Terrorism: VC Advises Parents against Sending Children Abroad for Studies
Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia
With the rise in terrorists’ activities across the world and the recruitment drive by terrorist organisations, Nigerian parents have been warned against sending their children to acquire university education overseas because of the “high risk” involved.
The Vice-Chancellor of Rhema University, Aba, Professor Ogbonnaya Onwudike, who made this known at a press conference, said when children are sent to foreign universities with no opportunity for parental guide, the consequences becomes disastrous.
“Parents stand the risk of losing their children if they send them outside the country without parental guidance at a tender age. It is advisable to send them overseas after the completion of their first degrees at home.
“It is important for parents to understand that in as much as it may be a noble idea to train children overseas, young people generally need parental guidance in their youthful stages of development.”
Onwudike explained that the warning became necessary because “while there is no shortage of material knowledge in the world today, there is great shortage of good character and integrity even among those who are internationally acclaimed in terms of their technological and academic knowledge and breakthrough.
“If a university produces chemists, engineers, politicians, doctors, administrators, among others without character, the world will be worse for it since such a university will only produce learned pedants, cunning sophists and pretentious practitioners.”
The VC stressed that godly discipline and character formation must be part of education curriculum, adding that “we believe that if we neglect this in our education, we will have trouble for ourselves, our nation, our families and society in general.”
Onwudike said when men and women are well trained morally and academically as practised at the university, they “will not be lost to society or to their parents and families”, as would be the case when they are exposed to a care-free educational environment.
He said the institution, which was founded by the Living Word Ministries, “aims at training, nurturing and equipping students for excellence both in academics and morals” and is now ready to harvest its first fruits.
According to him, the maiden convocation ceremony of the university would involve the award of degrees to 44 pioneer graduates in various disciplines, comprising three in first class division, 22 in second class upper division, 18 in second class lower division, and one person in third class degree category.
The VC expressed delight that despite the initial doubt about the survival of the institution as a result of the capital intensive nature of establishing and running a university, “the project has turned out to be a huge success.”
