By Odogwu .E. Odogwu
The Vice-Chancellor of the University on the Niger, Umunya, Anambra State, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, has called on Anglicans to support education in all its ramifications.
Prof Nebo , a former Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and a former Minister of Power bared his mind on Nigerian University Education in a speech he made during the Annual Homage of the Diocese on the Niger held at the All Saints’ Cathedral,
Prof. Nebo said, “For many years now, most of us who have been in academics, have witnessed the incredible assault on the Education System in Nigeria because of strikes all over the place; whether it is Federal University or State University.
“There have been an upsurge of discontent among those who are lecturing, teaching or serving there”, he added.
Still explaining the cause of his anger over public universities, he said, “You sent somebody to go and study the Liberal Arts and Management Sciences in public universities where there are 200 students, 300 students and 400 students in a class, and at the end of the day, the students cannot grab a single tenet of what they have been exposed to, because nobody cares about them”.
Consequently, regretting the number of universities in Nigeria against the backdrop of the apparent rising number of students, in the country, the professor said, “We do know that the number of universities in Nigeria today had increased (you may think they are large enough, they are not). There is no way that the number of universities we have in Nigeria today can serve the entire country”.
He therefore expressed joy, as a welcome development, the eventual establishment of the University on the Niger, saying that it emerged at the nick of time.
“I cannot thank God enough for the vision that God gave to our beloved Bishop, the Rt Rev Dr Owen Nwokolo and his wife, Dr Nonyelum Nwokolo (Mama Niger) who has also been a strong force driving the establishment of the University on the Niger.
“University on the Niger is established as a unique university. And it is the very reason we are employing and deploying what we can call best practice in university education. We are not taking anything by chance.
The university knows that unless we produce graduates that are nationally relevant and globally competitive, we will not achieve our dream. And because God is the author of knowledge, wisdom and understanding, and the Church is the body of Christ, having established this university, we have a passion for it to be number one in this country.
“This is because we believe that God has given us the best mind, the best intellect, the best accumen and the best talent to be the best in anything we do. And we want our students to become part of that spirit of excellence.
“We can assure you that the education your children are getting at the University on the Niger is superior to what you can find anywhere. It is not inferior to any university at all!
“We will do our best so that when they come in, they come in, raw, they go through the system and when they leave, they leave as finished products that are excellent. That is what we want to do, that is our commitment to you”, Prof. Nebo vowed.
