By Tony Adibe
The Godfrey Okoye University (GO-UNI), Enugu has matriculated 1,055 students during its matriculation on Friday, warning students against direct or indirect involvement in cultism, drug addiction, prostitution, and other anti-social activities that have ruined the reputation of some tertiary institutions and their products in Nigeria.
NewsBits learnt that a breakdown of the GO-UNI 2022/2023 matriculation showed that the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has 750 students; Direct Entry 88 students, Transfer has 43 students, Sandwich 118 students; Post-Graduate (PG) has 56 students, thereby bringing the total figure to 1,055 students.
Addressing the senate, staff, and students as well as the huge crowd of parents and guardians who came to witness the 14th matriculation ceremony, the Vice Chancellor of Godfrey Okoye University, Rev. Fr. Prof. Christian Anieke reminded the students that the university has zero tolerance for all kinds of reprehensible conducts as such don’t bring goodwill to the students and institution they represent.
Prof. Anieke said: “Remember there is no room for the barbarism baptized “cultism,” no space for the madness called drug addiction, zero tolerance to prostitution in the form of reprehensible merchandising of the female body, no positive nod to male chauvinism and rascality, no welcoming of primitive shouting and insults, and no coming with opens arms to lunacy in the form of neo-paganism. As you know, your university is spiritually clean. Please, do not open our doors and windows to unclean spirits.”
The Vice Chancellor also reiterated the need for the students to always dress decently, stating “Furthermore, your university stresses good dressing, civilized communication, and gentility. Do the best you can to make all this part of your life. May God bless you as you take this road that will surely make all the difference.”
He said the vision of the GO-UNI “is to produce graduates who will be outstanding in learning, balanced in character and personality and ready to pursue epistemic unity in all its ramifications.”
He congratulated students of the GO-UNI Centre of Practical Skills at the main campus of the university – Ugwuomu-Nike. “The Centre of Practical Skills is a fully funded project of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (with financial contributions from GIZ, ADA and private investors).”
Prof. Anieke explained that the Centre of Practical Skills (CoPS) took off last year with 100 Nigerians, taught by foreign and Nigerian teachers, with all the students of the centre on fully funded scholarships.
According to him, “The Centre is connected with our business park, since it will be providing the skilled manpower needed by the companies,” adding: “Those who cannot be absorbed by the companies can apply for funds from our Start-Up Project. All students will be getting European trade certification in collaboration with our university. We thank the Manager, Meggy Kantert, and those teaching at the Centre.”
A 100 Level Law student, Miss Chioma Nkwoagu, who spoke on behalf of the matriculating students said: “With Godfrey Okoye University brimming over with opportunities for growth, it is of importance that we set our priorities right in order to enjoy a bumper harvest of beneficial trainings and life-coping skills Godfrey Okoye has to offer us. Let us stay focused, determined, resolute, resilient and optimistic at all times”
She urged her colleagues to always reject “those things that add little or nothing to our development,” adding “Let us remember that unnecessary distractions will always breed failure. In the words of our Vice Chancellor, ‘Success has many friends; failure is an orphan.’ As he also says, ‘Wisdom consists in knowing when and where to begin and knowing when and where to stop.”
Miss Obasi-Shilo Gennifer Chisom a 100 Level student in the Department of Computer Science told NewsBits: “With my matriculation today, my dream of becoming a professional computer programmer has come true. I am glad being admitted into this university.”
