•Honours Senate President, Deputy Governor, Others
Wesley University, Ondo, Ondo State, has produced 38 First Class graduates out of 348 graduates for its 11th & 12th convocation ceremony.
The faith-based university also conferred fellows and honorary doctorate awards on personalities including the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio; Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence (Dr) Oliver Ali Aba; Deputy Governor of Benue State, His Excellency, Barrister (Dr) Samuel Ode; Och’Otukpo Odu, His Royal Highest, Dr John Onuminya Eimonye (OON) PJ, and Member, House of Representative for Ondo East & West Federal Constituency, Hon. Abiola Peter Makinde.
Others are the Executive Chairman, Leschman Foundation 4 Education, Mr Bolanle Benjamin Leshi; Former Ikeja Federal House of Representative member, Chief Akinyemi Beckley; Vice President, Global Hands Foundation, Chief (Elder) Ita Etim Onakak; Elder, United Methodist Church, USA, Engineer (Elder) Ita Ntekim; Federal Commissioner, Nigerian Law Reform Commission, Sir Barr. Bassey Dan Abia; Former Commissioner, Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Chief Barr. Paul Harris Adekole Ogbole (SAN); Special Adviser to the Governor of Benue State on Sports Development, Mrs Elizabeth Idoko Okogun; Special Adviser to the Deputy Governor of Benue State on Women & Youth Development, Chief Sonni Ikwue Adapoyi and General/ Chief Executive Officer, Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, Engineer Abubakar Gambo Umar.
Speaking at the Wesley University convocation lecture, on the theme: ‘Early Church Fathers as Panacea for Sustainable Development in Nigeria’, the Registrar, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University (JOSTUM), Makurdi, Benue, formerly Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi, Dr John Ujo David, lamented that some of the faith-based universities in Nigeria, has gradually and steadily given way to either highly commercialized and unaffordable schools or miracle centres.
Dr David said it is worthy to note that the value of education is gradually being debased by its commercialization, contrary to the service value attached to it by the forefathers.
While the Vice-Chancellor, Wesley University, Ondo, Rt. Rev. Prof. Samuel Sunday Obeka noted that the activities of this year’s convocation ceremony commenced on Thursday with a lecture, a visit to the Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom, and a crusade led by the university Chancellor, Snr. Pastor Dr Paul Enenche, Friday, was the dedication/inauguration of the permanent site gate, the Bishop’s reception and Saturday, the award of certificates to graduands, and honourary awards.
Breaking down the grades, the Methodist Church Bishop said 159 students bagged second class upper, 124 bagged second class lower, and 12 students bagged third class while 13 students bagged pass, for their first degree.
He further noted that all the degrees offered by Wesley University have full accreditation by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The JOSTUM Registrar noted that church members’ children cannot attend some of the universities set up with their proceeds of offering and tithes which they also made contributions to, owing to the man’s indigence.
“Unfortunately, despite the sacrifices of the church fathers to the development of educational centres, the system has been compromised, and it is a disgrace.
“What was meant to be a citadel of learning, centre of knowledge and that of potency and centre of suggestion as well as of reform has in the 21st century become a hotbed for power struggle, group rivalry and personality clashes.
“The university system today, rather than being a catalyst for development where its education is structured to develop people’s intellect and engender in one the capacity for discipline thought, it has regrettably become a breeding ground for cultism, banditry, kidnapping and violent lifestyles.
“No doubt, this has made the landscape incipient of chaos, indecency (prompting many universities to place bans on indecent dressings on campuses), violence, instability, and decay (reading culture as the centrepiece of knowledge is seriously being eroded, thereby resulting in serious poor academic performances in schools, no thanks to mass usage of android and iPhones).
“However, the exemption is made for some universities, especially private ones like Wesley University and a few others who are free from these social malaises.
“Notwithstanding, the products from these centres are in different sectors of the economy, making meaningful contributions through the provision of services or deployment of acquired knowledge as well as building peace and harmony across the country,” he stressed.
Dr David further argued that hopefully, the practice of discipline by the church fathers has engendered core values of tolerance, patience, meekness etc., which are ingredients of unity and progress.
“On the other hand, the lack of discipline has affected Nigerian patriotism to the extent that it has become a mere window dressing. It is self-centred and egoistic, and the worst thing is that it has reached a crescendo.
“The best breed of citizen is being enmeshed in this negative attitude through unimaginable silence,” he added.
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| L–R: Director–General/Chief Executive Officer, Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, Engr. Abubakar Gambo Umar; Pro-Chancellor/Chairman of Governing Council, Wesley University, Ondo, Prof. Barr. Jejelola Ola Jones; Immediate Past Chairman, Board of Trustee (BOT), Sir. Demola Aladekomo; Deputy Governor, Benue State, Hon. Barr. Dr. Samuel Ode; Vice Chancellor, Wesley University, Ondo, Rt. Rev. Prof. Samuel Sunday Obeka; Och’Otukpo Odu, His Royal Highest, Dr John Onuminya Eimonye (OON) PJ, and Member, House of Representative for Ondo East & West Federal Constituency, Hon. Abiola Peter Makinde, at the 11th & 12th Convocation & Awards ceremony at the weekend in Ondo State. |
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