Ibama Tubosiya Diana finished as the best graduating student with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.95 from the faculty of Law, Bowen University during the 2018/2019 academic session, making her the overall best graduating student. She told Coker Samuel how she achieved the feat
Tell us a little about yourself and your educational background?
My name is Ibama Tubosiya Diana, I am a native of calabari in rivers state, Am from the family of 5, the first actually, My father is a chartered accountant and my mother is a teacher. I love singing, networking, making new friends. I started my school in Abuja by attending Lugbe international academy, Lugbe Abuja, then I attended Anglican Girls Grammar School for just a term, then proceeded to Federal Government Girls College, Abuloma in Port-Harcourt, then I graduated from our Lady of Fatima College after which I gained admission into Bowen University and had to study mass communication for a year before switching to law and I had to start from 100 level again.
You were one of the three best graduating students of your set; how does this make you feel?
I am the best graduating student and I feel so overwhelmed with gratitude to the Almighty God, my family and everyone who has been instrumental to my success.
To have graduated with 4.95 CGPA implied that you started strong and sustained the tempo throughout; what was your source of inspiration?
My source of inspiration was my family. Having to make them proud and seeing smiles on their faces pushed me to be the best I can be.
Were you impressed with the results you were getting?
Yes, I was. Greatly. I was so grateful to God because I know He was behind it all.
As a child, was Law the field you dreamt of being in?
Yes actually. It has always been in view for me.
What attracted you to Law or was that what your mentors advised you to do?
I have always had an urge to stand up for people who are disadvantaged and cheated. And I am an ardent believer in justice and equity as well as what a nation can achieve with the right laws and instrumentalities set in place. My father was also very pivotal in keeping on this track.
Some people tend to see Law as a simple course; is that true or a misconception?
Well, that’s a misconception. There is nothing simple about Law as a course. Like every other course, it requires dedication and diligence to scale through.
What would you tell students who are at a crossroads whether to study the course or not?
I would tell them to look within and make a decision that is in line with their passion and future goals for themselves.
What reading schedule worked for you?
I read at my own pace and in a manner that was most comfortable for me. One piece of advice that I received that was very helpful was to try as much as possible to read after every topic.
How did you balance your academics with your social life on campus?
Balance can only come when you recognize what is important to you and you prioritize accordingly. I had a goal, I knew what was important and only partook in activities that were not injurious to my goals.
What would you describe as the biggest sacrifice you made for your academics?
I can’t think of anything at the moment. I had an active social life and a good rapport with everyone around me and none of that affected my studies.
I didn’t have to sacrifice much because everything I did was calculated to keep on the path I chose for myself.
It’s easy to assume that success in the higher institution is often preceded by similar performance in previous levels of their education, was that the case for you?
Yes by the grace of God I was the Best Graduating student in arts, 2013 in Our Lady of Fatima College, Port-Harcourt, my secondary school.
When you were young, were there times your parents coerced you into being serious?
As a child, I was very playful but my parents had a way of letting me know how important education is. So I grew up with that orientation. There was no coercion, just advice, and redirection whenever I was distracted.
How would you have felt if you didn’t make first class?
Graduating with a First class was the goal. If I didn’t achieve my goal, I would have been disappointed but I would gear up for the next phase of my life.
Is there any aspect of your profession (in practice) that you think should be improved upon?
Time – With regards to time, for instance, the period between which a matter is initially heard and when judgment is entered, is usually unreasonably long and this has caused several matters to be left unadjudicated. Pieces of evidence might be lost during that time, key witnesses might have died and as fallible as the human memory is, time is not its friend. The course of Justice need not be delayed for too long or else Justice itself may not be done in the end.
Would you like to practice the profession or you have an interest in other things?
I would like to practice albeit for a while. I have an interest in Academia.
What do you do at the moment?
At the moment I intern at Glanville Abibo (SAN) & Co
What are your aspirations in life?
To serve as a beacon of hope to every disadvantaged and abused child and woman, do all I can to advance human rights and the respect of it in Nigeria, and to be outstanding in all I do but God’s grace.
There are many reasons students fail; from your observation in school, what are some of them?
Lack of vision. A lot of people do not have their own vision for their lives. Where there is no vision, a student just flies blind and will be going with the flow. Lack of determination as well as a factor.
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There are students who are desirous of your kind of performance but do not know how to go about it; what is your advice to such persons?
My advice is simple. Success has many definitions. You first have to first define what success means to you. If you desire what God has blessed me with, you have to make a plan, trust God, and work towards it.
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