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On Sunday, a celebratory moment turned controversial at the Dunamis International Gospel Centre in Abuja when Pastor Paul Enenche questioned a woman’s academic achievement as she shared her testimony.
The woman, identified as Anyim Vera, stepped up to the pulpit with a story of personal triumph, announcing she had broken her family’s cycle of educational limitations by earning a law degree from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
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During her heartfelt testimony, Ms Vera shared the struggles and setbacks she faced on her journey to graduation, overcoming financial difficulties and health challenges to become the first university graduate in her family.
Testimony
Her viral testimony video went, “I want to appreciate God for my life and my family, and I want to thank God for using mummy and daddy for our sake. It all happened when I was trying to attend the National Open University of Nigeria.
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“Before I came to Dunamis, many things were happening in my life and my family; from my father’s side and my mother’s side, nobody was a graduate. They only ended up in primary or secondary school.”
“But when God remembered me, I got a job, and I was working, and I decided to further my education; I started school, and I wanted to do a law programme. I started in 2014, and I never lacked the money to pay my school fees; I kept going to the extent that I got to my 500 level and challenges everywhere: problems, sickness, they afflict me with leg pain, and I was not able to finish my mate had finished, the law programme is six years, but since I was unable to meet up, I keep on like that. But yesterday, I graduated.”
Disgrace
However, the testimony took an unexpected turn when Pastor Enenche noticed discrepancies in her language and understanding of her supposed law degree. His suspicions rose when Ms Vera referred to her degree as a BSc in law, which led to further probing by the pastor.
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The situation escalated quickly, resulting in her being asked to leave the pulpit as the pastor, Mr Enenche, expressed his concerns about the authenticity of her claims, cautioning the congregation against false testimonies.
He asked, “What kind of degree did you get? Medicine is MBBS,” the woman boldly replied that she had a BSc in law. In response, the pastor’s fury ignited, and he promptly ejected her from the pulpit.
Mr Enenche took over the pulpit and further probed the testimony; he said, “The moment she talked about a law degree, I knew there is nothing like ‘law’ in what she was saying. No matter how bad it is, it hasn’t reached that level. Is there any lawyer here with a BSc in Law? Lie testimony, come to stand on the altar to tell lies in the name of testimony. Anyone who dares that should do it at your detriment, the Lord killeth and maketh alive. Come to make it look like the word of God is fake. Or that what God is doing is not real? You do it to the detriment of yourself.
The story, however, does not end there.
Law degree
A check on Vera’s Facebook page reveals a post from 13 April, the eve of the testimony, where she joyfully celebrated her graduation day.
She expressed her gratitude towards God and invited friends to join in her happiness. The post included photographs in a graduation gown, reinforcing her claims.
Further investigation confirmed Ms Vera’s achievement.
According to the National Open University’s comprehensive graduation list, Anyim Vera indeed graduated with an LLB in Law, appearing as number 2262 on the list under the matric number NOU133971176.
Graduation list
The incident has sparked discussions online, with many suggesting that Ms Vera’s initial inaccurate description of her degree could have been due to nervousness or pressure on stage rather than an intent to deceive.
There have been calls from netizens asking Mr Enenche to apologise to the woman, but as of press time, he has yet to respond to the outcry.
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