One of the 276 schoolgirls abducted by terrorists in Northern Nigeria in
\n2014 has today graduated with an Associate Degree from a community
\ncollege in the United States.<\/p>\n
Her graduation day came 5 years, one month and three days after the
\nignoble mass abductions that sparked global outrage and ignited the
\n#bringbackourgirls campaign.<\/p>\n
23 year old Palmatah Mutah who escaped that fateful April night by
\njumping out of a Boko Haram truck becomes the first escaped Chibok girl
\nin the world to obtain an associate degree from an institution abroad.<\/p>\n
Many Nigerians were shocked that most of the 57 Chibok students who
\nescaped could not speak English although they were final year students.
\nHowever Ms Mutah proved to be an exceptional candidate and after just
\none year in a two-year programme in the US meant to enable them complete
\ntheir high school education, she took a Community College entrance exam
\nand passed. She was the only one out of 10 Chibok girls sponsored to
\nschool in the US by international human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe to
\nmake it to Community College within the first year of arrival.<\/p>\n
In January 2016, Ms Mutah along with two other non-Chibok victims of
\nterror and persecution from northeast Nigeria who had also successfully
\npassed the entrance exams began their academic sojourn in a Community
\nCollege in Washington metro area.<\/p>\n
One of the three gifted schoolgirls who was orphaned by Boko Haram in
\nMaiduguri graduated last year with an associate degree in Science while
\nMs Mutah also obtained her associate degree in science.<\/p>\n
By contrast, her Chibok classmates who were whisked out of school in a
\nhostile takeover by the Nigerian Embassy in 2016 are still battling with
\nhigh school certificate and university entrance exams three years after
\ndespite all the promises and enticement of the Buhari administration.<\/p>\n
Ms Mutah, who had rejected all entreaties and threats from the Nigerian
\nembassy’s agents to denounce her benefactor Mr Ogebe and drop out of the
\nschools he secured for her, however came out tops despite declining.<\/p>\n
In addition to her courage, character and intellect, Ms Mutah was also
\nactive in her campus Christian fellowship group. She volunteered in her
\nchurch and also participated in the church’s seasonal mass choir.<\/p>\n
Ms Mutah has also shown exceptionality in other sectors of life. She
\nlearnt to drive a vehicle and obtained her Driver’s license. She drove
\nherself to school for over a year and also drove her classmates as well.<\/p>\n
On the whole Ms Mutah is a well-adjusted, fully-assimilated
\n“All-American” young adult with grace, poise and balance.<\/p>\n
She models the ideals of what young girls given opportunity can blossom
\nto become.<\/p>\n
Sadly 5 years, 1 month and 3 days later while she is advancing in life,
\n112 of her classmates remain in terrorist captivity in what is currently
\nthe world’s longest-running mass abduction.<\/p>\n
The fact that under the Nigerian Government and Murtala Mohammed
\nFoundation, her Chibok classmates with whom she came to US have also
\nmade no appreciable progress beyond high school level after 3 years and
\nmillions of dollars spent, indicates that not only terrorist captivity
\ncan delay academic progress.<\/p>\n
Ms Mutah’s success was of personal integrity, principle and discipline
\ncoupled with mentorship, nurture, faith and love.<\/p>\n
To underscore this point, Ms Mutah’s other classmates who did not
\nsuccumb to the Nigerian Government’s hostile takeover in 2016,
\nsuccessfully graduated from High School in 2017 also making history as
\nthe first escaped Chibok girls to obtain their diplomas abroad. While
\nthey are now in university, their classmates who dropped out of school
\nand followed the FGN are still struggling with high school equivalency
\ncertification.<\/p>\n
Ms. Mutah’s determination, courage and tenacity are not new.<\/p>\n
In 2014, she refused to abandon her classmate in Sambisa forest when she
\njumped after her and injured her legs. “How will I face your parents and
\ntell them I left you in the forest?”, she replied when he friend asked
\nher to leave and save herself.<\/p>\n
It was that friend who when given an opportunity to school abroad by
\nhuman rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe then recommended Ms Mutah to be
\nconsidered for school in America as well.<\/p>\n
Ms Mutah again displayed remarkable perspicacity and tenacity in during
\nher escape when she went in search of help for her friend and found a
\nHerdsmen who didn’t want to help.<\/p>\n
“If you don’t help us, no one will,” she insisted until he finally went
\nback with her on his bike to rescue her injured friend and ultimately to
\nanother village after his wife tended to them.<\/p>\n
It was that same consistent tenacity, integrity and character to say
\n“no” to being taken away by Boko Haram terrorists, “no” to abandoning
\nher friend in the forest and “no” to being denied help in Sambisa in
\n2014 that enabled Ms Mutah to say “no” to being taken away by the
\nNigerian Embassy in 2016 and “no” to abandoning Mr Ogebe and “no” to
\nfailing school in America.<\/p>\n
Speaking about her achievement, her benefactor, Barrister Ogebe said, ”
\nthe graduation of Palmatah is a highpoint of 5 years of toil and
\ntravail. Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.<\/p>\n
She is an illustration of the millions of brilliant kids in Nigeria
\nundiscovered for opportunity but for tragedy and even then until
\npersonal vision and intervention.<\/p>\n
The government of Nigeria got over $25 million because of the Chibok
\nincident but didn’t send her to America. The US government didn’t spend
\none dime on her.<\/p>\n
An American NGO raised $1 million from the Chibok story and did not
\nspend one dime on her.<\/p>\n
Yet through it all by the special grace of God she has made it today.<\/p>\n
She has been a worthy ambassador of Nigeria and of Chibok and especially
\nof the still missing 112 classmates.<\/p>\n
I am especially thankful to God for vindicating and honoring our
\nsacrifices and struggles for her. Some people said they were not ready
\nor worthy of America but we took the risk all the same. She has proven
\nthat any child with the right attitude can reach altitudes.<\/p>\n
Interestingly of all the 11 schoolgirls we flew into America in 2014,in
\nthe largest airlift of Nigerian victims, she was the only one who
\npersonally flew with me.<\/p>\n
The first three arrived together by themselves then she and I flew in
\nfrom Abuja a few weeks later. At the airport, the immigration officer
\nasked her if she knew me in an effort to determine is she was being
\ntrafficked. She confirmed that she knew me. That was my first experience
\nof anything like that but it was the beginning of a wild adventure that
\nhas resulted in today’s success.<\/p>\n
I think it is a special touch from God that the very one Schoolgirl out
\nof 11 who personally traveled with me from Nigeria to America is the one
\nwho came out tops.<\/p>\n
For that I am grateful.<\/p>\n
I am also grateful to those who helped us support her these past few
\nyears.<\/p>\n
College education in America is very expensive especially for
\ninternational students. Several American organizations took in money for
\nthe girls and did not give a cent towards her college costs.<\/p>\n
The vast majority of her tuition came from outside the US because of the
\nactive sabotage of the Nigerian government and their cohorts.<\/p>\n
Palmatah lost her dad while she was here in America for her studies. My
\njoy is that I was able to take her home to visit him not knowing that
\nwould be the last time she would see him.<\/p>\n
Yet in spite of her loss, she worked hard to make a success of herself.
\nHer dad must be smiling from heaven at his daughter’s achievements
\ntoday.”<\/p>\n
At the graduation ceremony of her college which is the 14th largest in
\nAmerica, she was one of less than 100 students on international visas
\nfrom 45 countries to graduate.<\/p>\n
During the recognition of special classes of students, she stood up
\namongst those who speak more than 2 languages and those who were the
\nfirst graduates in their families.<\/p>\n
The commencement special guest speaker said, “I stand here as one but I
\nrepresent 10,000,” little realizing that one stood representing even the
\nworld’s most famous hostage group.<\/p>\n
She continued, “there are some rich in potential but lacking opportunity
\n– the<\/p>\n
Opportunity divide..<\/p>\n
Inside you lies a deep pool of wisdom and knowledge to show you when and
\nhow to climb steep mountains…for others to follow.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
One of the 276 schoolgirls abducted by terrorists in Northern Nigeria in 2014 has today graduated with an Associate Degree from a community college in the United States. Her graduation…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":66743,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n