Two female graduates of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, have broken the 21-year first-class dearth in the Department of English.

The duo Kehinde Lawal and Roheemah Arogundade finished with 4.56 CGPA, breaking the absence of a first class graduate in the department since 1997.

They both graduated in 2015/2016 but had their convocation on Wednesday at the institution’s 43rd joint convocation ceremony at the Amphitheatre Oduduwa Hall.

Ms Lawal, an Osun State indigene and Ms Arogundade a native of Ibeju Lekki, Lagos State both said their backgrounds contributed significantly towards achieving this feat.

“I grew up in the family where it is believed that education is a key to unlocking countless opportunities in the outside world.

“That is the reason I dedicate the success to my family,” Arogundade said.

Lawal advised the younger generation not to be held bound by assumptions or beliefs.

“Graduating with a first class from the department of English OAU had been tagged impossible for years. This belief had discouraged and misled a lot of people.

“No matter how impossible people assume a task to be, we should not let their assumptions affect the motivation to attain success in anything we do,” Lawal said.

Unlike Lawal who was involved in several activities on campus, Arogundade was not very engaged in extra-curricular activities.

“Well, I did multitask to a certain extent, but not fully,” she said.

Arogundade also spoke on some of the loopholes in the education sector, particularly on the unstable academic calendar which she said “contributed to her challenges.”

Akinmade Akande who is now a professor of English was the last first-class graduate of the department.