Itoma oluwatobi jacob, a student of Mass Communication and who is also the runner up at the public speaking debate competition organized by the student body of Mass Communication department shared his experience in an interview with PRESS CLUB MAPOLY on how he eventually achieved the feat despite his visual challenge. Nurudeen Salako writes
• Sir, Can we meet you?
My name is Itoma Oluwatobi Jacob. An HND 1 student of Mass Communication, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic.
• As the first runner up of the competition and also visually impaired, how do you feel?
Firstly, I give glory to God and appreciate him because he is the first and the last. He has being the one who uphold me and ensure protection over me. I am very happy to have made it this far because I have always believed in myself. l will also want to appreciate my mother who has always believed in me, am happy to have her as my mother and I pray God continue to grant her sound health.
Being the only physical challenged person among the contestants, what could you say to have been the source of inspiration for your participation in the competition?
I would say nothing inspired me but joy, faith and people who believed in me and also i was confident that i can compete with them and win even when am visually impaired.
During the competition process and you getting to the semi final, were you ever sidelined and treated less among your contestants or by the organizers?
No, i was never sidelined or felt discouraged because everybody understand my predicament and they really supported me. You can see today that my fellow contestant was the one leading me to the podium to have the stage.
Have you ever foreseen yourself to have made it to the semis in spite of you competing with other 28 candidates that were also registered for this competition?
I was just God’s grace. Let me tell you a story, I never knew there will be an audition that week we were auditioned and I never had any topic on before that time and while audition was going on, I was disorganized and demoralised because it was an impromptu preparation for me where i was later told at the venue that we have being told to be prepared for the big challenge. We were also said to have being told to proposed a topic by our selves (Contestants) but with all these challenges of course, I believe that what is meant for, is meant well and I was able to brainstorm and incubate and came up with a topic which was " A dichotomy of academic intelligence and skills development: A threat to national development" I personally coined and proposed the topic and I thank God it was approved by the organizer which was later used at the semi final. I was never prepared but if no one believe in me, I believe in myself.
Tell us the secret behind your success today as you are being celebrated by all.
Well, well, secret? Is there anything like secrets?
I don’t think there is a secret but only a tactics. Its my tactics and I think I won it.
Are there people who had contributed to this success of yours?
First of all, I will appreciate everybody who believed in me and also to those who didn’t because of my predicament but more to those who supported me. I will not be able to complete this gratitude message without mentioning some certain names who stood by me because i never had the money to get the form but a friend, Pamilerin who believed and felt i can do it got me the form, So for her to have being able to pay for my form, even though #500 is not much but is more and by this she has impacted into my life. In addition i won’t complete these statements if i don’t appreciates Olamide from HND2 Mass Communication who came at a time i was confused, whom God has sent to me at the right time and she was part of my success. I appreciate my room mate and friends.
What advise do you have for students like you who are challenged ?
Well firstly, My advise goes to the school management (MAPOLY) to give us we (Physical challenged students) more opportunities to operates on campus which this is very important. Although we are trying our best to excel in spite of we having no facilities to aid our learning process in class as lecturers only come to class to use hands to explained which we can’t see them doing. For the Government, we need more awareness and education about us to the people. Society is a place in Nigeria where you are not trusted because you are visually impaired and you being on wheelchair. For my fellow students, I will advise them that there are two ways to life; is either you acquired a skill or you inherit one but whatever way you have had the skill, just believe in yourself and continue to do your best even if no one believe in you. I have a future and believe the time is now.
