"Prophet Said I Wouldn't Make it Academically": Prof Says after Winning Big Abroad & Breaking Records
- Ifeanyi Obi graduated with a 2.2 from the University of Nigeria and started applying for his Master's abroad
- After many rejections, he proceeded to Cyprus where he finished as the best graduating student
- Obi has encouraged others to see failure as an opportunity to go higher and says it should not discourage them from achieving success
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Despite the negative prophecy given to him by a prophet when he was just eight years, Ifeanyi Obi has done many great things in life as he continues to make his country proud in Cyprus, where he's a professor of construction technology.
Obi has become an inspiration to many people aspiring to greatness as his life story is one that is embedded with many lessons.
A negative prophecy
When he was just eight years, a prophet told Obi that he would never make it academically and advised him to shift his focus to trading instead.
Source: UGC
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Speaking with Briefly News, Obi said he couldn't afford to give in to the negative word and he was determined to upturn it by achieving success academically.
In his words:
"A prophet told me that I would never make it academically and I should rather shift my focus to trading. I couldn’t afford to give in to the negative word and nullify the purpose of my academics by making mockery the Word spoken over my life by God."
Success didn't come on a platter of gold
The young professor said success didn't come on a platter of gold for him as there were many hurdles on his way to achieving it. After finishing with 2.2 from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the young got many rejections after applying for his Master's abroad.
Obi wasn't going to give up and he proceeded to Cyprus with great determination to further his education. He finished his Master's as the best graduating student and was the valedictorian.
The young man said he felt great after achieving such a feat as he was able to upturn the negative prophecy over his life. He then came to the realisation that people are the architects of their own lives and they determine to an extent how any spoken word or the Word of God will turn out.
Obi said:
"I was convinced without any doubt that in anything you set your mind to do; it is important and valuable to search and hear for yourself what God is saying or what He has said concerning the matter so as not to shortchange oneself in the process.
"The feeling was priceless because you can never replace the results that are seen which come from God. This was clear proof and confirmation of my determination that never for one bit was I forsaken."
His motivation
The young man said his motivation was driven by his vision and determination to make it in life. According to Obi, he had his mindset to accomplish his vision and commit to seeing it come to fruition by walking in the purpose God had for him.
In his words:
"I only had to mirror and become, knowing that success is the fulfilment of God given assignment and not just the ability to show achievements or accomplishments but also a principle of who I was mostly becoming and growing into as a person and as a means of not giving a voice to a negative spoken word."
Life at the University of Nigeria
Obi said he had a fairly good experience as an undergraduate even though the environment and the teaching approaches were difficult.
In his words:
"It was onerous, and in the classrooms, you had to be more conscious of proving why lecturers shouldn’t fail you because there were surely committed to fail you."
According to him, it was students' responsibility to prove to lecturers beyond reasonable doubt why they deserve a particular grade.
The prophet of doom
Obi said the prophet is now deceased but he strongly believes that he was aware that his negative prophecy didn't come to pass in his life.
In his words:
"I strongly believe the prophet heard about all these undeniable results that have not only lasted for a short time but have remained and I’m privileged to have been used as a referral point till this present day."
Advice to those on the verge of giving up
He said whatever God has pronounced in people's lives is the ultimate and will stand the test of time than what humans declare.
Obi advised people to stay committed to their purpose in life and allow God to perform wonders.
According to him, failure is an opportunity to go higher and it shouldn't discourage people from achieving success.
In his words:
"You have the capacity to change your life story and transform your life. Only you have the power and grace has been given to you, and you can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
"Be determined and focused and pay the price to avoid unnecessary pressure to reach your destination, but when you fail along the way, know that this is an opportunity for you to go higher, improve and tighten the loose ends."
Man proves professor who said he won’t graduate wrong, inspires the internet
In related news, Briefly News previously reported that a man Saif Ullah has stated that one's past is not equal to what the future holds, provided such a person takes hold of his life.
Saif stated this on LinkedIn as he recounted how he proved his professor wrong during his PhD program.
According to him, he had begun his PhD in October 2008 and was disappointed when his professor told him that he couldn't complete the program even in 10 years.
The professor's statement disturbed him but he later found the willpower to persevere.
He aced the project and successfully defended it in October 2010.
Social media reacts
Kelechukwu Onwukamike wrote:
"Saif Ullah, PhD couldn't have been said better. In my case I was fortunate to have a very supportive supervisor. I can only imagine how difficult it was to deal with all this yourself and at the end you are correct, a PhD journey is you vs you. Thanks for sharing."
Shree Nanguneri commented:
"Congratulations on your milestone of achieving this feat.
"What would you have done differently knowing what you know now if you were to go back in time?
"Wishing you the best in your career, & profession in 2021 -> beyond."
Shyam M. remarked:
"There was nothing wrong with your professor who told you that you wouldn't finish even in ten years. It was actually negative way of motivating a student.
"Everything depends on our perception. It is because he challenged you, you finished your PhD. Otherwise you probably may not have finished. If one expects petting and pampering then PhD is not for them."
Madeleine L Combrinck commented:
"Never let another person tell you what you can't do. Most importantly, don't believe them. Know who you are, believe in the dream and work for what you want."
Source: Briefly News
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
Naomi Kobbie Naomi is an entertainment writer with 3 years experience in the world of radio and print media. She is a language graduate from the University of Pretoria (2020) and has worked for Briefly News since 2021. Naomi has a passion for the written word, whether through her work as a journalist or as a soulful singer. "When I'm not working, I spend my time producing music, travelling or snuggling up with a good movie and some butter popcorn."
