At the 2014/2015 matriculation ceremony of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Joseph Eberendu Ahaneku proved to be a man of due process. Being the first matriculation ceremony he officiated since his assumption of office in June 2014, he didn’t fall short of expectations. While some parents were still struggling to reach the venue, the Vice Chancellor’s procession accompanied by the Deans of Faculties, Heads of Departments and other administrative officers kept to time and filed out to the arena for the annual academic ritual.
At exactly 12:10 pm as stated in the programme of events, the university song and opening formalities commenced in earnest as the Registrar, Christian Okeke, invited the Vice Chancellor to declare the function open.
Prof Ahaneku congratulated the new students on being among the less than 7000 candidates offered admission out of the over 40,000 candidates that had applied. He praised them for their success during the admission process, and urged them to tow the footsteps of great men and women who had passed through the university on their path to eminence.
He noted that the drive of his administration which came on board seven months ago is to “so transform the university that by the end of his five-year tenure, it would have become one of the best 500 universities in the world, one of the best 100 hundred universities in Africa and the best university in Nigeria”.
He said various schemes like the work-aid scheme for the assistance of indigent and physically challenged students and Group Personal Insurance Schemes with well equipped hostels have been put in place in the university to provide a congenial learning environment for the students.
On the successes recorded in the academic programmes, the Vice Chancellor also noted that the university has grown to 14 faculties with 97 departments and 94 academic programmes all accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and other relevant professional bodies.
He said Nnamdi Azikiwe University has linkage programmes with 16 world-renowned universities spread across the United States of America, China, Europe and Africa in addition to six local institutions.
Ahaneku urged the students to realize that for them to bag the university degree, they owe certain obligations to the university, their parents and themselves. This, he said, includes prompt payment of school fees, regular attendance to lectures, fleeing from any form of examination misconduct, certificate forgery and cultism.
He described cultism as an anathema in the university, warning that all proven cultists will be summarily expelled while other deviant behavior such as robbery, rape cannot be tolerated. He warned that such misconducts would attract expulsion from the university and possible imprisonment by the state.
Our reporter also spoke exclusively with the Vice Chancellor as the procession retired to the Post Graduate School Hall. Expressing delight at the successful outing, he said his administration would tackle all challenges and move the institution to the rank of great universities in the world.
“On our own part, we will do our best, put in our best and give our students the best exposure we can and provide the facilities that they need both in their study and accommodation. Even in the university Senate, we have resolved to give the students the shortest turnaround time for their results and academic work so for us in this administration, we are very much committed to real excellence and we are ready to produce job creators and not job seekers,” he said.
He said the university was laying strong emphasis on entrepreneurship so that graduates of the university can go home with skills. He raised hopes for more intakes in the university admission after an evaluation of facilities by the National Universities Commission (NUC). He said more hostels will also be built to accommodate more students to address the perennial shortage being experienced and also to save the students from shylock landlords and unnecessary dangers.
While administering the oath of ices.ou to make the best use of the golden opportunity presented by your admission into this great university. You need to stay conscious of the expectations of your parents as well as the enormous sacrifices they are making to see you through school at this point in time. You must, therefore, make a personal commitment not to let them down,” he said.
Okeke cautioned the fresh students against the notion that attendance to lectures was not essential. Rather, he stressed that, “the academic regulation provides that students who fail to register their courses within the stipulated time will forfeit the session and all full-time students must attend 75 per cent of all lectures in order to qualify to write examinations in the courses.”
Some matriculating students who spoke to Campus Sun expressed excitement on the new opportunities granted them. Oliver Okechukwu, a 100 level student in the Department of Engineering, expressed gratitude to God and the university management for finding him worthy of admission despite its competitive nature. He said that he has learnt life changing lessons during the orientation period and expressed optimism that Ahaneku administration will bring good tidings to the staff and students.
Chinenye Eze, another new student, said that a new vista of opportunities have opened up for her since the past one month she was offered admission. She lauded the university management and the lecturers for their dedication to duty.
The joy of Opara Kenedy, Mass Communication Department, knew no bounds. He said: “I am very glad to be among the privileged few that got admission into this prestigious university, and I hope to make good use of the opportunity to develop myself and impact on the society. When I graduate, I hope to apply the knowledge I would have acquired in the area of my itinerary to solve the problem of moral decadence that is the bane of our society.”
Oluebube Enyinnaya, Department of Accountancy said: “I feel very excited today, to me, it is a dream come true. Even before entering this great university, I had set a target to graduate with a First Class degree so that the university will retain me as a graduate lecturer; I pray God will help me attain that goal.”
Also, some parents expressed gratitude over what they described as the environmental facelift and infrastructural upgrade in the university. Mr. Benjamin Odogwu, father of a student in the Faculty of Social Sciences, had this to say; “Today’s event is fantastic. The university is very much improved more than what it used to be, most of the buildings looked very dilapidated but I can see some kind of improvement, not only the structures but also the environment.”
Mrs Ifeoma Umeh added: “I feel great to attend the matriculation ceremony of my third daughter and I am impressed with what I am seeing, the environment has really changed. As a Zikite, I am happy. I have seen a lot of structural changes. That shows that things are going well here.”
Speaking shortly after the matriculation, the President Students Union Government of the institution, Comrade Noble Eyisi, in an interview urged the new students to remain focused in their studies and to adhere strictly to what they had learnt in the course of their orientation. He also promised that his administration would always represent the interest of the students at large.
He urged the new students to adhere to the matriculation oath and to take the bull by the horn by making their academics their priority and by making judicious use of the unique opportunity to learn and become useful to themselves, their families and the society.
“I urge the new students to desist from social vices that will tamper with their educational career. These vices are, no doubt, inimical to their future success,” Eyisi said.
FROM ALOYSIUS ATTAH, EMEKA ONWUDINJO AND FRANKLIN ONWUBIKO
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