Anchor Varsity Celebrates First Class Graduands

Funmi Ogundare

It was celebration all the way at the maiden convocation ceremony of Anchor University, Lagos recently, as Miss Mary Erhumuoghene, 19, of the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Science Education was called out to receive her prize from the Chancellor and General Superintendent, Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, for emerging the best graduating student with a CPGA of 3.95 out of 4.0.

She received three other sponsored prizes for the best graduating student in the department.

Erhumuoghene outshined 62 graduates the institution produced for the 2019/2020 academic session.

Twenty two graduands also obtained first class from the Faculties of Science and Science Education, as well as Social and Management Sciences.

In her valedictory speech, she attributed her success to God. She said despite her poor performance in Biochemistry in 200 level, two of her lecturers had encouraged her never to see any course as unpassable.

“I didn’t plan to have first class and after my poor perfomance in Biochemistry which I saw as difficult in 200 level, my lecturers helped me to set goals and I made up my mind to be successful in it.”

She said the university has done so much to develop its students by imparting the necessary knowledge, attitude and skills in the students to make them great leaders, while commending her parents and lectures for their efforts.

She urged her fellow graduands to be good ambassadors of the institution and learn from every mistake, saying, “they will make you to be who you want to be. Earn an identity for yourself, it is about understanding more of you.”

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Afolayan said the convocation ceremony was historic, considering the teething challenges the institution has gone through in bringing forth the pioneering graduands, adding that in the last four years it is committed to the vision of being a citadel of learning for holistic human transformation and development.

“These graduands were here when we started our journey of faith in 2017. Despite all the challenges they faced as students, including tough decisions that had to be made for their progress, they wouldn’t deny the fact that those tough decisions have impacted them and made them better persons.”
He said since the establishment of the university, they have ensured relationship and linkages with institutions in other countries to gain global relevance.

The VC advised the graduating students, saying that they are built for greatness and should be proud that they studied at the institution.

In his remarks, the Chancellor, Dr. William Kumuyi congratulated the graduands saying, “this is an important day in your lives; we are all happy and celebrate with you. These graduands are the very first fruit of this citadel of learning and will after now, be charged with the enviable duty of opening the Anchor University’s Alumni Association.

He advised them to ensure that they get to the peak of their careers and seek opportunities available in their fields of study.

According to him, “undermine and minimise seemingly appearing obstacles by setting your face and eyes as a flint to the zenith, research and reach your havens of icons in your field of study and go higher to become global achievers as ambassadors of Christ and expect help from God.”

In his convocation lecture titled ‘Re-engineering the Youths for Leadership Imperatives and National Development’, former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Peter Okebukola, called on political office holders to promote an enabling environment for young people’s participation in a broad range of process, as well as ensure that young people’s skills and capacities are harnessed to participate actively in the democratic practices at the local, national and global levels.

He noted that despite the fact that Africa is plagued with oldest political leaders, young people must realise that leadership will not be given to them on a platter of gold.

“Before you say I am not too young to run, remember that a leader without character is useless to himself or herself and everyone else. Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikwe and Sir Ahmadu Bello were not just young, they worked hard to achieve their feats.”

He said all stakeholders including religious institutions also have roles to play in developing the youths for leadership, adding that the church should encourage them to harness their God-given talents towards contributing their quota to national development.

“There is no better institution to trigger a revival of values in our young people than the church, they must create platforms for youth engagement. We are greatful for the Deeper Life Bible Church’s 2020 conference where young people were encouraged to emerge beyond the current challenges and live beyond overwhelming societal, economic, cultural and generational limitations,” he stressed.

Okebukola who is currently on the council/board of regents of six universities across the world, including the Pan African University owned by African Union, in Addis Ababa, enumerated the pathways to re-engineer the youth for leadership such as through quality education, re-engineering the curriculum at all levels and its delivery, massive overhaul of school facilities, as well as rethinking teacher education.