Later, when the letter of admission to the university came, I took it and knelt before God and asked Him: 'Do you want me to go?' God gave me a positive answer, so, I proceeded.
My principal recommended me to the government for a “study leave with pay'' and it was approved. I was riding a car. I built my 3- bedroom bungalow at Akoka, Lagos with the money given to me while studying at the University of Lagos.
I was in the university doing fine for two years and God was blessing me spiritually and academically. I never did school work over the weekend. By Friday evening, you would find me on the campground getting ready for Sunday activities. Sunday was the busiest day for me. By Sunday night, I would be back in the university. Most of the time, our examination was fixed for Mondays and I would not read on Sundays.
But God surprised me; I never failed a course, I never failed a session. On many occasions, when it was Sunday night, I would have been exhausted. I would just flop down in my bed but by five o'clock, God would wake me up. I would have my bath, get ready with my books and tell God,'I am ready.' God would say, 'Read this, read that. Take another book. Read this and that.’
By 8:45am, you would find me at the complex of the university. My examination questions came from the very notes, the very points and the very chapters I had read. That was how God saw me through the two years I spent in the university.
However, towards the end of 1974/75 session, troubles began. The school authority wanted to find out the genuineness of the certificates the students brought in. They asked us to bring all our certificates: Grade III, Grade II and NCE. I submitted everything. Surprisingly, they said I defrauded in what I wrote in my form, as far as Grade II Teacher's certificate was concerned. I laughed. But I could not defend myself. In the application form I had filled out for Grade IITeacher's Certificate: English, Merit; the other subjects, ditto, ditto, ditto. They asked for the statement of result. We were not given in those days. Fortunately, Sister Yinka Ajayi, the wife of Brother Ajayi at Ikere-Ekiti, was in the Ministry of Education. She went into the archives and dug out my result, which I later submitted to the university authority in 1975. Yet I was subsequently rusticated from the university!And there was nobody to tell me why.
The same year, I became a labourer again, doing all kinds of odd jobs. I kept asking God, 'Why me?' I could not get an answer. But I thank God for His grace. The grace sustained me. I could not understand God's programme for my life. The answer from me is that 'No, it was just an accident. God could not have meant it for me.’
In the following year, I worked in an enterprise with several spinsters. Throughout that period, God kept me even in my state as a widower. Things became even more difficult when my father died in the same year. As the first born, I had only 80 kobo in my pocket. I prayed, 'Lord Jesus, please provide for my needs in respect of all the expenses before me now. Amen.' God answered the prayer!
One day, Brother Oniseogun asked me, “Soyinka, why don't you go back to teaching?'' I said, “I have tried, but I wasn't given a place.” He then encouraged me to try again. That was in 1977. Fortunately for me, I met with the favour of a school authority. To my surprise, I was posted to Aladura Comprehensive High School, Anthony Village. That was how I came back to teaching. It was a miracle! That was in 1978.
On the eve of my 48th birthday anniversary, 3rd of January, God convinced me beyond doubt that Sister Nike would be my wife. That very day, I went to Brother T, the Africa Overseer, in his office and told him. He told me I should go and tell her. When I told her, she did not say anything. The following day, which was my 48th birthday anniversary, she informed Brother T that six months before then, God had told her that I was going to be her husband. And she made up her mind that if it was the will of God, He would work it out. On the 1st of July 1978, we got married.
She got pregnant but my first experience repeated itself. Ah! What is this again? By 29th of March 1980, almost two years after my wedding, God gave us our first child. I was 50 years old then. That same year, I started to have a feeling that God needed me to work for Him full-time. So, I went to Brother T to tell him. Having worked for 35years (1946 to 1981), I submitted my retirement papers to the Ministry of Education.
It was Brother Kayode Ogunlaja who took me to the highest authority in charge of gratuity and pension in the Ministry of Education. Unfortunately, I was told that I was not entitled to any retirement benefits whatsoever as a result of my university problem in 1975. That was how I lost 35 years of service without compensation!