Re: Honour for Nigerian student in Russia

SIR: I would like to write a rejoinder to the above-named article published by The Guardian (online version, July 29, 2015). While I felicitate with Dr. Olasuyi on his recognition, I would like to state that many facts stated in that article are far from accurate, and that many others deserve similar recognition if not more.

While many of us who might have surpassed his achievements have maintained a humble and low profile, limiting the publication of our successes to our curriculum vitae since returning to the country, others have embarked on a mission of self-aggrandisement.

Let me state that the beneficiary was a junior of mine to whom (and many others alike) I had served as a mentor and role model in our school – now Russian Natural Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia – while setting the precedence of being one of the first foreign students to ‘beat the Russians at their language’, graduate with a CGPA of 5.0 and scooped almost all awards, including the best participant of the season in the second intra-university competition in Internal Medicine “Young Clinician” for exceptional knowledge and clinical skills.

My take is more on the following statement attributed to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education: “We have to search the Guinness Book of Records for anybody who has achieved 5.0 in a university”.

This is far from true as I had a CGPA of 5.0 in 2012 and I was the second Nigerian (and third African) to be handed a place in RNRMU’s Hall of fame for academic excellence, the first being one Dr. Alonge Olanike Omotola in 2010.

It might be that this recognition emanated from his antecedents while studying here in Nigeria, but this is not peculiar to an individual as many others have attained stunning academic excellence.

Kindly note that this is not an attempt to blow my trumpet but to make certain facts known and request similar recognition for other achievers.