We have cure for ‘AIDS’ – Rhema Varsity VC
Since the dreaded Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome
(AIDS) hit mankind some decades ago, there have been massive global efforts to
find cure to the scourge with little or no attention given to another deadlier
AIDS “the Acute Integrity Deficiency Syndrome.
Not so many people are aware of
the grave dangers the latter poses to humanity, hence the kid gloves with
which it is been treated. But Rhema University, a private Christian University
owned by the Living Word Ministries and located in Aba, the commercial capital
of Abia State, is not caught in this web of ignorance about the threats of the
latter AIDS. Apart from its acclaimed and commendable efforts towards academic
excellence, the university says it has also developed a therapy for this
scourge ravaging the very fabrics of the human society. It is important to note
that corruption as being witnessed today in our society is not perpetrated by
the victims of Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome rather, the victims of Acute
Integrity Deficiency Syndrome. The Vice- Chancellor, Professor Ogbonnaya
Onwudike, who announced the discovery of cure for the deadlier AIDS by Rhema
University during the pre-convocation press briefing of its maiden convocation,
said the institution was able to achieve this feat through its Head and Heart
Connection concept which forms the pillar of its education. The philosophy,
according to him, places equal premium on training both the head and the heart.
His words, There is no shortage of material knowledge in the world today,
there is great shortage of integrity even among those who are internationally
acclaimed in terms of academic knowledge and technological breakthroughs. If a
university produces engineers, doctors, lawyers, etc without character, the
world would be worse for it since such a university will only produce learned
pedants, cunning sophists and pretentious practitioners. Continuing, the VC
posited, But here at Rhema, we train both the head and the heart, producing men
and women whose parents will be proud of; those who grow in academic
excellence, integrity and the fear of God; those will not be lost to the vices
prevalent in society. These are possible because the children are trained and
brought up in an anointed environment where there is no cultism, intimidation,
sorting and other vices common in some other universities. We take care of our
students as children given to our custody by God. Godly discipline and character
formation are important to us. We believe that if we neglect this in our
education, we will have trouble for ourselves, our nation, our families and
society in general. We therefore, emphasize academic excellence and a life
lived in the fear of God. The former Vice Chancellor, Michael Okpara University
of Agriculture Umudike, in an exclusive chat with The AUTHORITY on Saturday,
expatiated on how he intends to use his wealth of experiences, national and
international contacts to project Rhema University to a global reckoning. The
university started in 2009 with a Provisional License by the National
Universities Commission (NUC) but got its full license in 2015. It started in a
rented building belonging to the popular Sab Motors along Aba-Owerri Road,
Aba, but today, it has erected over seven massive structures in the adjourning
streets running into several hectares of land. The VC disclosed that the
university has already acquired 107 hectares of land in Owerrinta near Aba for
its permanent site. Upon relocation to Owerrinta, the Aba campus will be
converted to its College of Medicine as the premises already houses one of the
famous hospitals in the South East zone which will serve as its Teaching
Hospital. The hospital was at a time the only hospital in the South East with
functional dialysis machine and CT-scan. Professor Onwudike said his preoccupation
now is to build the best medical school in Nigeria, a project he has set 2017
as deadline. He emphasized quality above quantity as one of the guiding
principles of the university. Thus, it is no surprise that only 44 graduates
including three first class students will be awarded first degrees in the
maiden convocation ceremony of the institution. The university currently offers
few but fully accredited programmes. These include Chemistry, Biochemistry,
Applied Biology, Computer Science, Physics, Statistics, and Mathematics. Others
are Accounting, Banking and Finance, Economics, Sociology, Public Administration,
and Mass Communication. With the massive development going on at the permanent
site, the university with special bias for science and business courses has its
eye on expansion but vows not to run any unaccredited programme contrary to the
bastardization in most public universities. Determined to excel in Information
Technology, the university has already set up Microsoft IT Academy to
professionally deliver various capacity development courses leading to the
award of certificate in Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco, etc. The university also has
a campus radio station fully licensed by the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission.
The university is already into partnership with the National Human Rights
Commission, and Chartered Institute of Bankers. The VC said efforts were being
intensified towards linking the university with other international institutions
for exchange programmes. Among the unique qualities of the university is the
philosophy of ensuring that its students acquire entrepreneurial skills in
other areas apart from their core fields of study to make them job creators
upon graduation. The management is already tapping into the vast Small and
Medium Enterprises in Aba where students undergo some vocational trainings in
addition to their academic works. The VC frowned at the preference of public
universities to private universities on the argument that the former are
cheaper, contending that the many advantages of good private universities give
them an edge over public ones in the long run. He advised candidates seeking admission
into tertiary institutions to embrace private universities because of its many
gains including uninterrupted academic calendar. The VC also advised parents
against the craze for sending their children and wards overseas for university
education without first degrees in Nigeria. This, according to him, may be
counter-productive. He lamented that candidates rather scramble for limited
admission space in public universities ignoring the vast and often unutilized
vacancies in private tertiary institutions. Faced with admission problems, parents
who can afford it may resort to finding university spaces overseas. But it is
important for parents to understand that in as much as it may be a noble idea
to train our children overseas, young people generally need parental guidance
in their youthful stages of development. It is, therefore, advisable to send
them overseas after the completion of their first degrees at home. Parents
stand the risk of losing their children if they send them outside the country
without parental guidance at a tender age. He also frowned at the award of
cosmetic First Class honours to graduates by some institutions for the sake of
winning awards. This, he said was unacademic. He said, It is worthless making a
feat that cannot be defended. Professor
Onwudike, however, lamented the inadequacy of private universities in the South
Eastern states which arguably produce the highest number of candidates seeking
university education in Nigeria. He challenged investors and stakeholders from
the zone to rise up to the challenge in the interest of the highly enterprising
people of the zone. He noted with regret that during his stay at the NUC, 90
percent of the applications for private universities emanated from states in
the South West zone alone, and called on Igbo investors to wake from their
slumber. As ways of improving facilities in private tertiary institutions,
Professor Onwudike who served as Co-Chairman of NUC Standing Committee on
Establishment of Private Universities (2006-2007), Chairman, NUC Standing
Committee on Private Universities (2007-2008), called for the inclusion of
private universities in the TETFund. He argued that private institutions also
need funds from TETFund to finance their projects since they dont depend on
government subventions. The highlights of the universitys maiden convocation
ceremony, included a pre-convocation lecture by the Minister of State for
Education, Professor Anthony Onwuka, and the installation of the first
Chancellor of the university, Bro. Emma Okorie, who is the President of Living
Word Ministries. Hopes are high, that Living Word Ministries which has maintained
a leading position in primary and secondary school education, will also make a
mark in tertiary education in the country.
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