On Ebonyi State University's 4th-6th Convocation.

There was a comprehensible atmosphere of celebration at Ebonyi State University as it held a combined convocation ceremony covering three years. But this weeklong event was not just about refreshment and cheers. It was an occasion to come to terms with its challenges as well as celebrate its hard-won achievements.

At a pre-event briefing, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Francis Idike reeled out those achievements and challenges.

He said the school expelled a total of 131 students for various offenses ranging from exam malpractice to cultism between 2011 and 2014. The institution also suspended 459.

“Also sixty-one staff of the University were dismissed for misconduct, fifteen of them demoted, twenty-five had their appointments terminated while forty-two were warned,” he said.

He said a total of 7,956 students of the institution who graduated from 2011 to 2014 will be convoked during the 4th-6th convocation ceremony.

Prof. Idike revealed that eight persons will receive Diploma certificates while 7,316 will get Bachelors Degree. Also 122 graduates will bag PGD and 341 will receive Ph.D certificates.

The Vice Chancellor said the school has been receiving a monthly subvention of N245m since April 2011 from the State Government. “But this one single line subvention is hardly enough to carry our current salary bill of over N354m apart from overhead and running costs of the University. The University is in dire need of additional funding from within and outside”, he added.

 

This was followed by a convocation lecture delivered by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr. Mathew Hassan Kukah.

Kukah spoke on the topic: ‘Transition to Democracy: Can Nigeria ride the wave?’

He postulated that greed and arrogance are the major reasons for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s loss of the 2015 general elections to the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Bishop Kukah also identified lack of  party cohesion, insensitivity to its supporters and inability to control its stalwarts’ excesses as other reasons for the party’s failure.

He, however, blamed these on the poor foundation of the party at its inception maintaining that the party “was really not a party and never worked hard to become a party”.

His words: “Successful transitions are based on the typology of the transition. Was it negotiated as it was in South Africa or is it an emergency transition? I don’t believe we have a transition in Nigeria, because I followed the circumstances that brought in Gen.  Olusegun Obasanjo and I know the story pretty well.”

“But what we had was really an attempt at becoming a democracy. PDP has reaped the ill wind it sowed because clearly PDP was really not a party and it never worked hard to become a party, it became a distribution agency”.

“It is true that these elections could have swung either way. Many would argue that president Jonathan and his PDP could have won the elections had they not succumbed to the hubris that has become the hallmark of the PDP. We all know the story of the peculiar circumstances that brought the party into being.”

“We also know that despite that, the party became an association of takers and buccaneers more than anything else. The party could not deal quickly with the issues of greed and arrogance of some of its men and women in power.”

 “Many would argue that it became insensitive to the needs of its supporters. It had no mechanism for internal cohesion and simply believed that it was the elephant that could not be slain.”

Bishop Kukah also charged the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari to work hard to restore public confidence in government and politics.

Then came the D-day when all roads led to the permanent site of the institution for the award of the degrees.

Wife of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Mrs. Nwanneka Ekweremadu was among the graduates who bagged Ph.D certificates during the convocation of the institution.

On the occasion, her husband Senator Ike Ekweremadu donated 18-seater bus to the University for graduating her.

Ekweremadu who was accompanied to the event by Enugu Governor-elect, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi said he avoided contact with either the faculty or the department of his wife so that they will not be influenced, describing the staff of the University as very responsible.

He promised to partner with the institution to explore the potentials.

The Deputy Senate President called on the incoming government at all levels to make conscious effort and provide employment for the teaming youths. He noted that opportunities in the civil service are limited but that it is where critical planning thinking comes in.

Government needs to partner with the private sector to establish industries and factories that can help check this army of unemployed youths.

“We are aware that government is not a good manager of industry but that is where partnership comes in and I believe that conscious effort will be able to provide employment for  our young men and women so that they will add value to society.”

“Every day I get a number of text messages and request of people seeking employment and my heart bleeds in such occasion.”

He called on the newly elected leaders in across the country to see the issue of youths unemployment as a concern saying; “as responsible leaders, this should be our concern in the next four years how to provide jobs for our people.”

“It is irresponsible for any person to have three square meal and others don’t have; it is irresponsible for any person to have a shelter and others don’t have; it is irresponsible for any person to have water and others don’t have.”

“We must share with our common wealth as a nation. So this is a challenge for both the incoming government at the federal, state and local levels and I believe we can achieve this,” he stated.

The Deputy Senate President said he is fulfilled that his wife finally graduated. “Am fulfilled more also when I realized the enormous burden as a house wife and wife of a politician.”

“She has been a well focused and hardworking woman and she tries as much as possible to pursue her ambition and interest.”

“Even as a Local Government Chairman, she kept her work as a teacher and when I was Secretary to a State government and Chief of Staff, she also continued her work.”

“She eventually completed programme leading to her acceptance as a chartered Accountant and now she rode in two Masters Degrees; an MBA and M.Sc and completed  both and today she has accomplished her life dream of having a Ph.D.

Speaking to reporters, Mrs. Ekweremadu said it was not easy to achieve her success. She disclosed that she started the programme since 2007 and commended her husband for encouraging her.

“When I feel very discouraged, he kept encouraging me, he has been very good to me, he is really a husband and am grateful for his encouragement.”

She called on women to have vision for themselves and not to depend solely on their husband.

“We should not heap our burdens on our husbands; it is not just about your husband. Tomorrow if your husband leaves office, who are you?”

‘’Our women have to work hard; I have worked hard for myself,” she said.

The university also conferred honorary degrees on the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Hassan Kukah and former Vice Chancellor of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Prof. Chiweyite Ejike.

In his address, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Francis Idike said Kukah was honoured for his monumental impact on issues of religion, politics, justice, equity and unity nationally and internationally.

He described the bishop as a champion of Nigerian democracy, nationalism, identity formation, a friend of the media and a specialist on the terrible periods of Nigeria’s history.

Idike disclosed that the university honoured Prof. Ejike for his monumental impact on university administration, describing him as a unique university scholar, researcher and academic icon. He said by the conferment, Kukah and Ejike will have become special Alumni of the university and will share in the pride, privileges and responsibilities that come with the status.

Former Vice President of the country, Dr. Alex Ekwueme called on the university to engage in institutional transformation to attain jet age.

He called for a revolutionary restructuring of the nation’s universities curriculum to reduce the high content of theory and make them more practice-oriented with a view to encouraging entrepreneurship among the graduates.