I’m Getting Depressed — Private Parts Remark A Mistake, Says Nekede Poly Graduate

Sharon Okoroafor, the embattled student of Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri, says she is getting depressed over the controversy trailing her recent remark.

Okoroafor came under fire when she put out a video claiming she graduated with the help of God and her private parts.

The institution condemned the act while many others also berated her.

“This is to inform the general public that the Management of Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri, has begun full investigations into the identity of the student who gloated on Tiktok about how she graduated with the help of God and her private organ,” the institution had said.

But addressing journalists in Owerri on Friday, the student said her remark was a “slip of tongue”.

“I couldn’t have meant it when I said God and my p**sy. Who can have such nerve to say that? It was a slip of tongue. I meant to say God and my Popsy, my father,” she said.

“You know when you are excited for overcoming school stress as a graduate. I was appreciating God and my father who is so fond of me and had supported me throughout my stay in Polynekede.

“The whole thing was blown out of proportion. You know what social media can do to someone. But I’m really getting depressed by this whole thing. I never knew it would get to this extent.

“It is you journalists that are blowing it beyond proportion. I am very proud of my school and it would be unfair for me to put the school which gave me the opportunity to become a graduate, in bad light.

“Federal Polytechnic Nekede is one of the best schools in Nigeria in terms of academic excellence and strict adherence to moral standards. Our Rector is a priest of the Anglican Church and a Moralist. Our lecturers are intellectually and morally strict.

“I charge you as journalists to take your investigation to my department (Business Administration) and ask questions about me. I am a very serious student. I attend lectures and do my independent assignments. I also participate actively in group assignments. I am not a wayward girl.”

Asked if she had been summoned by the school management, she said, “I appeared before the Disciplinary Panel earlier this week. The video was played to me ad I was asked to react. I told them it was a mistake and a slip-of-tongue. I pleaded for forgiveness. They saw how remorseful I was and believed it was a mistake.

“I pray not to resit my exams as a disciplinary measure because it’s going to be a big task to me. It is not easy to pass through this stress again. I have appealed to the management to forgive me and set me free.

“I am ready to undergo any corporal punishment to show them how remorseful I am. Even it means sweeping the school compound for weeks. If I’m a wayward student, I wouldn’t have made a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.8 in my ND program.

“I just pray that the school will forgive me. I know I messed up and everyone is free to condemn me but let it be known that I a genuinely remorseful.

“Seeking legal redress will worsen the whole thing. I won’t even thing of that. It will imply that my apology is not genuine. I hope to be forgiven.

“I am from a responsible home in Umueze Umuhu community in Ngor Okpala LGA of Imo state. My parents are alive but not too strong health wise. My mother has issues with her knees that affected her walking. They are not yet aware of the situation because they stay in the village.

“I sincerely regret this whole drama. I didn’t know it would get to this extent. I am really going into depression. My name is flying around for the wrong reasons. So said I intentionally did the video just be popular. This is not true. I wouldn’t want to be known for the negative reasons. I just pray to get over this soon.”