By Daruwana Daku
For the communities of Achina/Onneh and the Catholic Dioceses of Awka and Ekwulobia, it was a dream come true, as Peter University held her maiden Matriculation Ceremony on Friday, 19 April 2024 at the University’s Auditorium, attended by the academia, priests, religious and other dignitaries.
The ceremony, which formerly welcome the students, served also as the formal opening of the institution for her pioneer students into the 2023/2024 academic journey of her undergraduate students.
The matriculation ceremony which began with a Holy Mass, was presided by the co-proprietor, His Eminence, Peter Ebere Cardinal Okpaleke.
While delivering his homily, His Eminence, Peter Ebere Cardinal Okpaleke, thanked those who toiled hard in making the dream of the University come true. In a special way, he thanked the benefactors of the institution, adding that the Catholic bishops of Awka, Most Rev Paulinus C. Ezeofor who is the Chairman Board of Trustee of the University and the bishop of Nnewi, Most Rev Jonas Benson Okoye who supervised the building of Peter University were happy to see the vision of the University come alive. Dioceses were happy to see the vision of the University come alive.
In his address to the students, the bishop also called on the newly admitted students to be co-creators and Inventors, adding that the the institution had all it took to put them in the global space of learning, particularly as they had invested so much in Information Technology, which according to him, had opened the world’s knowledge.
His Eminence also charged the students to not just dream but also work smart and hard. He stressed that it was only through working smart that dreams could be achieved.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Very Rev. Fr Prof Emmanuel Umezinwa, in his matriculation Address, also corroborated the words of His Eminence by charging the students to see the University’s environment as a place where their dreams could be achieved.
The event which was attended by the Governor of Anambra State, Governor Chukwuma Soludo; former Governor, Peter Obi; VCs of many universities; the academia, traditional rulers and professionals from different walks of life, had breaking of the kola nut, oath taking, declaration of loyalty amongst others, as the major highlights.
