By Jude Atupulazi
The Pro-Chancellor of Olivia University Burundi, Sir Paul Chukwuma, has encouraged the Church to continue to sustain its legacy in education, stating that the History of Education in Nigeria cannot be written without mentioning the huge contributions of the Church.
Paul Chukwuma stated this when he paid a visit to the permanent site of Archbishop Shanahan Catholic University, Onitsha, to see the level of infrastructure and to undertake a primary NEED assessment of the school to determine where further value can be added.
Speaking, Sir Chukwuma congratulated the Metropolitan and Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, His Grace Most Rev. Dr Valerian Okeke, and the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha, for undertaking what he described as such an ambitious project. He added that the Catholic Church had always treasured education and had for centuries led in the establishment of educational institutions across the globe.
‘Human History cannot be written without the contributions of the Catholic Church to the advancement of education. In Nigeria, it was the Church that ensured that a large number of Nigerians got educated in record time. I am glad that the Onitsha Archdiocese has continued in the vision of the founding fathers of the Church. The Church has a big role to play in our society. They are not only the gatekeepers of morality but that of education; as morality and education are inseparable,’ Chukwuma opined.
He expressed the desire that the university would grow to become one of the best in the country; even as he particularly expressed his excitement that the university also had a medical faculty with a state-of-the-art hospital, which, he believed, would help increase accessibility to medical care by improving the doctors-to-patient ratio and that of other health workers.
‘On my part, I will continue to support the cause of education in Nigeria. Your Grace, be assured of my support and prayers at all times,’ Chukwuma said.
The Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, His Grace Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, who received Sir Chukwuma and his team, thanked him for his visit. While acknowledging the role of the Church in education, the Archbishop stated his dream to turn Onitsha and its environs into an academic environment, adding that graduates from the school would both be grounded in moral and academic pursuit. He further announced that the first 500 students to be admitted into the school would be on scholarship.
Sir Paul Chukwuma was accompanied to the University by some faculty members of the Olivia University, Burundi.
