d make an exception for me) but he only granted me audience while he was in a meeting with some of his contractors. I wasn’t too pleased with the idea at first but after I made my plea, one of them asked me how much my 3rd year fees was and I told him. He then told the founder that be would pay it all. He subsequently wrote a pledge to do so and sent #500,000 before my 3rd year exam, so I wrote it without disturbance. This occurrence blew my mind and got me quite excited. I was so grateful to God and told my brothers (friends) who celebrated with me.
I even thought he was only going to pay for my 3rd year but he called me during my 4th year, promising to pay my fees for that year too and because of the pledges he kept writing to bursary I had no disturbances.
This “high” only lasted a while because later in the year I found out through his link with the school that he was having certain health and business challenges. Hearing this news put me in a depressive state and so with a debt of about 3.1million hanging over my head, I went to the founder again but my sponsor still called assuring that the money would be paid.
By my 5th year all I had was still his promise and since that wasn’t enough to keep the bursary away, I was sent out of school and not allowed to write my exams. I met the founder again but this time, I was offered a bond; this stated that my debt would be waived but after my graduation I would be in service to the school for about twice as much as I owed; probably 12 years. With a heavy heart I took the document to review with my parents and a lawyer.
Later on, I attempted to write my 5th year exams but was asked by the authorities to leave the exam hall. This caused an altercation between the authorities and my lecturers who advocated for me saying that the worst to be done should be retention of my certificate after med school. I was sort of surprised because they didn’t really know me and it was a risk on their part but because of that I was able to write the first two papers. Later on I was warned that if I proceeded with the exams, all my results so far would be cancelled. My classmates who had no idea what had been going on with me this whole time had known everything by now.
At this point I was fed up, everything seemed to be crashing around me and for the first time during this whole experience, I cried. I even went to my room with the intention of just packing and leaving the school finally before anyone came back from the hall but the Holy Spirit told me to go back. When I did, I discovered that they had put the exam on hold because of me; they didn’t let anyone write till I was found. Apparently my lecturers advocated for me again so I wrote the last paper despite my disturbed state of mind.
When the results came out I surprisingly passed quite well to everyone’s amazement; even mine.
So I went on to final year and during this time I had no where to turn to as my parents and I weren’t willing to sign the bond. I had even called home stating the possibility of coming back when the bursary came once again.
At this time I was owing about 9.1 million, I couldn’t get through to my sponsor and it seemed impossible for the money to come from anywhere during this time so I did the only thing I could do that would cause any change; I prayed.
Miraculously during that period, my grandaunt called; she was quite upset as one of my aunts had called and told her the situation. She went on to tell her husband who then called me and heard my side of the story and that was it!
He called the bursary that day promising to send the money the next morning; every single dime I owed was sent to the school’s account! Just like that, all my debt had been paid.
I’m so grateful to God because through this experience I’ve learnt to trust God especially as provider. Most times I never saw the substance but God kept his promise; from the various pledges made by my sponsor to the favor he granted me to the professors and teachers he used to encourage me through the time to the friends he led me to. Now if God tells me to do something, I’m less bothered about it’s funding because through this I’ve learnt to trust God in that area.
Glory to God!
-Dr Obi Franklin Chibuike
“The purpose of this testimony is to encourage any med student going through any thing similar. Our God still does miracles. Hallelujah!”
CANDENTIA. 