Precious Mbajiorgu, a visually impaired student at Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Anambra State, recently shared the perplexing story of how she lost her sight. Despite facing this challenge, Mbajiorgu emerged as the best candidate in the physical disability category during the 2002 Senior School Certificate Examination conducted by the West African Examination Council.
Mbajiorgu clarified that she was not born blind, emphasizing that the loss of her sight occurred during a routine math-solving session with her classmates. The incident took place between 2007 and 2008, and she vividly recounted the details in an interview with the Punch Newspaper.
“I was not born blind. I used to see perfectly when I was a child until I turned 11. It happened between 2007 and 2008, but I cannot remember the exact day. I just went to school that fateful day,” Mbajiorgu explained. At the time, she was attending Awada Primary School in Obosi, near Onitsha, where the unexpected turn of events occurred.
The visually impaired student elaborated on the incident, stating, “My classmates and I were in the classroom solving mathematics on the board. I had answered the first maths question and was about to go to the next question when suddenly, I discovered that I could not see the board anymore and could no longer see other things. Everywhere became dark.”
Mbajiorgu further noted that there were no warning signs or symptoms leading up to the sudden loss of her vision. Describing it as a mysterious occurrence that she still struggles to comprehend, she shared, “But before then, I did not feel any symptoms or pain in my eyes. It was like a mystery that I have yet to understand to date.”
This revelation adds an intriguing dimension to Mbajiorgu’s inspiring journey, highlighting the challenges she faced in her academic pursuits and emphasizing her remarkable achievement as the top candidate in the physical disability category of the 2002 examination.